£TI)c (Centre AUs Urmocmt,
SHUUERT & FOHSTER, Editors.
VOL. 4.
Oe en tre
Ttrmc li.AO per Annum.in Advance.
8. T. SHUQERT and R. H. FORBTER. Editor..
Thursday Morning, February 23,1882.
Contre County Democratic Com
mittee —1882.
auTMcra. SAME. r. o. M,aau.
BrIU font*. N W..W. r. R.'lwr Bollifuiilo.
•' s. W... Churl** SMITH-.... "
" w. vr.juiip. Schofl.id. .. "
Dovartl
c. K. Bwinclou... Mll*tmr.
Millh.itn ..A. W*l!*r* Mlllbplni.
Philip*)' l "* l>. W ll,>ll Phlllpahiirg.
tJnlunTill. J C Smith PUniln*.
H*an*r l'rt.l, Sto.*r n*ll*tonl*.
H..** A MrMoitlllll, Mil** l ""*.
Burn, A William ll(p| la . Plno 01. .
I.'oll** .Prank T.Jthi I.*moli(.
Curtln ...... Prwik. RNBB IfoWSN.
r.rfuuo. O. P...A J. OF*odorf.—lTar.liroA Mill*.
S. P....J. 11. ll*l.*rliDA - ihn k S|,rtn*.
ClroI. H •• M >* R'-i"l Sprtii* Mill*
•• S. P.. HonJ. Umh*rt
Itaiiir. CM. M. K.1.1.r -
lUlfoKHinT Ornv Half
Il.rn. _.J*nir Ollllhttid.. II"*!*'""*.
linaard.... ,I T.njt.r IT*W*nl.
Ilu.lon John y Mil** Julian.
Liberty...—. W ||. ilar.lii.R —Bln*l,rJ.
Marion J J. !!•>*
Mil*. —. Uor** llainaa—Woir. Strwa.
Pal tin !> I. L"k Buffalo Run
|>,un H K. Duck Mlllhplm
Poll* R, N P . W. Spsost** ...Tiwmyrtll*.
8. P J Wituipr W.>lf...C*r,ir* llall.
K„,h ...„ _William Oulln Sand. H"t**.
BoowSho* William ltaln*a. Sn .W Sho*.
Bprin* T M Uarnhart. . H*llfonl.
Taylor Vinton ll**klfh Foalrt.
Union Chrl.tlan Hr>**r FL*ilnf
Walk*r Amir** KN-amrr llnbl*Rl.nr*.
Worth w. O Mnrrl•*'!>. Port M.tlhla.
K. 11. FOK3TLR. Chairman.
H. A. McKaa, B*cr*lary
TUB House Committee on Territo
ries, have reported a bill favoring the
ad mission of Dakota as a Slate.
THE Cleveland Plain-Dealer call*
the attrition of the Republicans to the
act that an >o<lictc<l thief is still Sec
retary of their National Committee.
A WOMAN named Mash in Lanra*
ter, killed her mother on Friday last,
in order that she might be hung. The
people of Lancaster are not disposed
to gratify her, and she is declared in*
sane.
TilEPennsylvania military academy
located at Chester, Delaware county,
was consumed by fire on Thursday
evening last. The effects of the cadet*
were saved, as also all the property of
the State and government. The loss
is estimated at 8200,000, upon which
is an insurance of BTo,OOO.
SENATOR BF.N HIM. has again L>cen
under treatment in Philadelphia, for
cancerous affection. An operation
upon the gland of the neck was per
formed by Dr. Oro*s, since which he
has improved, and his physicians be
lieve his case is hopeful and that all
trace of the disease is removed. This
will be acceptable news to the numer
ous admirers of the eloquent ami
courageous Georgian.
REPRESENTATIVE IIORK, from the
committee ou Civil Service Reform,
made an adverse report upon the bill
referred to them providing for a re
duction of the salaries of heads of
•departments. "Civil Service Reform"
will do to talk about, but when it
comes to practital results, such as cur
tailing expenses or limiting the means
of employes of thugovernment to make
contribution to campaign funds, it is
not to be encouragH.
A YEAR ago the Le|islature of Wis
consin passed an act it the interest of
temperance, declaring ,hat the prac
tice of treating to the "*dent" was an
unlawful social evil, and nust lie aban
doned nuder penalty. Tie Judges of
the Supreme Court, wlo doubtless
loved their toddy and peferrcd to
have it free, pronounced th law un-'
constitutional. The LegisUure now
in session, give notice that bey have
no objection to take a drink wth % few
friends, by repealing the act.
INDICTING THE THIEVES.— t is an
nounced that the Grand Jury iiAVash
ington are now actively engaftd in
preparing work for a lively *e**)n of
the criminal court. The leading ffpres
in the meshes of the law are th<*tar
route thieves, prominently represeted
by Gen. T. I. Brady, late Assinnt
Postmaster General, Ex-Senator. Lr
sey, the Secretary of the RepublUn
National Committee, and his brothr
and a dozen others whom it is said te
Grand Jury have presented as pecu
liarly worthy the attention of
court. '
"EQUAL AXD EXACT JUSTICE TO AM. MEN, Of WHATEVER STATE OR PERSUASION, KKLIOIOUH Ok POLITICAL."—Jsffmoa
I The Commissioners Annual State
ment.
The people of the county for some
i years have been under the impression
that it is the report the County Audi
tors that must he published. This no
doubt arises from the fact, that for
years the Commissioners have publish
ed an abstract of the report instcnd
of the statement required of them In
law.
The statement this year is the full
est nud most complete we have had in
many years. Ii gives the people a
j fair chance to see what is done with
their money. The Republican just
now is doiug much to mislead the peo
ple iu its attempt to pervert this re
port. There was a letter published
the other day from some fellow in Snow
Shoe, proposing to go back for ten
years and investigate. Right in the
face of this they make no charge that
there is now, or has been anything
wrong except with the Sheriff's ac
count. The business man of the two
boards of Commissioners preceding
the present, was a Republican, and
it does seem that there ucver is any
thing crooked in the management of
the county finances, but tbat a Repub
lican is in it head and lieels. Twenty
one years ago there was trouble, then
the couuty Commissioners and Tn n
urer were Republican. Now the eflbrt
is to make the Democratic party re
sponsible for errors, if nnv there weie,
committed by the late Sheriff. Whcie
was the Republican Commissioners
when settlement was made ? The
minutes of the office show he was pre
cut and took part in the settlement.
It was his business to examine the
board account tiior rnghly to see wheth
er the number of days charged for each
prisoner was or was not correct. While
we do not believe that the late Sheriff
would wilfilly do a wrong art, if such
has been d ne.and the record seem* to
show it, we dare not, nor will we un
dertake to sh eld him one whit. If he
has through inadvertauee or oth'-rwi-o
drawn pay for boarding more pris< ti
ers than lie was entitled to, he should
be required to refund, aud we have no
doubt will do so at once. The Slitriff is
not to be blamed that he received fifty
cents a day for boarding prisoners.
That responsibility belongs to the Com
missioners, and according to Republi
can views that board was Republican.
Another charge against the Sheriff
is his charge for removing fish baskets.
Here the Sheriff arted clearly on a mis
understanding of the law, which did
not require him to search the streams
of the county for fish baskets. Rut
whose fault is it that it was allowed ?
Whose business was it to stand guard
over the public funds ? We leave the
public to draw the conclusion.
When we stand by the law we can
not go wrong, or if we do we cannot
be blamed, for it is the law and we
must obey. A brief examination of
the acts of Assembly relating to the
removal of fish baskets will show what
the Sheriff* ought to have done and
what he ought to have left undone.
The Eleventh Section of the Act of
Assembly of 24th of May, 1871, re
latiug to the protection of fish pro
vides that "the Sheriffs of the counties
"having jurisdiction of such reaches of
"the streams, whenever they shall dis
"cover or be informed of the existence
"of such contrivances for the catching
"of fish as are commonly known as
"fish-baskets, eel-wires, kiddles, brush
"or facine nets, or any other perma
nently set means of taking fish, in
"the nature of a sieve, which are known
"to be wasteful and extravagant modes
"of fishing, the said Sheriffs shall give
"ten days notice in two newspapers of
"their respective counties, that the con
"trivances arc known to exist and are
"declared a common nuisance, order
"ing them to be dismantled by their
"owners or managers, so as to render
"tbem no longer capable of taking or
"injuring fishes of the streams of what
ever kind ; and if at the expiration
"of the said ten days tbe dismantling
"shall not have taken place, then the
BKLLEFONTE, PA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23,1882.
I "said Sheriffs -hull proceed, with such
: "force (of) good men of the couuty nf
! "may he necessary for the purpose, and
' destroy or dismantle the said lid •
, "baskets, Ac., so that they may be no
"longer capable of taking or injuring
i "fish ; and the accounting officers of
I "the counties shall make good the cost
! "of the proceedings to said Sheriff or
"Sheriffs in the settlement of their n<-
| "counts with the said Sia-rili'-." Ry
Section 9lh of the Act 28th April, l*i 3.
J "The provisions of the Eleventh Sec
tion (the one just quoted of the Act
24th May, I*7l, are made upplicuMi
to all the streams or parts of streams
1 under the jurisdiction of thi* Coin
' moii weal tli."
Under this law- the Sheriff is only
\ bound to give notice when he shall dis
cover or is informed that fi-li baskets,
Ac., exist, and after notice lie is to
destroy tlu-rn, providing they are not
destroyed by others on notice being
given. Tbe law does not, nor did it
require him to travel up and down the
valleys,or over our mountains to search
for nnv fish-baskets, or any other con
trivance in the streams. Whatever
the Sheriff did more than this m t re
quires and received pay for, was wrong
and lie should promptly refund to the
county.
This act says the accounting officers
shall make good the costs to said
Sheriffs, Ac. Ry accounting officers
we uuder.-tnnd County Auditors. They
are to examine this bill and allow only
his actual coats nothing more, and thu
only menus for fi-h baskets removed
according to law, not according to the
notions of the officers.
The otln r complaint made bv the
I
Republican and its numerous would ) e
correspondent*, is that tbe .Sheriff has
received more per day for boarding
■ prisoners than the law allows. No one
i of reasonable intelligence will pretend
that prisoners can be kept for twenty
five cents a day. Tbe CommiMuoueia
have nMowed fifty cents a day. Th<y
were left the sole judges of the
matter. Tbe Art of Assembly says
the Sheriffs shall "receive such allow
ance for boarding prisoners as may In
fixed by the Court of (Quarter sessions,
not exceeding tweuty-five cents per
day for each prisoner." It is (beauty
j of the Courts to fix such compensation,
but if they do not the Commissioners
cau pay, without risk, more per day
j than that amouut, and if they do it is
right that it should be allowed hy the
Auditors. The Courts know that the
amount allowed by the Act of Assem
bly is too small an allowance for board,
i
and for this very reason have made no
decree in the matter, beginn'ng back
as far as 1863 or 1864. #
As Democrats we have nothing to
cover and no one to shield. Let the
Auditors go into thie charge and all
other charges thoroughly, nllow what
is lawful and proper ami not one farth
ing more. The effort of the Republi
ran to make the Democratic party re
sponsible for the persouai act of the
late Sheriff, is as senseless as it would
bo. to charge the Republican party
with the murder of (Jarfidd because
(fuilcau was a Republican.
TUB Senators and Representatives
from New .Jersey have written a letter
■ to the {'resident, urging that he relieve
. (fen. Kit* John J'orter of the penalties
and forfeitures lie has endured so long
With but few exceptions, it is univer
sally conceded that this gallant and
noble officer has suffered great injus
tice and wrong. This feet being
brought to the attention of the Presi
dent, by the report of the able officers
who reviewed the case, by Gen. Grant
and others who have taken the trouble
to investigate it, every day's delay
i in doing justice to Porter is positively
, criminal and a disgrace to the Gov
ernment.
WB regret to see the announcement
in the last Clinton Democrat that Mr.
Rieffenhach, the able and accomplish
ed editor of that paper, has retired.
WIIO slit Whittaker'a ear? is ctill
the difficult conundrum in official
circle* at Wndiington. Tlio Court of
Inquiry found that Whittaker did it;
but the I'rcwident, the Secretary of War
and the Judge Advocate General seem
to doubt whether to believe the liegro,
or the court of honorable officers who
I exhaustively investigated his mystiri
| ous jterformancea.
A cask of creditable, if not rare,
lionesty, and its prompt reward occur
red the other day in Boston. A gen
tleman on a visit to that <-ley, lost his
pockethook containing 8500. It was
found by the conductor of a street car
and returned to the owner, who took
the conductor to a hank and deposited
the amount to his credit and subject
j to his order in one year.
Tim dumtnniiy incmliers of the
New \ ork legislature, not being able
to flicker with the Democrat*, carried
i their wares to a party ever ready and
! open for a barter. They transferred
: themselves to the Republican*, body
! and britches. Ihe Democracy may
well IKS satisfied. They kuow now
where to find John K-lley and his
chin and need uo longer he victim* of
their treachery.
Tin: special committee appointed to
audit the expenses attending the sick
nrs- ami funeral of tin* laic President,
agreed upon a bill allowing Mrs. (far
field an mutual pension of $5,000,
which was subsequently rejmrtfvl ami
passed. They also allowed some minor
bilk, ami intimate that the total amount
of bilk presented will not be much
short of two hundred thousand dollar*.
Lvery per- n who furnished anything
during the illness of the President dc
manda payment tif the Government,
and even aome member* of Congrew
presented bill* for their individual ex
j peases incurred in attending the fu
neral.
Dcadlockm BROKE*. In the New
York Senate the existing deadlock in
the organization of that body haa been
broken by a contract lietween the
faiurnany Bosses and the lb-publican*,
and in Virginia it ha* been broken by
the whip* of Mahone and Arthur re
quiring a straightout Republican, who
voted with the Democrat*, to surren
der hi* indc|endcnce and *u*taiu the
c aliiiou I >!•(*< in the Repudiator* and
Republican*, Democracy in a
minority in both cases occupy a higher
and more honorable position, standing
alone unmixed with the base traffics
which the Republicans do not hesitate
to employ to maintain their power to
obtain power and place. Kel ley and
Maboue will be congenial spirit* in
the Republican ranks.
TIIB Apportionment Bill ha* passed
the House after agreeing upon a basis
of 32ft mcmlfcr*. Mr. Beltxhoover's
amendment designed to prevent gerry
mandering in the formation of Con
gressional districts, providing that they
shall be made up of contiguous Terri
tory, it incorporated in the kill. The
representation under this bill will be
a* follows:
A ............ T
Ark*k- '• ... ]4
iWIIMni*. .—... 1 X-t>nk 3
( nl.mtA.. 1 I
(Wwllrtl 4 *r lUfnpfSlrf. t
D*Uw*............. .. I X-w 7
ZImKW ..... V S.-* Trk M
dmita luiXorOi WM>. ... S
11iiimw *i iSiio 11
1 ri'lion4 Mlosf* 1
...... ... II r-nn-<ltiU IS
Ktv 7 Rkih MM. 1
K-ntickr ll!fc.tk Cord I m ._ 7
Uial-tana (' T-unnxfi 10
Wain* I T II
Vr;l*mt ...... (-Visum.- 1
H**Mrhn**lu 11. Virginia... In
WkhlOß ... II W<-| Vlrloi*. ... 4
Mlnn'O iU...4,W1 mrtla •
IM| Ml
The increase of membership over the
prevent, is thirty-two. Maine, New
I Hampshire and Vermont each
Representative; Arkansas, Georgia,
Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts,
Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North
Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vir
ginia and West Virginia, each gain
one member; California, lowa, Michi
gan, Minnesota, Nebraska and South
Carolina, each gain two members;
Kansas fair members and Texas five.
MUM. ficovtLLE, the sister of Gui
ti-au, has written a letter to Mrs. Car
field urging her to use her influence to
obtain a pardon for the culprit. Mr*,
(•arfield has very properly declined to
interfere, und has authorized a reply
stating, "that toward* the slayer of her
husband she cherishes no malice, he
must answer only to bis Cod and the
American people. For the sister and
all the members of his family, she feels
only profound pity. Further than
this, she ask* to he left alone with her
j own sorrow und to be spared being
; dragged into useless and torturing
publicity. ' 'I hi* is just what might
lie exjK-ctcil lroru a noble Christian
woman, such ns Mr*. Carfield ha*
j proved herself, in I lie frightful scenes
through which she has passed.
Bow Itt'l.K KXTIXCIUIHHKU IS
I'HM.AOUI.I'IUA !—Yesterday at the
municipal elections the Bosses and
• rogues found the honest |-op!e fullv
equipped and earnestly determined to
reform the corruptions and abuses
which have fur year* liet-n growing up
i under the loss jioliiic-al organization
jof that city. 11l proof of their earn
estness that at lea*t one election in
that municipality should bear the im
press of honesty, the Reform comrnit
tee of "Cue Hundred" offered a re
ward of for the detection and
coiviction of those engaged in the
, pcrpctratiou of the usual election
I fraud*. This gave notice to the bosses
and their corps of ballot-stuffcr*.
rounders and repeater*, that there was
danger ahead in plying their usual
method. The rascals to some extent,
heeded the warning, and the result is
a *ignal triumph of the ticket endorsed
by the Reformers, which is pretty
j e-rjuallyr composed of Democrats and
Republican*
MR. EDMCXD'I anti-Polygamy bill
has passed the Senate. It declares all
polygamou* marriages in Territories of
which the United folates ha* exclusive
1 jurisdiction unlawful, and after the
passage of this act, punishable by fine
not exceeding #SOO mud imprisonment
not exceeding five years, and author
ize* the President to grant amnesty to
offender* guilty of bigamy, polygamy
or unlawful cohabitation befote the
passage of the act on such conditions
and under such limitations as he shall
I think proper. The bill also declares
that no polygamic, bigamist or any
person cohabiting with more than one
j woman, in any Territory or place where
the United States have exclusive juris
' diction, shall be entitled to vote at any
1 election or be eligible for election or,
appointment to any office or place of
public trust, honor or emolucmcnt in,
under or for such Territory. It also
declares vacant existing rcgestralions
and election officers, until supplied
under tbe provision of the bill. This
' bill is sweeping iu its provisions, and
some thought unconstitutional, but it
is to abate a shameless blot which has
been suffered to exist, almost unchal
lenged, until it has reached alarming
proportions, and it is to lie hoped may
be successful in rooting it out.
THE STATE COIXEUK located io this
county, is being handled pretty rough
ly in different parts of the State, in
duced probably, because iu President
happens to be a candidate for Gover
nor. We cannot see the justice of
tbi*. Au able committee was ap
pointed by the last Legislature to
make an exhaustive investigation and
report on the condition of this institu
tion, which we presume has also in
view ite efficiency and adaptability to
promote the interests for which it was
organised and endowed. Until that
committee has made their report, it
seems but fkir that clamor against the
college and its administration might
rest in obeyaoce, and the President
allowed to stand upon his own record
and that of the political faction with
whom he ia identified as an aspirant
for political favor. We have no inter
est in the oollege—owe them no favors
TKRMN: $1.50 per Annum, in Advanre.
iu any form whatever, and if the in
stitution in a unclean and unnecenaary
expense to the Commonwealth and a
fraud upon the public, an is alleged by
it* enemies, we would utter no word to
sustain it, but let facta be submitted
intelligently through the legal channel
designated by the legislature, and not
ock to prejudice the investigation by
ignorant clamor or false declarations
with the view to its partisan effects in
deciding whether Farmer Butler or
Gen. Beaver should be the Radical
candidate for Governor.
HOME one of the speculative corres
pondents at M adiington ha* discover
e<l or a political "marcs-neat"
and sent it broadcast, as the latest
political news from the National Me
tropolis. It is that Jere Black, Seoa
tor Voorhees, Senator Morgan and a
number of influential Representatives
of the Southern Democracy, have con
spired to spring ujjon the country in
I*Bl, a new political combination of
which Mr. Blaine is to be the Jxad
and Senator Voorhees or some orlber
prominent Democrat the vice or
ornamental attachment. £uch foolish
twaddle may do to excite curiosity and
alarm a stalwart, hut the correspon
dent is unfortunate in selecting the
conspirators. To those, at least, who
know J ere Black, the very idea of
identifying him with an arrangement
to place Blaine at the head and a
Democrat at the tail of a Presidential
t cket, nan only excite a smile. This
uncompromising war horse of honest
Democracy never surrender* the first
honor, or compromises a Democratic
principle, which is as dear to his heart
a the Gospel of Truth itself. This
alone is sufficient to stamp the roor
back.
THE members of the Legislature got
the s.*ioo extra pay to which they were
eulitled for the prolonged session of
last winter over oue hundred days,
under the act of 1874. The question
was raised by the Attorney General as
, to the constitutionality of the law, and
under his advice the State Treasurer
refused payment. It was then brought
before Judge Pearson who affirmed the
views of the Attorney General, and
decided that the extra allowance
claimed over the tIOOO salary for a
session of one hundred days, could not
be legally paid. An appeal was taken
to the Supreme Court, who have re
| versed the decision of Judge Pearson
and settled the question as to the con
stitutionality of the law of 1874. Here
after the length and cost of a session
of the Ijegedature, whether one hun
dred days ami #I(WK) salary, or one
hundred and fifty days and 11500
salary, can only be influenced by pub
lic sentiment and the integrity and
decent propriety of the meraberMhero
selves. Tbey are, however, Mill an
swerable to the people for the waste of
the public 1 unds and should be held
to strict accountability, whether for
the last session or those to follow.
THKNashvslle American, referring
to the bill giving a pension to the
wives of ex-Presidents, relates a fact
not generally known that Mrs. Jaa.
K. Polk has 'lived out all the means #
left her by her husband and adds *
"On the score of necessity, therefore
there is not among the surviving wid
ows of deceased Presidents of the
I uited States of America, one whose
claims are more deserving the con
sideration of the American people or
their representatives in the American
Congress. The wealth-producing State
of Texas and California were acquired
under the Polk Administration, and
millions to the revenues of this coun
try and to the private wealth of its cili
tcn. The name of James K. Polk
should be reverd by the American
people and the comfort and care of
his widow be the willing charge of her
countrymen. She is now well stricken
in years and apprnachhMAe end of a
life which has been an Woamoa to
American womanhood and an honor
to the social lift of the capitals of her
Stat# and of the nation. Proper pro
vision for the few years Ist to her
would not bankrupt lha Government,
and Congress could not do a more
graceful thing, than to make it.
NO. 8.