U nks pu 0 Rind Bema flat. INK SLINGS. —If there wasn’t always so much brewing some folks could get more done. —And now they are going to marry the Prince of Wales to some Welsh girl. Pity the poor Prince. The match makers’ll make a woman hater of him yet. —So far as observation in Centre county informs us we are convinced that the wheat that was put out on the roughest ground last fall is show- ing the best stand now. —The physican who answered the questionnaire recently sent out by Dr. Ford, of the Logan Methodist church, Philadelphia, to the effect that “It is the imperfect man who should be in the church” gave the cne and only rea- son why we should all be there. None of us are perfect. —If Governor Pinchot can force the Legislature into laying a lot of new taxes he can make good his campaign promises to clean up the mess, claim all the glory in sight and make a lot of people believe that he had nothing to do with and didn’t need the new taxes to carry out his program. —Of all the modern champions who have been getting front page space of late because of their marathon danc- ing, marble shooting, mouth organ playing, etc., we have some respect for the lady who claims to be the champion dish-washer of the country and that Burton fellow from Carbon- hill, Ala., who wants the belt for hav- ing killed sixteen hundred rats in a week. —Really radio development is fast assuming the possibilities of becoming a menace. Some time ago we called attention to the embarrassments that might grow out of listening through the medium of the bed springs and now it is announced that baths are to be given by radio. Imagine yourself all tuned in to hear a concert up in Schenectady when some kid at a “P. D. Q.” station starts giving you a bath when you don’t want it and, maybe, don’t need it. —Andrew Bonar Law’s resignation as Premier of Great Britain was not wholly unexpected. Though the con- dition of his health is given as the cause, and that may have been a con- tributing factor, the probability is strong that realization of impossibili- ty to accomplish what he had hoped to accomplish admonished him to quit before his cabinet fell, as there was every indication of its doing. Sniping by Lloyd George and the loss of Aus- ten Chamberlain with the split in the Mr, Law's govers- the defensive that «constructive endeavor seemed futile. —A perfectly good foot just missed the coat tail of a perfectly precocious kid, as he fled from the front door of this sanctum last Monday morning. Effervescent with the big news in him he busted in with the local sensation of the morning. Things were dull. Nothing was breaking and the ma- chine was bawlin’ for copy. Hence our welcome with open arms. He spilled his stuff thusly: “Old man Emig was nearly killed up at the City Bakery just a while ago!” Then we grabbed the pencil and paper and asked how? Quick came the reply: “He was set- tin’ a fruit cake and a currant ran through him.” —Away back in July, 1896, a crowd of the faithful stood in front of this office waiting for the bulletin that would finally announce a nominee for President. The flash came. “Conven- tion stampeded and Bryan nominat- ed.” Strange as it may seem a great political party had named a candidate whom no one in that crowd knew and in it were many of the old time Dem- ocrats of Centre who knew our par- ty’s coming men almost better than they knew anything else. Then up along the creek, from the gas works, came the late Jimmie Cornelley, peace to his soul, and he told the wonderers who Bryan was, what he had done as a Congressman from Nebraska and all that. We followed Bryan closely through the campgign though we questioned the practicability of his advanced theories. It seemed to us that his best thoughts were a genera- tion ahead of the times and our judg- ment of 1896 has been fairly well borne out, for nearly every one of Bryan’s forecasting ideas of govern- ment, with the exception of the 16 to 1 fallacy—which we never had any respect for—have been put into prac- tice in one form or another; that is, evolved or adapted forms of them. If upon his return from his amazing- ly popular trip around the world he hadn’t declared for government own- ership of public utilities the moment he landed in New York we believe he would have been chosen President in 1908. Mr. Bryan’s sun has set as a political leader but, aside from Wood- row Wilson, he is probably the coun- try’s most eminent public figure. And it may be reserved for him to render his country his greatest service in the mellow years of age. Certainly the “Watchman” will accord him that if he can succeed in keeping his Presby- terian brethren from doing now what he urged the Democratic party to do twenty-seven years ago; becoming radical and leaving the fundamental moorings which have held them since the days of Christ. Anomalous as Mr. Bryan may appear in his role of con- servatism he is right. Political prin- ciples, society and all may be exper- imented with but fundamentals of re- ligion never. All religion is nothing more than faith. Shatter faith and it is gone. STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. NO. 21. VOL. 68. BELLEFONTE, PA., MAY 25. 