dhr Centre iftlis ilrmorrat. NIIUGKRT \ FORSTKR, Editors. VOI.. X ©lit Cniivf Jlcmocvat. Term* 51.50 por Annum, tu Advance. S. T. SHUQERT and R. H. FORSTER, Editora. Thursday Morning, February 3. 1881. \YR are in receipt of the Philadel phia llecord'a very interesting almanac for I*Bl, for which the publisher will please accept our thanks. The Democrats of Clinton county will bold delegate elections in the various districts of the county, on next Saturday, for the purpose of electing delegates to nominate a can didate for the legislature to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Whaley. The delegates will meet in convention at Lock Haven on the following Tuesday. MIL HAY IS has nominated his brother-in-law, Stanley Matthews, of Ohio, a Justice of the Supreme Court. To make room for another Ohio man and reward a serviceable relative who participated in the theft of the 1 resi dency, Mr. Hayes has been persistent in procuring the resignation of Judge Swavne. The nomination was referred to the Judiciary Committee of the Senate, where it is probable the quali fications of Mr. Matthews and the propriety and fitness of the appoint ment will be severely overhauled. The dead lock over the election of a United States Senator still continues in the Pennsylvania legislature. Our Republican friends may a* well break it by consenting to the re-election of Senator Wallace for another term of six years. Pennsylvania can have no better representative at M ashington than Mr. Wallace. His ability and experieuce are well known. His un tiring devotion to the vont aud impor tant interests of our great Common wealth in bis past public services makes assurance doubly sure that they can b< safely cntru-ted to bis care in the future, and the unseemly wrangle of factions at Harrisburg cannot end better than by giving him the well deserved compliment of a re-election. The nnnual agitation of the re moval of the State Capitol from Har risburg to Philadelphia has already made its appearance in the Legisla ture and bills are introduced to that effect. The State Capitol is at least one hundred miles too near Philadel phia now, with its sinks of polutinn and its deficiency of decent political morality. It will indeed be a sorry day when the legislature consents to locate the State government in a city where they are incapable of holding an honest election or punishing a scoundrel for defraudyg the ballot. Philadelphia is not the place to send our representatives to obtain honest legislation or honest administration. If Harrisburg, like Philadelphia, has become an unsuitable place for the State government, send it to the cen tre as far from city influence as |ossi ble. MR. HA YEN, as the closing day of his ill gotten lease of power ap proaches, can still manage to pick up an Ohio man for any vacancy that occurs in the ranks of the office hold ers of the land. His lost examples of the undue bias of his mind toward the Buckeye patriots willing to serve their country for the emoluments that per tain to public office are to he seen in the appointment of his brother-in-law, Stanley Matthews, to fill the vacancy on the bench of the Supreme Gourt, caused hy the resignation of Justice Swayne, ami that of Major Swaim to be Judge Advocate General of the army. It is also reported that be has an Ohio man to fill the collectorship of the port of San Francisco. The people of the Pacific slope may not take kindly to this favor of his Fraud ulency, but as it is a fair example of civil service reform as practiced by the Hayes administration, they will be obliged to grin and bear it. "KV|t!AL ANI> KX ACT JfHTK K TO ALL MEN, or WIIATKVKR STATIC OR I'KIISU ANION, HICI.IOIOOB OR POLITICAL."—J.fT*r*on Tho Deud Look. Tlio situation at Hnrrisburg re mains unchanged. The war upon the infamous Cameron ring is still in full vigor, and the independants show no present signs of again submitting to the domination of the bosses. The overtures made by the bosses to the Democrats to aid them in suppressing the rebellion of the bolting Republi cans, in consideration of our being favored with a l'uir apportionment, has received little, if any considera tion. In this the Democracy are to be congratulated. They have felt the iron heel and infamous wrongs of the Cameron ring too long now to make common cause with them in overcoming an independent revolt against their tyranny. For this serv ice the honest fellows would agree to perform their duty and make un hon est apportionment. This would cer tainly be very desirable, but we un entitled to it under the Constitution and laws of the State, and to be call ed to barter for it, is an insult to be resented. If the members of the L>'g islature are incapable of acting fairly and holiestly in dividing the State in to " compact, contiguous districts," as required by the Constitution and laws, and their oath*. except bv our degra dation, then let them perjure tiunutelvf* for the political advantages they hold or hope to hold in the future. We say to our Democratic friends, hands off! If you deal with scoundrels you will be