Iljf Centre iHk Democrat. SHKiKUT X FOUNT Hit, Editors. VOL. 3. Ife* Centre jpemorrat. Terms 51..50 per Annum,in Advance. I $. T. SHUGERT snd H. H FORSTER. Editors. 1 Thursday Morning, March 31, 1881. i < THE thanks of the DEMOCRAT arc I tendered to Hon. William A. Wallace ' < and Hon. Samuel J. Randall for kind 1 favors from Washington, and also, to i Hon. C'yrus T. Alexander for an early i copy of Stnull's legislative Hand- ' j Book. READ the sprightly letter of our ! Ilarrishurg correspondent. It is a tine- j ly drawn and entertaining picture of 1 the legislative bear garden at the j 1 State capitol. A COMMISSION is now investigating the War Department to ascertain the manner of appointments in that de partment for the last year or two. The allegations are that improper conside rations, including the payment of mo ney, and other violations of law, have largely influenced many of the ap pointments. MAHONI: had his say in the Senate last Monday, and a sorry say it was. He bored the Senate and galleries for four mortal hours, with a dull, prosy speech in explanation of his cour-e and utterly failed to convince any ■ one of the purity of his motives or the honesty of his course. The corrupt bargain and sale which bus led him into the Republican ranks cannot In explained away. "THE democrats rlo not ex tract much ' comfort from the New York appoint nieiile. They are able to ee in them the ominous spectre of a solid Hepubli can party in that Stale."— Hc'.lrfonle ll'■ publican, Kditomil. " THE nominations are generally sat isfactory, with the exception of General I Robertson and it is feared his nomina- ! tion will tir up the Conkling men and cau-e a desperate opposition in the Senate."— RtUtfonle Republican, Washing ton Vorratpondcnce. The above extracts do present an "ominous spectre of a solid Republi can party," in New York, with the Lordly Roecoe on his ear at Washing ton, out of which the Democrats can " extract " considerable "comfort." THE I nited States Senate is at a dead lock. The Repuhli&iu members refuse to hold Executive sessions for i the confirmation of Presidential ap- j pointments, until the Democrats will ; agree to the passage of a resolution changing the officers of the Senate and thus ratifying the bargain with Ma hone to provide for two of his person al friends, one of whom—his chief strik er in the repudiation party of Vir ginia—is named for Sergeant-at-arms. The Democrats arc masters of the sit uation and declare that they will make no opposition to the organization pro vided the name of the latter is strick en out, ami n Republican offered in i his place. The Democrats are oppo- ! sed to any obstruction policy, but will ' not consent to place in the office of sergeant-at-arius a Virginia Repudia tor, without merit, merely to consum mate a disgraceful bargain. THIXOH CHANGE! In 1876, and again in 1880, Conkling prevented the nomination of Blaine for President and exulted in bis power to do so. Now, Blaine is the right bower of the Administration, and the devoted friends of Conkling upon whom he re lies to maintaiu his power of dictator, arc ordered to the rear by Blaine, as J the first step to extract the fangs of his imperious and malignant opponent. The fight is already assuming interest ing significance, and we greatly over rate the ability and vim of Garfield's Premier if, with the hand he holds, i he comos off second best in the encouu- < ter which is sure to come between < these two great leaders of the Repub- 1 lican factions. The nomination of | Robertson as Col lector of Customs at i New York is exceedingly distasteful i to Conkling, and upon the question I of his confirmation by tho Hcuate, the i hostile factions will come in actijve ! ■a l "EQUAL ANI) KX ACT JIWICK TO ALL MEN, OK WIIATKV Kit STATE OK PK*KUAMON, KKLIUIOUK o POLITD'A L.Jc run through at the end. | S.ieh an acknowledgment no legisla* ! turn can afford to make. One thing , is /cry certain, this present legislature must account for its time, und give a value for every cent of pay drawn. 