mms pe INK SLINGS. —In six days we'll all be wearin’ ©’ the green. : —March is nearly half gone and then April and a few summer months and winter again. After awhile this country will be as anxious to join the League of Nations as Germany is now. —Up to this writing we have heard of no Democrat with ambitions to rep- resent this District in Congress. —OQur invitation to investors to get in on the dandruff cure seems not to have been couched in pulling enough language. As yet no one has offered to take a “flier” in our proposed infant industry. —If*the new litigation in the Centre county bank case really gets started going again the creditors are likely to discover that the old “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” didn’t know anything about “a long, long trail awinding.” —Let us hope that the two hundred thousand dellar verdict that this Mrs. Brewster got against her eriant spouse has more substance back of it than it would have were ‘the same debacle to have occurred in our family. —And the prophets say we are to have ‘two more real snows and a bliz- zard before we can begin to talk of saplin benders, onion snows, poor man’s manures and all the other va- rieties of light falls that may be looked for in April. —Bishop Hughes, who has just :come in from Chicago to preside over a few Methodist conferences down in Jersey .and our ewn, soon to be held in Berwick, seems never to have ‘grown old. Tt is our dope that he didn’t duck to the storm cellar or hide his head in the sand when he saw the .... waves of ultra-modernization surging over the land. Bishop Hughes evi- dently jumped right onto the crest of them and has been riding them out, for he speaks mouthsfull when he says that the bobbed hair and short skirts of today are incomparably prettier and more sensible than were bangs and bustles of the eighties. . —The Democracy of Pennsylvania is going to have a great chance to do something for the State this year. The opposition is leaderless and torn ‘asunder by factional strife and per- sonal ambition. The signs of good ‘omen were never as vivid on the polit- ical horizon as they are today. But we’re worried lest the meeting of the State Committee which chairman Bigelow has called for the 18th will gum the works. Just as sure as the gentlemen who gather in Philadelphia “point the finger of preference at any candidate for any office hope will be gone. "If there is a fair field and no favor on May 18th, when the primaries are to be held, a majority of the Demo- crats of the State will name our candi- dates and, after such an uninfluenced expression of the majority has been recorded, those who do not support the ticket are not Democrats. The real fundamentalism of Democracy is ‘the will or wish of the majority and that can not be expressed by the gen- tlemen who will gather in Philadel- phia on Saturday. —A New York broker is evidently obsessed with the idea that the Watch- man thinks the country is going to the “‘demnition bow-vows.” We never have thought such a thought. In truth we are continually rhyming the Coueism that every day in every way things are getting a bit better. The indirect correspondent quotes from James Gould Cozzen’s “Michael Scarlet” to prove that England, after her war with Spain, thought just the same— and was fooled—as is misconceiving America today, that the present gen- eration is all wrong. The gentleman isn’t going to get a rise out of us. We refer him to another paragraph in this column in which we admit that Bishop Hughes has the right idea. We're for the Bishop’s conception of things until some one shows us that there are less children answering “present” in the Sunday schools, fewer adults attending church and a shrink- age in the contributions of Christians to the cause of world-wide evangelism for they are the straws that indicate the trend of the times. —One of the local enigmas to us is why Bellefonte doesn’t grow. While we have no building booms anyone who walks about the town will see a house here and a house there under construction. We are almost con- tinually building and rarely tear- ing down, yet the accretion to popula- tion is so slight as to be almost negli- gible, unless the next census has in store for us a very agreeable surprise. Of course, if the corporate limits of the borough were extended to take in all the territory served by our public utilities the town population would jump materially, but the gradual building we refer to is within the bor- ough and that is why the question has always appeared so inexplicable to us. There is only one explanation that has ever approached explaining the anomoly. It is that we are threatened with race suicide. The families of six and eight and ten of yester-year have dwindled to two and four and six to- day. It isn’t a pleasant outlook, but its a fact, none the less, that the greatest danger of the future in this country will