cheated. You have nothing to hope for in the make-up* of a fair, decent ap|>ortionment, except in toe integrity of such Republican iiicrn bers as cannot be controlled by ring management to do wrong, in the face of the law regulating it. They are quite as likely to lie found in the ranks of those who possess the courage to strike at the tyranny of Boaa rule. It these fail in decency and fairness, their work cannot lie worse than the infamous gerrymander under which we have rested in the past. TllE Clinton Democrat has the fid lowing in reference to our distinguish ed Senator, Hon. C. T. Alexander: <ur Senator, Mr. Alexander, has been placed upon the important committees of finance, apportionment, federal rela tions and Judiciary in the Senate. These are the most imfiortanl commit tees of the Senate and Mr. Alexander is the only Senator who is on all four. This fact attests the high estimation in which our Senator i held hy his fellow members. Perhaps they are putting him in training for Gubernatorial hon or*. Centre county breed* Governor* anil candidate* for Governor. Senator Alexander is justly held in high esteem by his fellow members of both parties. He is one of the ablest, if not the ablest Senator upon the floor of the State Senate, and we have no douht the future has in store for him such further honors as his great at tainments and abilities deserve. He would make one of the liest Governors Pennsylvania ever had, and we should lie glad to favor his election to that position. mm —— m - Mit. CAMPBELL, the new comptroller of New York, successor of John Kel ley, creates quite a sensation among the office-holders by requiring fair earnings of all officials and dis|iensing with the services of superfluous at taches. He has cut down the appro priations in his department from SIBIJX)H to $117,000. The ne.w comp troller is n working officer himself, and is not disposed to be surrounded by drones. His example is worthy of extended acceptance in other spheres of service where the people are ex pected to foot the bills. THE Republican papers claim great credit for giving full force to the late election in Maine in not counting out Governor Daisied. Assumed honesty may be counted to their credit in the absence of the genuine article. But in this case they could not do other wise than scat the duly elected Gov ernor. Throwing out all the possible technical errors in returns his election was still secured by a respectable margin. • , BEL I.E FONTE, I'A., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY X 18H|. Tho Election of Prosidont. For yearn there litis been n growing belief in tho minds of many jicrsons who have given mature thought to ihc subject, that the present method of electing the President and Viet* Presi dent of the United States through the indirect machinery of the electoral college should in some manner be changed. The cumbersome and round about method of electing these i fticers ' by electors chosen in each State i.s not in accord with the Democratic spirit of the age. The system was probably proper enough when adopted under a j belief that the voter would submit the choice of a President entirely to the discretion and judgment of the elector. But under our present system of poli tics the voter is not supposed to yield his own will to another. Jn effect he might as well vote directly for the candidate of his choice. Candidates are placed in nomination by the vari ous |K>litieal parties aud the elector is bound in honor to vote for the men of the party he represent*. The system therefore no longer serve* the purpo-*- in view ut the time of it* adoption, which was to place the responsibility of a choice entirely u|kui the electoral college. Since this purpose i* no long er jsi-sible we should have a change and bring the election nearer to % tlie people. As step* in this direction, a number of propositions for an amend ment to the Constitution have be* n suggested by statesmen and other* interested in the question, which are lieginuiug to attract attention, an nod doubt in due time some just and prac ticable measure to t-fleet the desired change will be formulated and adopt ed. Among these propositions is one which was offered in the Senate last week by .Senator Wallace, and which will command attention ami elicit dis cussion. The Hnrri-hurg J'at riot has long favored a direct vote of tlu* |K*O ple for President and Vice President, and in a late isuc gives n favorable opinion upon the proposition of our distinguished .Senator. It remarks that "Senator Wallace's proposition divide* the several States into convenient dis tricts, each State to contain as many districts as it lias senators and repre sentatives in congress and each district to cast one vote for president and vice president, a plurality vote to elect. The votes of the several districts are to be certified to the federal house of representatives by a State lumrd of canvassers. The idea of a direct vote for president and vice president has long lieen favored by this journal. It was suggested by Andrew Jackson when president in one of his