1 IT is now announced apparently upon good authority that President < Sarficld will not call an extra-session of Con gress—at least not before next Octo ber. The only member of the cabi net who earm tly favored an immedi ate extra-session was Secretary Blaine, and he sfiu. to have been overruled. Besides a strong belief that it was ab solutely necessary for the Republicans J to do something to rectify the foolish blunder made by Hayes in vetoing the ; funding hill that passed in the clos- | ing days of the late session, it is inti mated that Blaine had some ulterior political purposes personal to himself in view, which U- thought might ire advanced by an extra-session. He I will, however, lie obliged to bide his ; time. It is also understood that the ' influences that carrier! the most weight with the President in determining this question was that of tho National 1 hankers, who desire to retain the pres ent rate of interest ou their bonds and are consequently opposed to the pass age of a Dew funding measure. This I may be a satisfactory reason to the \ President why no extra session should 1 be called ; but a iurge portion of the j public w ill regard it as another act of j subserviency to the National hanking institutions of the country. After fail ing to bulldoze Congress, the hanks had rcaon to rejoice over the triumph that Hayes gave them through the use j of the veto power. It would now ap pear that they have an equally obe dient agent in Garfield. PRESIDENT GARFIELD has rcmov- j ed Mrs. Van Lew, a brave Union wo man during the war, from the Rich mond post-office in order to reward one of Mnboue's ex-C'oufcdcratc re pudiators. By this aud other ap pointments, the President gives earn est that his part of the contract in the purchase of Mahone and the Repud iates, will be ratified. It was a had bargain he maie, discreditable to his sagacity, aud will give him much trouble, if it docs not result in politi cal bankruptcy in Virginia, at least. CONK LI NO aud Cameron were the active agents in attaching the Repu diated of Virginia to the Republi can party- Whether the vote of Ma hone and the control of the commit tees will compensate for tho disgrace ful barter, is much in doubt. It has not yet secured them tho control of the offices of the Senate, so far as to make Mahone's repudiating butty, Riddleberger, Sergcant-at-anus, aud if sol likely to do so. BKLLEFONTK, l'A., THURSDAY, MARCH 31, |HH|. Hanging By a Ilair. In Progress, of lu*t week, Colonel Forney remarks with great force ami pertinence, that "tho Federal plutoc racy hangs on to government by u very slender tendril. It is the fabled sword of Damocles, always ready rap idly to descend. It is the guillotine ever threatening to cut off the head of the inventor. The hair that holds this load is the little repudiating rebel, Multone, of Virginia. Ominous name! Oeh hone! Mahom ! And it is by this putrid thread that the whole Re publieuu party is held. What a pest ilent accident! The destiny of thi> great country dependent upon the vote of a man who was elected by the Stale of Virginia to do the very thing which he refused to do, ami who buu.-l- of repudiation as a second religion. Up on this insignificant manikin the w hole i government depends. If he dies the Senate changes at once, as hccnii hav ■ no successor like himself. If he is ill all the officeholders elected by hi- vote would l>e thrown into convulsions. If he is absent even courtesy refuse- to pair with a man powerful only in jar lidy. It would not be safe to charge that this atom was bought to betray his own State; but nobody doubts what he him-elf shudders from. The slightest accident may obliterate him, ami then the whole fabric held by hi att uuaied -UJJ rt falls to the ground like a dead corpse. Tins is a miser able spectacle. A bnntli made as a breath may unmake Malone; and to secure bis vote the whole adminis tration strains every nerve; yet tin double shame remains an undying in- i fainy. When that was secured the President sent him 11 >wors an I th< galleries applauded. Why should we ' hope for honesty or courage in others when our rulers set such a pattern ?" | Tin: Washington oorrc-pomh nt id the Philadelphia Star, Mr. .1. 11 Young, writing in a late letter of lh< business that is at present engaging tho attention of the United Stales Sen- I ate, pays 11 handsome compliment to a number of the Democratic Senator* who retired from that l**ly on the tth ;of March. His reference to the Hon. W. A. Wallace is especially compli mentary, n* will Ikj seen by the follow- i | ing extract: "This week's event in the Senate j show how much thsl hotly m:**es such men a* Thurmsti, Wallace, MrtSomdd I and Pmckney Whyte. One could easily ' | see that Htysrd waa disgusted, and so, too, was it the ease with l.imar. These two are l>rn leaders, and are conserva tive, both by nature and from training, but they will not lead, not caring. I suppose, to incur, the petty annoyances that they would surely lx> subjected to 1 were they to crow the purpose* of the majority of their party. Pendleton J shows good