be brought about by under production of enough native sons and daughters to maintain our ideals against the foreign idea that is coming to live among us. VOL. 71. STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. Obligations of Democrats. In the confusion which envelopes the Republican organization in Penn- sylvania the Democrats of the State should keep in mind the fact that they have obligations to meet in the im- pending campaign for Governor, Sena- tor and other important offices. By its acts during the special session of the General Assembly the Republican organization has committed itself to electoral frauds. confession that upon a fair vote and just return it is unable to maintain its ascendency in the government of the Commonwealth. This acknowl- edgment creates the dominant issue of the campaign. The question to be determined is whether honest or dis- honest elections shall prevail. In this civic obligation the Demo- crats of Pennsylvania have an im- portant part to perform. They will meet this obligation by nominating candidates who have no greater claim on public confidence than that they are consistent Democrats of good repute and decent life. The Repub- lican candidates are likely to meet this requirement and there would be no persuasive reason for selecting one group as against the other. The candidates of the minority party must present an appeal to the voters that will command attention. In this year of opportunity the Democratic candi- date for Governor, Senator and the other offices to be filled must be out- standing men, not only militandy honest but essentially fit for the ser- vice. It doesn’t matter much under ex- isting conditions whether the candi- dates be men who favored the Eigh- teenth amendment to the constitution or believe in the modification or main- tenance of the Volstead act. They must favor law enforcement and have ability and courage to fulfill their obligations under the law. But there is no issue of “wet” or “dry” and no obligation to enforce one law more than another or wink at infraction of one law because the party might be benefitted by such conduct. If the Democrats of Pennsylvania nominate such-meny~and there are plenity of them within the party, their success is certain. ——Judge Johnson, of the Federal | court for this district, seems to be an unusual official. He protests against an additional judge and declares that he is able to do all the business of the court. Pinchot’s Peculiar Attitude. Governor Pinchot “has lost his cun- ning” or else he is fooling the public on the question of his candidacy for Senator in Congress. He is letting his opportunities slip away, if he in- tends to be a candidate, and is hardly fair to his friends if he doesn’t. The primary is only a few weeks off and organization is a slow process. Thus far the Governor has given no sign of his purpose. If he had a fairly per- fect organization, fairly well equipped for instant and effective action, there might be reason in the inactivity. But he has no such organization in sight and no signs of it in perspective. |! Under the circumstances his plans are | served notice on him that he must |¢ “out of joint,” or his preparations wanting. The Pepper orgainzation is well equipped and abundantly supplied. The Republican organization is behind it with all its force and energy and the corporate interests are ready to “go the limit.” The candidate has not | made strong ' appeal though admired for his dignity and ability, and accepted as a necessity. Vare has his machine drilled up to the highest point of efficiency and the “wets” are very earnest for him. But Pinchot is neither prepared nor con- : cerned about the matter. The natural inference is that he is either out of the race or indifferent to the future of his friends. He has lost his cunning or else he is sacrificing his friends un- justly. If the Governor intends to run for the office of Senator he ought to take the necessary steps to organize. If he doesn’t intend to be a candidate he ought to release his friends so that they might make other alliances as between the remaining candidates. A good many ofthe supporters of Pin- chot might prefer Pepper to Vare, in the event Pinchot is not a candidate, and it would be only fair to give them a chance to exercise the choice. But possibly Pinchot is indifferent as be- tween the other candidates and cares only for himself. He has been charged with selfishness in politics as well as in other things and possibly character doesn’t cut much ice with him. —If Mayor Kendrick, of Philadel- phia, should become an aspirant for the Republican nomination for Gov- ernor we would suggest to his oppo- nents that they have Gen. Smedley Butler detailed for a short service in “Pennsylvania, It has made open | to the voters, Vare a Candidate for Senator. determined to become a candidate for the Republican nomination for Sena- tor. He