• t
J|)f Ccntrr Mk Democrat.
SHUGKRT k FORSTER, Editors.
VOL. 2.
{rite (Cmtrc jjpmwnt.
Terms 11.50 per Annum, In Advance,
's. T. SHUGERT and R. H. FORSTER, Editor..
Thursday Morning, May 6, 1880.
Democratic State Ticket.
roR nrrmuß JUNK,
GKgRGK A. JKNKS. of Jrffornon County.
rod 4I Dt TOR UKttMUL,
ROBERT P. Y>KCH ERT.'of PhiU'rfclphin.
POSTMASTER GENERAL KEY, the
erring brother of the Cabinet, it is
said, is about to vacate —the acting
President, Mr. Hayes, having offered
him the vacant district judgeship in
Tennessee. This is the second break
in the Fraud Cabinet, and in both in
stances has the withdrawing member
retired on judicial appointment.
THE Hnrrishurg Patriot donned a
new dress last week which made a
vast improvement in its appearance.
We are exceedingly glad to notice
this sign of prosperity in the only
Democratic daily newspaper at the
State capital. The Patriot has al
ways been conducted with ability,
is in all respects an excellent news
journal, and should receive a liberal
support from the Democracy of the
State.
Dun friend, T. C. Hippie, Esq., of
Is'ck Haven, will lie the member of
the Democratic State Committee, for
the thirty-fourth Senatorial district,
during the ensuing year. We hearti
ly endorse the selection. Mr. Hippie
is an earnest party worker, discreet
and reliable in judgment, and has had
considerable experience in political
campaigns. He will prove to be the
right man in the right place.
Whf.x the Democratic State Con
vention placed the name of our fellow
townsman, C. M. Bower, Esq., upon
the'electoral ticket for tho twentieth
Congressional district, it paid a well
merited compliment to a most wor
thy and faithful young Democrat.
Though still young io years Mr. Bower
has given active and useful service to
the party, ami tho honor of being
made a candidate for elector of I'resi
dent and Vice President of the United
Stales is a recognition of his standing
in the party and his merits as a Demo
crat of which he may well feel proud,.
We make record of the fact of his
-election for so important and honora
ble a position with feelings of real
pleasure.
I >URCongressional district, the twen
tieth, will be represented in the Demo
cratic National Convention by J. N.
Cassanova, Esq., of Centre county, and
Edward Bigler, Esq., of Clearfield
county. A bettor choice could scarce
ly have been made in the district.
Both are active, earnest and intelli
gent Democrats, well acquainted with
the opinions of the people whom they
have been selected to represent at
Cincinnati, aud will prove useful and
faithful members of the Pennsylvania
delegation. They will be honest and
independent in the performance of
every duty, and act solely with a view
to advance the best interests of the
party in the approaching Presidential
campaign.
THE correspondent of tho New
York Tribune, who wrote up the
proceeding* of the Harrisburg Con
vention for that journal, says in ref
erence to the discussion on the unit
rule that "Mr. Sowden had to be
heard, however, in reply to Mr. Bpeer's
taunt," nnd that "his return blow was
a sharp allusion to Bpeer's part in the
hack pay grab, but the Convention
had the good sense not to hear him
through." Certainly he could not be
; Heard through. Every one present,
rtcept Howden, seemed enough
I 'good sense" to know that the "sharp
illusion" to the "back pay grab"
*ould apply with much greater aptness
*nd force to another distinguished and
conspicuous member if the convention
for his part in that unsavory bit of
< ongressional legislation, than to the
gentleman at whom it was aimed. Of
course, Bowden suddenly subsided.
"EQUAL AND EXACT JUSTICE TO ALL MEN, or WHATEVER STATE OR CKRMU AHION, KKLKHOfS OR POLITICAL."—J-lfrnuti
I •
Tho Last Chapter in tho Bribery
Oases.
In our last issue we announced that
the Riot-hill bribers had been sen
tenced to ono year's imprisonment in
the penitentiary and to the payment
of a fine of SI,OOO each. This week
we have the further announcement to
makethat tho Pardon Hoard was called
by the Governor on last Friday, who
recommended that a pardon lie grant
ed by tho Governor, ami the prisoners
are again at large to receive the con
gratulation of their friends. The rea
sons given for this hasty, if not indecent
action, is, that the sentence was ex
cessively severe and not warranted by
the law—that the law in these eases
did not justify imprisonment in the pen
itentiary. It is the lot of all men to
err, hut the great experience and em
inent ability of the judge who passed
the sentence is entitled to quite ns
much weight with the public as the
hoard of politicians who have under
taken to review him in this hasty
manner. If he erred, there was a
remedy of higher jurisdiction to re
view and pass upon and stamp the er
ror in legal form. Now, they are
mere portioned convict* who were sen
tenced to the penitentiary by stern
justice, but released through the sym
pathy of political friends. This is
their status. While the action of thf
Hoard saves their heads from Ix-ing
shaved, it docs not save their reputation
or the degredation of the sentence.