1923. Absurd Opinion Not Needed. The recent statement of President Harding that approval of the bill en- Causes of High Coal Prices. The decree of Mr. John Hays Ham- mond, chairman of a commission nam- acted by the Legislature of New York |ed by the President some months ago repealing the Sullivan-Gage law might | to inquire into the causes of the ex- “lead to conflict between State and !cessive prices of Anthracite coal, that Federal authorities” is easily the most | freight rates on the commodity are too absurd utterance that has ever come high, is the first encouraging word from the lips of a President of the that has come to the public ear on the United States. The basis of the subject. Some years ago a similar in- thought is that the repeal bill is an !vestigation resulted in an order from assault against the Eighteenth amend- {the State Public Service Commission ment of the constitution of the United | to cut the price which was obeyed for States and an act of rebellion against a brief period. But since that increas- the government. The Sullivan-Gage 'ed tariffs have been put on gradually law is an act for the enforcement of until the figure complained of then the Volstead law in the State of New has been exceeded. Mr. Hammond's York znd its repeal simply means that report, made the other day, may result the State will leave to the Federal au- 'in some relief, but there is no certain- thorities the enforcement of Acts of ty of that. Congress. Freight charges on Anthracite coal If the Legislature of New York had to points in Pennsylvania are not only by legislation declared a purpose to prevent the Federal authorities from enforcing the acts of Congress in that State there might be danger of “a conflict between State and Federal au- thorities.” lina did during the administration of President Jackson who promptly and That is what South Caro- excessive but unequal. That is to say, the cost of a short haul is in most cas- es as high as for a much longer dis- tance. But at that the main cause of the excessive prices of Anthracite are not ascribable to the carrying cost. The profiteering in which the railroads have been indulging has probably been properly squelched the incipient re-'exceeded by the operations along that bellion. But the repeal of the Sulli- line by the coal producers and the van-Gage law is a eordial invitation to | wholesale and retail dealers. Between the Federal authorities to “go to it” these three piratical handlers of coal in the matter of enforcement and an excessive charge of from five to “help themselves.” They have the un- seven dollars is levied on every ton of limited financial backing and full sup- | Authracite consumed within the lim- port of the administration at Wash: ics of the State of Pennsylvania. ington and will not be resisted or in-| So far as we have been able to dis- terfered with by the administration at cover Mr. Hammond has not suggest- Albany. ed a remedy for this evil. It has tak- Whether the repeal bill ought to be en him nearly a year to find out what approved or vetoed is another ques- is the matter and it will probably take tion and one for Governor Smith, of as long a time to devise and put in ex- New York, to determine. He was ecution the remedy. For a while it elected Governor on what was called a will be possible to cut coal bills by re- “wet” platform and presumably the fusing to burn coal at all, which is sentiment of the State is expressed in ‘the best remedy the authorities at the repeal bill. Other considerations Washington have been able to suggest than that of wet or dry entered into the campaign that resulted in the overwhelming majority for Governor Smith, and in any event he is under moral observation to conserve the best interests of the people. The Volstead law has not been of much value as a moral agent and the approval or veto of the bill" repealing the Sullivan- Gage law may well be left to Gover-' nor Smith. Harding’s advice was not needed. ——Reading over the names of players eligible to represent Belle- fonte in the newly organized Centre County Baseball League we fail to find that of young old Frank Smith. It’ll take us a long time to get used ! to a Bellefonte team without ¥'rank. ] Pinchot’s Capricious Mind. It is utterly impossible to hold a line on the mental operations of Gov- ernor Pinchot. In his speech submit- ting the “budget,” soon after the be- ginning of the present session of the Legislature, he declared that the rev- enues under existing laws are ample to meet the requirements of the ad- ministration. Several times after- ward he reiterated the statement and on one or two occasions expressed 2 feeling of impatience because mem- bers of the General Assembly refused to accept his estimate at face value. Finally the House of Representatives, by considerable majorities, killed all the pending revenue measures on the calendar and the Governor somewhat petulantly threatens an extra session. The plain inference is that the pre- tense that the government could be administered without additional reve- nue