mossnges ' to congress and advocated by Thomas 11. Benton in the Uniti-d States senate who introduced a bill to carry it into effect. Senator Wallace's plan, how-j ever, is nn improvement on former suggestions of n direct popular vote for president. The district plan pre serves the present power of the smaller States and at the same time desertion alixes the canvass for the presidency, i Under it many northern districts would cast their votes for the Demo cratic candidates ami many southern ! districts for the Republican candidates. The frauds committed in the great cities, too, would le rendered less ef- 1 fectual as they could affect only a few districts instead of controlling as now the voice of nn entire State. The amendment should speedily become a |rt of tlie federal constitution." Certainly here is food for thought and argument, and we hope the subject will not be permitted to rest until a new method of electing our highest executive, officers more in harmony with Democratic ideas is made the su preme law of the land. THAT veracious individual known as the Washington (Correspondent is very busy at present in arranging a cabinet for the incoming President. It is just possible, however, that Mr. Garfield may have n word to say about the matter himself, aud that nearly all i tho conjectures of the aforesaid vera , cious individual may prove to he mere inventions of the imagination. The only thing that seems to he decided upon is that Senator Blaine will be the Secretary of State, with a proba bility that Senator Allison, of lowa, may be the Secretary of the Treasury. Of the effort now being made to place Grant ou the retired li-t of the army with the rank of General and a salary of about $20,000 a year, the Doylestowu Democrat pertinently re marks, "The Senate is opposed to the measure; ami we think properly. If there were any just reason why this bill should pass, no doubt it would meet the approbation of the country. Gen. Grant has received more honors from the country and more money from the government than any otlmr public man. He is now rich, without children to sup|irt; they having mar ried rich, and b<- docs not need pecu niary assistance. The p'-r-i-tent ef forts of bis political friends to get him a large salary without any duti<s to |M-rform, places Grant licforc the country in the poiti-m of a mendicant, aud docs Ids reputation an injury. They should let him alone, ami allow him, like bis predecessors in the presi dential chair, to retire upon bis hon or*. This course will be a surer metli iml of gaining him the universal re -ject of Ids countrymen." Senator Mohoan from Alabama lifts introduced in the Senate of the 1 nited States a sulistitute for the Klectoral Count resolution of Senator Ingnll*, of Kansu-. Senu' r Morgan's resolution i- concurrent ami after pass ing the Senate goes to the house for action. It provides that the two houses of Congress assemble in the bull of the House of Representatives ou Wednesday, 9th February, 18*1, at 12 o'clock and proceed to count the vote ; that the President of the Sen ate shall lie the presiding officer ; that one |*ersoii shall be teller upon the part of the Senate and two upon the part of the House. It further provides the manner of counting the vote which i* vested in the houses themselves, the N ice President only opening the votes and paa-ingthem to the tellers. Thus will the question of the absolute au thority of the Vice President in count ing the electoral vote lie settled ami a dangerous precedent IK- avoided. 'I he Senatorial dead lock in the Tenoessee legislature was broken last week by the election of Henry K. Jackson, Democrat, to succeed Sena tor Bailey of that State. Mr. Jack j son is said to lie a lawyer of high : standing aud great nhility and his I election to so exalted a |isition is re reived by the |tcuple of Tennessee with extreme satisfaction. The Repuhli • ans hoped to gain a Senator in this State, which would have given them a clear majority in the United Statre Senate. The election of Jackson, however, will make that body stand 37 Democrats, 37 Republicans, with 2, Davis, of Illinois, and Malionc, of Virginia, classed as independents. SEN AD ut C. T. ALEXANDER has in troduced a hill into the State Senate, ; "To prevent the sale of any spirituous, vinous, malt or brewed liquors which may in any manner lie adulterated, mixed, drugged, diluted or compound oil with drugs, or any other deleterious or poisonous matter." Senator Alex ander has given much thought aud great elaboration to the preparation of the bill, and it should become a law. The bill provides the necessary ma chinery for enrrying its provisions into effect. OUR Republican friends may not like it, hut it is well enough to remind them of the fact that Gen. Hancock has a larger popular vote in the Unit ed Statea than the successful man in the Klectoral College. The latest re vised returns give Hancock 4,444,- 818 votes; Garfield 4,437.981. Hnn cock's majority over Garfield 6,382. IT has been charged with great do lfbehition for several weeks past that i Chester A. Arthur, the