Centre Democrat. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, April 01, 1880, Image 1

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    Crntrr A Inn or rat.
SIIUGKRT A, FORSTER, Editors.
VOL. 2.
Slit tfmftt Drmomit.
Term* tl.ftO par Annum.ln Advance.
s. T SHUGERT ind R. H. FORSTER. Editor*.
Thursday Morning, April 1, 1880.
A STATE CONVENTION of county,
city and borough School Superintend
ents of Pennsylvania, is to be held at
Ilarrisburg on the 20th, 21st aud 22d
of this month.
THE civil service reform order No. 1
of Mr. Hayes.it appears is in full tide
of successful operation in Louisiana,
where it is said that not less than sixty
members of the State Republican Com
mittee are composed of Federal office
holders.
"DID GARFIELD LIE?" queries the
"Washington Post. Townsheud, of Il
linois, says he did, but it must be a
mistake. Besides beiug a Geueral he
is also a Reverend, aud could no more
tell a lie thau sell bis influence to
speculators.
JAMES B. ANOELL has been nomi
nated by Mr. Hayes as Minister to
China, to take the place of George F.
Seward, recalled. Seward is the rogue
whom the administration and Repub
lican members of Congress protected
from impeachment in the last Con
gress.
DON CAMERON^nds the third-term
a heavy load to carry in Pennsylvania,
but Senator has youth and vigor
on his side, and with the encouraging
plaudits of his aged sire will stagger
along with the burden regardless that
the effects of the overloading may be
visible in the future.
IT is said that there is considerable
coolness exisppg InftiNF-p-"? 1 Mr. Hayes
and Gen. Sherman, growing out of the
disposition of the General of the Army
to ignore the dt fnrto President as Com
mander-in-Chief. Not at all singular.
It would be difficult for Sherman to
realize that any thing earthly could
out-rank him.
THE Washington monument at the
Federal city, which was commenced
over thirty years ago, and for which
subscriptions were asked and received
throughout the country, is still incom
plete. It is now proposed to puss a
bill providing for a joint committeu of
the two houses to sit during the recess
for the purpose of definitely selecting
a plan, and making arrangements for
completing the monument.
EX-SENATOR STANLEY MATTHEWS
ii credited with the assertion, on his
recent visit to Washington, that Sher
man cannot possibly get a full delega
tion from Ohio—that he has no show
of a nomination, and that if he were
nomiuated the State would go against
the Republican nomination. This is
not promising for John, hut we doubt
whether Stanley Matthews is the best
authority.
THE independent. Republicans of
New York who last fall made such a
lively scratching demonstration against
the election of Gov. Cornell, have
entered the field against Conkling's in
structions for Grant. They are form
ing vigorous organizations in different
counties, aud preparing to demand re
cognition at Chicago in favor of some
good man. Sherman, perhaps. They
repudiate Grant and Blaine. But
then .Sherman, as a good man, is not
much better than Grant or Blaine.
IN imitation of bis distinguished
stalwart brother of New York, Sena
tor Don Cameron has made the "great
est effort of his life." On Thursday
last he made a speech in the Senate,
proposing a joint commission, with
authority to sit during the recess of
Congress, to cousider legislation for
inter-State trade in connection with
railroads and canals. His speech is
not remarkable cither in length or
matter, but as a maiden effort it is
due to announce that Don Cameron,
the junior Senator of Pennsylvania,
made a speech.
"KQUAL AN I KXACT JUSTICE TO ALL MKN, OK WT HATKVKR HTATK OR PKKSU AHIOH, RKLIUIOUH OR POI.ITK A 1.."
IN the legislative bribery cases re- |
ecntly before Judge l'earson, in the
Quarter Sessions of Dauphiu county,!
it will be remembered that Petrol!'was :
convicted by tin; jury of the crime of
corrupt solicitation, anil that pleas of
guilty of the same crime were entered
in the eases of Kemble, Salter, Craw
ford and Kumbargcr. The parties
were under bail, and by agreemeut
sentence was suspcuded by the Court
until last Monday. In the meantime
the parties appeared before the Hoard
of Pardons, asking for pardou in ad
vauce of sentence. They were beard
by the Hoard ou last Saturday, and :
their petition was denied, the Hoard
being equally divided upon the ques
tion, {secretary Quay und Secretary ol ;
Internal Atiairs Dunkel voting in fa
vor of recommending the pardon and
Attorney General Palmer and Lieu- !