and the criminal mess of previous Republican administrations cleaned up was false and fraudulent. In fact this became evident as soon as an intelli- | gent survey was made and the Gov- ernor at once shifted the responsibili- ty to the school system. If any addi- tional revenues are needed, he inti- mated, it is in order to maintain the | high standard of the public schools. But he kept on demanding increased appropriations for the Attorney Gen- eral’s office and the Department of State, the funds in both cases being under his own absolute control and considerably out of the ordinary. The Democratic Representatives in the Legislature properly took him at his word in voting almost solidly against increased revenue legislation. The people of Pennsylvania are al- ready burdened to the limit of endur- ance by taxation, and the increased revenue proposed now is not for the benefit of the people or the honor of the State, but to feed the ambition of Governor Pinchot to become - Presi- dent. No doubt a good many voters of the State would be glad to help him | in this aspiration, but it is unjust and unfair to the majority to levy tribute on those not of that mind in order to achieve it. Governor Pinchot has enough inherited capital to pay his own campaign expenses. ——1It may be observed that part of the business of the Washington con- ference, the only great achievement of the Harding administration, was to establish civilized government in China. to check the profiteering in sugar.’ But that will not get the sufferers very far, for when eold weather comes again the prices will be increas- ed to make up for imaginary losses during the summer. Meantime Mr. Hammond might turn his attentioa to the remedy. The horrible fatality that oc- curred near Snow Shoe Monday night should admonish parents of the dan- ger of permitting little¢boys to be away from home at night without the a of an older head among them. | “Railroading” the Code Bill. The reorganization code measure passed the Senate on Monday even- ing by the unexpectedly large major- ity of thirty-nine to eight. It was promptly messaged to the House and referred to committee. On Tuesday | morning, manifestly without consider- ' ation by the committee, it was report- ed back and passed on first reading. This extraordinary speed indicates a purpose to “railroad” the legislation through the House of Representatives. It gives a sinister cast to the proceed- ing. Meritorious measures are never rushed. A bill that can stand the test of complete analysis may safely be , considered thoroughly and leisurely. This measure was presented for the ostensible purpose of modernizing the { methods and retrenching the expenses of administering the State govern- Grundy Refuses to be Cat’s Paw. Mr. Joseph R. Grundy, president of the Manufacturers’ association and long time “angel” of the old Republi- can machine, has formally and finally declined to untangle the tax mess at Harrisburg for Governor Pinchot. After all other expedients to achieve this result had been exhausted the Governor last week dispatched an em- issary to Grundy, who is sojourning for recuperative purposes at Hot Springs, Virginia. A tax on shares or profits of manufactures is the on- ly available solution of the problem. But Grundy contributed $80,000 to the Pinchot campaign fund and the i Governor may feel that he cannot as- sent to such a tax unless Grundy re- leases him from obligations thus cre- ated. Representative Wheeler, of Forest county, a member of the House com- mittee on Ways and Means, made the appeal to Grundy in behalf of the Governor. Mr. Wheeler is possessed of strong persuasive powers and sob- bed out “his tale of woe” in plaintive periods. He recited the various fail- ures to extract from the people’s pock- ets a matter of $20,000,000 which stands between the Governor and his ambitions. He pointed out that the agricultural bloc, the anthracite bloc and all the other blocks are adamant against additional taxation other than a levy on the hitherto exempt manu- facturers and begged Grundy to con- sent to a small sacrifice of his “in- fants” to save “the old flag” and some appropriations. But Grundy flatly, and rumor indi- cates with some asperity, refused. He is not altogether satisfied with his in- vestment of eighty thousand good dol- lars in Pinchot. The Pinchot purpose to create a personal machine strong enough to snap its fingers at Grundy and his colleagues in the Manufactur- er’s club has alienated his affections for the Pike county forester and he practically told the Governor’s emis- A Treaty Super-Council. From the Philadelphia Public Ledger. The mania for Constitution-tinker- ing has claimed another victim. When an American citizen in these times finds the organic law in the way of some pet scheme of his or interfering with his aims and intents, his first thought is to change it. Frank Van- derlip, banker and publicist, does not think much of our present system of making and approving treaties. He thinks it is archaic and incom- petent. Therefore, he would take these powers away from the Presi- dent, the Secretary of State and the Senate and put them in the hands of a “Council of Foreign Relations,” twen- ty-five members, all to be elected by the vote of the people. Serving for . ten years, they would spend half their . time abroad so they might come to an understanding of foreign affairs.” Mr. Vanderlip is of the opinion that our Presidents and Senators know mighty little of such matters. There are times, of course, when the Senate does carry on amazingly over a treaty. We have in mind the Bor- ahs, Lodges, McCormicks, Brandegees and a few others of this day and time. They have given very excellent imita- tions of a bunch of hatchetmen from a Chinese tong on occasion. They chopped the Versailles Treaty into cat meat and are whetting their blades for the World Court. However, taking it by and large, the present plan has worked very well through a good many years. The out- cries over Senate outrages to certain treaties die away and are forgotten, or a changed Senate comes along and approves the treaties and all is well. One of the practical difficulties in the way of the Vanderlip plan would be hand-picking a President and a Sen- ate willing to surrender these great powers. We fear also that the candi- dates for such a “Council” would get about as much consideration from the average voter as do the presidential electors now on the ballot. Which means no consideration at all. Considering the various ramifica- . tions of the Vanderlip idea, probably | we had best totter along under the : present system. The Senate may be a sary to “go to,” as Shakespeare on an ; bunch of fine old-crusted and dodder- . : : : ing fossils when it comes to dealin important occasion happily put it. Of | !'8 4 Ing course this turn of affairs has spread a Me Vining 2. forsign consternation among the “kitchen cab- | might be better to bear those ills we a no APgteers” at Harrisburg. But it may have than others w, tof. a good result. It may [The Vaunderlip super-cou cause a permanent break between big have far more power than is good for business and bad politics in Pennsyl- any twenty-five councilors. vania. - nuance Facts for the Legislature. , ——=Several weeks ago, after she! had read what friend Dannley had "po (. Bho pushes | written about his delinquency as a Store a Ofisto discover how re subscriber, a Bellefonte girl dropped ture will find 10. one Sa Sere us a card with an enclosure which she ' or more willing than Auditor General hoped would “make her a saint instead Lewis to give its members the infor- of a sinner.” According to the Dann- | mation which they have requested ley theory she was a sinner up to that | from him. What they have asked of time, but now that she is one no long- | him, we take it, is how much revenue er we presume we must find another ing present taxes will produce during name for her and others like her, who e next two years and how much the get out of the “sinner” class, Of | course if one isn’t a sinner he or she must be a saint. Though we have no authority from our friends of the cloth to confer such a title we are going to do it just the same because everybody who has their subscription paid in ad- vance is regarded as saints by the average Bellefonte publisher. The Bellefonte girl we have been writing about is a saint. Our friend Dannley is a saint and W. R, Adams, of Phil- ipsburg, writes he wants to be one too, so we declare him a saint, also. i i i i An expert trout fisherman ment. It is being rushed through the stopped in this office on Monday and Legislature for the real purpose of stated that he can vouch for the fact centralizing all powers of administra- | that the waters of Spring creek are in tion in the Governor. There is great ' Some way so polluted with oil that the need for modernization and retrench- | fish are very decidedly tainted. And ment in the administration of the gov- | he knows whereof he speaks because ernment of Pennsylvania. But that of the fact that he went out that | result might have been accomplished | morning and caught four trout, down without creating an oligarchy and in- | by the old fair grounds, and when they { viting all the evils possible from un- | were cooked for dinner they tasted so limited and unrestrained power in the Strongly of oil that none of the fami- ‘hands of a man whose ambitions are ly could eat them. He then decided to | greater than his patriotism. { The great lawyers and statesmen | who framed the present constitution ; of Pennsylvania expressed their faith in the people by diffusing the powers of government. The men who are di- recting the forces now reveal suspi- cions of the wisdom of the public by concentrating the powers of govern- ment in one man or a small group un- der control of one man. The adage, “in the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom,” never appealed to the , crafty and grafting politician and the trend of legislation at Harrisburg this | session indicates that the sinister ele- 'ment is dominant. There is greater peril in this than may be measured at i a casual glance. ——The Ohio idiot who declared | that “he will not work until he gets { beer” is probably trying to prove he lis a bigger fool than the Indiana im- , becile who declared he will not get his hair cut until Bryan is elected Presi- . dent. Greece may have some reasons | for thinking that another war with | Turkey would end differently but war estimates are uncertain. The late Kaiser imagined he had the world at his feet. | try them or. the family cat, but the fe- line took a sniff and left the trout un- touched. If the pollution continues it is likely to eventually result in the death of all the trout in Spring creck that have become famed all over the State as one of Bellefonte’s sights | worth seeing. DE 5 —— ——~Senator Borah says Harding will be renominated because there will be no candidate against him, but 1 at the subsequent election he will have plenty to keep him busy. A — ——We are not authorized to speak | for the President but feel that it is | perfectly safe to say he will not con- | demn the farm bloc during his west- i ern trip. ——The code is not as bad as it was written, but with all the improvements made in the Senate it gives one man more power than any man ought to have. ——The Legislature will take a re- cess next week then rush all legisla- tion so as to adjourn June 14th. ——The vote on the code shows that ! State is obligated to pay under exist- | ing laws, including the bills unpaid, | This, however, is not all of the in- | formation the Legislature needs in its i present dilemma, nor is it all the tax- payers who are not members of the Legislature think is needed. The main thing is to find out how much money has been needlessly or foolishly spent during recent years, what laws are on the books calling for appropriations that need not be there and which can be repealed, and how many highly- paid officeholders who are useless can be dispensed with. Of course, the State has grown and is growing, but its expenses during the past twenty years have grown out of all proportion to the actual needs ,of the State. Under honest and effi- cient government, many believe, and “The Record” shares in this opinion, there will be no need of any added burdens upon the tax payers. The millions already assured under the present tax laws should be sufficient not only to meet the costs of honest government during the next two years, but to wipe out the old bills as well. ie i. The Patronage Language. From the Pittsburgh Post. It is one thing to deplore the fla- grant use of the patronage argument at Harrisburg and another to show just how to get some of the machine members of the Legislature to act without it. No matter how old the pa- tronage game at Harrisburg may be, the frankness with which Governor Pinchot is represented as playing it makes it seem more pronounced. The grand shake-up of the payroll usually looked for at the beginning of an ad- ministration has been deferred this time to a remarkable degree. The payroll still is full of persons placed there by politicians under the preced- ing regime. Now if the political bos- ses who put henchmen on the payroll are good to the Pinchot legislation the supposition is that their appointees will stay on, while those of the leaders who are unkind to the Governor will be removed. Germany’s latest offer is more liberal and reasonable than the ome previously made, and yet it is not likely to drain the coffee pots or touch the hordes hidden in the stockings. ——A considerable part of the navy has been scrapped in accordance with the Governor still holds the Senate in the hollow of his hand. the terms of the Washington confer- ence, but Admiral Sim’s mouth is as strong and mischievous as ever. SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. —Levi Crider, 18 years old, who last Oec- tober is alleged to have run away from the farm of S. Blaine Lehman, near Chambers- burg, taking with him the Lehman auto- mobile, is held in the Huntingdon, Pa., jail under $500 bail for setting® fire to woodland, according to word received ldst week by sheriff J. H. Mayer, of Franklin county. " —Because two women serving at Greens- burg on a jury refused to march down the street to a local restaurant, with the ten men, the entire jury was forced to partake of sandwiches in the solitude of the re- tiring room, and call it a dinner. The jury agreed upon a verdict by noontime, but the stubbornness of the women jurors resulted in a cold breakfast for the twelve in the morning. —The life of a woman juror in Beaver county will be made attractive in the new court house, according to county officials, who are drawing plans for accommodating women who serve on juries. Accessories al- ready ordered include twenty-four mirrors. They will be installed in twelve private rooms reserved for women. Twelve single beds have been contracted for as well as twelve swivel chairs. —Mifflin county was enriched to the ex- tent of $4,715 last week when R. C. Houser, G. W. Dunmire and W. M. Baker, former county commissioners, paid to Stewart M. Peters, prothonotary, the foregoing sum of money to satisfy judgments entered against the three defendants on the court's docket. The sum represents salary in- creases which the court decided they were not entitled to retain. —Joseph Smith, 52 years old, finished his shift at the Ewen colliery of the Pennsyl- vania Coal company, near Pittston, on Sat- urday, and boarded the cage with eight other miners to go home to his family. At the top of the shaft, Smith lost his bal- ance and fell to the bottom. The man’s body was horribly mangled. Smith had worked twenty-five years at the Ewen col- liery without an accident. —A boy was burned to death and two men sustained serious injuries early last Saturday when fire destroyed a residence at Border Station, Cambria county. Ken- neth Phoenicie, aged 7, was the victim. Jerry Jutzell and Edward Roadabush were burned while trying to rescue the lad. Au- thorities believe the fire was of incendiary origin. One thousand in cash secreted in the house was destroyed. —Traffic officer Martin Peters, of Leck Haven, has resigned, stating his salary of $90 a month is inadequate. He says the upkeep of his motorcycle costs $30 a month. Several city patrolmen said they intend to resign unless council grants them an increase of at least $10 a month. City engineer W. T. Crowley resigned the beginning of last week after stating $1,800 is not enough salary, to live.on. —Cracksmen, who worked throughout Saturday night tunneling their way from one store to another in the downtown sec- tion of Pittsburgh, broke open and looted three safes early Sunday morning and es- caped with money and jewelry worth ap- proximately $6,500. Two of the safes looi- ed were in the office of the N. E. Cunning- ham company and the other in the William Cohen jewelry store, adjoiningg the Cun- ningham building. : —Arthur L. Haight, aged 13 years, of Johusonburg, has been awarded a bronze medal for bravery by the Ralston Burnia hero commission, of St. Louis, for saving the life of a chum, Raymond Hasser, aged 11 years, who broke through the ice last winter on the Clarion river while skat- ing. Donald Blint, aged 14 years, saved the life of Edward Rippon at the same time and place. The award was made through the recommendation of the Rev. R. A. Thompson, pastor of the Presbyter- ian church, of Johnsonburg. —The Supreme court last Thursday or- dered that the twenty-five year maximum sentence imposed upon William B. Evans in the Quarter Sessions court of Northum- berland county on September 26th, 1919, be reduced to ten years. Evans was con- victed on an indictment charging breaking and entering with intent to commit a felo- ny and burglary. He was sentenced to the eastern penitentiary on both counts, but the trial judge failed to so specify and the Supreme court ruled that only the maxi- mum term for the offense in the first in- dictment is legal. —Attacked by three men while asleep in a room with her husband and infant child at Alpha, three miles from Easton, early on Sunday, Mrs. Rosa Chiccarelli, 44 years old, was shot five times, one of the bullets entering her abdomen. She is in a serious condition in the hospital at Easton. The other bullets lodged in her limbs. The police have learned there were five men in the party and that they were driven in a taxicab from Easton to Alpha. They have not been apprehended. Mrs. Chicearelli and the authorities are unable to establish a motive for the attack. —Sheriff Martz, of Northumberland county, last Thursday sold half the real estate of George B. Ostrander, missing South Danville realty operator, who is al- leged to have absconded with at least $6000 intrusted to him by friends to make real estate deals. It appeared that Ostrander owned eight lots. In the center of these he built a $5000 bungalow. Then he gave a mortgage of $1200 to Peirce Rebuck, of Shamokin, on four of the lots. Rebuck thought it was on the whole eight. Now he owns half a bungalow. Lawyers say he has no right to tear it down. —Farm news direct from Lancaster coun- ty, the “garden spot of the world,” is to be broadcast to the State through an arrange- ment made by the local farm bureau with the broadcasting station at State College. Each Saturday the leading farmers of the county attend ‘round table” talks at the farm bureau and the results of these meet- ings will be dispatched to State College at once. Each Monday evening the State Col- lege radio station broadcasts its “farm and garden” program. The Lancaster county report will be one of the features and will enable farmers listening in all over the State to compare notes with Lancaster county farm activities. —After receiving more than twenty-five applications from physicians who decided to accept the free-home offer by Mill Run residents to practice there, a doctor has been found right at home. Dr. J. H. How- ard, at present located at Normalville, will move to Mill Run as soon as the residence is ready for occupancy. Because there was no physician in the community and those called from out of town charged such ex- orbitant rates, the citizens organized to build a house for a physician who would go to that town. Nearly sufficient money to build the residence has been subscrib- ed. Applications were received from phy- sicians from more than twelve different States.