Surely if their legal advisers or the
Hoard of Pardons had full faith in
the reasons given for their release,
they would have sought a full vindi
cation by a reversal in the Supreme
Court.
The release of these men does not
detach a single feather from the ju
dicial cap of the brave old judge, who,
regardless of the public prominence
they have heretofore held, vindicated
the law, and stamped the seal of crime
upon the base practices which have
made the legislature of our State a
by-word and reproach, and filled our
statute books with fiction and fraud.
The lesson he teaches is one of warn
ing to the venal, and gives some hope
in the future that the people will not
he entirely nt the mercy of rascals
within and corrupters without our
Legislative assemblies.
The last turn in the cases has been
reached. By the action of the Bonrd
of Pardons and the Governor of the
State, in thus overruling the sentence
of the Court, the prison doors have
been unbolted and the convicted per
sons are to-dav at liberty, and in so
far as the representatives of political
parties have been compelled to show
a hand in the various stages of the
disreputable affair, now is a good time
for a passing review. Assuming that
there can be no doubt of the guilt of
these men, made so in the case of one
of them by the verdict of a jury after
trial in the court ami in the cases of
the others by voluntary confession, it
is only fair thnt the action of officials,
whether Democrats or Republicans,
who bad to deal with them should be
placed in a proper light before the
public. In thia respect, how does the
record stand? Of these five crimi
nals, one of them, Crawford, was a
Democrat. He held, under Demo
cratic appointment, a subordinate
place in the force employed upon the
public grounds at Harrisbnrg. No
sooner was the report of the commit
tee of the legislature, that showed the
part this man had played in this
game of legislative corruption, made
public than he was at once removed
from the position that had been con
ferred upon him by Democratic power.
Thus promptly did a Democratic
Auditor General and a Democratic
Bute Treasurer act in vindication of
themselves and in deference to the de*
mands of public opinion. A Uinted
ftan was not permitted to continue in
place under them insignificant as that
place was. Now for the other side.
Two of these men, Petroff and Rum
barger, were prominent Republican
BELLEFONTE, PA., THURSDAY, MAY (>, 1880.
members of the House of Representa
tives, the one from a Philadelphia di
trict and the other from Armstrong
county. When the same committee
report showed their guilt, as it had
that of Crawford, what was the act
ion of a Republican legislature in
their case ? Were they promptly ex
pelled ? No, indeed. Their Republi
can friends voted against a resolution
of expulsion and retained them in
their seats until the end of the session,
though polluted with crime ami the
scorn of every honest citizen in the
commonwealth. With the close of
the session of tho legislature last
summer, came arrest and at last con
viction in the •juarter sessions of Dau
phin county, and now as a fitting
finale to this loathsome drama of pub
lic debauchery, we see a Republican
Hoard of Pardons and a Republican
Governor step upon the stage before
the curtain drops upon last scene to
stay the hand of justice UJMHI pretexts
too flimsy to submit to the judg
ment of the Supremo Court. If jus
tice has been cheated in the final dis
position of these cases, an enlighten
ed public sentiment can draw a bal
ance between the action of Democrat
ic and Republican representatives, so
far as they have had to do them, and
place the responsibility where it prop
erly belongs.
Al.l, appliances are now in active
use by the Hlnine and Sherman organs
to discourage the nomination of Grant.
The Sherman organs concede that with
Grant as the Republican candidate,
Indiana, < >hio, New Jersey, Connecti
cut, Wisconsin and Oregon, would all
snugly harbor in the Democratic fold.
The Democrats have strong convic
tions that this may lie entirely true,
wbeabct.jt is Grant, Maine, WtierwfMlTt
or the nark horse, who lead the Re* !
publican forces, but the Duke is not '
the man to frighten at the mere men
tion of probable olistacles. He has j
been boomed all over the country n- J
the Great Mogul—the "greatest liv-1
ing American" charger! with the er- 1
elusive mission to "save the country."
He cannot surrender these advantages, j
of course, and will press successfully |
for the Chicago nomination.
