The Potter Journal
AM)
IST E"W S ITEM.
COUDERSFORT, PA.. Jan. 3, 1873
THE N. Y. TRIBUNE.
The arrangement to make Schuy
ler Colfax editor-in-chief of this paper
has failed, and it is to remain under
Die management that controled it
during the late campaign. We very
much regret the failure, as the TRI
BUNE, under the editorship ol'White
law Reid, is about as unreliable a
paper as comes under our observa
tion. It called Alex. McClure and
Charles R. Ruekalew REFORMERS,
and stigmatized John F. Hartranft,
and all who supported him, either
thieves or the supporters of thieves,
and yet had the assurance to claim
for itself the position of an indepen
dent journal.
The TRIBUNE was always intensely
partizan, but it was never so blindly
and bitterly so as during the last
campaign. We like men to be in
earnest; in fact, have not much re
spect for any one who can so control
his feelings as to act the cool impar
tial judge in any stirring contest
over great questions. As with men,
so with newspapers. We like best
to read such as have opinions on all
questions that affect the public wel
fare, and that express their opinions
earnestly, persistently, and occasion
ally with severity, and we do not like
to read a Republican paper that
praises everything done by our par
ty, and condemns without discrimi
nation everything done by our op
ponents.
It is not, therefore, because the
TRIBUNE zealously supported the
nominees of the Democratic party
for President that we are now ob
jecting to it. It is because of the
constant and egotistical assumption
of independence and honesty which
it claimed for itself, and denied to all
who differed from it, that has alien
ated so many of its old friends. And
it is this spirit, so arrogantly pro
claimed in the two-column editorial
explaining the failure of the move
ment to make it a Republican paper,
that will prevent it from regaining
the confidence of the best friends it
had previous to its unnatural alli
ance with its old enemies.
The following extracts from this
editorial explains somewhat of the
late movements in relation to the
paper, and of its present status:
" The affairs of the Tribune Associa
tion have been the subject of much
unprofitable discussion recently in the
newspapers, and of various idle gossip,
for which there was little foundation in
fact. It is now proper to state, how
ever, that, as the result of certain in
trigues and outside efforts to gain con
trol of the palters and wrest it from the
purpose to which our late chief devoted
it, some changes have taken place in the
proprietorship, and a large majority of
the stock is to-day permanently concen
trated in the hands of Mr. Greeley's
chosen editorial associates —men whom
lie trained for this particular duty, to
whoa, he int rusti d the management of
his journal 111 the gravest emergencies,
whom he honored with the confidence
of his thoughts and wishes, and whose
purpose it now is to continue the work
from which he was so suddenly called
awav" *****
" In taking up the unfinished task,
which fell from his hands a few weeks
ago. we happily have the men whom he
brought around him, the facilities which
he accumulated, and means so ample
that when, a few days since, over half
a million of dollars was paid for the bare
control of the paper, we, knowing the
worth of what Mr. Greeley had built
up, bid higher and bought it back."
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
For more than thirty years this
question has been the subject of dis
cussion by the press and public speak
ers. The present pernicious system
POTTER JOURNAL & NEWS ITEM.
is an inheritance from the Democrat
ic party.
Under the earlier administrations
it was the practice to iill vacancies
in the subordinate offices with friends
of the administrations, but not to re- j
move faithful officers on account of
political difference of opinion. Soon
after the Democratic party, as organ
ized under General Jackson, came
into power, the demoralizing doctrine
that ''to the victor belongs the spoils"
was proclaimed, and a clean sweep
was soon made of all office-holders
that did not give in their adhesion
to the powers that be. The perni
cious system then adopted and rig
idly enforced, has borne just such
fruit as thoughtful men predicted.
Following the inevitable law which
i governs evil practices, the results
; will be worse and worse until there
shall be a radical reform.
President Lincoln saw this, and
set his face towards reform; but the
exigencies of the war soon required
his whole attention and this work
' had to be postponed.
President Grant came into power
under more favorable circumstances,
I and- is determined to bring back to
practical operation the better system
| of the fathers.
In his second annual message Pres
| idem Grant urged upon the attention
of Congress the necessity of chang
ing the present method of appoint
ments in the following emphatic lan
guage :
"Always favoring practical reforms,
I respectfully call your attention to one
abuse of long standing which I would
like to see remedied by this Congress.
