Democratic watchman. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1855-1940, August 03, 1928, Image 1
Penorwaiic, atc Bf INK SLINGS. . —To the lady who wrote to inquire as to why we haven’t “pitched in to the Hon. Holmes yet,” we want to say that these are “dog days” and we don’t want to bite anybody, especial- ly the Honorable. He might get the rabies and bite another organization like he did the American Legion in that memorable Pleasant Gap speech of his. —On the occasion of his sixty-fifth birthday Henry Ford said: “Men over fifty are running the world.” We would like to believe that Henry knows what he was talking about, but we can’t. We're over fifty and instead of running anything we're being run ragged by them that think there is as much money in everything as Henry has filched from Elizabeth. —We note that our friend Vance McCormick has bolted the ticket again. We say again, advisedly, be- cause Vance bolts almost as frequent- ly as the Prince of Wales falls off his horse. Of course the deflection of the editor of the Harrisburg Patriot means that Pensylvania will go for Hoover in November. Gosh, won’t Al wince when he gets that slap on the wrist. —Senator Curtis, who is running for Vice President, says he is going to be elected. Not six weeks ago this same Senator Curtis left Washington for Kansas City and the last thing he said before leaving was: “I am going to be nominated for President.” Prognosticating, therefore, with the Senator’s erudition, we should say that he is going to be elected Vice President just like he was nominated for President. —Here’s where we give Mr. R. C. Blaney, the county farm agent, a kick in the tail. Just when the oats, and the corn and the potatoes present promise of keeping the farmer out of the township poor home he comes out with an announcement that the pota- to blight menaces. Off hand, we pre- sume that Mr. Blaney knows what he is talking about, but crepe hangers ought to be but ain’t welcome guests at farm firesides this season. —Having demonstrated that he is the most skillful boxer of his day and having shown the blood lusters that he can be a killer as well as a boxer, Gene Tunney has abdicated his throne as champion heavy weight pugilist of the world. To us, this act proves more conclusively than his lecture on Shakespeare to the students of Yale that Tunney, while possessing a fight- ing heart, is not a fighter at heart. The abdication is likely to foment in- teresting discussion as to how be got 2 out of it. Tt niust be téienibered that he is under contract to Tex Rickard for one more fight and Tex isn’t the kind of a fellow who throws potential possibilities away. Tex lost a quarter of a million, however, on the Tunney- Heeney bout and his contract for the fight unfought might have resulted equally disastrous. The job of find- ing a new champion will arouse great interest in fistic circles and the pos- sibility that Jack Dempsey will come back, now that Tunney is out of the way, is not so remote. And think of what a fight between Dempsey and Tommy Loughran would draw after the Philadelphian has eliminated the other pretenders. Mr. Rickard wasn’t being anything else than astute when he tore up the contract that might have delayed Tunney’s retirement for a year, at least. —The news columns of this issue announce that the borough council is considering the purchase or acquisi- tion by other processes of the Gamble mill property. We know of nothing from the chambers on Howard street that has been freighted with the pos- sibility of as much ultimate good for the tax-payers of Bellefonte as this proposal. Aside from the several ap- parently desirable results of such a purchase that have been advocated as justifying it we see another that seems to have evaded the ken of those who are looking to our future welfare. With the water power at the Gamble mill gone the last threat Bellefonte has against increased light- ing and water pumping rates disap- pears. Everyone who reads knows that control of electric power is grad- ually being centralized. Bellefonte has seen five transitions, itself, from the days of the Edison Electric Illum- inating Company up to the present West Penn Power. Thus far it has not hurt much because the successive corporations have been more or less local and personal contacts have been close enough to have a heart. But when the circle widens again, when the West Penn is taken over by a larger corporation, just as the West Penn took over the Keystone Power, then another link will be forged in the chain of giant monopoly and where will Bellefonte be? We. know that this property can be bought and fully paid for in fifteen years in in- stallments that will not amount to as much, annually, as we are paying for electricity with which to pump water today. It can be done without raising water rates or other taxes a cent. It would be the town’s enduring safe- guard against exorbitant lighting and pumping charges, against the possible drying up of Spring creek from the dam above this office to the round house, against litigation over all ri- parian rights through the borough. STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. 