tenant Governor Stone voting against
the recommendation. It is understood
that the Attorney General and the
Lieut. Governor, refused to permit a
pardon until the sentence of the: law
had lieen carried in effect by the fine
and imprisonment of the defendants,
and in taking this position they un
doubtedly will be sustained by public
opinion. With this refusal perished
the last hope of executive clemency
before sentence. When Monday ar
rived the parties were called by Judge
Pearson to receive the sentence of law,
but none of them appeared and all
that could be done was to order u for
feiture of their bail bonds and issue
bench warrants for their arrest. The
ft
Ilarrisburg Patriot remarks that now
these men "are fugitives from justice,
but what they hope to gain by at
tempting to evade the penalties of the
law is not easily discerned. They
must live in constant dread of re-ar
rest, and perpetual exile is hardly
preferable to a few months' imprison
ment. The fact is that if sentence
had been pronounced at the time of
their conviction they would probably
by this time have been in a fair way
of reaching the board of pardon* with
out encountering the opposition which
their recent attempt to forestall the
judgment of the court aroused against
them. The delay of sentence there
fore cheated not only the law but also
the defendants."
SENATOR EDMUNDS, of Vermont,
may expect some day to lie President
of the United States, but he should
reflect that there is one impediment in
the way which he will never be able
to overcome, and which will be for
ever a bar to the realization of his
hopes in that direction. He was one
of the infamous eight of the 8 to 7
electoral commission who voted to set
aside the will of the people as ex
pressed at the ballot box in 1870, aud
instal a fraud in the White House.
Such a man will never inspire the
American people with sufficient confi
dence in his integrity to induce them
to elect him President. The Presi
dential theft of 1870 will never lie
forgotten. The infamy of that deed
will stick like the poisoned shirt of
Neasus to all the actors in it through
life. They will never be able to
shake it off.
A STATEMENT is published that
Grant will positively withdraw, and
that Edmunds, the Vermont Senator,
will come into prominence on the roll
of favorites for the Chicago nomina
tion. The friends of the "great trav
eller," however, ridicule the idea that
he will withdraw in favor of auy one,
and well they may. He wants the
office, and has been working and iu
triguing for it ever since he vacated,
on the 4th of March, 1877, and now
when he has the nomination assured,
it is not likely that he will surrender
his chances to either the Yankees of
Vermont and Maine, the Financier of
Ohio, or the Diplomat of Illinois.
No! Graul is determined to be the
Republican candidate, and the Demo
crat* have only to put up a good, ac
ceptable man, to beat him,and forever
settle the third-term question, as well
as that of an Empire on the American
Continent.
RKLLEFONTE, I'A., THURSDAY, APRIL I, 18xo.
The Federal Election Laws.
From the foundation of the govern
ment until after the close of the civil
war in 1865, the people of the States
were permitted to regulate their elec
tions in their own way, under their
own local laws, without a thought of
interference from the Federal govern
ment. Such officials as Ecdornl su
pervisors of elections and Federal
deputy marshals at every recurring
election for President and members of
Congress were unheard of. No Fed
eral bayonets, under pretence of pre
serving the peace, ever gleamed at the
JH>US, and no reputable statesman of
any of the political parties in exist
ence before the war dreamed of med
dling in affairs over which, by the
common consent of all, the State gov
ernments alone were believed to have
control. The clause of the Constitu
tion under which it is now gravely as
sumed that Federal officials can exer
cise authority over the elections, watch
the polls and scrutinize the returns,
was the same then as now, but no pub
lic man of past days wax bold enough
to avow that it meant that which stal
warts of the present time do not hesi
tate to assert. Voters are made voters
by State laws, and it is a broad rule of
construction that makes them amena
ble to Federal power wb\H they go to
the polls.
But an entirely different meaning is
now put upon the Constitution. A
new class of statesmeu have arisen
who think they know more than the
fathers who framed our fundamental
law. They have been at the head of
a great anil powerful political party
for many years, and seeing themselves
growing weaker, aud likely to be
overthrown, they must do something
desperate to maintain their hold in the
administration of the government, and
without the slightest regard to right
or justice, the system of election su
pervisors and deputy marshals, np
poiuted from their own party alone, to
act as party agents and workers in the
elections of the people, was ie among
the many devices hit upon to keep
their party from defeat and disruption.
It was a single stepln the direction of
thnt great and overshadowing central
ization towards which the country has
been gradually moving under Repub
lican ascendency and influence, but
was otic fraught with no ordinary dan
| ger to the liberties of the people and
the cherished maxims of home rule
that have come down to us from the
times of Jefferson and Madison. Os
tensibly these laws were passed by the
party in power under a plea that they
were necessary to preserve the purity
of elections. But the manner in
which they have been enforced is of
itself a sufficient proof that the pica
was merely a false and hypocritical
pretense. No such necessity existed.