deliberated a long time on the subject and estimated the chances from every angle. He is not deceived on the subject of his personal popu- larity. colleagues as a scarlet fever patient at a Sunday school picnic. But he accur- ately figures that he has the goods and | control of the market. The city of | Philadelphia, according to his esti- . mate, can poll one-half the entire | State vote at the primary. The Vare ' political machine can poll ninety per cent. of the Philadelphia primary vote and control the vote of the State. ' If the extra session of the Legisla- ture had enacted legislation to pro- tect the vote from fraud Mr. Vare would not have been a candidate for Senator and Senator Pepper’s renomi- nation would have been assured. But the friends of Senator Pepper allowed the Vare machine to lull them into a false impression that frauds would not be practiced against them but would be reserved for their Democrat- ic opponents at the general election. They are now waking up to the hor- rible fact that Mr. Vare uses his am- munition wherever it promises re- sults, and at present the greatest ex- pectations come from the primary vote. Pepper mayhave all the strength he expects in the country but the city vote will swamp him. t It is not flattering to the vanity of State chairman W. Harry Baker that a man of the mental calibre and equip- | ment of Vare could have so completely hood-winked him in the matter of bal- i lot reform. With a fair primary vote | Vare never could have had “a look-in” 'in a State-wide contest. His methods have long been under popular con- , demnation among the voters of the | country districts, and it may be doubt- “ed if he could have secured a consid- erable majority in Philadelphia, Pitts- burgh and Scranton, But with the op- ' portunities for fraud now available it ‘may be doubted if Pepper will get any . votes at all in the machine controlled | districts. And there would be some- | thing like justice in such a result. ——Of course our advice has not been asked but we have the right to suggest that the defeated candidate for the Republican nomination for . Governor, four years ago, is fitter for i the office than any of the candidates | thus far mentioned this year. Bill Vare Thrown Down. The latest development in Repub- lican factional politics almost forces fair minded observers to an expres- ‘sion of sympathy for Congressman { Vare. From the beginning of his . somewhat sinister career in public life : he has been a servile tool of corporate | interests. And just as he had attain- ed what he believed to be the reali- ‘zation of his ambition the in- terests he has so slavishly served gave ; him notice that his hopes must be re- : linquished. On Monday last, accord- ing to current political gossip, the corporate interests of Philadelphia | step aside in order that George Whar- ‘ ton Pepper may continue to represent them in the Senate at Washington. There is little in the record of Con- . gressman Vare to enlist popular sym- pathy. He has always been a sordid, selfish and grasping boss. He has not ~only monopolized the offices but the honorary favors of his party. Such honorary offices as delegate to con- ventions, chairmanships of meetings and similar favors have been forced from reluctant followers as natural heritages of his boss-ship. It may be true that “he pays the freight” to a considerable extent in the maintenance of the organization, but a generous man would show some consideration for the ambitions of those who helped and hand a compliment here and there to a willing worker who had shared in the achievement. But even in the face of this long drawn out record of selfishness it is more or less pathetic to see a boss of the type of Vare literally thrown down and tramped upon by the inter- ests he had slavishly served for years, not because his attitude with respect to them has changed but for the rea- son that his limited capacity creates a doubt as to his efficiency in the future. He dcesn’t measure up to the require- ments of present day corporate in- terests. He may do well enough as the agent of monopoly in city hall or in the House of Representatives in Washington. But the lobbyist in the Senate must be a man of larger equip- ment and George Wharton Pepper more nearly fills the bill, ——At present party in Pennsylvania is shy on leaders. Later on it may be shy on voters. Teli Congressman Vare has prectically | during the extra session of the Gen- He understands that he is; about as popular among his party | the Republican | : Bad Legislation Killed. The veto of the resolution adopted eral Assembly providing for a com- mission to codify the election laws is a fitting finale of a most shameless conspiracy to perpetuate and legalize crime. Senator Schantz, of Lehigh county, who appears to be of the hard- boiled variety of political buccaneers, was the author of the resolution and he