30. VOL. 73. BELLEFONTE, PA.. AUGUST 3. 1928. Campaign Expenses to be Limited. Wilson-Vare Contest Progressing. Good Comes Out of Philadelphia. According to gossip the party lead- ers have entered into a “gentleman’s agreement” to limit the expenditures of the impending Presidential cam- paign to $3,000,000 on each side. That will be an ample budget for the Dem- ocratic party which in previous cam- paigns has been obliged to skimp along on a smaller allowance. But the Republican managers are likely to have trouble in apportioning such a small sum among the workers who have been accustomed to much more generous recompense for their labor. The vast expenditures of the Repub- lican party in the campaigns of 1920 and 1924 developed so many and such atrocious scandals that public senti- ment has revolted and the limit is the result. Nation-wide political campaigns, however scrupulously conducted, are expensive, but there never was either reason or excuse for spending ten or twelve million dollars in support of the candidates of one party. The Le- gitimate expenses could not possibly be expanded to that figure. It may safely be said, therefore, that expen- is equally certain that contributions |in bulk by the organization. The subcommittee of the Senate committee on Privileges and Elections | The United Citizens’ club, of Phila- delphia, is setting an example which | has closed, but not completed, its in- | ought to be followed in every com- vestigation of the Senatorial election of 1926 in Philadelphia. It revealed the fact that $119,791.78 was expend- ed in the interest of William S. Vare by the City Committee in the city, and made it plain that a considerable part of this slush fund was obtained by levying assessments upon municipal officials, in violation of law. In ull the election divisions in which the probe was pressed frauds were shown. In one division testimony developed that ninety per cent of the votes cast’ for Vare were fraudulent and the or- ganization not only assented to but encouraged the crimes. The Philadelphia machine uses var- ious methods of corrupting the ballot. Thousands of fictitious names are reg- istered and gangs are employed to vote them. But the Senate committee paid little attention to this form of fraud. It directed its energies to exposing a more convenient system and one more prolific in results. | Bogus tax receipts were distributed ditures in excess of say $3,000,000 im- | by the thousands by the division lead- ply corruption in some form, and it ers which were subsequently paid for Every which aggregate more than that vote cast by men or women upon such amount are made for sinister pur- receipts is void, and the voters who poses. For these reasons it was both cast them and the persons who sup- wise and expedient to agree upon a Plied them committed crimes against limit and if the agreement is respected the law and deserve the penalty pro- a higher standard of political moral- | vided for in the Act of Assembly. ity in the future may be hoped for. | The subcommittee, consisting of Senator Capper, of Kansas, a re- Senator Waterman, of Colorado, will former all the time except when the | Sit in Pittsburgh the 15th of August | is on, imagines a better | to investigate the election in that asy- ’ ¢ method of improvement would be to lum of political pirates. Senator Wa- | Organized it. campaign limit the amount of contributions to $1,000. In the campaign of 1920 Will Hays, then chairman of the Republi- terman did fairly well in Philadel- phia, though at times his sympathies with the accused were revealed and can National committee, ostentatious- , he may be depended upon to be rea- aa pon ly announced that contributions mn sonably fair in Pittsburgh. But the | bY the Vare machine it is taken as a sums greater than $1000 would ~ot Work would be more satisfying if a 'declaration of independence, an ab- be received. Yet that was the most Democratic Senator sat with him. The solving of allegiance to a tyrannical corrupt campaign in the history of the country and not only the impor- tant offices were pledged but material resources of the government were mortgaged to contributors of much larger sums. The present Republican chairman was among the beneficia- ries of that campaign and.possibly he is no more sincere in his engagements than Hays. ——Mr. McSparran must have been asleep when Governor Smith’s reply to an inquiry as to the accuracy of State committeeman Mack reached Houston. Cause of thé “Crime Wave.” Addressing the American Bar As- sociation, in session at Seattle, the other day, Silas H. Strawn, of Chica- go, president of that organization, declared that one of the principal causes of the “crime wave” in this country is the “organized crime, which enables