a ———————————————————————— INK SLINGS. — Cheer up Democrats. When the Republican campaign committee gets excited over saving New York, Mass- .achusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut New Jersey and Delaware, there's ‘hope. ‘—This Lussier fellow, who went over Niagara Falls in a rubber ball, is so tickled with himself that he is going to try it again. His front ‘name is Jean, but it might turn out to be the Rebecca who went once too ‘often to the well with her pitcher. —We note that the Republican na- tional committee has adopted “On- ‘ward, Christian Soldiers” as the of- ficial Republican campaign song. We suggest that Daugherty, Fall, Denby and “Big Tom” Cunningham be in- vited as guest-conductors when they start singing it. —The latest news from Mr. Hoov- er’s publicity bureau is to the effect that he has a plan to relieve the farmers, but it is a secret. The farm- ers know Herbert. They had some experience with him back in 1917 and the way he treated them then con- vinces them that this secret plan is to relieve them of their farms en- tirely. —The voters who are walking the streets looking for jobs just now ‘might be employed as soap box ora- tors by Mr. Work, chairman of the "Republican national committee. They would be just the fellows to convince the public that the only way to in- sure continuation of the prosperity they are enjoying is by continuation «of the Republican party in power. ® During a week’s trip in Canadd naturally we saw many specimens of the sex of which we still take firs tive note. Canada has some things more than a half of one per cent. bet- ter than is permitted here, but we can go out on the streets of Bellefonte blind-folded and grab a dozen girls who would be more than a thousand per cent. better looking than the twelve trimmest ones we saw all the time we were away. "—The Iowa farmer who wrote to the Philadelphia Public Ledger to say ‘that even the frogs in the ponds out ‘there are singing “Al Smith! Al ;Smith!” gives coroborative evidence to substantiate the statement that a prominent clergyman of that State made to us last week. He said “I -won’t be a bit surprised if Governor : Smith carries Iowa.” The clergyman quoted is a Republican. He positive- ly won’t vote for Hoover, but he evad- ed answer when we asked him wheth- cer he would vote for Governor Smith. :—Mr. Ford has offered to build a macadamized - Toad the entire” way ‘across Hungary if the government of that country will allow importa- tion of his automobiles duty-free. ‘While Hungary is one hundred and twenty-five miles wide and Henry would have to cough up quite a sum to make good his offer we wouldn’t accept it if we were the Hungarians. With a good road and cheap cars the Hunkies would quit playing accor- .dians and go to running filling sta- tions. And think what a loss to art that would be. —What a travesty! The Pennsyl- vania Sheriff’s Association, in ses- sion at Conneaut Lake, was raided on Tuesday and the raiders found “the worst mess” they “ever saw.” The sheriffs threw whiskey bottles at the district attorney of Crawford coun- ty who was doing the raiding and he arrested the poor little bell-hop of the hotel in which the sheriffs were bac- chanalianing. The high officers of the law defended themselves by de- claring that politics was back of the raid. Politics, and how? It is good “Dep” wasn’t there. He would have pulled the whole kaboodle of them. —Down in Dallas, Texas, they put ‘the Rev. Earl Anderson in jail be- cause he refused to stop work on a ‘tabernacle when he was ordered to do :80 by the court. It appears that the Rev. Anderson was so anxious to get ‘the structure completed that he work- -ed nights and the clatter of ham- mers and saws disturbed the slumber of neighborhood residents so much ‘that they sued out a restraining or- der. We commend the action of the Dallas court and pray for enough courage to ask the Centre county ~courts to mete out similar punish- ment to the fellows who park their cars under our windows, then run off -and neck ’til three or four o’clock in the morning when they come back -and arouse the whole neighborhood with racing engines, honking horns and ribald talk. —Last week we spent two entire days steaming down and up the St. Lawrence river. Aside from the sur- passing grandeur of the scenery we were interested most in the hundreds of fishermen who lined its shores and trolled from motor boats. We watch- ed them with the eye .of covetous- ness, but in the hundreds of miles we traversed we saw no one catch a fish. One would think that with so many ". chances we might have seen one of | the hopefuls pull out something, but ’ if you are a fisherman your own ex- perience will tell you that rarely is there anyone looking on when you make a catch. It is strange, but its the fact, that -no matter how many people are on the stream you are fishing the largest percentage of your catch is