ritltli Itoltefonte, .4 XT W I* lletrtlc IHlrfontr. •• \\ W...W1111.un llr|M*r.. HH It* ton to. Milctfliiirff Flunk Y. IliMo UnlonTttl* •••** J Mrßonwrtl fl.nAPl A J.(l*rhicr ..!l<>w*nl. Phi In* I, org C. O llot linger .. Plitlti-H.iirg. >1: i the tin J. II Rrlkn.n or ...Mill holm. t UHllißlini I Mlflwti B.H.* J** V. Al ' Uiu.. Mil—lmm. Kdrn]igUMB, I* .Pitil lirinhelMii SUlobl|<>g. S |' ti. M. sliwta Ptormntown. , lrrg g 1.. M IU*M -.. Spring Mill#. l IWurUI TAliror llowhH. HopD-n— -H (1 UhrorUtor.. Martha. 141--rty- •...#-* II Marion. J bn .rr % Jr....- WiUlrvi Mil-a. ...-.Sniil K. feu* Mlttiftim pttfrot M. llnml srrM ... Kllltnor*. p..tti*r N I* U. F l.iuo Contr# 11*11. j*. F f the bill. * HY counting out Democrat# duly elected, and hy counting in vote* never cast, on the allegation that they should have been given, because they were negroes, and ought to count whether polled or not, the Republican* stole the Presidency and seated a Fraud. This the Radicals call "Purifying the the ballot-box." But, counting out alleged Republican member* of the Maine legislature, according to the law- ami precedents enacted by them selves, these same consistent radical* denominate " Fraud and scoundrel isnt." Or p. friend Haves Grier of llto Co lnm!iia i I.incawter i Herald says iu re ference to a new election in this ('on gressional district, that the democracy ran make a sure thing of it hy nomin atiug a good, sound democrat—one *ho can unite the whole vote. That h precisely what the democracy intend to do, and the man they mean to place the head of their column is the Hon. Andrew G. Curtin, and they will send him to Washington, hacked hy n ma jority unprecedented in the |mlitical history of the 20th Congressional dis trict. •'VAR- IN.T HIT msn in civil life BAN done Ainsrican |>noplfl greater service than John NUcrrnan, but be i doing at this mo nient p'rhaji* tbe greatest of all his .nrvices i" Manding forward as a Presidential randi •Jaie against Grant and Diaine.— Springfield "'l'uhliran. I'erltaps he is doing good service in the manner indicated, hut he has done greater service to John Sherman liim *'li than lie has to the country during hi* public service—rising from very J"'*! crate means on a very moderate ralary to immense wealth. It is the Democracy, however, who are expect ♦"d to do the great service to the couu try by "standing forward" and defeat ing the victor of these stalwart rivals for the Presidency, "XqtAl. AND XXACT JUSTICE TO A 1.1. MEN, or \V If ATKV Kit BTATfc Oil I-KKSL ANION, KKIJOIOUn OK POI.ITKAL."-Je(r*on The Election of President. The proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States in regaril to elections of President and Vice President, receutly introduced into Congress by lion. Geo. A. Hick nell.of Indiana, has received a favor able report from a sub-committee of the select committee to which it was referred by the House of Representa tives for consideration. It is expected that at some time during this week the amendment will come back to the House with the endorsement of the entire committee. I 4 proposes a radi cal change in the manner of ascertain ing and declaring the number of elec toral votes that each candidate for President shall receive in each State in which votes are cast for him, and prescribes the manner of counting the votes and determining questions of contest. In another column will lte found a synopsis of the changes to be made, and from it we copy the follow ing in relation to the way in which the number of electoral votes that each ]H*rson shall receive is to be as certained : '•Ttip electoral votes and traction there of of each perron voted for as President in iiiiv State Miall he ascertained by multiply ing his entire popular vote therein by the number of the State's electoral vote*, and dividing the product by the sum of all the votes given in the State for President, and the ipiotient shall be the number of elec toral votes and fraction thereof to be as signed to such person, using for such frac tion three decimals only.'' It is to bt the same for Vice Presi dent, and to explain this proposition as we understand it, we will take the result of the lust Presidential election in Pennsylvania. The total vote east for President in 1*76 was 758,910, divided among four candidate* as fol low.-: Mr. Haves received 3*4,184 vote#; Mr. Tildeo, 366,204; Mr. Coop er, 7,204, and Mr. .Smith, 1,318. Of course under the preseut system Mr. Hayes received the entire twentv-uine electoral votes of the State. By Bick uell's method of computation, what would have been the result ? Taking the vote of Hayes (3*4,184 1 ami mul tiplying it by 29, we have for product 11,141,336. This product divided by the entire vote (758,910) gives us a quotient of 14, with a fraction in deci mals of .6HO. Tilden's vote of 366,- 204, treated in the same Way, gives a quotient of 13, with a fraction in deci mals of .995. ('ooper'a vote, hy the same process, makes the quotient a fraction in decimals of .275, and Smith's vote a fraction in decimals of .050. The result may then be stated