the underworld to make liberal contributions to political cam- paigns and to exert a powerful in- fluence in politics.” There are other elements to be considered, he added, among them delay in the processes of criminal law, indifference on the part of “best citizens” toward their duty as citizens, and unrestricted traffic in firearms. Incidentally he lays some blame on “the leniency and paltering of political judges.” In a recent issue of the New York Nation a student of the University of Chicago who, with others, had volun- teered to act as watchers at the pells at the recent primary gives his exper- ience. He undertook the service at the request of several reform organi- zations and at the risk of his life tried for a short time to restrain the corruption of the Republican machine agents who had control of the poll- ing places. Voters came in gangs and dumped ballots into the boxes, bad whiskey was supplied in abundance and the slightest protest against these operations brought out a show of guns and threats of murder. Finally the bosses took possession of the boxes and carried them away to count the votes. On the final day of the investiga- tion of the Senatorial eletcion of 1926, in Philadelphia, one of the witnesses testified that booze, fraud, forgery and guns were freely used in building up the Vare majority in the fifth di- sion of the First ward. was computed and fixed before the polls were closed, ballots were cast for absentees, voters were assisted re- gardless of their wishes and liquor was stored in one of the voting booths,” he said, and tax receipts were not only handed out without payment but the name of the tax receiver was forged. These are the fruits of the evil of which Mr. Strawn complained and the product of the planting of the Republican machine. - Pittsburgh frauds are so rank and the | master. Pittsburgh politicians so rotten that a minority member of the committee ought to be present at every session | section of the State. The people are | held there. Senator Caraway, of Ar- kansas, for example, would not only enliven the proceedings but “add to the gayety of nations.” .. Pr pr ims Dick Baldwin, of Delaware county, and Bill Gallagher, of Lu- zerne, are not potential leaders of the Republican party but they are of the group that “brings home the bacon,” and their support of Smith means something. Cause of Owen’s Flop. Like a good many other party re- creants former United States Senator Robert L. Owen, of Oklahoma, has given a dishonest reason for betray- ing the party that has favored him too generously. He stated that he is influenced to support Mr. Hoover for President because “he could not approve of Tammany.” That seems to be a favorite “alibi” of religious bigots everywhere, and prohibition fanatics in some places. But it couldn’t possibly be the reason in the case of Senator Owen. No later than four years ago he personally solicit- ed the support of Tammany in an ab- surd ambition to become the Demo- cratic nominee for President, himself. He had no aversion to Tammany then. Senator Owen has a perfect right to support Hoover for President. But he has no moral. right to give a false reason for his action in order to de- ceive the public. When Oklahoma be- came a State it was overwhelmingly Democratic and Mr. Owen was chosen as its first Senator in Congress. Since that time the Ku Klux Klan has in- vaded the State, and developed strength so rapidly, that for the past several years it has been able to prac- tically control its political activities. It bowled Owen out of office and he probably imagines that by support- ing Hoover he may ingratiate himself into the favor of the hooded organiza- tion sufficiently to get back into pub- lic life. Mr. Owen is a half-breed Indian and racial sympathy with the Republican candidate for Vice President, Senator Curtis, of Kansas, might have had : something to do with his “flop. But “The vote | the chances are that he is no more faithful to his race, which contribut- ed nothing toward his success in life, than he is to the party which has done much for him. But that is neith- er here nor there in the equation. He has left his party, which he had a right to do, and against which there is no just cause of complaint. But his reason was not that he disapproves of Tammany. It may be that he cher- ishes enmity against Governor Smith who refused his request to use Tam- many in his behalf. ——Two hundred thousand Demo- ——If the Mellons aren't careful cratic votes in Philadelphia would Joe Grundy will steal the Fisher ad- make a dent in the Republican major- ministration from under their moses. ity in Pennsylvania. munity in Pennsylvania. It is a new ; organization, made up of progressive : citizens, and is sponsored by the West | Philadelphia Boosters’ association, i composed of active business men, { heretofore Republicans. The new or- : ganization has set out to get 200,000 , votes for Governor Smith in Phila- delphia at the November