Benoa td INK SLINGS. —The wheat harvest is tramping hard on the heels of the hay makers. —If everybody is going to strike who is going to pay the strike bene- fits? —The proposed sesqui-centennial exhibition for Philadelphia is starting off with enough fighting to augur great success. —There will be no issue of the “Watchman” next week. We're going fishing and you’ll have to go without your favorite newspaper. : —— Tt is also worth while*to re- member that election day comes just about the time the average voter is ordering his winter supply of coal. —Probably Germany will never set- tle her domestic problems until the Republicans chase all the monarchists out or the reverse is accomplished. — Harding enjoys himself yacht- ing and playing golf while the leaders of his party are “sweating blood” in the shadow of defeat. But Nero fid- dled while Rome burned. —John A. McSparran arranged things yesterday so that he will not have to keep bachelor’s hall in the Executive mansion in Harrisburg next winter. He married Mrs. Sadie Hol- land, Mills, Mass. —If there were smaller strike ben- efits there would be fewer strikes. Many union workers are idle today because they can draw down more or as much money in “strike benefits” as they could earn by working. —June is about over and some peo- ple remember only its rain and torrid weather. Others, there are, who saw the profusion of flowers and the splendid garden vegetation the heat and the moisture brought. —1It’s really amazing the number of people who claque about what the oth- er fellow should do, when it is not so much what the other fellow should do that counts as what they would do were they in the other fellow’s place. —An old, old man from State Col- lege told us on Tuesday that there are more good looking women up there now taking the summer school work than he thought could be gathered up in Pennsylvania. Twenty years ago we would have been on the way up to State now, but in a way we're like the purveyor of this news—we're get- ting old. —At the meeting of the finance committee of the Republican organi- zation it was decided that assessment of office holders would not be made. It was also decided that the usual let- ter soliciting contributions would be sent out—that Mr. Pinchot insisted upon. The usual letter is all that ever has been sent out. Isn't Gif. the foxy little fellow. —Congressman Fordney, of Mich- igan, has announced his intention of retiring at the close of his present term. Inasmuch as he has been in the House twenty-four years it is but nat- ural that he would be missed there, but the country will have little rea- son to regret his voluntary retire- ment. The only thing of note he has done in his near quarter of a century in Congress was to father the tariff bill that is notorious. — Last week our Pleasant Gap con- tributor used up about a column of space in this very precious sheet dis- sertating in red-headed girls. Next week he will discuss bald-headed men. And we are in a quandery. Is Levi trying to start something? Of course we can’t recall any youthful charges of having been a “Sis” but when we had hair it was red and we don’t like this coincidental discussion of red- headed and bald-headed people. —The tri-county conference of the League of Women Voters, at Hecla, on Wednesday was wet, though the iadies from Centre, Clinton and Ly- coming, who were there are mostly dry. It was purely a woman’s gath- ering, though a few men candidates willing to have the ladies give them the once over were there. Among the latter, however, the Hon. Tom Beaver was not. We have been unable to learn whether he feared or ignored the ladies. However that may be the Hon. Tom’s record as a “fusser” in his early days would indicate that he was making other kind of hay that day and forgot all about it. —A. M. Holding, president of the Pennsylvania State Bar Association, delivered himself of a lot of good sense on the occasion of the opening of the association’s annual meeting at Bedford, on Tuesday. Mr. Holding’s forcible discussion of the dangers lurking in frequent and impulsive amendments to the Yejonl constitu- tion was much along lines of theory always presented by this paper in de- fense of its motto: “State Rights and Federal Union.” People get an ob- session to have something through an amendment to the constitution. They got what they wanted but in doing so pushed the door just a bit more ajar and made it that much easier for oth- ers to get something that may not be so desirable. It is possible to so cen- tralize government by amendments to the constitution that a Republic will become, in effect, a Monarchy. The townships and boroughs of Centre county, the counties of Pennsylvania, the States of the Union are all being insidiously made’ impotent as initia- tive or constructive entities by the process of centralization and Mr. Hol- den is not only right but timely, in- deed, in calling public attention to the matter. STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. VOL. 87. BELLEFONTE, PA. JUNE 30. 