It is a reform in the civil service of the
country. I would have it go beyond the
mere fixing of the tenure of office of
clerks and employes who do not require
'the advice and consent of the Senate'
to make their appointments complete.
I would have it govern, not the tenure,
but the manner of making all appoint
ments. There is no duty which so
much embarrasses the executive and
heads <>f departments as that of ap
pointments; nor is there any such ardu
ous and thankless labor imposed on
Senators and Representatives as tli,at
of finding places for constituents. The
present system does not secure the best
men, and often not even lit men, for
public places. The elevation and puri
fication of the civil service of the Gov
ernment will lie hailed with approval
by the whole people of the United
States."
The position of President Grant
met with such general approval from
the people, that all parties in the
late campaign gave it hearty sup
port. The Republican National Con
vention made it an important part
of the Platform, and is the sth plank
therein as follows:
"A nv system of the civil service under
which the suljoiilinate positions of the
Government are considered rewards for
mere party zeal is fatally demoralizing,
and we therefore favor a reform of the
system hy laws which shall abolish the
evils of patronage and make honesty,
efficiency, and fidelity the essential
qualifications for public positions, with
out practically creating a life tenure of
office."
In view of this action of the Na
tional Republican Convention, and
of the universal acquiescence in it,
pending the election, we do not see
how any Republican member of eith
er branch of Congress can honorably
oppose CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Why is it not as injurious to the
party to oppose this leading plank
of the Platform, as it was during the
campaign to oppose the election of
the candidate? If treason to the
party is to he punished by exclusion
from chairmanship of committees, by
what right shall Senators Logan and
Carpenter retain theirs? We heart
ily endorse the action of the Senate
caucus on this subject—so far as it
went. Clearly the friends of the Ad
ministration, being a majority of the
Senate, ought to control all impor
tant committees. But how can a
Senator who opposes one of the chief
measures of the Republican party
and of the Administration, with any
propriety be counted among its
friends ?
The Democratic Conversion.
Senator Sumner, and other old-time
Republicans asked the colored men and
their friends to support the Democratic
candidate for President in the last cam
paign, on the ground that the Demo
crats had abandoned their opposition to
equal rights, and were converted to the
i Christian view of this great question
that God made of one blood all the na
i tious of the earth, and gave to each hu
man being precisely the samecivil rights.
As the Democrats themselves made
110 such pretensions, we could not un
derstand how sensible Republicans could
make it for them. But the Tribune \
, begged and plead with its old readers to j
j accept as a fact the conversion of the
j Democrats, and to vote for their candi- j
dates from President down to County j
Auditor on that ground.
Every vote given in Congress, and in
the state Legislatures, when the rights
of the colored man were concerned, flat
ly contradicted this assumption ; the j
whole history of the Democratic party
contradicts it; still the people were ask
ed to believe that a willingness to vote
for II orace Greeley was evidence of sound
conversion.
In view of their past course and pres
! ent temjier. this willingness seemed to
us only an evidence of a desire to de
feat the Republican party on any terms.
The vote of all but six of the Demo
cratic members of the Constitutional
Convention to disjiense with our assist-
J ant sergeant-at-arms —to prevent a col
ored man from lieing elected to that
jHisition —clearly shows there was no
conversion.
The same thing was shown in Congress
a few days ago by a vote thus explained
by the Washington correspondent of
the N. V. Independent under date of
Dec. 14:
The House yesterday did not hesitate
to make use of the doctrine of equal
rights to tide off a bill to reimburse Wil
liam and Mary College for the alleged
destruction of property by United states
soldiers during the war. The sum to lie
given the college was s<>s,ooo. and nearly
all the Democrats and some Republicans
favored it; but an ingenious opponent of
the measure offered an amendment pro
viding that the college should be open
to colored students. Of course the Re
publican meml>ers could not resist the
logic of their principles, and the amend
ment was agreed to; and then the amend
ed bill lost every Democratic vote and
was rejected by an overwhelming ma
jority.
Lectures.
Gov. Curtin is lecturing on Russia — ]
a fertile and interesting theme. He
spoke in Lock Haven a few days ago.
Anna Dickinson, on Labor Reform,
speaking for some of those whose labors
cannot be comprised in the limits of
eight hours a day.
Bret Ilarte, on "The Argonauts of
'49'-; that early California madness that
was worse than war.
But the most interesting lectures of
which we receive any accounts are those
of Prof. Tyndall on Light. The won
derful discoveries that have been made ;
within the last few years almost make
one feel that we had not known what
light was. It is well that we can use
things without knowing much aliout
them, that the sun, and moon, and stars
answered all the purposes of illumina-j
tion before we understood how far off
j they were, what their motions, or what
j the nature of the emanation wecall light,
j But stay! it is no longer an emanation,
| but a "form of motion." The illustra
tions and experiments make the lecture
I plain, it is said, to all.
Far West.
The Independent of Dec. 5 publishes a
long art icle on scenes in the West, along
: the Northern Pacific railroad commenc
ing "Duluth to Sundown—so my tick
et facetiously read:"
"Four years ago the country where
Duluth now stands was all forest and
the verdure sloped unbroken to the lake.
And yet to-day it claims 5000 insula
tion."
Going West, "at Aiken we strike
frequent lakes, some of them so close
together that the railroad twisted and
turned in many sharp curves to pass
them. These lakes are from lOntolOOO
acres in extent, sometimes a mile long,
hut generally not more than one quar
ter to half a mile. They seem to IK* all
of one characteristic look, a wild forest
of birch and timber hemming them
closely in. The fishing is said to le
splendid and they are the breeding
plact s of millions of wild ducks."
Of the "Red River country"he says,
"It is one of the greatest curiosities in
agi icultural scenery. Level as the floor
and stretching to the horizon all around
you without a swell or depression; wild
as the desert, lifeless as if forsaken,
treeless as the ocean, it surprises the
traveler and yet leaves a pleasant impres
sion." * * "The Red River valley
is about sixty miles wide, twenty to
thirty of which are on the Minnesota
side of the river and thirty to forty in
Dakota, and extends without a break
400 miles north to Lake Winnipeg."
IN THESE days when rapid communi
cation, brings to our ears every heart
rending calamity that takes place in any
part of the country, there is no need of
playing on our feelings by inventing
tales of disaster and death.
Quite lately there was a sad story of
the destruction of a lighthouse, at Anti
cost i by a storm, and of the death of all
of a family of eight persons in a house
near by, by lightning. Now this is
shown to l>e without foundation, and
we are all in some degree prepared to
doubt other reports of accident and
trouble. < >f course it would be immense
comfort if we could doubt them all; but
while we know that there are suffering
and misery in the world and that we
must all do what in us lies to help those
who suffer, it is very hard to have our
I sympathies unnecessarily worked upon.
The difference in statements made by I
different papers, which unavoidably see
things in adverse lights, brings us eon
fusion enough without any trouble
lieing taken to manufacture spurious
eases.
Weather.
The excessive cold of the last ten ;
days seems to have tieen very general j
over this continent, while storms and
floods are desolating many parts of j
Europe.
We have in the same paper, accounts
of hundreds of people, drowned by the
overflowing waters, and their property,
their homes, even the earth of their fields
swept away, as though no precaution or
effort was of any avail; and of accident
and loss of life in various parts of the
country here, owing to the.intense cold.
One woman was killed in her kitchen in
Ilarrisburg, while preparing breakfast,
by the explosion of the water back of the
range. The water pipes were frozen
during the night, and the range got very
hot before any water flowed in, so that
when it did come, the iron flew all to
pieces.
.1 udging by the reports of low tempera
ture and falls of snow in various parts
of the country, it would seem that our
high region has been quite as easy a
place to live in as any. The thermome
ter went as low in Lawrence. Kansas,
as in Coudersport, and in most places
in or near our own latitude it was
lower.
So we could not have the satisfaction
!of thinking people were comfortable
elsewhere, if we were cold : and we fear
that few. if any. were letter supplied
| with the means of keeping warm than
THE following is taken from " The Ju
bilee Singers'* Campaign,'*'' by G. I). Pike.
Boston, "The doctor 1 ' being the one to
whom all the stories of the campaigners
are told, and whose remarks run through
the liook adding no little to its interest.
" 1 often think of these things." said
the doctor, "and feel that we are living
in the most blessed days the world has
seen. Sometimes, when lam attending
an evening's entertainment in some
spacious hall, I get a conception of the
possible revelations of the future. I
notice, 011 entering, how dim and
shadowy everything apiiears. People
are massing together, but you cannot
recognize even your friends in the dis
tant part of the house. The splendid
paintings, the statuary, the carving, and
the frescoed ceilings are obscured by the
darkness till the time comes for the en
tei tainment to commence—till the dis
tinguished iersoiiage of the evening
with his attendants, arrives. Then bv
one turn of tin* janitor, on Hashes the
light, and every person and thing an
pears with all the Lauty and gladsome
ness the heart could wish. So, l tlifhk,
it will lie in the visible church. The
multitudes are gathering. One work
man may not see another, eye to eye, as
yet. The ten thousand adornments
and accessories that will gladden the
millennial morning are hidden in the
darkness. Nevertheless, the beautiful
mosaics of the heavenly walls, the golden
candle-sticks and the harps of gold are
all there. The great table for the mar
riage supper is being spread, and the
garments, pure and white, are almost
ready. When the fullness of time shall
come, when lie shall api>ear with all His
holy angels, with one turn of Providence
it shall lx j light."'
♦♦♦
THE American Missionary Associa
tion reports the total receipts during the
year just closed as $329,938.93. They
have ninety-nine common schools with
8731 pupils, twenty-one graded and high
schools, with 110 teachers and 6277 pu
pils; and seven chartered institutions
of a higher character with thirty-six
instructors and 1800 students, of whom
333 are-under College instruction and
thirty-four studying theology. The re
port is very interesting, and any one
reading it and some accompanying let
ters. will not wonder that they want
more money, and few could resist their
appeal.
11 ox. Soivi KSKi Ross, of Coudersport,
has been elected a Director of the At
lantic and Great Western Railway. The
fact acquires peculiar signiticance be
cause of' Judge Ross's connection with
the l'ine Creek Road. It is understood
to indicate that the A. and (i. W. is in
terested in building the new line and
thus securing an independent route to
Buffalo. Judge Ross deserves great
credit for the energy and persistence
with which lie has worked for the road
which will contribute so much to tlie
growth and prosperity of this distrl.r
and if lie now secures its speedy comple
tionasa link in a great railway thorough
fare, he will deserve the lasting grati
tude of the people of Potter and Tioga
counties. — Wcltsboro Agitator.
The Lam-aster Express says :
"The handsome design for the pro
posed soldiers monument is now on ex
hibition at Barrs's bookstore." So it
seems that Lancaster County is slower
even than Potter, in building her mon
ument. A very fine description of it is
given, but if not yet commenced will it
ever be done? We would think a plain
and simple monument, built at once,
would-be I letter than a splendid one lin
! gering through years ere its completion.
When shall we give money for such a
work as freely as when our hearts are
sorest for its need:
" As an evidence of reviving interest in
the completion of the Washington Mon
ument. it may be stated that the first
fiuits of a recent apjieal to the Masons
of the country in behalf of the monu
ment were lately received by the socie
ty, in the form of a draft for the equiva
lent in currency of $125, gold, from the
Grand Secretary of CaL. Mr. Abell, this
sum being the contribution of two suli-
I ordinate lodges of the state, which
| should In* credited with their patriotism.
Gibsonville Lodge, 158, $100; Sierra
Lodge, 144, $25. Mr. Abell reports that
other lodges are moving in the cause, and
from the advices of the society it is be
j lieved that this is but the commence
ment of a general and generous response
on the part of tlie Masonic Fraternity,
of which Washington was so exalted a
member.
•The states also are taking hold of the
matter. New Jersey and Minnesota hav
ing already followed the example of New
York, the former contributing S3OOO and
the latter s IOIHI. New York.it will be
remembered, appropriated $ 10,000 to the
fund. Similar appropriation bills were
introduced in the Legislatures of a num
ber of other States, but they were not
reached for final action before adjourn
ment. The scxiety makes these acknowl
edgements,''
♦♦♦
IT is stated that papers, letters, and
manuscripts of the historian Prescott
were destroyed by the Boston fire. Dur
ing the absence of the family having
possession of them, they had been stored
for safety in the vault of a large ware
house. "Many of these manuscripts
were copies of rare works and docu
ments relating to early Spanish and
American history. Their loss will be a
great calamity to the literary world.
THE production of bituminous coal
I in Great Britain has heretofore been
170,(MX),000 tons annually, while that of
the United States has been but 3,000,000
tons. Now, however, England is im
porting coal from France and Belgium,
and the United States are exporting it
to the West Indies and other countries
; hitherto supplied by England.