election. Its ‘ plan of operations is not exactly new but is promising of results. It has 1 200 active workers who are sending ' out “pledge cards” to “get persons “o promise to vote for the New York Governor at the coming national elec- tion.” Funds to meet the expense of this activity are supplied by the Boosters’ association. The pledge reads: “I be- Democracy as advocated by Alfred E. Smith, and as proof of my fidelity to his cause, which is the cause of the people, I pledge myself to vote and work for him under the banner of the United Citizens’ club organized by the West Philadelphia Boosters’ associa- tion. I also authorize the same ‘to use my name in the interest of the campaign which goes forward with the slogan: ‘Smith, the man for Presi- President.” There is an auxiliary organization, in the work of which, on the same lines, the women are en- | gaged. | The efforts of this organization have been successful beyond the ex- pectations of those who conceived and Hundreds of men and | women have promptly and cheerfully | responded to the request to sign the pledge. Among the foreign-born cit- izens who have been so long deluded 'with equal energy and intelligence, would have the same result in every | tired of the dominance of the Mellons, | Grundys and Vares, and if a way of ' escape is provided for them they will avail themselves of it... ——The Bellefonte school district is in better financial shape this year than it has been for some time. Dur- ing the past year the board not only paid increased salaries but cleared up all of the floating indebtedness and dollars in the treasury. The value of the property in the Bellefonte school district is now approximately $180,000, which includes the school house in the South ward, the High school building, the primary building and the old steam heat and gas prop- erty. There is a bonded debt of $60,- 000 but there is also $5,000 in the sinking fund and uncollected tuition and taxes aggregating from eight to ten thousand dollars. Unless some unforseen contingency arises the dis- trict will be able to cancel its bonded debt in ten or twelve years and be even with the world. ——Three young girls of Bellefonte who were fast straying from the paths of righteousness were brought into juvenille court, last Friday, and given a chance to reform under pa- role in the hands of the juvenile court officer. ——Mrs. Scranton, Republican pol- itician of the coal region metropolis, assured Hoover the other day that Pennsylvania is safe. That must have taken a great load of doubt off Hoov- er’s mind. ——It is unnecessary to add that the Chicago lad who gave the first dollar he ever earned to the Al Smith campaign fund didn’t draw political inspiration from the Bill Thompson gang. ——Senator Curtis, Republican can- didate for Vice President, will open his campaign in New York. The Tammany braves will give him a courteous welcome. ——President Calles, of Mexico, announces that he will not continue in office after the expiration of his term. In other words, he keeps his head. ——Governor Smith might dispose of Swelled-head White as the late Ben Butler did of a pestiferous an- noyer. He said “shoo fly, don’t bother me.” ——Mussolini gets only $1250 a year for governing Italy. He ought to join some union and demand an in- crease. ——Senator Owens appears to be- lieve that “a lie well stuck to is as good as the truth.” ‘lieve in and respect the principles of dent; Joseph T. Robinson, ‘for Vice | The same system, applied NO. Enough Motor Law. From the Pittsburgh Press. Benjamin G. Eynon, State registra- tor of motor vehicles, told the con- vention of Pennsylvania police chiefs last week that there now existed suf- ficient law to deal with every prob- lem of traffic control and movement. As he pointed out, the need now 1s for enforcement rather than for fur- ther legislation, which might only serve to cause confusion. In the motor code passed at the last session of the Assembly, and which became effective the first of this year, the highway department, state police officials and motor clubs co-operated toward the drawing up of a measure which finally received the approval of the Legislature. It was a compre- hensive document, and only now are ordinary motorists becoming fully ‘aware of its provisions. In munici- palities local authorities have care- ully considered ordinances and rules suitable to their special necessities. Therefore, we have now enough | written law for all purposes. But written law is of no avail without en- forcement of its provisions against , that minority of the motoring public | which will not of its own accord, and {in the general interest of safety, heed rules made for its own protection rather than in a punitive spirit. All the law in the world will not hammer common sense into the heads of those reckless drivers who race railroad trains for grade crossings, or take gambling chances with life. i But for those who steal cars, either | for commercial