qualitiea lor leadership when the seas aie calm, hut he ia not the man foj an emergency. He takes Wallace's place as chairman of the Democratic senatorial caucus. By the way. Wallace haa not left tho city. No man left the Senate with greater re- ' spect entertained for him a* o hit qual ities a- a gentleman, his attainment* as a legislator, and ht* ability as a man. , In his six year* of service, while he , took a prominent part in all of the in portnnt questions Wore the body, and ; waa always positive in his l-srty fealty, he made no enemies and constantly maintained the respect of all. And so 1 fsr ss Pennsylvania ia concerned, she 1 never had a man in the Senate truer to her interests." THE Democrats might possibly con trol the next House of Representa tive* at Washington by a trade with the Grccnhackers such as was made by the Republican* of the United State* Senate with the repudiator Ma hono for the control of that body. But we hope nothiug of the kind will be attempted. We fully agree with the Philadelphia Record that "an hon est minority is always more tolerable and more respectable than a majority obtained by a dishonest coalition." *— - . THE new Kmpcror of Russia, Alex dor 111, like a prudent ruler with the fear of sudden death constantly before him, has designated Ids brother, the Grand Duko Yladimcr, to be regent of tho empire in caso an accident should happen before a son, the heir to the throne, becomes of age. The re gent would rule during the minority of Alexander's sou. THE STATE CAPITAL. A LEGISLATIVE IIF.AK G\H DI'.N ATTORNEY UINEHAI. I'ALMKR'H OPINION ON THE HA I.AIIY yi: f.HTION —IS DIGN AN T REM HUH. Oorre||iUlti|Mir of Ct*TRB I M'm ftAT Hakrisiilru, Pa., March 29, IKHI. The place of the Pennsylvania Leg is I luture in history was assured years ago and the present body has done nothing ; calculated to disturb the well earned contempt in which its predecessors are justly held. It is, perhaps, well that only an infinitesimal proportion of the people of this Commonwealth ever visit the State Capital while their represcn tatives are engaged in the ta-k of en grafting upon the statute books the law* under which they live. Distance, in this case undoubtedly bring* the gentlemen of the legislature under soft er light and more subdued colors, but disenchantment, swilt and sure follows personal observation of ibis august • -einiily. I'hat a great State like Penn sylvania, with Iter wealth, her culture and intelligence should he cursed in her |-,w making body with the ineompeten cv, ignorance, immorality and whole sale debauchery which characterizes the present Legislature, is a biting satire u|miii popular elections and a discourag ing guide-post to the student of our form of government. Not that then are not good men and true in both Houses, for there a-e many, bjt the disgraceful cond ict of the rooster ele rnent casta it* shade over the com. ion tious endeavors of those who are hon estly enli-ted in the interests of the people and who are jealous of the f.-nr fame of the I .oily of which they an member*. The scene* enacted in the House last week were the most out rsgoous ever witnessed in a legislative) body, even exceeding the riotous pro 1 ceediug* of previous --ions. Uf course tin- Philadelphia members, with a few . honorable exceptions, were the he., I and In.nt of the olb-ndir.g and r till , nobly d I th< y .Main ih ;r reputation* 1 ss rouei-h r-. ward bummer - ar.l slio d d-r hilt< rs. The only limn in op|>c*j tmn to the i e-ties i,! the who seemed to be | erfectly hsppv, was Wolf, of Union. He thrives in at. mp< si nd r:d- aw!. . ■ I t- if In- eij ved it in,. D .nee' iic . e-..b- r t'.e c try ' i:ig o. c isior,. •|>-|>nrteintod hi* friends, j Line the King of France, of whom you have doubtless heard, lie marched up the hill nnd then marched down again. He is a complete failure and will only lie remeinliered as the great vindicator, in memory ot his gallnnt attack on an unprotected newspaper reporter, whom j he demoliiuJed in order to "vindicate" 1 j Speaker llcwit. This latter gentleman ' bo* been ignominiously toppled from the lofty pedestal he occcupied so long. He showed himself in hi* true colors a* the friend and tool of the ring, and he now enjoys a legacy of scorn that will last him the remainder of his net. Ural life. Kven Bierly, the ambitious •Solon, from Lycoming, who gave the Speaker all the Democratic support he received, has soured on him and this is a lit'.le more than any one men can stand. It ia interesting to note bow such thorough gentlemen a* Kneas* and