made when they are “looking . out of the window.” STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. VOL. 73. By orderly proceedings, prompt dis- patch of business al convention which assembled at Houston, Texas, on the 16th day of June, has inspired the men and wo- men of that political faith with su- preme confidence of the election of their candidates for President and Vice President next November. The nomination of Alfred Emanuel Smith, Governor of New York, not only be- stowed the greatest honor within its power upon the fittest aspirant but paid tribute to a fundamental prin- ciple of the party, the right of the majority to control. The selection of Senator Joseph T. Robinson, of Ar- kansas, for Vice President, is equal- ly worthy of popular approval. Alfred E. Smith was not “born in the purple” nor nutured in an en- vironment of luxury. His father was a drayman and resided in what is known as the “slum section” of New York, where the next President “first saw the light of day.” Before he had time to acquire much education his father died and left upon the son the burden of supporting his pious and loving mother. But he was equal to the task and in honorable employ- nient, by assiduous effort and hon- est labor, he not only fulfilled his ob- ligations to his family and the com- munity but obtained a standard of learning that has placed him among the most capable of statesmen of his day and generation. He has served with distinction as Assemblyman, Senator and Governor and won the highest praise in each station. He will come to the service to which we confidently believe he will be called in November fully equipped and admirably adapted to the per- formance. He knows what the peo- ple in all stations of American life need and want and how to procure it for them. He is a master of ad- ministrative detail and above all he is honest, courageous and candid. His nomination presents no appeal to monopoly and offers no special privi- leges to predatory corporations, but his election will guarantee to the people: of the country the full enjoy- the . the ‘Democratic National convention tenders to the voters of the country with hope of a sublime purpose of fulfillment. —Henry Ford has been decorated by the government of Rumania. That Tin Lizzie presented to the Queen during her recent visit seems to have taken the form of “bread cast upon the waters.” The Constitutional Amendments. As the treasury surplus increases in volume State Treasurer Lewis be- comes more urgent in his demand that the proposed constitutional amendments providing for loans be defeated. At the close of business on June 30th there was $43,300,000 in the general fund and ample bal- ances in ‘the several other funds. These balances, Mr. Lewis believes, are ample to meet all worthy ob- jects “listed for action by the voters in November.” Possibly that might be true if the phrase “worthy ob- jects” is fairly interpreted. Every- body favors good roads and the Leg- islature could be depended upon to vote ample funds to keep the High- way Department in a high state of efficiency. . But there is less enthusiasm among the politicians on the subject of reforestation and practically no sympathy af all with fhe proposition to take out of the hands of the polit- ical machine the potential power of distributing funds among the charit- able and other institutions of the State. Within recent years this pow- er has become the most efficient vote getting instrument in the hands of the political machine. The adoption of the proposed amendment authoriz- izing a $50,000,000 loan to rehabili- tate, reconstruct and reform the ad- ministration of these institutions ‘might take this power out of the hands ‘of politicians. Unless the amendment is adopted the old system will continue. ny It is plain to all thinking people that reforestation is a crying need in Pennsylvania. It is equally certain that money expended in that way would be wisely invested and certain of generous returns. But even with an overflowing treasury there is no certainty that appropriations would be made by a machine Legislature for that purpose. Waste lands own- ed by favorites of the machine or tracts owned by persons willing to contribute to the party slush fund might be purchased and replanted, but nothing like systematic reforest- ation could be hoped for under ex- isting conditions. The proposed im- provements at State College will be much safer, moreover, if the con- stitutional amendment is adopted. their legal rights. This is- i and splendid | Democratic National convention, at achievement the Democratic Nation- | Houston, not only signally failed of or Smith, and gracefully yielded fo} i Conspiracy Failed of its Purpose. The conspiracy to dead-lock the its purpose but those responsible for it were sharply rebuked in the nom- ination of Governor Alfred E. Smith, of New York, on the first ballot and by a large