as follows : Haves receives 14.0*0 Electoral vote*. Tildcn " la.ts.i.', h Cooper " ... .276 " " Smith •' .060 ' Total, 29. This apjiears to lie a somewhat dbin plicated method of computing the vote, but still it may lie a better system than the one under which we now elect the highest officers of our government. For years there has been a growing dislike to the present electoral system, and strong reasons against it have lieen urged by many wise and thought ful statesmen. Home object to it on the ground that it is too far away from the jieople, and gives a majority party in a Slate absolute control over all the electors, cither through the power to select them by the legislature, or by (lecting them on a general ticket, thus practically disfranchising the minority, however large it may lie. Another objection is, that the |>olitical party controlling the legislature of a State, instead of acting from motives intended to promote the general wel fare and basing changes upon princi ples of public policy, may at each succeeding Presidential election, with the nid of a sympathising Executive, change the manner of choosing elect ors exactly as party necessities may require, and just as the Republicans now propose to do in the State of New York. This looks like a dangerous [tower to trust to a State legislature, and the abuses that may flow from it arc clearly exemplified In what is now 11KLLEFONTE, PA., THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, IHHO. threatened in the Empire State. A had precedent there will certainly he followed hv others elsewhere just as bad. NN hethcr the remedy found in the proposed amendment of Mr. Bickncll is the best that can be devised we will not pretend to assert; hut surely the subject is one that should command the serious attention of the public us well as of law makers, and we trust it will receive it, to the end that when a new system is actually adopted it will be the result of mature thought aud calm deliberation ujx>n some plain, practical measure that will meet the ends for which it is intended, rather than of hasty and inconsiderate action upon crude aud speculative theories that may only increase existing evils. Curtin vs Yocum. IT would perhaps he expecting too much to look foe an honest, truthful discussion of any matter of public in terest in the columns of the Philadel phia Prem. It has been gradually but surely falling from its high estute as a newspaper until it has now reached such a degree of journalistic degrada tion as to render its opinions 011 nnv subject absolutely worthless. Its edi tor has the reputation of being n great statistician, and lie certainly did much fc> enhance bis fume by the skillful and dexterous manner in which he made figure* lie in his at tide on the Curtin contest in the of the 19th instant. He was cautious enough to pre face his remarks by the statement that the testimony was *0 voluminous and complicated as to be unintelligible, except to the immediate counsel in the case. Thus fortified he proceeded to demonstrate his dense ignorance of the whole matter by stating that there were 335 illegal votes cast for gov ernor Curt in mid only 20 for Ynvuro, thus making the lntter's majority 379. Warming up to his work, the ex-chief of the Bureau of Printing and the pres ent compiler of election figures in Jay Gould's Tribune Almanac boldly plun ge* into the unregistered vote, ami airily asserts that it was alleged by both side* .that there were 11 large numlier of unregistered vote* cast, but that neither party offered any evidence to show for whom these unregistered voters cast their ballots. And this in the face of the fact, that Gov. Curtin qualified every such unregistered vo ter in the districts which gave him a majority, where the voter could he reached by a subpoena. 'Che law in re gard to unregistered voters is so plnin that he who runs may read. It is not directory hut mandatory. It doe* not seek to deprive the legal voter of his right of suffrage because his name has been omitted from the roll of registra tion, hut it clearly ami decisively marks out the manner in which he shall prove his legal qualifications to the board holding the election. Wher ever this necessary proof was wauting in precincts giving Gov. Curtin a ma jority the voter himself was placed u|ion the stand and his qualifications established. This was not doue by Mr. Yocum anil houce a large unregis tered vote was not accounted for be fore the Committee. The number of illegal votes proven to have bceu cast for Mr. Yocum was largely in excess of those shown to have been polled for Gov. C'urtin, a preponderance in fact, which would have wiped out Yocum's majority twice over. There is not the slightest doubt that the Committee would have seated Governor Curtin ou the equities of his case, instead of remanding the matter to the sovereigu power of the people for adjudication, had he no wished. But his counsel ill the fiual argument actually suggested a new election as the best and inoet sat isfactory solution of the vexed ques tion. The /Vess further