Centre £sih, liieinocrnt.
BHUOKRT \ FORSTKR, Editors.
VOL. 2.
®ht Crntvr jPrmarat.
Ttran Sl.&O per Annum,la Advance.
S. T.
Thursday Morning, September 2,1880. '
Democratic National Tickot.
' ro* r.wiiUT,
W INFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK. or P.iiii.ylvaiiin.
FOB vie it RTIIIMIR,
WILLIAM 11. ENGLISH, ol IIHIUIM.
LLECTnIIS AT L I KG E.
It. Kiiiiiud MottagUati, William 11. IMa>forU.
KLKCTOB9.
Pitt. I lat
1. John rtlrviii, l'. A. Poet.
2. Kl*in A l*u\ 1 A. M. Brtituu,
.1 John M. ( *in|.Ull, 17. J. P. Llntn.
4. Ililleu Pall**!. IH. John H Miller,
.V John N. MofTs t, 1. J. O tiftftton,
r. Kduin WaMoit, tfi. C M Bower,
7 Nathan O. Jamva, 21. I. A. J.
K (J.irge lillN-rt, 21 I'hrUtuplu r
Jam*** 0. M s*|airin, 2'. Uukrt M (SlU>n,
1(1. Alfred J. Martin, '2\. Hioimu Brntfwrl,
11. A.lmn G.rrmg. i, Harry W. Wila.>n,
II Frank Turner, 2t. Sautiit-I Orifllth,
11. I' J ktu, 27. J !(•** Tlitu|*on.
II II K. Pavti.
Democratic State Tickot,
roa at MEMI JUDGS,
liKollliK A. JKNKB. 'f JefTeraon County.
FoR OtNKJUL,
ROBKUT P. DKCHKKT, of PblUdtlpfci*.
THE Chicago Times has looked over
all the Republican campaign docu.
incuts and doesn't find Garfield's brief
ou the De Golyer pavement among
them. Its publication as a campaign
document would set at rest the story
that it was never written.
IT is said Judge SpofTurd'S death
will not settle the contested seat in
the case of W. Pitt Kellogg ; that the
Heuatorship will be regarded as va
cant, and that theGoveruor of luisi
nna will appoint a successor to Judge
Hpofford, upon whom the duty will fall
to continue the contest.
THE Hon. R. Milton Specr, of Hunt
ingdon, has received the unanimous
nomination of the Democracy of the
18th District for Congress. It is a
close district, now represented by the
ifou. Horatio G. Fisher. The indom
itable energy, and great ability of the
eloquent Hpcer assures for Mr. Fisher
lively work, if not certain defeat.
TIIE acting Presideut and all his
cabinet ministers arc out ou campaign
duty. Just as well. The chief clerks
and messengers can carry on the busi
ness of the Government quite as well
without them. In the canvass they
will only fill gaps which might lie
occupied by Republican speakers of
influence and staudiug. I>et them
swing round.
DORSEY, the Secretary of the Re
publican National Committee, has
gone west to take charge of the cam
paign in Indiana in behalf of his
party. He is an expert in every
/ species of political -rascality that has
ever been devised, and will not hesi
tate in the use of any villainy that
may be necessary to accomplish the
object of his mission. Honest elec
tions, indeed, with a creature like
Dorsey to manage them ! No more of
that, if you please.
O* Wednesday of last week Hayes
signed the commissions of two ex-rebel
soldiers —Longstreet's as minister to
Turkey and erring brother Key's as a
Judge of the United States Court
in Tennessee—and yet our stalwart
friends are not happy. They will in
sist that the war of the rebellion is
still raging, and that it will be danger
ous to the safety of the country to elect
the Union Major General, who fought
Ijongstreet on a score of battle fields,
to the Presidency of the United States.
WADE HAMKTON sent a letter to
the Democratic ratification meeting in
Washington on Thursday, in which be
says he has concluded that as be is
persistently misrepresented it is better
that he should remain silent. He says:
"The views which I ain charged with
expressing at Staunton are utterly at
variance with all I have entertained
and expressed since the war. The
only authorized -report of my remarks
then were given in the Baltimore
Gazette and republished in the New
York Herald of the 16th instant. Of
course the Republican papers will not
do me the justice to correct the mis
take, but I hope that our friends will,".
"KHUAL AND EXACT JUSTICE TO ALL MSN, Of WHATEVER STATE (ill PKHHUAMOK, RKLIOIOUH OR POLITICAL."—Jtffonoo.