made no concealment of his pur- pose to prevent real ballot reform leg- islation through the medium of this “smoke screen.” It would have opened up a vast field in which to cultivate might have been instrumental in keep- ing such party leaders as the Lehigh Senator in office for some time. The Schantz resolution contemplat- ed a commission, four-fifths of the membership of which have been con- firmed political crooks. These masters in ballot polution would have been authorized to spend a few years in the study of devices to commit and pro- tect fraud and finally report at a sub- sequent session of the Legislature. The report would be rejected, of { course, but the purpose of its author would have been accomplished, which was to prevent immediate ballot re- form legislation. It is not likely that men of the Schantz type will long re- main in public life but they will strive by every process of fraud to hold on as long as possible. The veto of the res- olution in question hastens their end. Senator Schantz imagined that the majority of the people of fhe State could be deceived by such a palpable false pretense. He assumed that the average voter would accept as in good faith a promise of a future remedy for a present malady. The opportun- ity was present to make instant appli- cation of the remedy. But he pre- ferred to give promise for the future, It is the easiest way of meeting obli- | gations. But in the case in point it | hadn’t even the virtue of sincerity. The only way to treat it was that adopted by the Governor. It is as “dead as a door nail,” and nothing re- gins of it except an unpleasant mem- ofy and a bad smell, but these may endure for a long time. Price of Spuds is “Slipping.” Inquiry of Bellefonte grocers this week brought forth the information that the price of potatoes is “slip- ping.” For several weeks past the spuds have been selling at $2.00 a bushel and according to one grocery- man he has had calls from a number of farmers who would like to unload their surplus stock at that price, but every indication is for a drop in price and dealers are not stocking up very heavy. On the other hand, county agent R. C. Blaney is of the opinion that the big bulk of last year’s crop has been marketed and that there is very little surplus stock held by the farmers of Centre county. Over in Clearfield county, it is said, there are still thousands of bushels in the farmer’s bins, which are being held for a still further increase in price, < mare yh ——We want to go on record with a declaration that we have more respect or the groundhog than ever before, There was a period of less than five minutes on February 2nd when that crafty little animal was able to see his shadow but it evidently sufficed to scare him back into his hole. Now we are really not superstitious enough to credit the wood-chuck with having anything to do with regulating the weather, and it is a long stretch on our credulity to believe that he is in the same class as a prognosticator as Wesley Jarrett is as a prestidigitator, I but there is no denying the fact that our severest winter weather has been from the first of February to date, with comparatively few warm days, and we are pining for the balmy days | of springtime. Fortunately the hog- ship reign will end next Monday, in ‘just nine more days spring will be ‘here and its only thirty-five days until the opening of the trout fishing sea- son. atte A rt Poe —With the failure of Senator Mag- ‘nus Johnson of Minnesota, to win his jcontest for Senator Schall’s seat ‘another of the accidents of politics ‘ goes back into oblivion. ——American songbirds appear to , be coming into their own. Three suc- i cessful aspirants have appeared on the stage within a few weeks. ——We will know in a few days or so whether Vare has courage enough to buck the machine. ——Heaven spare the country from “hearings” on the prohibition modi- fication’ bills, . —=Still Vare might take a notion to run. anyway and that would make trouble. ballot corruption of various kinds and | ters of the American Revolution Were BELLEFONTE, PA.. MARCH 12, 1926. NO. 11. To a Voice. And, when I heard you sing, It made me think Of all the joy and gladness You would bring To those who listened well, And sensed the lovely, vibrant thing We call the Voice: God’s pulsing bell. —W. B. Meek-Morris. D. A. R. Holds Two Very Interesting Meetings. Following the custom of meeting alternately at State College and Belle. fonte the local chapter of the Daugh- guests of Mrs. P. H. Dale, Mrs. W. W. Braman, Miss Goddard, Mrs. W. R: Ham and Miss Thompson at the Uni- versity club in State College the even- ing of February 4th, and Mrs. John I. Olewine, Mrs. Louisa V. Harris, Mrs. N. B: Spangler and Mrs. Ivan Walker at the Brockerhoff house, in Belle- fonte, on the evening of March 4th. Good music made the February meeting memorable and so, in no less degree, did the travel