purposes or joy rides, who heedlessly cut out of moving traf- fic line, against those who ignore sig- nal warnings, for those who pass street cars on the left, against those who are careless to the point of be- coming road menaces, enforcement | and punishment are needed. At pres- ent they are insufficiently applied, i particularly in the case of passing trolleys on the left. Undeniably the increase of traffic has confronted the police with an acute problem. They cannot be ex- pected to be at all points of potential violation at the same time. But every one, enforcer and driver, can ' profit from the advice of Eymon, and by making effective the present law cut down the accident toll. A Jolt to Heredity Theorists. From the Kansas City Star. 4 | “The ‘theories. of - heredidy-ofl Hillery 'E. Wiggam and the other eugenists were given quite a jolt in the Presi- dential and Vice Presidential nomina- tions of the two major political par- ti es. Smith was born in the lower East Side of New York, the son of a truck driver. Hoover's father was a black- has a balance of over two thousand smith, without intellectual distinc- { tion of record. Curtis, born on an In- | dian reservation, is the son of humble parents. Robinson, being the son of a country doctor, is the only one of the four candidates who possesses ,even a remote hereditary right to leadership. It is doubtful that the eugenic experts would cite him as ‘the typical fulfillment of their prin- | ciples. The layman not acquainted with the ways of science is pretty likely to conclude that forecasting human greatness on a basis of parentage is still to be classed as one of the great American guessing games along with forecasting the quality of cantaloupes and predicting the severity of winter by the thickness of corn husks. Maryland Strong for Smith. From the Philadelphia Record. In his optimistic report on the Democratic prospects in Maryland, Governor Ritchie said, among other things, “from my observation of the state of mind of the people of Mary- land I am convinced that the person- ality of the candidate transcends any of the issues in the campaign. The sentiment for Governor Smith in the industrial centers is surprisingly strong. The sentiment for him in Baltimore appears to be overwhelm- ing, and experience has shown that the candidate who carries Baltimore { usually carries the rest of the State.” Governor Ritchie knows whereof he speaks, for it was his own person- al popularity that gave him in 1926 a 48,000 majority in Maryland’s chief city, which the following year the Re- publican candidate for Mayor -car- ried by 17,000 majority. Why Washington Laughs. From the New York Nation. It’s queer how candidates for high office “get religion” and hit the saw- dust trail as soon as they are nomi- nated. Calvin Coolidge thought it nec- essary to join a church soon after he entered the White House. Not to be outdone by Hoover's example in church going, Charley Curtis, the Vice Presidential nominee, stepped forward in the somewhat unexpected role of champion of the Puritan Sab- bath. Two cameramen sought to photograph him in the Topeka streets the Sunday following the convention, but he held up a protesting hand and exclaimed solemnly. “No! No! boys, re- member this is Sunday.” Irreverent Washington, remembering Warren Harding's praise of Charley as “the best poker player in the Senate” and Charley's own devotion to the Mary- Sand racetracks, could not restrain its mirth. - SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE —Mervin G. Filler, former dean at Dick- inson college, Carlisle, recently elected president of that institution, assumed his new duties Wednesday. —The late W. Harry Baker, former chairman of the Republican State commit- tee and for many years secretary of the State Senate, left $95,995 in life insurance it was disclosed last week when figures were made public on insurance payments. —Nathan Frieberg, manager of the Triangle theatre, Pittsburgh, and an uni- dentified Negro were killed on the Lincoln Highway near Gettysburg, early on Mon- day, when their car struck a telephone pole and upset. Police, who investigated the accident, said that apparently the Ne- gro had been driving and had fallen asleep at the wheel. —Resignation of Arthur G. Logue, sher- iff of Cameron county, effective August 15th, was announced on Monday by the Governor. Frank G. Judd, of Emporium, a former sheriff, was appointed to succeed him. Sheriff Logue has accepted a posi- tion with the State Game Commission as a game protector. He was formerly em- ployed in a similar capacity by the Com- mission and is a son of C. KE. Logue, State trapping instructor and well known in game circles throughout the State. —It has been estimated that it will take from 25 to 30 years to complete stained glass windows ordered for the Sacred Heart Catholic church in Pittsburgh. The long period required for the work is due to the size and number and in the intri- cate