majority. It was inspired by prejudice rather than principle and organized by enemies instead of friends of the Democratic party. Four years ago, in New York, the convention was perverted into a bat- tling rabble which sent out to cer- tain defeat one of the fittest candi- dates eve- presented to the voters of the country for approval. The ap- parent purpose of the conspiracy was to again serve the Republican ma- chine in the same way. The primary campaign had clear- ly revealed a popular demand from . all sections of the country for the nomination of Governor Smith. Four years ago there had been no such ex- pression of favoritism for any candi; | date, and for that reason the sup: porters of “favorite sons” were jus- | tified in some measure for prolonging , the contest. Hope not only springd but persists in the human breast and the friends of each of the candidates felt an obligation of loyalty. But this year there was no such reason to influence the minds of men. There was not even a well-founded expec- | tation of success in the enterprise. | It was simply a determined, but hap- pily impotent, effort to wreck the Democratic party. When Senator Walsh withdrew his | name from the list of candidates he frankly stated that the primary votes in California and other States prov- ed a popular preference for the nom- ination of Governor Smith. Later Governor Ritchie, of Maryland, ex- pressed the same obvious: truth in taking his name out of the conten- tion. Each of these gentlemen is amply equipped, morally and mental- ly, to adorn the office of President. Each has rendered valuable service to his party and country. But they realized that a vast majority of the Democratic people preferred Govern- rule. The conspirators felt no such | impulse. “Rule or ruin” was their purpose. —The Hoover campaign is to be managed by a general chairman, an eastern manager, a western manager and a strategy board. There is an, old saying that “too many cooks spoil ! the broth.” Pe Hoover's Real “Angel.” In our last issue we too credulous- ly accepted the assurance of the es- teemed Jewish Times, of Philadel- phia, that Mr. James M. Greenfield had literally forced Mr. Vare to sup- port Herbert Hoover at the Kansas City convention, and that consequent- ly Greenfield instead of Vare was the real Hoover “angel.” Previous to the assembling of the delegates the Watchman fell for the practically unanimous opinion that uncle Andy Mellon had the Pennsylvania delega- tion in his vest pocket and at the psychological moment would benig- nantly bestow the supreme favor on his cabinet associate. In a subse- quent issue the widely published an- nouncement that Vare had stolen the glory from Mellon was fully credited. These contradictory statements of an important event in history are as regrettable to the Watchman as they are confusing to its highly esteemed patrons. But what can be done to avoid them? We have no confiden- tial relations with the potential lead- ers of the Republican party and the usual sources of information are equally in the dark or wilfully mis- leading. The misinformation convey- ed was not obtained from Democrat- ic sources. It came from leading Republican newspapers which would be offended if charged with ignor- ance of the innermost secrets of the organization. Since our last state- ment we have been amazed to learn that it is quite as wide of the truth as its predecessors. The fact is, according to very high Republican authority, that the “an- gel” who nursed the Hoover ambi- tion into full fruition is the some- what solemn and always silent Cal- vin Coolidge, and this statement is supported by a long and strong chain of circumstantial evidence. For ex- ample, it is cited that nearly a week before the convention the delegates from Vermont, the President’s native State, announced the purpose to vote as a unit for Hoover on the first bal- lot. Closely following came the an- nouncement that Massachusetts would do the same thing and that these symptoms of Presidential fa- vor admonished Uncle! Andy to get on the band wagon, Greenfield may have forced Vare but Coolidge “turn- ed the -trick.” Department Issues of the Campaign. Dr. Hurbert Work, Harding’s Post- master General, Coolidge’s Secretary of the Interior and now Hoover's chairman of the Republican National committee, boldly announces that pro- tective tariff will be the paramount issue fin the impending campaign. “Certain other issues about which the people are talking,” he declares, “will be subordinated to the protective tar- iff in the . Republican campaign plans.” Having been associated with Secretary Fall and Attorney General. Daugherty during the Harding and i Coolidge administrations, he is natur- ally averse to public discussions of some of the “issues about which the people are talking.” He was sus- piciously silent during the long per- iod they were being investigated. Dr. Work is said to be an