stultifies itself by making an obviously unfair and unjust comparison between the vote cast for Mr. Dill and Governor Cur tin iu the six counties composing the 20th district. It does not see fit to remember that Mr. Dill ran largely ahead of his ticket in his own county of Union unci also in Clearfield coun ty where ho ha* influential Republi can relatives. It is to IK: hoped, that hereafter when the J're** assume* to pans upon the merits of a controversy it does not understand, the editor will call into consultation his invaluable "office hoy" and thus prevent a repe tition of the stupidity and ignorance which marked Mr. Mcpherson's effort on the Congressional contest of tint Twentieth District. ♦• - Tho Congressional Contest. The argument* on the contest from this Congressional district Itefore the House Committee on elections, were concluded last week and all the evi dence went to the sub-Corninittee for its consideration. It is understood the Committee has agreed upon a re port declaring the seat of Mr. Yocum vacant; but at this writing, (Wednes day noon) no officiul advices have been received from Washington that the Committee ha* rejiorted its con clusions to the House. Of course .so tar the nature of the report is only a matter of conjecture, hut the best in. formed newspajior corresjmndent* at the National capitol, all agree in in ferring that a new election will be ordered, although a special to the Pittsburg Commercial-Gazette, of the 21*1, indicates a different view. It is probable, however, that before thi* issue of the DEMOCRAT reaches all it* reader* in Centre county the commit teowill have submitted the rejort,aiid of its speedy adoption hy the House, there is little questiou. Sheuld it he decided to declare a vacancy, an election fill it will be ueoawnry, ami it i* probable that the prdAamatiou will lie issued for it to Is Jpid on the 17th of February, the f nojFffa r itay' for holding the borough ami township elections." The time be ing very short, prompt nnd efficient action ti[s>n the part of the Democra cy of the various counties of the dis trict will he iudispettsuble. In this county tho Chairman of the County Committee has issued a call for a meeting of the Committee for next Saturday, in orffer that he may be fully empowered to act with the expedition the exigencies of the case require. Under our party rules and the precedent* of many years stand ing it will be necessary to re-convene the County Convention of last Sep tember to make a nomination. An early day will no doubt he named for the assembling of the Convention, when our candidate will he placed in nomination. So far as we cau learn in our county there is hut one senti ment, and that demand* the reuomi nation of ex-Governor Curtin, should the acfion of Congress as above indi cated require a candidate to he placed iu the field. Wc are also informed that this sentiment i* re-echoed in every portion of the dirtrict, thus placing the nomination of Governor Curtin beyond a peradventure. IT may lie as well for the Intelligencer, and the nfficiou* pa [Kirs outside the 20th Congressional Dis trict to know first a* last, that the Democrat* of Union, Mifflin, Clear field, Elk, Clinton and Centre coun .tie*, are fully equal to the nomination of an acceptable candidate for Con gress, without dictation or advice from newspaper* foreign to the district. We think county a sufficiently prolific field politically to engage all the great abilities of our contempo rary without slopping over with un asked suggestions as to party action elsewhere. The animus of tho Intel ligencer is easily uuderstood and very lightly considered. If it become# necessary to nominate a candidate for Congress, our people have no second choice. The mantle of the nomina tion will fall upon the shoulders of tho man who demonstrated to a Congres sional Committee that the electiou held on the 6th of November, 1878, was illegal. AH it is understtsxl tliut we are. like ly to have a special election for u member of Congre-s from.this district, there are many inquiries in regard to the luw governing such elections. The election, if one is held, w ill he govern ed hy the act of July 2, 1839, which provides a- follows: Bsc. JU. Kvcry writ which thall be u nued lv the Governor of ibis Common-' wealth in pursuance of the Constitution of the I niled States, to supply a vacancy in the representation of the people ~f 'this Common wealth in the House of Represen tatives ot the United States, shall be di rected to the Sheriff of the county or coun ties composing the Congressional district, and shall particularly express the day on which the election shall be held to supply such vacancy. SEC. 40. if such vacancy shall happen during the session of Congress, or if C< n gress shall be required to meet at some time previous to the ne.xt general election, the Governor shall appoint a time as early n* may be convenient for holding such election; otherwise, he shall direct the election to be held at the time appointed for holding the general elections. SEC. 41. Every writ for holding