talk of Dr. Lucretia Van Tuyl Simmons, of State College, the March 4th one. ' In point- ing out the many American shrines abroad Dr. Simmons so linked the old country with the new that in imagina- tion there did not seem to be an ocean between, nor truth on the pages re- cording periods of discord. Brighten- ed every here and there with sparkles of humor the theme was developed convincingly, the mother country is not without “national feeling,” our Washingtons and Lincolns are honored within her borders; and with the ring of the unanswered historian Dr. Sim- mons said that the Puritans showed more broadness of mind than have their detractors, and that the fineness of texture and the substantiality of the American make-up came from the fact that the English were predomi- nantly our forbears; that if we had been of French, Italian, Spanish ori- gin these qualities would have been lost. And now—where is the-man ‘who can live without dining—thopdallger ual feast, the hostesses “and Mr. Landsy, the proprietor of the Brocker- hoff house, saw to it, was followed by the quietly, skillful serving of refresh- ments of quality and variety -epicu- rean. A Government rolling stock in- spector visited Bellefonte on Tuesday and condemned two of the switching engines in use in the Bellefonte yards as well as the engine in use on the Bellefonte and Snow Shoe railroad. The third switching engine was con- demned so far as use on a main track is concerned. As a result of the ac- tion of the inspector shifting work in and about Bellefonte was considerably stagnated until other locomotives could be brought here. ——eear mers Prolonging Prosperity. From The New York World. The frequent warnings during re- cent months that the high rate of business activity would usher in an- other period of price inflation may or may not have been necessary. If nec- essary, they were certainly heeded; for no inflation has developed. The trend of commodity prices is distinet- ly downward, and last week Irving Fisher's index number reached the lowest point of the year. Some in- fluences conducive to inflation have certainly been present, but their effect so far has been confined to real estate and securities. _ The country is now showing its abil- ity to maintain a fair degree of pros- perity without the development boom. The typical business cycle of past years with its four phases of expan- sion, boom, depression and recovery spanning an average period of about 40 months, has not been with us for some time. Business still has its fluctuations, but they have become narrower in scope and of shorter dura- tion than formerly. For this change there are several explanations. Business men are more familiar with economic principles than ever before and are utilizing this knowledge so as to keep their individ- ual businesses on an even keel. The Federal Reserve system has also proved a steadying influence. Like- wise, the excessive productive capac- ity of many basic industries has proved a corrective of inflationary tendencies. A sharp advance in prices is quickly checked by an expansion of output. This combination of influ- ences has made the business curve smoother, and this has meant stead- ier employmerit for workers and bet- ter prospects of fair returns for em- ployers and investors. ——There is some comfort in the thought that Gerald Chapman, the Massachusetts fiend, will be a long time dead if they ever get him across. i ——Happily Secretary. of Labor Davis likes his job, for the Pennsyl- ‘'vania ‘machine has nothing better to offer him. ied © SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. —Fire Saturday night destroyed the Nixon Theater and pool room at Carrol- town, owned by Elmer Schroth, causing a loss of $15,000. . —Her clothing igniting from fire in the kitchen stove, Mrs. John Burge, 70, of Grampian, near Clearfield, was burned to deatlt Thursday. 3 —The frozen body of Isaac Buck, 50, a farmer near Bloomsburg, was found on Sunday in a snow covered field by William Heimbach, a neighbor. Buck lived alone, and his absence went unnoticed. : —With three policemen patrolling the section of Chester within a square from the police headquarters, thieves Thurs- day night entered the store of Warren Shipley and hauled away goods valued at $4,500. ; —A United States mail flier, swooping down low over the Susquehanna Silk Mills at Sunbury, frightened Clinton Herb, who was working on the roof, and he lost his balance and fell down an elevator shaft, suffering serious injuries. —Two firemen were injured while fight- ing a fire early on Sunday merning when the Liberty Theater, of New Castle, was destroyed, causing a loss of nearly $100,000. Defective wiring is believed to have started the fire in the top of the theater. Following a “free-for-all” with State policemen, William F. Clauss, wealthy real estate operator and former sheriff of Lehigh county, was placed under arrest on seven charges, grawing out of an incident in which the automobile driven by Clauss ran down and injured Trooper L. L. Tuckey. —Freeing Daniel Scarfino, of Norris- tewn, after his wife refused to prosecute him for choking her when she present- ed him with a girl instead of a boy, Mag- istrate Clark warned the husband not to beat his wife again, but to come to his of- fice when he feels the fighting urge, prom- ising to accommodate him. —Declaring that as “a younger man who has not demonstrated his ability,” he did not desire the same salary as his predeces- sor, the Rev. A. Ray Petty, of New York, who accepted the call of the Grace Baptist Church, of Philadelphia, to succeed the late Dr. Russell H. Conwell, asked that his salary be cut from $10,000 to $8,000. —Claiming that his wife left him fifteen years ago because he went to a picnic party where beer was served, John J. Minnich, of Milnersville, was granted a di- vorce by Judge Garman from his wife, with whom Minnich parted eleven months after their marriage. During this period, his wife lived at Latimer, only a mile away. —A mother and two of her five children were burned to death in a fire which de- stroyed the home of Vincenzo Santini at Wishaw, near Punxsutawny, on Saturday. Mrs. Santini carried four children to safe- ty and withan eleven-year-old daughter returned for a four-year-old boy. All three perished. Tantini was away from home at the time. An overheated stove was believed to have caused the fire. —W. F. Stamm, aged 35, dropped dead at Northumberland, it is believed, from grief for the death of Mr. and Mrs. John K. Moeschlin, who were killed on a Sus- quehanna River bridge at that place last fall when their automobile collided with a street car on which Stamm was a mo- torman. Although it was no fault of his, Coroner Fisher found Stamm had not worked since and had been suffering from a nervous breakdown. —Damage which will reach $100,000 was done by a fire which syept the mill and yards of the Fisher Lumber company at Williamsport, on Monday. The blaze, which is believed to. have been of incen- diary origin destroyed about a million and and a half feet of lumber. The blaze oc- curred within 36 hours of a similar fire which destroyed the mill and supplies of the Lilly Building Supply company, across the river, with a loss of practically. the same amount. -—With the exception of three houses, the entire town of Snedekerville, nestling down in the Bradford county hills, has been sold by Lucy M. Snedeker to Jerry R. Ryan of Syracuse, N. Y. The property transferred includes the postoffice, Pennsylvania rail- road station and dwelling combined, 12 other houses, farm bulldings, 741 acres of farm land, 35 acres of muck land, and all farm property and equipment. The new state road, over the construction of which Paul D. Wright and Governor Pinchot differed leading to Wright's resignation as secretary of highways, runs through the town, —Carl Moore, 16 years old, a machinist of Smithfield, was shot in the left thigh by Constable Kish of North Union town- ship, Fayette county, following an argu- ment at the ice rink at Shady Grove Park near Connellsville Saturday night. The boy was removed to the Uniontown hos- pital. One of the lads who accompanied him to the hospital, told the hospital au- thorities that the constable had an argu- ment with another boy at the rink and struck him in the face with his gun. Moore, he stated, then interfered. Kish then ordered him to stand back and upon his refusal shot the lad. —Albert Klinger, aged 26, of Lewistown, died Saturday evening from bullet wounds inflicted Thursday evening by Harry C. Bankes, aged 26, of Harrisburg, who al- leged Klinger broke up his home and caused his wife to divorce him. District Attorney Wilson entered a charge of mur- der against Bankes, who was held by Justice of the Peace Wheeler without bail for the May term of Court. State Sena- tor Frederick W. Culbertson, who cleared “Red” Davis of a charge of murder in connection with the shooting of John Mul- len, of Jersey Shore, 18 months ago, will be retained as one of counsel for the de- fense of Bankes. —Rev. Joseph B. Diehl, of the Halifax Interdenominational church, suffered scalp lacerations, a broken collar-bone and in- ternal hurts, and Rev. A. 8. Bierly, of the Verdilla Lutheran church, a broken shoul- der bone and numerous lacerations when an automobile was struck by a Philadelphia- Williamsport express train on the Read- ing Railway at Sunbury on Saturday. Re- turning from a Milton store, Rev. Bierly called at the other minister's home and they started to market in Sunbury. At the grade crossing they saw the train and the driver applied the brakes, but the car slid upon the tracks. The pilot of the locomotive struck it squarely and tossed it high into the air. It turned around in the air three times and landed on an ad- joining track 60 feet away.