THE Greeubackcrs of Indiana held
their State convention last week, and
placed in nomination Richard Gregg
for Governor, Thomas Dehmler for
Lieut. Governor, and J. B. Yengloy
for Secretary of State. Among the
delegatcs-at-large chosen to the Na
tional Greenback Convention at Chi
cago is Mrs. I)r, Mury L. Thomas.
This is perhaps the first woman chos
en to represent a political party in a
National convention, and may be the
culminating policy of that great par
ty to attain the governmental reform
so long promised by its organization.
The Greenback statesmen of Leraont
and Martha Furnace will do well to
note the new departure. It is sug
gestive, and might strengthen their
aggressive forces for the coming cam
paign in Centre county.
THE Blaine boom is still onward.
Last week he added California to his
column, and is pressing the third
termers in Illinois with a very ag
gressive force, which means business.
He made a bold opset in . Ohio, but
not being an Ohio man, of course he
failed. He succeeded, however, io
capturing some of the out-posts and
creating considerable alarm along the
whole line. The Hherman forces ral
lied in time to save the rout, and the
Mulligans retired in order leaving the
Bute in possession of Hherman. The
question now is, what will Sherman
do with it?
THE report of the committee, head
ed by Senator David, of Wat Vir
ginia, disclose* stiytling evidence that
the hooks of tlie Treasury, are in a
very mixed conditiou, showing great
incompetency in its management. The
report insists that reformatory meas
ures should claim the early attention
of Congress.
The State Convention
For wieka before the delegates to
the Democratic State Convention were
to meet at Harrisburg speculation
was rife a# to the probable outcome of
their deliberations. The disturbing
eleiuentH were many and apparently
alarming to the future unity ami
harmony of the party, ami it was but
natural under the circumstances thai
a profound anxiety should posse#* the
public mind. The netive friends of
the various Presidential candidates
had made energetic efforts in hchalf
of their favorites, and the feeling
worked up by lliein, together with the
unfortunate condition of the parly in
Philadelphia, caused many grave ap
prehensions that all might not In* well
in the end. The intense interest thus
aroused throughout the State mani
fested itself in the great throng of
people who ranie together to witness
the assembling of the delegates and
hear their proceedings in Convention.
Oue good sign was early noted. With
here and there an exception on the
part of some who gave wny to lxiter
ous and angry muttering*, the crowd
was goal natured and disposed to coun
sel js aee. This sentiment largely pre
dominated and no doubt had its effect
upon thong charged with the duty of
reconciling the conflicting elements
clamoring for recognition. The ]>r,-
*onnrl of the Convention was above
the average of luslics of that kind in
ability nnd character, and thnt away
would lie found out of the difficulties
that surrounded their coming togeth
er was almot certain from the start.
Fprtunafc-iy, wise heads, with honest
desires (A sccye their party, aoou found
that waVk This committee of arbitra
tion wawuggested, and this plan was
iwfrtpt M* Tlrst nme
body. This committee consisted of
six eminent gentlemen who command
ed the respect and confidence of every
woe. How could it lie otherwise when
at its head stood Andrew 11. Dill with
such associates a* .lenks, Ktenger,
MuteMer, Bjeor and Gibson. To
these gentlemen nil questions in con
troversy were submitted and their con
clusions wore a ere p ted by the Conven
tion as just and satisfactory. Thus
the dangers that at one time seemed
to threaten disruption were passes! in
safety, and peace nnd harmony pre
vailed. In the further deliberations
of the Convention the only approach
to ill-will and n renewal of animosi
ties was in the discussion that took
place on the unit rule. This wa also
finally disposed of, much to the relief
of nil present, though not without well
founded suspicions that there was un
lairness in the count of the secretaries.
Hut the struggle ended, and all acqui
esced in the declared result.
The candidates placed in nomina
tion for Hupreme Judge and Auditor
General are gentlemen to whom every
Democrat in Pennsylvania can give
his vote with a hearty good will. Hon.
(icorge A. Jenks, the candidate for
Judge of the Supreme Court, is well
known to many citizen* of Centre
county and will command a generous
support. He is one of the ablest law
yers now practicing at the bar in Cen
tral Pennsylvania, is a man of fine at
tainments and of exalted character,
ami bis election would add much to
the strength of the court of last resort.
Col. Robert I*. Dcckert, the nominee
for Auditor (ieneral, is just as worthy
of support. He is also a lawyer by
profession and has peculiar qualifica
tions for the position for which he is a
candidate. He was a gallant soldier
during the war and in Pbila ielphia,
the city of his residence, commands
the highest respect of all parties for
his fine qualities of head and heart.
In another column of this paper will
be found short sketches of the lives
of both these gentlemen, which we
commend to the attention of She
reader.
A most admirable and appropriate
close to tbe proceedings was the elec
tion of Hon. Andrew H. Dill to the
chairmanship of the State Committee.
The wisdom that prompted this selec
tion cannot lie too highly commended,
and the mention of the name went
through the Convention like wild fire.
Mr. Dill is known throughout the
length and breadth of Pennsylvania
so well and so favorably that he will
receive the earnest co-ojuration of
everv Democrat. Hi- great abilitv,
". i • *
ripe judgment and large experience
in political management make him a
leader we can all safely ami confiding
ly follow, knowing tlint lie will work
with an honest purpose to succeed,
and that nothing will lie loft undone
to secure victory, and the fruits of
victory after it is won.
Such are our candidates, and such
is the captain of our host. Now,
Democrats, it behooves you to buckle
on your armor for the fray. Momen
tous issue? are at stake. ]>-t lis there-
fore go to work, organize at once, and
open the battle that will decide the
Presidential election of next Novem
ber with as little delay a- po—ible. No
time is to Ik- lost.
WITH Andrew 11. Dill as Chairman
of the State < 'ommiltee several gmsl
thing- aie assured. First of all,
every Democrat in the State will re
ceive fair and honorable treatment at
his hands, which was not the case un
der bis immediate predecessor. That
will lie one good thing, in the second
place, it may be set down a- a certain
ty, that the hall in which the State
Convention is held a year hence will
not lie packed in advance of the as
sembling of the delegates by a brutal
gang of ruffians, from the slums of
Philadelphia, to act as door keepers,
with nulhorilv to iusult and maltreat
decent people, as was the case at Har
ruburg under his immcdiute prede
cessor. This will be another good
tiling. In the third place, there will
be no lightning calculators among
the secretaries of the Convention to
falsify the votes of the delegates, as
was also the case at Harri-hurg under
his immediate predecessor. This will
bo still another good thing. For all
these good thing* Mr. Dill's honesty
of purpose ami integrity of character
arc an ample guarantee.
I MM. If AYR* ha signed the army
appropriation hill with it* rider pro
hibiting the use of the army at elec
; tion jwll* a* an ordinary jjolioc force
! to preserve the peace, but could not
I liud it in his conscience to approve the
deficiency bill because of the rider
which transferred the appointment of
deputy marshals to supervise elections
to the United Btates courts, and pro
vided that they should be men of
good moral character and selected in
equal numbers from each political
party. A veto message was therefore
sent to Congress on Tuesday. In this
message His Fraudulency pretends to
give certain reasons for refusing to
sign the bill. It is scarcely necessary
to say that they are no reasons at all,
but as a specimen of arrant cant and
hypocrisy they would do honor even
to Pecksniff.
WK neglected to notice last week
the ap|carance of the Forest County
National upon our table, with the
name of our friend J. M. Kepler,
Esq., at its head a? editor and pro
prietor. The National will be earnest
ly Democratic in politics, and Mr.
Kepler has all the ability, pluck and
energy necessary to make it a useful
helper in the cause. We wish the
National long life and abundant pros
perity.
Ow Monday last the receipts of the
National treasury footed up as follows:
From internal revenue 11,234,800 51;
from custom duties, $663,278.07;
total, $1,707,868.58. From this show
ing it is evident that Uncle Bam still
continues to have quite a re*
daily income.
TUB New York Herald trot* out
another dark horse for the inspection
of delegates to the Republican Na
tional Convention. It is a spavined
old nag called Hamilton Pish.
TERMH: MJA) |mt Annum, in Advance.
THE llEHOf'Bric ( AMHIHTKS.
Sketches or their Private I.De* and
Public Kerv ice*.
Kr*tu tin* Pliil'll|>liia Tltna.
George Augustus Jenk*, the Demo
j cratic candidate for Supreme .Judge, is
. only forty-four years of age. He was
born in Punxsatawney, Jefferson ooun-
Iv. P., March 26, 1836. and has resided
iin Jefferson all hi* life. lie learned
the carpenter and joiners' trade, but
] quit the carpenter's bench to obtain a
! collegiate education. While fitting
himself for college lie taught school
and was thus engaged for eighteen
months. Kntering Jefferson college lo
ves graduated thence in August, 18.sH.
Choosing the law a* his profession he
studied privately and wa admitted to
the bar February 10, 18.V9. Ever aince
that date he ha been engaged in active
practice and has attained high rank as
a lawyer. I'ntil 1874 he never held
any office, except that lie was a School
Director and member of the Town
Council of Brookville. In that year lie
was nominated and elected to Congress
as a Democrat from the twenty fifth
I district, composed of the counties of
Armstrong, Clarion, Forest, Indiana
land Jefferson. In this election he
received J 1.627 votes against 11.100 for
| General Harry White. Mr. Jenks, in a
| single term of Congressional life, be
came a man of mark, his sound mm
in on sense and legal ability command
ing almost immediate recognition.
When the Electoral Commission vu
formed lie was chosen by his ftemo
cratic colleagues a# one of the counsel
j to represent the Ttlden case before that
body and his argument was commended
as a model of forensic eloquence, but
eren more notable for compression of
' fact* snd deductions in smafl compass. gf
lie sjw.jke without a note, hut was
' almost the ouly one of the many
lawyer" who addressed the commission
to confine himself strictly to the smalt
lime allotted and yet present a com
plete argument. Since he left Con
gress, Mr. Jenks has devoted himself
closely to the law, but was in 1878
strongly supported as a candidate for
j Governor in the convention which
nominated Andrew 11. Dill. Mr. Jenka
was married February 3, 1 Witt, to Mary
.A. Mabon. Politically, in hi* own
, words, he hat leen "a Democrat since
| birth, • • were my ancestors before me."
noKEar p. DtciiraT.
Colonel Robert Porter Herbert, the
, Democratic nominee for Auditor (gen
eral. was !>orn in Reading. August 16,
| 1842. hit father being Elijah Dechert, a
; lawyer of that city. Colonel Itochert ia
a grand son of Judge Robert Porter,
whose two brothers were Ex-Governnr
David R. Porter and J. Madison Porter,
Secretary of War under Tyler. Colonel
Dechert came to this city while in hia
tenth year. He graduated from the
Central High School when eighteen
years of age, and entered a course of
law studies in the office of bit brother,
Henry M. Dechert. tn the breaking
out of the war of the rebellion be. enter
"l the army as sergeant major of the
Twenty-ninth Regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteers, Colonel John K. Murphy.
With his regiment he took part in the
campaign of the Shenandoah Valley,
and participated in many of the battle*
of the Army of the Potomac. In the
: famous " march to the sea Colonel
j Dechert was assistant adjutant General
to General Slocuni, commanding the
Army of Georgia. He was promoted
frequently for gallant services in the
field, and at the close of the war had
reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.
He was admitted to the bar io 1867, '
and in the following year was appoint
ed assistant to District Attorney Fur
man Sheppard. He was elected ia
1870 State Senator from the First Dis
trict for an unexpired term, overcoming
the usual heavy Republican majority of
the district. On the expiration of hia
term as Senator be resumed hia position
is Assistant District Attorney. When
Mr. Ilagert was elected District Attor
ney. Colonel Dechert declined a reap
point merit, and has aince devoted him
self to law practice. He has taken
much interest in military matters, and
wa* last year elected colonel of the
; Second Regiment.
Representative (lymer's Karri age.
The marriAge of Congressman Iliester
Clymer to Mrs. Miroi Von Scbrsder
Clemens, widow of the late James Clam
ens, took place at St. Ixmis on Monday
afternoon of last week. The ceremony
waa performed according to the ritual
of the Roman Catholic church by the
Rev. Father Rrantner, at the residence
of the bride's mother, the widow of the
late liron Von Schrader, on Garrison
avenue. Only the immediate relatives
witnessed it, and in everv respect It
a very simple affair. 'There were no
bridesmaids, but Mr, Clymer waa at
tends dby Mr. Milliken. The bride
wore e costly pearl silk dress. Those
present were members of the Von
Schrader and Clemen* families, Mr, K.
M. Clymer, of Reading, and Mr. end
Mrs. George Brooke, and Mrs, Edward
Brooke, of Birdboro', Pennsytvan'a. r >
The ceremony took piece et 3r. a. At
.1 r. m. a reception was given, at which
the first families of St. bonis were rep
resented. At 6.30 Mr. and Mr*, (jy
mar left, by the Vsndalia mod, for the
Eaaf. There will be a short tour and
then Mr. Clymer will resume his duties
in Washington. The preaeota were
numerous and valuable, but were not
displayed. They included e g.i and
silver ice cream set from Mr. Clymer's
fellow-committeemen in Washington.
Bradford county has placed a five per
cent, loan of #30,0(10.
NO. Ii.