Curtin for Cougrcss.
With the unanimous endorsement
of Clinton county, our honored and
distinguished townsman, Ex-Governor
ANDREW G. CURTIN, may lie fairly
considered in the field as a candidate
for Congress. That he will also receive
a splendid and emphatic endorsement
from the Democracy of Centre coun
ty there can be no doubt in the mind
of auy intelligent and unprejudiced
citizen who has, with auy degree of in
terest, observed the strong, irresistible
current of popular sentiment running
in his favor. Richly does Gov. Cur
tin deserve the expression of respect
and confidence that will be otfered to
him by the party on the 18th day of
September. Since 1872 he has brave
ly and defiantly stood in the frout of
our party, battling with all his great
powers against the centralizing ten
dencies and oppressions of radicalism
and for the success of good principles
of government; for tho downfall of
sectionalism with its Pandora box of
evils to the public welfare; for the
restoration of peace, fraternity and re
conciliation between all sections of the
country; for a pure civil service and
a thorough and rigid correction of the
abuses of power and the corruptiousof
administration that have marked the
years of Republican rule since the
war.
The great services of Gov. Curtin
will not bo forgotten, and Centre
county will follow in the path murked
out bv the gallant Democrats of Cliu
ton with a heartiness and an enthusi
asm the mcauiug of which will not be
mistaken or misinterpreted by the
balauce of the district. The Clinton
Democrat, we are pleased to knoNv, is
in hearty accord with the action of
the county convention in recommend
ing the re-nomination of Gov. Curtin,
as will lie seen by the follow ing article
tnken from it* editorial columns of
last week:
The County Convention on Tuesday
unanimously instructed for Hon. An
drew G. Curtin for Congress, and select
ed 11. L. Doiffonbacb, \V. 11. Brown,
and T. C. Hippie, Esq*., as conferees.
This expression may be taken as mean
ing that Clinton regards with stern dis
favor the great wrong done Mr. Curtin
in the campaign of 1878, nnd is willing
to do her ahare in repairing it. Tlint
be Was wronged it appreut, and that
many who then voted against him in
the storm of excitement that then pre
vailed have seen their error, is equally
clear, and they are willing now to give
him the support that they (ailed to
give him then. The Congressional Con
ference will not meet for several weeks,
as Centre and Clearfield do not hold
their conventions till after the middle
of September. What will be the action
of tbe conference of course no one now
can tell, though it is said by those of
Gov. Curtin's friends who are best ad
vised, that he is in a fair way of obtain
ing the nomination. But what ever
may lie the result of that body's action
the County Convention here has re
corded Clinton's willingness to recover
from the action of the last campaign,
and we doubt not she will be held in
grateful remembrance hv him for the
foremost part sbe has taken in placing
that on record.
Outside of the district, the propri- i
ety of Gov. Curtin's nomination is
fully recognised by able and eminent
members of the party. In a late
number of tbe Doylcstown Democrat, <
that discreet, intelligent and sterling 1
editor and Democrat, Gen. W. H. 11. |
Davis, speaks of the 20th Congress
ional District as follows : "The people
of that district owe the nomination to
ex-Governor Curtin,-nd we hope he
may receive it. He was elected in
1878, but clearly cheated out of the
certificate; and a second cheat was
perpetrated in Congress when the
House seated the mau who was de
feated at the polls. If Curtin should
be re-nominated, we hope the Demo
crats of the district will see to it that
they are not swindled a second time."
Democrats of Centre county, your
duty is plain, and we have an abiding
faith that you will be found now, as
you ever have been in the past, true
to a just cause and a worthy man.
THOME anxious Republicans who so
confidently predicted a subsidence of
the Hancock enthusiasm were bad
pfopheti.
BKLLKFONTH, l'A., THURSDAY, SEITEMBKIi 2 ( IBKO.
THE Philadelphia Time t, of Satur.
| day, contains n judicious protest to the
' appropriation of the last Legislature
for the erection of a monument at the
State Capitol to Gov. < leary. The
Time* does not object to honoring the
memory of Gov. Genry to its fullest
deserving, but to the precedent it
establishes, and claims that this act
shall not be made the nucleus for im
posing upon the State the duty of thus
providing monuments for hundreds of
distinguished men of equal or greater
merit. This is a duty that nmy well
be left to the nlfectiou of the imme
diate family or friends of the deceased.