hand work invelved. Contract for the windows in the sum of $250,000 has been awarded W. Sotter, Philadelphia. The first group of windows for the church, on which Sotter has been working for five years, will be installed this week. —The manager of a carnival company showing at Tower City, last week, was sorely perplexed. ' First, the fat lady of the show, who weighed 634 pounds, disappear- ed and at the same time the mechanician of the merry-go-round was reported miss- ing. Simultaneously a trunkful of money and clothes and an automobile left the show. Next, the fat lady’s husband, own- er of the money and the trunk, went away. According to the manager, the fat lady and her husband were Mr. and Mrs. Hav- en Smith, of Clearfield, while the machani- cian was named Wolt. —Information charging Robert C. Hab- erkorn, former teller of the United States National bank at Johnstown, with em- bezzling and misappropriating $66,600, was filed before the United States Commission- er at Pittsburgh last Friday. Special De- partment of Justice agents alleged Hab- erkorn speculated in the stock market and had used bank funds in an attempt to re- coup his losses. He is in the Cambria county jaid at Ebensburg. Haberkorn’s al- leged misappropriations included in cash letters from the Federal Reserve Bank, of Philadelphia, on June 23. —Following discovery of an alleged shortage of $25000 in the accounts of Karl H. Bergey, treasurer of the Lewistown Trust Co., at Lewistown, the State Bank- ing Department om Saturday caused his arrest. He is charged with misappropria- tion of the bank’s funds and making false entries. The alleged shortage was discov- ered by bank examiner Walter 8. Hoke. Bergey has been held for court in $20,Gu0 bail. The banking department said the bank was fully protected by surety bonds. The examiner is making further investi- gation of the activities of Bergey. —S80 badly has the patronage of the Lewisburg, Milton and Watsontown Pass- enger Railway company fallen off that the company has been unable to pay a $3,000 bill for electric power used in op- erating its cars, witnesses for the com- pany told the Public Service Commission last week. The company applied for per- mission to abandon its line and substitute motor busses along the same route un- der the name of the West Branch Trans- it company, most of whose stock is held by the electric railway company. No pro- tests against the applications were offered. —William Askey, 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Askey, jumped from a load of hay which his uncle, Thomas Dunlap, of Beech Creek township, Clinton county, was loading, as the hay wagon overturn-: ed on the side hill field, and broke his left arm above the wrist, jammed his right arm badly from shoulder to wrist, and sustained numerous body bruises. His un- cle, who was also on the wagon, jumped, but escaped with bruises and cuts. Mr. Dunlap is just recovering from a fractur- ed bone of the wrist, sustained when he was attempting to crank an automobile several months ago. —Misfortune which stalked C. Frank Koons in his efforts to be the pioneer com- mercial airman of Chambersburg, contin- ‘ues to haunt him. The most recent phase of ill luck was the filing of a judgment for $1000 against him and the filing of a lease-agreement by Charles Doersom, Gettysburg. Doersom also entered a civil action before a magistrate against Koons for stopping payment of a check for $200. While it was being groomed for its firsi flight there Koon’s plane was broken, and the flight was delayed. After being re- paired, it crashed, injuring Koons’ son, David, and another passenger. —Announcement was made last week that the trustees of the Bloomsburg hos- pital will open bids on August 8 for con- struction of the new hospital building made possible by a public subscription of $400,000. Plans call for buildings of brick with Indiana limestone trimmings. The main building, providing for 100 pa- tients, will be four stories high and 44 by | 188 feet, with a three-story home for fifty nurses and a combined laundry and power house. Trustees of the State Teachers’ College at Bloomsburg, have also announc- ed they would receive bids for thirteen improvement projects at the institution. —Drawn through a machine which he was operating at the plant of the Williams- port Wire Rope company, Leonard Bow- man, 24, of Montoursville, was horribly mangled and afterwards thrown again a steel fence and instantly killed. He suf- fered a fracture of the skull, a broken arm and leg, bruises of the body and lac- eration of the bead and face. The young man had been employed by the company for the last four years. He was engaged in rethreading one of the machines for another workman when his hand caught on some wire. He had been told previous- ly to stop any machine before attempting to rethread it, but apparently failed to heed the warning, authorities report. Act- ing Coroner Rothfuss declared no inquest was necessary.