Vice President elect, is not a native of the United States. These allegations have taken form und affidavit- have been procured Ly those investigating the matter which go to prove conclusively that Mr. Arthur was born in ('anuda, and of course is ineligible for the Vice Presidency. It bus always been given out that he was born at St. Albans, \ t., but this is shown to he erroneous. Ihe registry of all births and deaths in these New Lngland villages makes it very easy to trace such thing- to j their source. Mr.'Arthur is reported as being much alarmed and is engag ed in an investigation himself. His family was well known in both Canada and Vermont, and apjxar- to have led a -ort of nomadic life, wandering from the States to Cunada and then back. While living in St. Albans a Chester Allen Arthur was born to this family, but be died shortly after and is buried there. 1 here is no record of our own ( heater having come to light within the boundaries of the little State of Vermont while there is abundant ev idence that he uttered his fir-t rebel yell in < anada. ADDITIONAL LOCALS. Tns Mnvsi) Wkkk or COCRT.—Court open.-.) M< oJay tx>rolng *t 10 o'clock, Ifu Il'.n r ii.U" ■ >r\i praMiag. Oaao < "iitil .| to. t. iM-ing before the Court, it sdj • ••. rn■ I to 2 o clock v. v. In ih<- ATO-moon ibe trial lot A <AM<-<] over, srid (ii marked reedy for trisl At tin* Win en 1 t" tieur Application* f.-r conlinu *nce of isuii'i. 1 lie lot of Treverse jur | or* we* e!o i a)led, most of them fs-ing present A jury • summoned lo the box *nd < ne reuse *ftr Another called, until ell the reuse* for trial 1. A I been gone over, bat none of the perli< * to suits being pre. i parwl for trial, Court adjourned until Tuesday morning. ! Court met in pursuance of adjournment. Hi* II"nor Judge C. A Meter prodding, witb Aoriate Judge* Given and Franck lon the tM-nch. The first cause taken up *a* the one of G.|,ry vs. Samuel | Krider—an ejectment (or a part of the William Ilabn lr*< t, situated in Walker ! townshq The jsunt for the jury lo de ! i ide in tlt is rase • whether If F Shaf ; fer, who purchased this land at Treasurer s | alo in 1*72, for A. C. Gwry, when it was ! sold for taxes, wa* of was not the agent of i Samuel Kryder to give his personal alien [ tion to it and to pay the taxes on the land, Mr Kryder being a resident of another ! county. It appeared from the evidence that in 1871 Mr. Kryder had asked Mr ShafTer to have his land rut on and asse.s<d in the unseated list of Walker township This, Mr Bbaf!Vr says, is all he understood - he was to do, and that he did not agree to | ;KIV the tnirt nor see that they were paid. Mr. Kryder that he under*lo<d j that Mr Shaffer was to look after and at tend to the land, and for that reason he | never gave any attention to the pay mont of the taxes on it. The jury returned aver : dirt for the defendant, which wa* to the • fleet that Mr. Shaffer wa* the agent of | Mr. Kryder at the lime of the sale, and i therefore any acts of Mr Shaffer, at that ' lime, would enure to the benefit of bis prin cipal, Mr. Kryder. I The next cause tried was Campbell llroa. v James M< Mullen, constable, for having levied on the property of the flrm of Campbell Brothers, and sold it for the in dividual indebtedness of Gtsirge W. Camp bell, a member of the firm The jury, up I to Wodnnrday at 111 o'clock, bad not vet agreed. Tho next cause called and now being tried i* the one of Frank J. Weaver v*. Benjamin Ilafflev for closing up a road between the two properties owned bv these parties, which was t<> have boon left open by an agreement between the parties at the time the properties were purchased. Court will in all probability adjourn to-day as there are but two more case* on the list for trial. RCFORT or OltAXtl JURY. The Grand Inquest having followed the instructions of the Court and disposed of all the business laid before us, re*|iectfully report that we have carefully examined the county building* and find them in good repair and well taken care of for the purpose* for which they *re used, except that the roof in front of 1 the kitchen door leading into the jail yard must facilitate the escape of prisoners," being not more than eight or ten feet from top of wall, and that the floor in the comtni**inners' room needs soma repairs, J. W. COLLINS, Foreman. INJURED.