If Geary's executors or family failed
in appropriating a reasonable part of
his estate to rescue bis remains from
neglect, it would have been a very
appropriate and graceful act of his
immediate personal friends to have
supplied their deficiency, which we
have uo doubt they would gladly have
done, if called to their attention.
But to make the precedent which this
act inaugu rates, was injudicious, and
should be arrested just here, for all
time.
K AKSON, who was one of the visit
ing statesmen in the Presidential steal,
and jvlio was afterwards rewarded by
the recipient of the stolen office,
by appointment as Minister to Aus
tria, has been uominated for Congress
in lowa. He has come home ou
leave of absence to make the oanvoss,
with the understanding that he can
return to Vicuna after the election to
close up his mission ami resign. His
salary is (7,->OO, and still goes on. Of
course the National Treasury would
have been relieved of one unnecessary
burden if Kassou had resigned before
coming home, but then the expense*
of Kaafton's campaign in the iu tares I
of the Republican party coo Id not
have been re-iiuburied from Uncle
Samuel's till.
- - —*
JOHN SHERMAN made his campaign
s|>cech on Monday last, at Columbus,
Ohio. We have not seen it. But if
lie udopted the same line of remarks
which distinguished him in the Dis
trict of Columbia, it was no doubt re
freshing to the Buckeyes to hear a
member of the Sherman family find
ing fault with General Hancock le
--causc he was educated in the military
school at the public expense, nud
had the temerity to draw pay from
the Government for services rendered.
His Ohio audience, however, could
have little difficulty in estimating the
value of a demagogue of tho first
class, and a far-seeing, patriotic war
rior-statesman, thus educated. The
coni|>arison could not be flatleriug to
tbe Sherman family.
THE sincerity of the present admin
istration's professions of reform in the
civil service is just now receiving so
many striking illustrations that they
cannot be passed by in silence. There
is scarcely a prominent office bolder
who can be of any use in. the cam
paign that is not travelling over tbe
country making speeches in favor of
Garfield, and trying to show bow dan
gerous it would be to have a change of
administration. Of course a change
might not be so pleasant to many of
these important personages who for so
many years have been feasting on the
spoils of office, and henee their anxie
ty for the success of the Republican
party, civil service reform and all.
a*.
THE visit of Col. Robert P. Deohart,
the Democratic candidate for Auditor
General, to Bellcfonte last week, was
an exceedingly pleasaut event He
came in contact with large numbers
of the Democracy of Centre eounty>
and made a most favorable impression
upon all he met His speeches in the
court bouse and to tbe great mass out
side were well received, and bis frank,
manly bearing at one* impressed every
one with tbe idea that he Is just the
man for the important office for which
he is the nominee of the Democratic
party.
Callora at Governor's Island.
There seems to be no abatement in
tbe rush of visitors to Governor's Is
land, the desire of people to see and
greet Geu. Hancock being as great to
day us it wus the moment his nomina
tion was announced to tho American
people. The New York World of last
Saturday, gives the following account
of the reception of the previous day,
Friday, that licing one of the regular
reception days:
" Friday being one of the established
reception days at Governor's Island,
there was a large number of callers
there yesterday. A delegation from tbo
Mexican Veteran's Hancock Association
was among tbe afternoon visitors. Tbe
delegation consisted of General 11. G.
Gibson, U.S. A.; Colonel William Linn
Tidbull, President; (Job \V. M. Leonard,
Secretary ; Col. Wm. Colligan, Treasur
er; Commodore J no. C. Alexander. Col.
J no. 11. lirabams, Cupt. I.oui F. Minard,
Dennis Median, J. C. Murphy, John
Kcweiler and Col. Jeremixh .Sherwood.
Tbe club comprises some two hundred
and fifty members, or about two thirds
of the Mexican War Veterans' Associa
tion, and is an auxiliary of tbe Hancock
National Veterans' Association. Tbe
delegation was presented to Gen. Han
cock by General Gibson, and a long in
formal conversation ensued, in which
incidents of tbe Mexican campaign were
retold. The General subsequently or
dered an escort to conduct tbe delega
tion about tbo island. It was from
Governor's Island that many of them
left when they joined their regiments
in the Mexican war, and several of them
bad not visited tbe place since.