Law, of Philadelphia, Long, of Jeflerson and other Republican member* of like stamp conduct themselves toward the rag tag and bob-tail which constitutes the majority of their party associate* on the floor. They despise them heartily and when tho House adjourn* and their official intercourse ceases, they conveniently forget that such people exist. The exquisite and dove-like Souder of Philadelphia, who will bo re membered as the projector of the Leg islative Committee which waa to hnvo met Grant at San Franciaoo, on hia re turn from abroad, announced his plat form one day last week in terms too unmistakable to be misunderstood. Ue said that he would "kick in the rib* of the first reporter who would dare to criticise bis statesmanship," Souder, the statesman, Hubn, the reformer, i Hazlet, the foo of corruption. These ! L<- all patriots, all lor the old flag—and an appropriation. Attorney General Palmer's opinion on i the question of the members' salary, ] which immediately followed Hie passage of the general appropriation bill allow ing the member- $1,500 for this session, has created the greatest excitement, and the law officer of the Common wealth is being denounced in language which I am certain cannot be found in the shorter catechism. Stewart, of Franklin, made an exceedingly bitter speecli in the Senate in which he han dled Palmer in no gentle manner. There is deep indignation expressed on every side at what is termed the unwarranted action of the Attorney General. And indeed there is good reason to think that there i -otui- ulterior motive hid. den under this opinion. Latouche, tho inquisitive member, whoso letter to Treasurer Butler precipitated Mr. Palm er's manifesto, is a near neighbor of the Attorney General, and collusion be tw. en these worthies is openly charged. Palmer is simply a member of the Gov ernor s cabinet, and his right to pass upon the constitutionality of an act of the legislature before it has been re viewed by the Supreme Court is cer tainly an enormous stretch of authority. He can us easily demolish an edict of the College of Cardinal-as thus strike a law from our statute Looks. This matter, however, all grows out of the factional fight of the Republicans over ' the St natorship. The time thus wasted wou',-1 have enabled the Legislature to disjM.-e of all the l>u-in< SA before it in ( 'he regular session. Thus the people are furnished with another beautiful | exemplification of the great Llc-sing* ■ inf.-red upon tliern by Republican a- 1 oemiai cf in our Mate. By the way there is a curious story going the rounds of the politicians here ; to the effect that I)on Cameron and Wayne MacVeagh have pooh-d their isu>-- nndwiil hereafter pull together .n State j-otitics. If this is true, and there t no good reason to doubt it, I>on ha shown a little of that crsft winch ' for so many years distinguished the I I tulc of hi> venerable father. A little , mixture of kid glove reform under the i L id • I M it Veagh will do much to pol- i j i*h up the general appearance of the short hairs of the ring under otir Hon. I lie Republicans say facetiously, that Pennsylvania now has thieo United ! States Senators alluding to the purchase ' of Mahone by our senior Senator. Cam i eron's friends claim that all the delicate negotiation* which resulted in landing the repudiation Senator from Virginia ' in the Republican fold, were conducted j by the blonde Senator from Pcnnsylva j nia. Ihe dose is a little nauseating to ' a few Republicans who yet claim to j have some self respect left out of the ! wreck, but tbey manage to swallow it under the perfume of Garfield's j I roses. A neat steal was discovered in the | j appropriation bill, on last Thursday, i but a vigorous application of the party lash brought the recalcitrants into the | ! races and the item passed. It gave a ' man who is styled "Keeper of Station 1 , ary," an entirely new office. SI,OOO. The debate disclosed the fact that bis j duties consist of taking care of about | three hundred dollars worth of paper and distributing it in the committee rooms, a matter which had heretofore been attended to by tho chief clerk. You can readily tee the fine Italian hand of the Hon. Sam. lluhn, in this raid upon the treasury. The disposi tion of these gentlemen for peculation and plunder 1* not changed. Tbey are only more cautious as to the manner in which tbey reach for the dollar of the daddies. It it a remarkable fact that although the Legislature has been in continuous session for over fifty days they have only spent about one hundred hours at their legitimate duties. All legislation \ is backward and but little is being done 1 to clear the calendar. It is safe to as sume that but few bills of actual im portance will lie passed before adjourn ment. The infamous Recorder's bill bids fair to be repealed, but it will re quire both nerve and endurance to ac complish this against the determined opposition of the ting, with the passive if not active support of Speaker Hewit. The appropriation bills will of course be the first to be disposed of. Senate bill to prevent the consolidation of tel egraph companies will hardlt be reach TOMS: #1.50 |M*r Aiiiiu.