exceed- ingly cunning and crafty politician, but he will hardly be able to lay all the lines of controversy in the com- ing campaign. The protective tariff will be talked about, of course, and the legalized crime robbing the peo- | ple of four billions of dollars annual- ly in order to collect a revenue of one million will be fully exposed. But the iniquities of the eight years dur- ing which Dr. Work and Herbert Hoover silently, if not acquiescently, “sat in” with the perpetrators of these crimes will receive due atten- tion. Possibly these gentlemen may be forced to explain why they made. no public protest against the Teapot Dome perfidy and offered no help in the effort at exposure. The Democratic platform is not silent on the tariff question. It pledges a tariff tax rate “high enough to meet the actual difference between production at home and abroad with adequate safeguard for the American laborer,” and a higher rate woulil work injustice to the consumer in order to provide unearned benefits for a favored class. But “certain ! other issues about which the people are talking” are of graver importance and will receive attention according to their value. The unconditional surrender of the government to pre- datory monopoly and the perfidious sacrifice of essential national re- sources will be given full considera- tion, notwithstanding Dr. Work’s anxiety to the contrary. —Statistics compiled by the State of Agriculture show Centre county’s wheat crop for 1927 to have been 427,520 bushels valued at $538,675. The average production per acre was 17.4 bushels, while that | for the entire State was a fraction over 18 bushels. ‘This average ex- ceeds that of the great wheat grow- ing States of the west by about four ‘bushels to the acre. ——The entire row of trees in front of the Schad properties, on north Spring street, were cut down this week. The trees were all solid in trunk and limb, but the roots were bulging up the pavement and damag- ing the foundation walls of the houses, hence were cut down. And thus one by one Bellefonte’s beauti- ful shade trees are being removed. —Mr. Rockefeller celebrated the | 89th anniversary of his birth last Saturday, and if he lives economical- i ly the rest of his life he will be able to “keep the wolf from his door” to the end. —Most of the national Republican leaders are now employing their mental energies trying to prove that they lied about Herbert Hoover be- fore and during the Kansas City con- vention. ot hiitaoahi —The local news purveyors that | carry on while we loaf seem to have missed the motor accident that had Hublersburg so excited early last Sunday morning a week. —We are promised “an air route across the top of the world” in the near future, but that is a matter of small concern to the average wage earner. —What Tweed did three quarters of a century ago is “no patching” to what Fall, Sinclair and Elder Hays pulled off within the last eight years. —November 6 is said to be Al | Smith’s lucky day. His wife was born on that day some years ago and it will be election day this year. A ——————— A A isms. —It’s hot enough, all right, but the fellow hankering for a corn roast sees no cause of complaint in the temperature. —Delaware orchardists now com- plain about the apple crop which jus- tifies the hope that the peach crop is all right. ——Subscribe for the Watehman. BELLEFONTE, PA. JULY 13. 1928S. The Democratic National Convention. NO. 27. Clean Sword and Clear Consciences. | From the Philadelphia Record. | | \ sincerity and irresponsibility. Two worthy antagonists are about to enter upon a vigorous contest for the Presidency of the United States. Both of them are men of high char- acter. Both have excellent records of public service. Each is possessed of special qualifications for the office for which his party has nominated im, We feel sure that each of these party leaders respects his opponent’s character and capacities. or this reason we cannot imagine Herbert Hoover making an unfair attack upon Alfred E. Smith, nor can we picture Smith resorting to the use of dis- creditable weapons in an effort to gain an advantage over Hoover. The contest, so far as Smith and Hoover are personally able to contrel it, will be over policies. The example they are certain to set ought to be very generally followed, demo There is a great temptation on the part of enthusiastic partisans to break the rules of good sportsmanship in the heat of political campaigns. Grown men and women at such times are prone to forget themselves and call names and make faces like little children, Wouldn't it be a wholesome thing if we were all to try to over- come this pernicious habit in the period from now to November, dis- i cussing the issues that are to be vot-’ ed upon both seriously and truth- fully, and eschewing the irrelevant? “Clean swords!” should be the watch-word. No dishonorable dealing with the adversary. No stabbing in the back with whispered innuende; no falsifying of the records; no dis- tortion of the truth by suppression of disadvantageous facts. The selection of a President by thoughtful study of the principles in which he believes, by measuring his ability to carry them into practice if given the opportunity, by eliminating prejudice and the influence of long- standing political habit from the making of the choice, would assure the attainment of popular govern- ment’s ideal. This newspaper will endeavor conscientiously to play the game in trying to influence the ver- dict of its readers. ; Demeocracy’s Open Door. From the Milwaukee Jourmial. Meanwhile we come back to..the 3 ination -of Al Smith. Theve is reassurance in it. A multitude. who have come to us from overseas. find recognition of their hopes and their place in America, even as the men who had pushed west over the Al- leghenies found recognition in the triumph of Andrew Jackson. If Smith had come so far only to be stopped for the reasons most urged against him, there would have been a check to the idea of free democracy. If his nomination means nothing else, it is at least proof of that spirit in America which Woodrow Wilson said at the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln “demonstrates the vigor of democra- cy, where every door is open, in i every hamlet and countryside, in city ‘and wilderness alike, for the ruler to emerge and claim his leadership in the free life.” A ————— A etre ret. Licensed Pedestrians. From the Los Angeles Tin.es. Presently the politicians will be seeking fresh sources of revenue and will find opportunity by proposing a license for pedestrians. On the pay- ment of $3 a duly licensed pedestrian | will be entitled to stand in a safety | zone—if he can find one, and jump from three to nine feet to escape a mettlesome Ford. The licensed pe- destrian will have the privilege of wearing a button that will admit him to a street intersection when the traf- fic whistle blows. Unless a pedes- trian carries a license he will not be permitted to recover the gold fillings from his back teeth when they are bumped out by a runaway truck. The. pedestrian license idea ought to spread among the politicians. There’s millions in it. The Underhand Gentry. From the Waterbury Republican. Mr. Hoover says there must be no disrespectful allusion to Tammany, and anonymous friends of Governor Smith predict that he will studious- ly refrain from harping upon Re- publican corruption. Possibly be- cause everybody has been miserably certain the coming campaign would set new records for violence and mud- flinging, the party coaches will lean backward in their endeavor to make it distinguished for urbanity. But the underhand gentry on both sides are going to be hard to handle. Republican Praise of Smith. From the Chicago Tribune. Governor Smith’s statement on prohibition enforcement is in refresh- ing contrast to the pettifogging and pusillanimity of both the party plat- forms. It is an act of real leadership for which his party and all Ameri- cans, regardles of party or opinion, ought to be grateful. It is an appeal to American tolerance against intol- erance, to American practical sense against blundering bigotry, to party courage, self-respect, and responsi- bility, against party cowardice, in- eee eames :|SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONR —Jacob Brown, proprietor of Jake's Inn, ‘| Mt. Joy, tossed a pocketbook containing .| $95 into a bonfire he had started at the: | rear of his home. He discovered the error and grabbed the burning money. from the: ‘| fire with his bare hands. Bankers told Brown that sufficient portions of the remain to be redeemed. —Martin Ketola, aged 6 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Ketola, died at New. Castle as the result of scalds received at a summer camp, at Slippery Rock. In a bath house some of the campers had rig- ged up a system whereby hot water was used for baths. A bucket of scalding’ water had been placed ready for use in the system when in some manner the lad pulled it over on himself, —After having gasoline put in a car he was driving, David Gilday informed the filling station proprietor, Claire P. Caf- frey, of Scranton, that he had no money," but would leave his watch as security. Caffrey agreed, but upon looking at the time-piece recognized it as his own which had been stolen from him while he was measuring out the motor fuel. Gilday’ was placed under arrest. —Lawrence county courts are to have the spectacle of a man 100 years old be- ing tried on a criminal charge, at the September term. John Malonic, of New Castle, centenarian, has been held for court on charges of felonious assault as a result of an attack he is alleged to have made upon Tony Lebeski, 35, with a knife. The aged man went into a frenzy, when the younger man teased him, and used a. knife in his attack, it is charged. ——y, —When McVeytown citizens found thai’ their only grade school building was bad- ly in need of repairg aud that the school’ board’s tregfury had been depleted to $2500, and the neded amount for repairs over $7500, they promptly raised the nec- | essary amount by subscription. The bor- rowing capacity of the borough was al-' ready at its limit and there was little hope of repairing the building under any other method than the one adopted. —David F. Yost, 7i-year-old farmer, of near Cross Roads church, York county, killed himself with a single-barreled shot- gun shortly after 6 o'clock on July 2nd while sitting on the front porch of his home. It is thought that he was worry- ing about a $400 debt on his farm which would come due July 5th, which, coupled with injuries he suffered when he fell from a tree while picking cherries a week previous, may have caused him to commit the act. bills : L —A huge quantity of liquor and mash were seized by state police in a raid on . a 500-gallon still in the mountain of Clin- ton county, near the Florida farms, early last week. The police, raiding the still, found Luther Self operating the huge con- traption and arrested him. Self was alone. at the mountain cache at the time. A. . total of 1500 gallons of liquor, 5200 gal- lons of mash and 6100 pounds of sugar were taken. Self was committed to jail to await a further hearing in the case. —A freakish bolt of lightning played havoc at the home of Paul A. Webb, na:- uralist, at Meadville on Monday night. Webb was sitting in his automobile in front of the home when the bolt struck ' the windshield, ‘boring a hele through the glass. He was not hurt. From the car, the. lightning traveled to the house, tore a ' hole in the building, broke windows on one side’ and broke dishes in the house. A tree near the house was also hit. Webb, said a cigar he was smoking disappeared. —Found guilty of embezzling approxi- : mately $64,000 of the bank's money, Roger Willams, former cashier and treasurer of the South ‘Side Bank, of Wilkes-Barre, was sentenced on Monday to serve a ' minimum term of six months and a maxi- | mum term of two years in Luzerne coun- {ty jail. In addition Williams must pay ia fine of $100 and the costs of prosecution. ,J. C. Maloney, of Scranton, charged with aiding and abetting Williams in the em- . bezzlement, was declared not guilty and freed of all responsibility. i -—After haying been missing from Mon- roe 'Mi}ls, Northumberland ceunty, for { three years, and mourned as dead, Syl- vester Bierly, aged 18, returned to his farm home, 14 miles south of Sunbury last Thursday. He had been working in Philadelphia, he said, and did not know that he had caused any worry. His par- | ents, Mr. and Mrs. Roland Bierly, warm- ily welcomed him. Bierly said he went to. { Philadelphia, where he obtained employ- ment as a weather stripper’s assistant. When offered a vacation he decided to re- turn home. y —William Grumbine, aged 6, of Lewis- | town, was burned about the¢ hands when he grasped the iron fence surrounding the home of Burt Stafford, a local paper- ° hanger. Stafford, annoyed by boys steal- ing his cherries, had strung wires from his light meter in the cellar to the iron fence to set a trap for the boys. Young Grumbine strolled around after a shower when the grass and fence were wet and received the full force of the charge. Chief of Police 8S. E. Peck removed the wires and warned Stafford against such modes of protection. —At a meeting of the York county com- missioners on Monday, solicitor George §. Love was authorized to collect $14,458 which it is said, former County Treas- urer Arthur G. Fry owes the county. Fry admits he retained this amount on all State licenses he collected, except hunt- ers’ license fees, during his four years in office, 1924 to 1928. The former county treasurer and a bonding company have promised the commissioners to return the fees for the years 1926 and 1927. They refuse to return the fees for the years 1924 and 1925. The county will proceed against the former treasurer’s personal bondsmen. —Mrs. Gladys Warfield Johnson, mar- ried to George Johnson, of Lock Haven, in March, was instantly killed while visiting at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Warfield, at Charlton, six miles east of Lock Haven, when she was struck by lightning which entered the house on the telephone wires during the electric storm on July 4th. Mrs. Johnson had purchased a quantity of fireworks for her younger brothers and sisters and had gone to Charlton to spend the day with her parents and family. During a severe electrical stormy which came up sudden- ly, members of the family sat on the porch at the Warfield home while Mrs. Johnson was changing Victrola records. Standing by an open window, near the telephone, the lightning struck her right side tearing her dress from hip to shoul- ’ ~—Get your job work done here. der and burning her flesh.