a spe cial election a' aforesaid shall be delivered to tiie Sheriff, to whom the same may be directed, at least fifteen days before tiie day appointed for such election, who shall forthwith give due and public notice thereof throughout the county at least ten days before such election, and shall send a copy thereof to at least one of the inspec tors of each election district therein. It will be seen from.the aliovc that should a vacancy occur in our district at any time within a week or ten days, hy reason of the pending contest, the election can beheld on the 17 th of February, the same day ou which the borough and township election* are held, provided the Governor will issue his writ fixing that time and deliver the same to the Sheriff* of the counties fifteen day* before the day he desig nate*. COKGBEHH does not apjicar to have i put in any very active work yet. All j parties *ccm to shrink from approach- j ing the disturbing question* of finance. | The rc*olutiou of Mr. Bayard to do- i prive the greenback* of their compul- ; sorv legal lender character wa* repor ted adversely from the finance eom-| mittee —the minority also making a | report. The whole question will pro bably come up for discussion uext week on the adoptiou of the report, when we ntav expert to obtain much j information ou this dark subject from the view* of the Senators who partici pate. Although the laws relating to ' finance have Wen agitated in every liaiulet and |Kilitical parties run mi 1 the crude view* of individual* to obtain selfish results, still thA War- \ ing* of the law* upon the pro*|erity of the country and to what extent they 1 accord with our institutions, are hut lit- 1 tie understood, and we look forward to tW honest official views we may ex- | jx-et from such men a* Bayard, Wal lace, Thurmau, and other statesmen, | to dispel the cloud overshadowing the subject. A PETITION was presented in the House last week hy Speaker Randall, signed hy Gov. Hoyt, Auditor Schfll, and Treasurer Noyes, asking the pas sage of a hill for the recomputation of the accounts Wl ween the United States and the several States and the City of Baltimore, growiug out of moneys expended in the war of 1812 with Great Britain. Th Rending hlagle has a story that Keinholdsville, Lancaster county, is very much excited over the strange and mysterious death of the wife of Henry Fisher, who resides a short distance from that place. The family reside in a small house, snd the dead body of the woman is now laid out in one of the lower rooms. The husband is em phatic in his statements that his wife died from the effects of being bewitch ed, and an old woman is named as the person who bewitched Mrs. Fisher. The old witeli has quite a reputation in the neighborhood, and is said to per form the most mysterious things. She does business with quite a large num ber of people, who copie from all di rections. It is asserted that an enemy of Mr, Fisher visited the witch, paid her money and had certain spells cast over ber which resulted in death. Mr. Fisher died in violent spasms. Certain sections of McKean county be ing afflicted with wolves, which are kill ing the sheep in great numbers, Charles Jones, ot K*ne, an old and successful hunter, offers to clean out the vsrmints for 850 a head for old ones and S2B a head for young ones, ' Central Grant Is expected to sail from lltvana lor Mexioo February 13. TKHMN: Kl.oO per Anniiiii, in Advance. GENERAL NEWS. Kxtensive purchase* of iron ore fields ; in West Virginia have Keen uncle by ( the Cambria Iron Company. Vincent It. J'oil, until recently Collec -1 tor of Custom* for Detroit, Mich., >•om | milled Filicide by shooting himself jthrough the head. A Coroner in New York is blamed witli neglecting to investigate the case jof the death of an infant until five j month* after the occurrence, the body : meanwhile remaining unhur ed. Judge John V. Painter. of Kittan i ning, Pennsylvania, died on Wedne*- | day of last week, after an illness of ' several months. He won cansiderahle I prominence at the bar and on the 1 j bench. James Cain, millwright at the Veu viu* Iron Works, Allegheny, while ad ! justing n belt on a pully fell sateen j feet, alighting on his head on a pile of • metal, breaking his neck. He was 4■> , years of age and left a family. The Farrandsville fire brick works a e j | running night and day, with orders I enough ahead to keep them going for a | "ear or more. They intend to enlarge their dry house sixty feet the coming I spring, which will make room for more , j employes. Walter K. Brown, 19 rears old, the 1 son of an opulent citizen of New York, i shot himself through the heart on the 1 step of his father's house on Friday 1 night. No cause lor the tragedy is known, except that ho had suffered somewhat from morbid melancholia. The new Senatir from Alabama, Mr, t Prvor, had never been to Washington before last week. r. Klder, here tofore Bishop of Natches, to be ooadju • | tor, with right of succession, to the Archbishop of Cincinnati, and to be ad- ; ministrator of the archdiocese. Richard