The machinery of the Federal laws,
with power in the officials appointed
in pursuance of their provisions to
arrest and imprison without warrant
or process, was not needed to secure
honest elections. They have been
used solely to insure political success
and not to promote any good end. As
au exchange tersely expresses it, "the
Republican party, the men who have
controlled its administrations aud its
campaigns, stand before the world,
and will thus stand in our political
history for all time, of having used
the Federal election laws, not to pro
mote the public welfare, not to help
bring in the candidates having a ma
jority of voters supporting tlicm, not
to purify the ballot, not to conserve
the principles of local self-government,
but to accomplish the ends of corrupt
men by corrupt methods." This is
the truth of the whole matter —the
truth aud nothing but the truth—and
the man who doubts it, doubts in the
face of palpable and incontrovertible
facts.
But to embolden the stalwarts in
their pet* scheme of controlling the
voters of the Sates, we now have a de
cision of the Supreme Court affirming
the constitutionality of these laws.
This decision would command more
respect were it not a notorious and
undeniable fact that the majority of
tho court as now constituted never
decides a political question against its
party. On no occasion has anyone
of that majority ever been known to
sink the partisan in the judge, and it
cannot be expected that the judgments
of such a tribunal upon political issues
will exert a very powerful influence
over the public mind. Of course with
this judgment of the court, so long as
these laws remain upon the stutute
book they must he regarded as valid
and binding, ami until the time comes
wheu they can he repealed must lie
obeyed, hut it does not follow thut
Democrats must believe they are right
in principle, or a necessity of the gov
ernment any more than they did he
fore the decision of the court was ren
dered. The laws must therefore stand
until repealed. This cannot he done
so long ns the Fraudulent Haves re
mains in the White House, and the
licst that Democrats can therefore ex
pect is to make them as little obnoxious
as possible. This was the secret of
the amendment recently passed by the
Democrats of the House, against a
united opposition, placing the appoint
ments of marshals in the courts and
providing thnt they shall be selected
in equal numbers from all the jsiliti
eal parties. We expect hut little
from this projiosed change. The radi
cals of the Senate, determined to keep
in their hands an unjust advantage
foir the benefit of their party at the
tint election, will fight it bitterly, and
inidhc end Haves will probably he
fulibd to sepd in a veto. The disguise
wH bo thrown off, so that no one can
uUflUt that the ouly object of redieal
i*m is a <TtTormlnaTion rtrt Tfietr part
to control elections by foul means, and
make the people pay for being cheatcd
out of their rights.
MR. ELLIS, a member of Congress
from Louisiana, has presented a peti
tion in the House from the National
I nion Soldiers Association n-king
Congress to appoint "a committee to
go to New Orleans to investigate into
certain facts now in possession of said
association, which facts will prove that
eeftain Federal office-holders there
hold other positions through conni
vance at frauds which implicate three
of the first officers of the government,
including the President himself." It
would seem that a sufficicut number
committees have already visited New
Orleans, and obtained abundant evi-,
denoe to prove all that this association
desire investigated, and more than
enough to .show the connection of
the Hayes administration with the
ftnost profligate and graceless scoun
drels of the age —now residing in
New Orleans and scattered through
out the world under pay from the Na
tional Treasury.
THE Democratic State Committee
of New York has issued a call for the
| State convention to lie held at Syra
cuse on the 26th of April, The Tam
many division of the party have de
termined to hold their Convention at
the same time and place. What the
result of the two conventions may be,
is hard to tell, whether in hopeless
discord or a union of the two factions.
The indications at present, however, do
not look promising, as the fight be
tween the Tildeu nnd Kelley men still
continues with unabated bitterness.
THE Hon. Thomas A. &ott, Presi
dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, publishes a notice to the
employes of the company that their
pay will be raised from the Ist of
April to the same compensation they
received previous to the reduction,
June 1, 1877. This will lie glad news
to the employes, besides reflecting
credit upon the directors of the road,
as a voluntary recognition of the
cheerful compliance of the employes
in the necessities that controlled the
reduction at a time of great depres
sion.
IHB Krecdiunn'n Hank, saya the
New ork Star, wan a special and
unique creition, officered aud directed ,
exclusively by the truly loyal, and of 1
course, the patrons deemed it an sc- |
cure an the I'nited Smtcs treasury.
But the institution inglurioutJy burst- 1
e<l and the unluekv dejiosiior* arc yet 1
whistling for seventy per cent, of their i
hard-earned savings.
A year ago a committee of the Sen- 1
ate was appointed to examine into the
condition of the w reck. The committee,
Republican in texture, with the color
ed Bruce as chairman, has just com
pleted its report, which, judging from
an advance abstract printed in the ,
Tribune, will fully confirm the worst
that has been said of the mismanage- i
meut of this bank. Not only did the |
ollicers violate the charter, but they
prevailed upon a Republican Congress
to amend that instrument so as to af
ford greater scope for squandering the
money of their gulled dejiositors. In
j reference to several historic transac
tions, headed by the Seneca sand-stone j
| contract, the report freely avers that
large sums were loaned, not only on
inadequate security, but "in accord
ance with corrupt agreement* between
the officers of the bank and the bor
| rowers."
Moreover, the expenses of winding
up the collapsed coucer i during the i
past four years have been b!l4,
ami it appears to be as fur from wind- j
ing up now as it ever was. The com- 1
mittec thinks that the faithless trus- {
tee# and officers cannot IK- reached by
legal proceedings, for they took par- j'
ticular care to give no Iwmds for their 1
faithful discharge of duty, and by a \
singular coincidence the charter em
braced no jienal provisions to punish
I their infidelity.
Ak Radicalism used the money of
the colored man in this organized
swindle, so it is using his vote and his
alleged grievances in politics, and
many colored men, both .north and
south, are shrewd enough to see it.
SENATOR KEI.IXXKJ having lx"en |
twice tried and condemned as a fraud
could not expect to remain in the
Seuato. The first trial and condem
nation was by the Administration,
when they mustered out the fraudu
lent Legislature from whom he claim
ed his election—the second, by the
committee of the .Senate appointed to
investigate bis ciaim, who decide he
was not elected to the Senate by the
Legislature of Ixiuisiana. After all
the testimony against the honesty of
his claim, Senator Kellogg's modesty
will not allow him to remain, and we
shall not be surprised to hear of his
withdrawal any day.
GEN. PAINE, the Commissioner of
Patents, has resigned ami will vacate
as soon as he can arrange the unfinish
ed business now on hand, which *he
believes he cau accomplish in two or
three weeks. His reason for resigning
is that the position is not remunera
tive, and he desires to resume the
practice of his profession. It seems to
be understood that Ldgar M. Marble,
law officer of the Interior Department,
will be appointed Commissioner of
Patents, and J. K. McCammon.of the
Department of Justice, will succeed
Mr. _
Mr. Abel R. Corbin, a brother-in-law
of General Grant, died at his residence
in Jersey City on Saturday at the age
of aerenty-one. lie was born in this
State and went to St. Ix>uis in 1834,
where he founded the, \t>*nuri Argvut,
now known as the Globe-democrat. In
1842 bo removed to Washington, where
he waa clerk of a Congressional com
mittee for sixteen years. In 1563 he
removed to this city and became prom
inently before the public in connection
with the '•Black Friday" gold specula- i
tions of September, 18G9. He cnanged
hia residence to Elisabeth, N. J., in 1870,
and lived there until recently. Mr.
Corbin wss married twice, hia second
wife being Virginia Grant, Gen. Grant's
sister. He was buried on Isst Monday,
from his late residence, No. 532 Pavonia
avenue, Jersey City.
The quantity of casl and coke carried
over the Pennsvlvsnia railroad for the I
second week of fefarch was 129,793 tons, <
of which 87.535 tons were coal and 42,- <
258 tons coke. The total tonnage for <
the year thus far has been 1,333,511 '
tons, of which 1,003.012 tons were coal j
and 330,499 tons coke, ,
TERMS: ><1.50 |ht Annum, in Advance.
GENERAL yEWS.
Gen-ral \V. S. Hancock oni a farm
near Windsor, Henry county, Mo., and
has ordered some extensive improve
menu to bo made on it with the view
of ultimately making it his borne.
The United States Ship Constellation,
which sailed on Saturday for Ireland
laden with contributions for the suffer
ers by famine, will land at such port ss
the Sew York Hcraltl relief inay desiio,
Mins Jennie Flood, daughter of the
California millionaire, will have an in
come of a hundred thousand dollars a
year when married. She is more than
otdinarily anxious to gt martied on
this account.
L. It. Loomis, a young man from De
troit, employed as an express messenger
on the Chicago, Saginaw and Canada
Railroad, whose marriage toayoung lady
of St. Louis, Mo., was fixed on Thursday
last, was arrested on Tuesday for the
theft of two packages of money. He
confessed his guilt, but desired to have
the wedding take place as announced.
After consultation with the parties in
terested, the knot was tied, and an
hour afterward 1-oomis was on his way
to Detroit with the officers.
I'iie Indianapolis Btr,tintl says that
j Ex-Governor Hendricks is somewhat
annoyed by intimations in various quar
ters that he would consent to run as
; second on the ticket with Mr. Seymour
!or Mr. Bayard or General Hancock.
He wishes it to be distinctly understood
'.hat while he ha* the utmost respect
for these and other distinguished Dem
ocrats whose names hsve been mention
ed as possible candidates for the Presi
dency, he positively declines to stand as
' second to any one.
Principal William Davis, of the Eden
' burg school. Clarion county, dismissed
the pupils the other day because the
I desk* were not dusted, and laid all the
' Maine on the janitreas, whom be pro
nounced "one of the most indolent
specimens of humanity on the face of
! trie earth." The janitress, "a most wor
thy young lady," has a brother, who
proceeded to knock the teacher down
with a hoe handle, and when the in
jured man went to a lawyer the latter
refused to take un the case, telling him
that he deserved ail that he had got.
Here the case rests for the present.
About 10 o'clock on Saturday night
last, an atf'ray occurred in a saloon at
Greensburg, I'a., which resulted in the
death of a man named Cbiae|m. It ap
pears that Chiselra's wife ordered Kau
Dixon, tbe proprietor of tba tales*u. not
to sell her husband any liquor. 'hi
elm, who was somewhat intoxicated,
called at the saloon and ordered drinks,
which were refused. He then quarrel
ed with Dixon, who knocked him down.
After getting up, he walked towards
the stove grumbling, when Dixon hit
f him a second time knocking him down,
causing him to fall on his head and
breaking his neck. His body was then
taken outside and placed against the
hou*e, where it was found by the
Sheriff Dixon was arrested and lodged
in jsil this morning. He bears a bar"
reputation, having already served a
term in prison.
Dr. Sommerhill, who lives near Tion
ef-ta, Forest county, was driving into
town, accompanied by an invalid rela
tive, some days ago, and when passing
through a dense clump of bushoi a
large black bear sprang into the road in
front of his team, which became panic
stricken and overturned the vehicle,
spilling the driver and his companion
into the highway: The bear rushed
upon theni and a terrible fight ensued,
the Doctor having only an iron bound
whiffle tree for defence. His wife heard
the disturbance, and came out with a
gun and the dogs and ended the fight
just as Dr. Sommerhill had about given
up from exhaustion. This will do for a
tasar story.
Pennsylvania Railroad Election.
THR FORMER OFFICERS RE-ELECTED AND
ALL SALARIES ADrARCED TEX FER CERT.
The newly-elected Board of Directors
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
met on the 24th for organisation. The
following officers were elected : Colonel
Thomas A. Scott was unsnimously re
elected president; Messrs. George B.
Roberts, Edmund Smith and A. J. Cas
satt were then elected additional mem
bers of the board, to set respectively as
first, second and third vice president;
Joseph I/esley was re-elected secretary
and John D. Taylor treasurer. The
president then announced the follow
ing appointments, which were con
firmed :
General solicitor, John Scott; assis
tants to the president, Strickland
Kneass. John P. Green and J. N. Bu
Barry ; cashier, B. F. Crawford j assis
tant secretary, John C. Sims, Jr.,; comp
troller, Robert W. Downing; general
manager, Frank Thompson ; consulting
engineer, W. IlaaseU Wilson; general
freight agent, Jamea McC. Creighton;
general passenger agent, I* P. Farmer;
purchasing agent, Enoch Lewis ; gener
al superintendent of the Philadelphia
Division, Charles E. Pugh ; general su
perintendent New Jersey Division, F.
YVoleott Jackson ; general superintend
ent Philadelphia and Erie Division, W.
A. Baldwin; general superintendent
Delaware and lUritan Canal, Isaac J.
Wistar.
These are all reappointments exoept
Mr. Creighton, who takes the place of 8.
B. Kingston, deceased. It was agreed
to advance tbe compensation of all ibe
officers and employee to the amount
which it was prior to June 1, 1877, to
take effect from and after April 1 next.
This is equal to a larger amount than
an advance of ten per cent, would bq
on present salaries.
NO. 11.