-ii, in Advance. <•' lin the House. It is a move in the right direction hut eorne* rather late iu the day. General Reaver wft* here again ami appeared before committee j to prevent the diverting of the appro j priation to the .State College from the purpoae for which it wa intended. There in a deop seated feelingof disgust among member* of l>oth branches, aa to the management of that inntitution, and it in more than likely that iu days are numbered. The proportion to con vert it into an asylum for the insane meet* with very general approbation. It i thought that a few first-class luna tics will do wonder* on the exjierirnen tal farm. They w ill be able to under stand the plan upon which it s con ! ducted. It is very gratifying to note the ea teern HI which the immediate represen tatives ol ''entre county are held by their fellow membera. S-utor Alex ander is credited with being one of the ablest men in the Senate, lie is an ac, compli-hed parliamentarian and ready debater, while bis fine abilities as a lawyer make hirn invaluable in com mittee. The Senate 'JI a dignified, de liberate body, and the turmoil and con fusion of the llou-o is never seen with in the wall* of the Senate chamber. 'Squire Gephart, in the word* of John l aunce, i* one of the safest men in tb" House, h.- judgment z<-n last month that both of i it* legs and arms had to be amputated. Mrs. D-alg, an old lady living near ' Ebensturg. nm found alone in her ' house a few days ago and nearly starved to death. She bad had nothing to eat but hard corn for a week. Kx Senator Gordon, of Georgia, it is * said, is getting ready to build a railroad . from Columbus, Mo*., through the great coal fields of Northern Alabama, to j Atlanta. That is better than |>olitics. Gorernot .lackson. of West Virginia, took strong ground in his recent inaug , oral against the National Government meddling in popular education, and ! thought that each Stale ought to be left ' to educate it* people in it* own way. ! Ida Lewi*, of the Lime Rock Light house, Newport, K. 1., whose many heroic and successful effort* to aave human live* are known throughout the land, was presented a few day* ago with the silver medal of the Massachusetts Humane Society. F.x Representative John F. Chamber lain, of Rradford county, died a few day* ago. He was for many year* prom inent in the business and political af fairs of the county. He was elected to ; the legislature three times, twice with out opposition. Mr. Wendell Phillip*, in an address on Ireland, in Ronton, on Sunday even j ing, said : "The cause of Ireland ha* been advocated with free speech, with argument, with precedents and statin ; ticn, but to day Gladnlone sits down on the safety valve, and it will be his own fault if he goen sky way.'' Jacob Schaefer, Daniel Zeigler and Mr*. Wm. l.indennuth, all of them aged person* and residing in Myers town, I/ebanon county, have died with in two week*. They were heavily in sured in the interest* of outside parties. The Kiston Jiy says that an investi gation is spoken of. Col. K. A. L. Robert* died suddenly at Titusville yesterday. He bad amaaa ed a large fortune by the manufacture of torpedoes to he ex'plnded in oil welts. He was born in the State of New York, and came into the oil region* immedi ately after the war. The enterprise* ! lie bad begun will he continued by bis I brother, Seoator W. A. Roberts. Mile. Rernhardt went to see Niagara jon Sunday of last week. Shew** spell bound, but the (alls were not. The falls roared ; the Mile, shuddered. Then the latter went to hei hotel and wrote in the hotel album : "How good God i* to have created such beautiful things— with enthusiasm signed, Sarah Hera hard!, IRSJ. Mr. Archibald Forbot, who is in Chi. cago, suffering considerably from let wound received at Vlundi, says that "the outcome of Nihtdfl be a Russian constitution ufl doubt," He had a high' opinfl murdered Char, whom he cifl •• "the only honest NO. 13.