"There wore many ladies among tho
aallers. <ne of Ihetn lived in Bristol, IL
L, and bad come all tbe way to New
York for the purpoae of making inquiry
of Gen. Hancock concerning her brother
Tio was shot at Pittaburg Landing in
tt war. She said she knew from the
General's picture* he would help her.
Hire was granted an interview, and the
General promised to do all in bta power
to aasisl her in learoiug tbe particulars
of her brother's death. She went away
•aying she had never wanted to vote
fot anybody before, but alte would like
to cast fifty votes for Gen. Hancock."
WE trust that every soldier iu Ou
tre county will read the record of the
mean attempt made by Garfield to
legislate General Haucock out of the
army. A full account of the bill in
troduced into Congress for that pur|H>ec
by Garfield and his action upon it,
will be found on the second |age of
this issue of the DEMOCRAT. It was
i iu perfect consistency with the charac
ter of one who left the front before
the war was half over to seek the
safety of a scat in Congress, thus to
show his venom against the real sol
dier because he would not violate law,
conscience and duty to serve the
ends of a political party. Doubtless
Garfield would have persevered in his
effort to degrade Hancock but for the
storm of indignant protest that it
aroused throughout the country. But
read the record.
THE canvass in Indiana is now in
full tide, and the Republicans are
bringing into play all their arts aud
appliances to overcome the Democra
cy. 'With Doreey, the Secretary of
the National Committee, in headquar
ters at Chicago, to superintend, and
Rautn, of the Revenue Bureau, iu lu
diana, to operate with Orth and New,
ami other corruptionists, to manipu
late the politics of the State by the
importation of negroes and scallawags,
the Republicans appear to entertain
some hope, based, no doubt, upon their
experience in that kind of work. But,
we trust they are doomed to disap
pointment. The State is Democratic,
and the Democratic organization is in
the hauds of discreet and competent
men, who are not likely to he so
oblivions to Republican enterprise
in "ways that are dark," as to allow
themselves to be defrauded. Indiana
may be counted in the Democratic
column, not only in October hut in
November.
THE Democrats of Klk county held
their county convention on Tuesday of
this week, and we learn that James
K. P. Hall, Esq., received the endorse
ment of the county for Congress. The
contest was between Mr. Hale and
Mr. Grant, and the first named carried
off the honor by a very decided vote
in the convention.
THE Hancock boom is still boom
ing along.
The Spirit of Centralization.
'1 hat there is in this country a grow
ing and dangerous tendency toward a
consolidated form of government will
not bo questioned by intelligent and
dispassionate observers of cotcmpora
ncous events. It is the product of
the germ of Federalism so carefully
nurtured by Alexander Hamilton and
the men who under his guidance en
deavored to make their |>eculiar ideas
the corner stone of our governmental ,
structure. Hamilton was a thorough
and conscientious believer in mon
archical institutions, and considered
the British government the embodi
ment of human wisdom and excel
lence. Unlike the great examplar of
Federalism, his modern disciples are
not guided by patriotic impulses or
moved to their advocacy of a change
in our system by a desire to give to
tbe people of the American Union a
more perfect and symmetrical model
than that which came from the hal
lowed hands of Washington and Jef
ferson. These latter-day apostles of
centralization have been educated to
their belief by the class legislation
of tbe Republican ]>&rty and come, in
uiost instances, from the select and
seclusive few who profess to fear the
capacity of the people for self-govern
ment. Auothcr potent influence which
naturuliy leads in that direction is
wielded by those who have amassed
enormous wealth under the fostering
care of Republican law makers, who '
in tbe uewly acquired power which
follows obediently in the wake of opu
lence, disdain the simplicity and free
dom front pouip aud circumstance
which marks the mild and heneficeut
sway of Democracy. But {terhaps the
most dangerous of all the advocates of
consolidation are those, who in the
hope of per|>rtuating political control
in their own hands, would destroy the
omnipotence of the people by central
izing tbe vast nnd complex responsi
bilities of government in the hands of
a few in Washington. This they would
accomplish by enlarging the power of
the Federal government and dimin
ishing the authority of the States.
Their dream is a strong government,
a large standing army, and increased
taxation. The most conspicuous of
the latter class, by reason of bis can
didacy for the highest office in tbe
gift of tbe people, is James A. Gar
field. In a debate in the House
Representative, a few years ago, be
used the following language, "1 believe
that the fame of Jrfferson is waning
and the fame of Hamilton it tearing in
the estimation of the A merionn people,
and that tee are gravitating toward a
stronger government. lam glad that
tee are." There is no mistaking this
language or the attitude of the Re- 1
publican Presidential candidate, but
as if to emphasize it, Gen. Garfield,
on his recent visit to New York,
warmly eulogized Hamilton in his
speech to the Boys in Blue, using
even stronger words of commendation
of the great Federalist than those we
have quoted. Thus we see that the
principles of Thomas Jefferson, the
author of the Declaration of Inde
pendence, find so lodgment in the
mind of General Garfield. He be
lieves in a government stronger than
that given us by the revered founders
of the American Union and believes
that the ideas of Hamilton will soon
supplant those of the sage of Monti
cello. Let us pause for a moment to
see where these ideas of Hamilton
lead us. Id the convention which
ftatned tbe great Magna Ckarta of our
liberties, Alexander Hamilton opposed
at every step the building up of a
free form of government. He was in
favor of vesting the supreme executive
authority of the United States in a
Chief Magistrate, to be called either
King or President, who should be
ohaeen for life by & convention of nota
bles, who should each have an estate
in lands of their own right. This
Chief Magistrate was to have the sole
appointment of ali officers of the gov-
TERMS: £ 1.50 per Annum, in Advance.
crnmcut and to have the absolute
power to negative all laws passed. To
the end that the government might be
removed as far as |oM)hle from the
people, he proponed first that the States
be entirely extinguished, but when this
was discovered to be impracticable he
favored the appointment of the Gov
ernors of the States by the executive
and to hold office during his pleasure.
Such were the kingly powers with
which Hamilton proposed to invest
the Chief Magistrate of this nation.
The people were to have no voice in
the election of the President of the
United Slates aud were not to be
consulted as to who should be the
Governors of their respective states.
And yet James A. Garfield tells us be
is glad we are "gravitating" toward
such a form of government as this
cast off model of Alexander Hamil
ton. In his thorough and penetrating
distrust of the people, Hamilton favor
ed a Senate composed of members
elected for life, no oue to be allowed
to vote for Senators who were not the
possessors, cither in their own right or
that of their wives, of an estate in
lands. This aristocratic body was to
be fashioned after the House of Lords
of inonarchial England, and was to he
invested with lite exclusive power of
declaring war and treating for peace.
Thus it will be readily apparent, what
ideas of Hamiltou the Republican can
didate for President hails as those
toward which wc are "gravitating."
Alexander Hamilton has great claim
to our respect and veneration. He
was a raau of great learning and
distinguished abilities, but he did not
believe in jiopular government, and
his training aud education naturally
led him to the foot of the throne. He
was the eloquent advocate of central
isation, and profoundly believed in an
aristocratic form of government. His
overshadowing idea was the removal
of all power from the people and the
consolidation of authority iu the
hands of a few. The people of the
United Stales will hesitate long before
joiniug with Mr. Garfield in his joy
over our "gravitation" toward the
ideas of Hamilton.
The people look with distrust upon
the encroachments of the Federal gov
ernment and the assumption of more
than regal authority by the executive *
branch and it will be long before they
will submit to a subvertion of our sys
tem, even though so distinguished an
advocate of centralisation as General
Garfield should lead the way. The
immortal principles of Thomas Jeffer
son the father of American liberty
and the founder of the Democratic
party still remain the priceless heri
tage of this people, and will be treas
ured through succeeding generations
despite the teachings of General Gar
field and his Republican coadjutors.
IF, after the battle of Gettysburg,
any man bad predicted that Hancock,
the wounded Union general, would be
denounced in the year 1880 by Re
publican politicians as no better than
a rebel, and that his foeman. Long
street, in the same year would be the
pet of a Republican administration,
worthy of the distinction and honor
of representing the Union at a foreign
court, he would have been considered
a fool or a lunatic. In the light of
these accomplished facte, does it ap
pear that the Union is restored ?
TIIK elevated plane of political
morality upon which General Bearer
has perc&ed himself, and from the su
blime beigbth of which h views and
criticises wicked humanity beneath
him, was undermined in a most heart
less manner by Mr. Adam Hoy on
last Saturday night in his Court
House speech. There is imminent
danger that the whole structure may
collapse and that the lofty General
may be suddenly reduced to the lower
level of his fellow mortals. Dear
Mr. Hoy, how could you be so cruel t
CREDIT MOBIMKH is rarely men
tioned by Republican orators. They
don't like the subject.
NO. M.