1922. NO. 26. McSparran Will Clean House. There are rumors floating about that the investigation of the State Treasury is to be dropped. The in- vestigation began during the primary campaign. The friends of Gifford Pinchot were largely responsible for it and it is believed that the early de- velopments helped the Forester to the nomination. The later evidence threatened injury to the party, how- ever, and the hearings were promptly adjourned to an indefinite time. That grave irregularities have been the rule in the State Treasury is fully re- vealed. That other departments of the State government are equally slovenly is generally suspected. And that the Republican machine is re- sponsible is beyond question. The attack on State Treasurer Kep- hart helped to create sentiment for Pinchot for the reason that Mr. Kep- hart was supporting Alter. But a searching investigation would be like- ly to show that the entire machinery of government in Harrisburg is rot- ten and that Gifford Pinchot was quite as culpable and exactly as re- sponsible for the evils as any oth- er member of the Sproul administra- tion. You can’t make fish of one and flesh of another in the circumstances. The whole mess is rotten and if ex- posed to full view of the public eye will appear alike. J. Pierpont Mor- gan once said “you can’t unscramble an egg.” It is just as impossible to discriminate between politicians in the same group. The investigation of the State Treasury has not thus far revealed the extent of the losses of the people of Pennsylvania by Mr. Kephart’s manipulation of the funds. It has not even shown who were the beneficiaries of the operations. But it has com- pletely disclosed the fact that the peo- ple have suffered and that some favor- ites have been benefitted. It has also made it clear that the only remedy is in a complete change in administra- tion of the State government. No Re- publican can make substantial and en- during improvements. They are all slike bound...to the machine and whether Grundy or Vare is in control the corruption will continue. But John A. MecSparran will “clean house.” — Harding favors the admission of cabinet members to seats in Con- gress. He probably imagines that At- torney General Daugherty would be an ornament in the Senate. Pinchot’s Farce Comedy. Mr. Gifford Pinchot’s hypocrisy is converting his campaign into a farce comedy. The other day he met with chairman Baker and his associates on the Republican ticket and after a good deal of boasting about political moral- ity issued a declaration that there shall be no assessment of office hold- ers for campaign purposes this year. It was agreed that office holders may make voluntary contributions to the campaign fund and chairman Baker was authorized to appoint a finance committee to receive any contribu- tions that may be offered by office holders or any one else. But no as- sessments are to be levied and it was solemnly announced that the minute an assessment is levied Pinchot will revolt. to such a past master political ma- chinist as Mr. W. Harry Baker. It gives him full license to draw on the Pinchot family millions to the limit of his inclinations and as much right to collect from the office holders as the machine has enjoyed at any time since the law prohibiting campaign assess- ments of office holders was enacted several years ago. Since the passage of that law there have been no cam- paign assessments on office holders. The office holders have simply been invited to contribute “voluntarily” with an implied understanding that if they don’t pay they lose their jobs. That is precisely what will happen this year and while checks come Pin- chot will “wink the other eye.” Obviously Mr. Pinchot has lived so much of his life outside of Pennsylva- nia that he is unable to accurately measure the intelligence of the voters of the State. He imagines that he is fooling a considerable number of peo- ple by this camouflaged political mo- rality. But he is only deceiving him- self. Possibly he is willing to draw from his inherited millions a sufficient sum to buy an election to the office of Governor of Pennsylvania if such an honor were for sale. There is no such auction scheduled this year, however. The people of Pennsylvania have de- termined to choose from their own number an honest, earnest and capa- ble man who will administer the office for their benefit, Mr. McSparran. A ———— ——————————— ——The assassination of Dr. Rathe- nau, in Germany, on Saturday, is con- vincing proof that the people of that ' country are not improved by the re- | cent adversities. Nothing could be more satisfactory Clean House Completely. The Supreme court of Pennsylva- nia, carefully organized for the pur- pose of the Republican machine, has affirmed the validity of the tax on an- thracite coal and completely reversed its “better self.” The constitution declares that “all taxes shall be uni- form, upon the same class of sub- jects.” The act in question levies a tax on one kind of coal and exempts all other kinds. A former act in practically the same language was declared by the same court to be in- valid upon the ground, briefly stated, that “coal is coal,” and a tax on coal must cover all kinds of coal. For some reason the Republican machine wanted to tax anthracite coal and ever since that decision the bench has been fixed that way. The result of this decision is that the people of Pennsylvania, mostly those who can ill afford the expense, will be taxed to the tune of ten to fif- teen millions of dollars annually in or- der to make continued profligacy in the administration of the Staic gov- ernment possible. If the service were made reasonably economical there would be no need of this additional burden on the people. The statement of the Governor that the greater part of the tax will be paid by consumers outside of the State is beside the ques- tion. That portion which will be lev- outrageous because it is burdensome and unnecessary. It will cause great suffering and destruction of life. The remedy for this great evil is the election of John A. McSparran to the office of Governor. He will inau- gurate a system of economical gov- ernment which will reduce the expen- ditures so that this iniquitous and unconstitutional tax may be repealed at the next session of the Legislature and he will present the matter to the General Assembly with such force as will compel the Legislature to wipe it off the statute books. There are many other reasons for the election of the Democratic candidate for Governor but this one is sufficient in itself. The endurance and the only way to stop the criminal operation is to “turn the rascals out.” Clean house completely. ——June has been a sad disappoint- ment in various ways but what’s the use of complaining. The Republican administration has been no more sat- isfactory and it makes one weary to just think of Congress. Tariff Tax a Trouble Burden. If the pending tariff bill passes in the Senate, which now seems certain, it will be the first piece of legislation to go through with eighty per cent. of those supporting it opposed to its pro- visions. The beneficiaries of tariff taxation contributed millions of dol- lars to elect President Harding on the promise of legislation which would re- imburse them. Upon the fulfillment of this promise will depend future contributions, and a vast sum of mon- w | ey is needed to conduct the Congres- sional campaigns this year. The Fordney bill has been framed with the view of compelling every Republican Senator and Representative in Con- gress whose election is in doubt to vote for it. For example, Senator Johnson, of California, will vote for the bill in or- der to secure tax protection on lemons and walnuts. He is bitterly opposed to nearly all other provisions of the measure. But his campaign for re- election is on and he imagines that a tariff tax on lemons and walnuts will help him in an uncertain contest. Sen- ator Leroot, of Nebraska, abhors most of the features of the-bill but the tax on beet sugar forces him to support the bill or at least makes it dangerous for him to vote against it. Other Sen- ators are held in line by selfish inter- ests. They would gladly vote to de- lay the passage until after the elec- tion and have been trying to accom- plish that result by recommitting it. But the pressure from the White House is too strong for them. Of course all the Democrats in the Senate except the two from Louisiana are opposed to the bill and willing to join in any movement to defeat it. With this idea in view it is likely they will vote for recommittal. But they are not influenced to this course by politics. If they were looking only to political results they would let the measure go through at once. It will increase the tax burdens of the peo- ple at least one hundred per cent. and the cost of living quite as much, and that will be certain to cause a revolu- tion in political sentiment before the next election. It affords the strong- est argument for a Democratic Con- | gress. i en fH ss, | —The French gentleman who thinks |that America will “soon be wet i again” evidently hadn’t a line on the ‘number of stills within twenty miles of this pencil point. ied upon and paid within the State is: public has been imposed upon beyond Absurd Claims of Saving. Senator McCormick, of Illinois, in a recent speech, has undertaken to jus- tify the Harding administration by a statement that during the three years since the Republicans acquired a ma- jority in Congress some seven billions of dollars have been saved as compar- ed with the expenditures during the three years of the Wilson administra- tion immediately preceding. He im- agines that the average citizen is credulous enough to accept such state- ments as facts. That puts him unmis- takably in the Pinchot class. It indi- cates that in his opinion the voters of the country neither think nor reason and that therefore any preposterous proposition may be put on them. This is proof of the proverb that “a little learning is dangerous.” During the last three years of the Wilson administration the achieve- ments of the government of the Unit- ed States became the wonder of the world. Within that brief period an army of four million men was organ- ized and equipped and half of it trans- ported to the seat of the greatest war in history three thousand miles away. The greatest results in naval construc- tion and equipment in the history of the world were accomplished. The re- turn of the troops from abroad and the demobilization of the vast army was equally epochal and all these great events were perfected without even a breath of scandal. They cost money but the money. was cheerfully given by an appreciative and patriot- ic people and wisely spent. During the three years that have elapsed since the Republican party acquired a majority in Congress the army has had an average strength of less than a million men and the navy has fallen back to third o' fourth place in the rank of nations. The dif- ference in the maintenance account of the army alone is vastly more than the amount Senator McCormick claims has been saved under Republican con- trol. But as a matter of fact there has been no saving at all except to the millionaires who have had to pay 1éss income tax on their vast profits in business. The savings are all the result of “book transfers” of accounts, just as former State Treasurer Kep- hart balanced his books for monthly statements to the public. meneame enemas In another column of this pa- per will be found accounts of two au- tomobile accidents and a motorcycle accident during the week, all the cause of children running out onto the road in front of these dangerous vehicles. In two of the cases the drivers smashed their cars to avoid hitting the children, while in the other two boys were hurt, though fortunate- ly, not seriously. In the cases of the wrecked cars it will mean hundreds of dollars of expense to the owners to have their cars repaired, yet neither man hesitated a second when it was a question of wreck his car or hit the child. All of which proves that the majority of drivers of cars are neither mercenary nor blood-thirsty, and be- cause of this fact it would seem only right that parents endeavor to caution their children as to the danger of playing on a much traveled highway. The writer has seen children stand alongside the road and watch cars ap- proaching then deliberately run across the road in front of it just to show that they were not afraid, when a mis- step might have resulted in their death. The danger of such actions should be impressed upon the minds of the children and it would probably result in fewer serious accidents. ——Dr. John M. Thomas, president of The Pennsylvania State College, has discovered that the College is le- gally a State institution because the Attorney General has decided that the College is exempt from the tax on gas- oline and because its teachers and oth- er employees are eligible for retire- ment in the same manner as other State employees. So far as the writer recalls there never has been any con- tention that the College was not a child of the State, but it has always had a hard time convincing its worthy sire that it was entitled to a better upkeep than was being doled out to it by parsimonious Legislatures year after year. —————————— a —————— ——There are to be no assessments of office holders this year but the wise office holder will get his bank account into shape to make the usual “volun- tary” contribution. pd ——Chairman Baker is an amiable fellow and enduring but if Pinchot gets too exacting there may be trou- ble in the camp. Even a worm will turn. ——Those Russian statesmen are the most impudent beggars the world has ever seen. They don’t ask favors. They demand them. —————— fp —— ——Subscribe for the “Watchman.” Another Political Murder. From the Philadelphia Record. The murder of Field Marshal Wil- son in London is promptly followed by the murder of Foreign Minister Rathenau in Berlin. This is the sec- ond political assassination in Germany since the war, and in Hungary Count Tisza was murdered very soon after hostilities ceased. Political murders are as imbecile as they are criminal. Tisza was kill- ed ostensibly for bringing on the war, whereas he was about the only Hun- garian or Austrian statesman who re- sisted Count Berchtold, backed by Wil- liam II. Erzberger, leader of the Centrist party in Germany, was assas- sinated by Socialists, and now Rathe- nau, who, if not a Socialist, was at least the principal figure in a Social- ist Administration, is killed, probably by patriots of the Junker type. He was hated because he was straining every nerve to maintain living rela- tions with the Allies, to pay the repa- rations and avoid giving France ex- cus2 for a military demonstration. And yet nothing is more important for Germany. These political assassinations, from that of Marat down to that of Rathe- nau, never serve the purposes of the assassins. They are simply brutal murders without the least political value. Before the war Rathenau, son of the founder of the greatest electrical engineering works in the world, was one of the most accomplished and forceful men of affairs in his country. During much of the war he was Min- ister of Raw Materials, and did a marvelous work for Germany. The aim of the German Finance Ministry for a couple of years after the peace treaty was to trifle with the Allies, to procrastinate, to evade and to default. The result was an addi- tion of nearly one-third to the pecu- niary penalty imposed upon Germany. As Germany was in no position to re- sist it was folly for it to evade and balk. But in Germany this passed for patriotism. Chancellor Wirth took of- fice pledged to pay the indemnity, and he gathered about him men who would help do what had to be done. Dr. Rathenau became Minister of Repa- rations, and about a year ago he met Louis Loucheur, French Minister of Devastated Regions, and agreed with him for payment of a part of the in- demnity of materials. This eased the burden of Germany and afforded very great relief to France. It was a fine piece of statesmanship. Later his of- fice was abolished, but after being in private life for a short time he re- turned to the Wirth Cabinet as Min- ister of Foreign Affairs. In that of- fice his chief achievement was the treaty of Rapallo, establishing com- mercial relations between Germany and Russia, and practically combining two-thirds of the population of Europe against the other third. No man was more needed by Ger- many than Walter Rathenau, man of business and diplomatist. He under- stood that Germany only injured itself by making faces at the Allies. If it felt strong enough it might defy them, but until then it must obey the terms of the peace treaty. Stinnes and Helfferich denounced him for trying to preserve the nation’s honor and prevent another military demorstra- tion by France. Germany could spare Stinnes and Helfferich much better than Rathenau, who, like his chief, Wirth, was willing to recognize facts and do the best he could for his coun- try under the circumstances. ere pe ese. How to Defeat Pinchot. By I. J. McG. in Philadelphia Record. Let the Democratic workers in every division of our Commonwealth rise and go forth and win the coming election. The time is’ opportune, as the Republicans are now throwing the harpoon into each other. Pinchot has surely stultified him- self when he admits in one breath he will accept contributions from a State officeholder or from an officeholder, no matter the grade. “The officeholder,” he says, “is ex- actly on the same level with every citizen. He can do what he pleases in the way of contributions.” If that is not an invitation for officeholders, or an intimation to come forth and hand out your good money to sustain a crookeder party in power, then what is it? To what level doth this man Pin- chot, reformer, pine forester, descend that he thus degrades himself to the level of a Caliban? Only a few weeks ago Pinchot was lauded as the mighty reformer of the Republican party in this State and as the personage who would purge that aggregation of wrong and expose wrongdoers. Now he takes them un- to himself with all their corruption and hugs them to his bosom with the affection a dear mother would press her first-born. Democrats, not dolts or dunder- heads, in every valley and village from Philadelphia to Ohio should or- ganize and begin at once a campaign for the election of the candidate of the party. '* #* = # = Peculators in public office in this State should have been sent to the Eastern penitentiary after the burn- ing of the State capitol, but the evil has been continued, until today, when again the lamps of investigation have been turned on. Fellow Democrats, do your duty and elect a Democratic Governor who will abide by the obligation of his office by sending the scoundrels to prison. ! Don’t trust a Pinchot. SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. —Two months ago Michael Lepski, 112 vears old, of Pittsburgh, was hale and hearty. Then he injured his foot when he stumbled over an obstacle in his yard. The injury became infected. He died on Sun- day. —At an expense of $60,000, the Manor township school board will erect at Mil- lersville the biggest vocational high school building in Lancaster county. An enroll- ment of more than 100 pupils for next year is certain. —Lightning played queer pranks in New Kensington last week when a bolt struck the home of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin McLaugh- lin, going through the roof, through the center of the bed in which they were sleep- ing and setting the bed on fire in three places. Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin were uninjured, not even suffering from schock. —Lives of 150 passengers were imper- iled at Chillisquaqua, on Saturday, when a Pittsburgh-Easton express sideswiped a box car and switching engine that were leaving the main track to go on a siding. Engineer Ammerman, of the flyer, wus quick to see his peril and materially slack- ened the speed of his train before it struck and demolished the car.. —The number of vacant farms in Penn- sylvania is decreasing steadily and there are approximately one-half less untenant- ed farms this year than there were in 1920, the State Department of Agriculture reports. In 1920 there were 6500 farms va- cant in Pennsylvania and last year there were 4100, but this year the number of farms not worked has dropped to 3820. —A negro burglar Saturday night broke into the front door of Daniel Conners, of Pottsville, at midnight. Mrs. Conners saw him coming, ran upstairs, the negro fol- lowing in pursuit with a revolver. Mr. Conners, just arriving, the man jumped through the second-story window, taking with him the frame and glass. He was arrested and proved to be William Spart- ley, recently paroled from the western pen- itentiary. —City officials of Corry, Pa., have been informed by Attorney General Alter that fines assessed on motorists for speeding may be retained by the city and need not be turned over to the State. The Attorney General declared in the opinion that in permitting cities to retain fines assessed for speeding interest in the prosecution of traffic violations is stimulated, but fines for other infractions of the motor laws must be turned over to the State. —State police are trying to learn the identity of a party of men, believed to be striking coal miners, who opened fire on the crew of a Pennsylvania freight train, as the crew were taking a string of cars from the Carr mine siding, near Export, Westmoreland county, Friday evening. Twenty shots were fired, and while there were no casualties, two of the crew had narrow escapes, a bullet grazing the cheek of brakeman William Messler. Another bullet struck the heel of brake- man John McAllister. —Tending a superannuated cat, doing all the house work and shoveling snow, were part of the duties of Miss Carrie Smith, of Reading, at a $6 monthly sala- ry as companion to the late Mrs. Mary E. Rhein, who died recently, leaving a $30,~ 000 estate, according to testimony, in Orphans’ court, in that city last week. Miss Smith is suing the estate for $2975 for services as nurse. The cat survived Mrs. Rhein, whose will bequeathed the an- imal to Miss Smith to care for. The will also gave Miss Smith $500, with further compensation for caring for the cat. —Lying face downward in a stall of his stable, with a bullet wound in his head, Zachariah W. Keller, of Mount Joy, was discovered early Saturday morning. His wallet was found some distance from the body, opened and rifled, the combination of circumstances tending to prove that he was murdered for his money. A coroner's jury later returned a verdict of murder by person or persons unknown. Keller had been in Lancaster early Friday night, and when he did not return shortly after midnight his wife and daughter made a search of the premises and the body was found. * —Two large stave mills will be put in operation on the Mont Alto state forest early this summer. It is estimated that during the next three years they will cut from 12,000 to 15,000 cords of chestnut wood killed by the blight. One mill will be located near the old Mont Alto Park and the other will be set up opposite Glen Furney along the East Branch of the An- tietam creek, above Waynesboro. Apple and cement barrel staves will be among the chief products of the mill. Each mill will employ about 18 men on the mill and 7 in the woods. Two mills will give employ- ment to at least 50 men. —The Union church at Amityville, Berks county, which was wrecked by a storm on Sunday, June 11, has brought the congre- gation more income since its destruction than it did during any similar period be- fore. Thousands of motorists have stop- ped to inspect the ruins of the historic edifice, and $3000 has been contributed since it was wrecked. Women of the con- gregation have stationed themselves at the entrance to the church property and with contribution boxes appealed to the sight- seers. On Sunday $1000 was received in this manner. Frankfurter stands alone netted $300. The church will be rebuilt. —The Agricultural Trust and Savings company of Lancaster, resumed business last Thursday morning after being closed almost a year. Many of the small depos- itors withdrew their accounts, while the larger depositors added additional depos- its. All of the depositors with $200 or less in the bank are receiving dollar for dollar. Those with larger accounts are given their choice of buying stock to one- fifth the amount of their deposit and re- ceiving the remainder dollar for dollar or allowing the receivers to settle their ac- counts. Of 2500 such depositors only 180 refused to take stock. The first day the deposits exceeded the withdrawals ten thousand dollars, —The installation of a pipe organ in the Williamsport High school, for which the citizens subscribed $10,000, will interfere with the plans of the annual state conven- tion of the Knights of Pythias which will be held in Williamsport in August. Prior to letting the contract for the organ the school board rented the High school au- ditorium to the state lodge for its busi- ness sessions. It now develops that the work on the organ must be rushed during the month of August and the organ com- pany stipulates in its contract that its workmen shall have quiet in the building while they are engaged. The circumstance forces the local lodge to find some other place for the sessions of-the convention.