—A small son of Mr. William Green, the colored porter at the Brocksr hoff House, wa* quite seriously injured on Monday last. In attempting to jump on a sled which was moving along Allegheny •treet, he lot hi* hold and fell, one of the front runner* passing over hi* neck, cut ting it quite severely. —The Representatives from this county have been assigned to the fallowing com mittee* : Mr. Uephart, to Appropriation*, Railroads, Public Building*, Pension* and Gratuities, Vice and Immorality, and Mr. Murray, to Judiciary (local), Geological Survey, Insurance and Manufactures. IhKMM: per Annum, In Advance. "fluj bod Haw Merry," TWO BOTH SENTENCE!! TO IJEATII FOB THE MCROCK OC THEIR I'ATIIKR. MAHIVILIE, MO., Jan. I'j, ]>>< l. A motion lor u new trial and in ar rest of judgment in the case* of Al bert l'. uri'J Charles E. Talbott, who were yesterday found guilty ol iuoa> in- ' ating their father in tin* county, on the IStb of lust .September, wan overruled Iby Judge Howell thm afternoon. Hit honor then directed Albert I*. Talbott to stand uj>, and, while the court room wa wra|i| e I in profound silence, raid ; " Have you any reaaon why the sen ; fence of death should not be pronounc ied upon you The priaoner stood be fore the court with bia arm. folded and and a look of defiance upon hi* face. • With quivering lip, he raid : J„ the first place, because 1 am not guilty," Hi* Honor said : "The jury says you are, and I therefore direct that you be confined in the jail of Nodaway county until the liuth d.v of March. IKbl, and •on that day the Sheriff aball lake you ! 'be place of execution, and there hijng you by the neck until you are dead, and may (rod have mercy on i your soul. ' Hi* honor went on; "< harle* K. Tallrott, you too may aland up. Have you any reaaon why the sen tence of death rhould not be pronounc ed u|Kii you ? The boy, never flinch ing in the lea*t, never rhowing one iota of emotion or nervousness in bia face, •aid he war not guilty. Jhe Judge raid : j " 1 he jury ray* you are. and I therefore j direci that you be confined to the jail of Nodaway county until the 2h day of March. I**l. and on that day the Sher t ill rball take you la the place of execu -1 tion ami there hang you by the neck until you an* dead, and may 'rod have mercy on your roul!" HEOKEN HEARTS. It war a heartrending roe no in the : court room that followed the death sentence. W omen cried, shrieked a* if in agony. Strong men wept at the terrible rcene of mother, nater and other relative! of the convicted and sentenced boy* a* they wrapped their arm* around their neck* and wept ar if their heart* would break. Albert broke completely down and wept like a j child. At a few minute* before five o'clock the court adjourned, and thus end* the greatest murder trial, probably, 1 in the binory of Miaaouri. The >cw Tennr**ee Senator. j Jm-i Vtill* While I am a Hcmocrat. devoted to the principle* of that party, it i not in my nature, temperament or training, to be a mere partisan. 1 am not a mere partisan. and, while heartily support ing democratic mea*tire* of public ' interest and policy in the Senate of the j I nited State*. I hnll tnake no faction* opposition (o the Republican admima j tration and it* mea*ure* -imply because they are Republican. 'n the contrary, I ahall yield a hearty support to all *uch • measure* of the administration a, in my judgment, will be promotive to the public weal. To build up the material interest* not only of thi* great Com. monwealth, hut of the whole countrv ; to break down sectional ' animosities and ret tore harmony and kindly feel ing between the section* ; to promote purity, economy and reform in the ad ministration of the government ; to relieve, a* far a* po**ible, the burden now reating on the people in the *hape of an uneven revenue aystem, are *ome of the object* worthy the attention of every statesman and patriot. To theae, and all great objects of national con cern, 1 shall addre** myself •* your representative. Srrlon* Railroad Accident. Minni.xnraa. Pa.. January 30.—An ac cident on the Sunbury and I/ewistown railroavl, near this place yesterday morn ing, wa caused by a broken rail, by which the train w* run off the track. The mail train left l*wi*town at 7 a. m. It coni*ted of two passenger ear* and !an engine. When the rati broke the hind car jumped the track and dragged the front car with It, when both car* jumped the track, turned over on their j side* and took fire. The passenger* were taken out with considerable diffi cully, and only after the door* and window* had been broken in. Fifteen person* in all were injured, five of them *enouslv—the latter being Andrew j Wolfkill, conductor; W. H. liana, of Lewi*tow n. mail sgent ; Samuel Ikiwen, of Middleburg: Mr*. Margaret Greiner, of Sehnsgrove, and John Suhalneeker, of Middleburg. Ikiwen wa* pulled from under the stove, liana wa* for some time believed to bo dead, but wa* re suscitatod. There were only twenty five per*on* on the train. The farmer* of California are endeav oring to devise mean* by which the wheat of that State can be sold at a price fairly remunerative to the produc er. A meeting of the farmers' commit tee ha* been held, at which it was stat ed that the bank* will co-operate if the farmer* will pay taxes upon wheat in More and do their utmo*l to prevent Urge quantities of grain being thrown on the market A convention of farm era will be held in San Franciaoo early in February to decide upon soma plan of action. Frank MrGrath. colored, was hanged on Friday last at Georgetown, S. C., for the murder of Joaie Small, colored. A reprieve wa* on the way, but there is no communication by railroad or tele- f graph, and it arrived too late. / Mr. Don Cameron la about to make the greatest effort of hit Ufa. IU need a to. J i NO. :>.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers