@!je Centre && jPmocraf,
SIIUGERT \ VAN OHM Kit, Editor*.
VOL. I.
She (Centre jDnnocrat.
Tormi 81.60 por Annnm.ln Advance.
S. T. SHUGERT & J. R. VAN ORMER, Editors.,
Thursday Morning, April 20, 1882.
THE stalwarts of Huntingdon couu
ty have held a meeting and appointed
a rump delegation to the Republican
Convention in the interest of the Ma
hone ticket. The regulars appointed
sometime ago, were instructed to sup
port Wayne MacVeigh for Governor.
THE Democratic Congressional
Committee has been fully organized,
by the election of Geu. Rosecrans as
permanent Chairman of the joint Com
mittee of the Senate aud House. A
new Committee has also been raise*l t
called the board of control, who will
have the active management of the
Congressional canvass.
FREDRICK A. CONK LINO, is spoken
of as the next Democratic candidate
for Governor of New ork. Although
the brother of Rosroe Conk ling, he is
a thorough Democrat of the Jefferson
ian school, talented and fearless in
maintaining the true principles of De
mocracy against all encroachments
upon local government. Mr. Conk
ling, is said to have the full confidence
of Mr. Tilden and the best Democrats
of the State.
SENATOR LOGAN, of Illinois, is in
very precarious health, and has gone
to the Hot Springs. Besides under
going great suffering from rheuma
tism, he is said to he a victim of that
terrible malady known as Bright'." dis
ease. One of these diseases is about
as much as an ordinary constitution
can endure for a time, but when com
bined, it is not difficult to predict that
the Senator's public career is near its
close.
THE House of Representatives on
Thursday appropriated SIO,OOO to
build a monument over the grave of
Thomas Jefferson. If the Senate con
curs the long neglected grave of the
author of the declaration ff indepen
dence will be properly marked. The
great life work of the eminent states
man, and the purity of his patriotism
is, however, ample to perpetuate his
memory without any artificial means,
as long as Republican government
and Democratic principles, find a
place inhuman society.
OCCASIONALLY we hear of a verdant
Republican, who talks of breaking
Cameron's slate at the convention.
The boss only laughs at their simplic
ity. He dou't have slates that break
at conventions. They are made of the
beet gummy material, and may bend
a little, but break, never! He may
enter the name of a dummy on the
slate now and then to conceal his
tracks from the simple, but when he
wilis io nominate, he nominates and
gives notice to his party to ratify, and
it is done.
SOME of the Republican journal*,
*nya the Philadelphia Record, are in
an agony of apprehension over the
prospect that the Committee of One
Hundred will turn it# attention to
Htate politic#. Their apprehension is
well founded. The Committee of One
Hundred ha# no choice in the matter.
The work it has already done has the
disadvantage of having been prose
cuted at the mouth of the stream of
public corruption. Unless it can reach
the fountain head its task is like the
task of Sisyphus. Ever since the year
1873 the crying want of the people of
Pennsylvania has been for an honest
and capable Legislature. The Re
form that the people themselves began
in that year in the changes made in
the fundamental law must be followed
up. The Legislature must be purified.
A heavy share of the work of purifica
tion falls to the people of Philadelphia.
If the Committee of One Hundred
fails to render what assistance it may
in this behalf it may as well dissolve
its organisation and go out of business.
THE HON. WAYNE MACVEIGH pre-
Hnled the other evening at the annual
meeting of the Civil Service Reform
Assiciution in Philadelphia. In the
course of discussion which took place
Mr. MacVeigh had occasion to refer
to President Arthur's civil service
profession, as also incidentally to those
of the Fraud President who made his
administration ridiculous by the pro
mulgation of orders which ho had no
intention or desire to enforce —a mere
outcrop of the hypocrisy which dis
tinguished him and the period of his
fraudulent service. Mr. MacVeigh in
remarking upon the position of both
"His Accideucy" and "His Fradulen
cy" said : "A man does uot change
his political opinions after he is 50
years old. What Mr. Arthur was in
the the New York Custom House a
few years ago President Arthur is to
day in the White House. He is the
same courteous, genial gentleman,
ever ready with bland words. Hut he
has practiced the boss rule in polities
all his life, and will continue in that
rut while he is President. Although
in his letter accepting the nomination
fr Vice President he declared for
civil service reform, he ignored this
pledge when elected, and was engaged
in the most disreputable work for boss
ism when the shot was fired that made
him President. It required the echo
of an assissin's pistol to remind him of
his pledge, and when he again had oc
casion to write for the public he re
affirmed his position. I could have
laughed in my sleeve had I been in
the mood for amusement when I saw
the delight certain good-hearted peo
ple extracted from President Arthur's
soft words on civil-strvice reform in
his inaugural address. Our cause has
had some severe blows, and from least
expected sources*. I will say that
President Hayes did me the honor to
consult me in the preparation of his
civil-service reform order, but when
the time came for his crucial test he
listened to the worth* of evil advisers
and appointed dishonest men to posi
tions of trust in reward for |>arty work
in Louisiana. The last days of his ad
ministration were worse than the first,
for then we saw John Sherman using
the Treasury Department to secure
his own nomination to the Presidency
in face of his civil-service professions.
As I see the Republican party of to
day, it has but three animating prin
ciples. The first is the spoils system,
of which I don't approve, the second
in bonsism, which is distasteful to me,
and the third is the repudiation of the
State debt of Virginia, which I like no
better than the others. So you see I
am a Republican under difficulties.
My advice to the association is that its
members make their influence felt by
votes. In that way they will com
mand attenion, and their memorials will
receive more respectful consideration
than the one recently sent to the Ex
ecutive Mansion."
The remarks of the ex-Attorney
General is neither complimentary
to his party or its representatives, and
ought to elicit the sober reflection of
honest men, whether he does not truly
state the case when be says the Re
publican party, as now operated, has
but three animating principles" which
he designates "the Hpoils system," the
"Boss system" and the "Repudiation
of state debt," as illustrated by its
union with Mahone and his repudia
tion party in Virginia.
WoßKtitoME* pROTBrriKo! The
NVorkingmen's meeting held on Broad
street, Philadelphia, on Saturday
evening last, is spoken of by the press,
as the most imposing demonstration
of workingmen ever held in that city,
and in which every trade was repre
sented with appropriate banners. The
object of the meeting was to protest
against the importation of Chioese la*
bor. Resolutions were adopted de
nouncing President Arthur for his
veto of the Chinese bill, and setting
forth that "industrial slavery" should
never more exist in this country. If
"BHUAL AND XX ACT JI'MTICK TO ALL MKN, OX W IIATKVKR HTATB OR FKKHUAMOJf, KELIOIOfH OR FOLITICAL."-Jdr.cn
BKLI.KFONTK, I'A., THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1882.
our laboring men will remember this
sentiment and curry its full signifi
cance into action when they come to
exercise the most sacred right they
jHissess in a Republican government —
a free ami un train on-led vote —the
Republican stalwart party, will lose a
very important element of strength
obtained by the tyranny of associated
and incorporated wraith. Let "indus
trial slavery cease" is a sentiment
worthy of universal acceptation.
C.VPT. IIowoATE, late of the Signal
Service bureau at Washington, who
was in jail under indictment for pecu
lations and thefts to a very large
amount, was allowed by Judge Wvlie
permission to vi-it hi" home in compa
ny with the Marshall, for the purpose
of searching for some pa|H-r- he alleg
ed to be necessary to his defense. On
reaching his home he made an excuse
for entering a room adjoining the one
in which the oflicer was stationed un
conscious that the whole arrangement
on the part of the prisoner and his
friends was a job set up to elude the
vigilance of the guard, umi affect an
escape, which ho did very neatly on
Friday lat. Diligent search ha- been
made by the police and detectives for
the fugitive, but without effect. lie
is probably safely concealed in Wash
ington, hut the opinion prevails that
his late associate* in the signal service
to avoid revelations, have spirited him
away in a vessel, and is now out of
harm's way. When arrested it is said,
he was planning to go to the Sandwich
Islands, and it is supposed that will be
bis destination now. At any rate,
Howgateis gone and another govern
ment thief escapes with his plunder.
TIIE Arthur and Mahone gerry
mander bill introduced in the Legis
lature of Virginia to divide the state
into Congressional districts, so arrang
ed as to give the coalition eight out of
the ten Congressmen to be elected un
der the new apportionment, wa de
feated finally last week in tho Senate.
This was a measure of advanced
scoundrelism worthy the combined
genius of the stalwart Republican boss
of New York and his treacherous re
pudiation associate in Virginia, hut
too outrageous to pass under the whip
of administration patronage. Four
members of the Readjusler party, and
one straight-out Republican possess
ed sufficient self respect and indefwn
dence to scorn the lash of the bowses,
and vote with the Democrats to bury
the iniquitous bill out of sight for the
present session. Virginia will there
fore vote for members of Congress on
the present apportionment, and for
one Congressman al-large being the in
crease to which the Stale is entitled
under the lat census.
SENATOR MITCHELL AND THE BOM.
It Keern* that Senator Don ha* bwn
gouging hi* "me too" in the dark, and
finding.it out, Mitchell, making a feint
<|Uonke of indignation, threaten* to
act up for himaelf and demand from
the admiuiniatratiou a ahare of the
plunder (tatronage for thoae of hi*
constituent* who have not entitled
themselves to a 300 medal for stalwart
work. The late spasm of indepen
dence on the part of the junior Sena
tor will however, noon subside. Don
is enlranched in the administration,
he has the dispensation of its patron
age in Pennsylvania and will put it
just where it will do the most good for
boss supremacy in the Cameron ranch.
The fact is, Mitchell was too tardy
making a show of independence to
startle the boss, or to obtain for it an
atom of respect from others. He was
made a senator by the boas to serve as
a "me too," and heretofore has only
developed fitness for that service.
A mew Chinese bill ban been intro
duce*! in the House. It differ* from
the vetoed bill in reducing the term
suspending im|mrtation from 20 year*
to 10 years which is supposed to be
the longest time the President and the
Kepublican Congress will consent to
do without cheap coolie labor.
IN the case of Gen. Fitz John Por
ter, the President decides that ho has
no power to annul the sentence of' the
court-martial—that he can do nothing
in the case as it is entirely beyond
his jurisdiction. This action, bused
upon an elaborate opinion of the At
torney General, concurred in by the
Cabinet, settles the question so far as
the executive government is concerned.
The only hope now of justice being
done to this gallant aud shamefully
wronged soldier is in Congress. The
measure of that justice should not be
made in a pasimonious spirit nor de
layed an hour in its full and entire
accomplishment. This is due to Por
ter, hut it is also due to the country
that the hasty, if not disgraceful pro
ceediug, under which be has suffered
should recieve a prompt and emphatic
correction, and the great wrong pub
licly acknowledged.
THE New Nork Chamber of Com
merce has endorsed Congressman
Hewitt's resolution introduced in the
House, calling for an immediate re
vision of the tariff. The necessity for
a revision seems to lie u wide spread
and general desire with all closes of
the people,and it will not he popular,
at least, to adopt a temporiziug policy.
Oppressive duties or rtuinp taxes are
neither needed for revenue or protec
tion. This fact has become patent to
all, and a failure of Congress to afford
the relief so generally demanded will
be severely criticise*! ami condemned.
The proposed commission subterfuge
to evade present duty is not likely to
be satisfactory.
Jo till KRS IN DKMANI)! With OD
appropriation f (en millions ostensi
bly to fit up the navy, with an ac
complished jobber at the head of the
Department, another, Chairman of the
Naval Committee, the jobbing busi
ness promises to be very active during
the coming fiscal year. Chandler and
Robeson! Who dare question that
these are not the right men. in the
right place now, when millions are to
be disbursed, and an overburdened
Treasury is to be relieved of its sur
plus deposits.
COLONEL FILLER, late of the Hnr
risburg I'atrioi, has become one of the
editorial corps of that excellent and
popular newspaper, the Philadelphia
Record. Col. Filler is an able and
graceful writer, and with many years
experience in journalism will doubt
| leas lend additional interest to the
columns of the Record.
KX-SENATOR STRAND, who was re
! eently appointed Marshall of Dekota
| Territory, after viewing the ground,
| has come to the conclusion that he is
not prepared for exile yet. lie has
| resigned and returns to Pennsylvania,
|to await events. He may waut to go
: to the Senate when Cameron's time has
expired.
Gov. HOVT, has appointed Charles
H. Stinson President Judge, to suc
ceed Judge Ross, lately deceased in
the Montgomery county district. Mr.
•Stinson formerly represented that
county in the Senate, and is a lawyer
of large experience and decided abili
ty. Ho is a Republican.
- . n ■
THE Democrats of Bedford county,
have appointed delegates to the Stale
(Convention, instructed in favor of the
nomination of the Hon. James H.
Hopkins for Governor.
THE Chinese bill |aaeod the House,
under suspension of the rules, on
Monday. If the Senate concurs and
the President approves, theCooly trade
will be suspended ten years.
THE Ohio Legislature have passed
a gerrymander apportionment bill,
intended to give the Republicans
fifteen Congressmen, and the' Demo
crats six.
BOD IXOBIUIOLL is a "stalwart of
the stalwarts." Of course, it makes
no difference to him where the princi
of that party leads to.
A Hull] I puu Mutual Insurance t'om
panics.
W <* h-arii from the IJarrisburg Pair ut,
that "the Attorney-General, upon in
formation made by Insurance <x>rnini
•doner Foster, recently returned to the
Dauphin county court, a list of '21'.1
mutual insurance companies doing bum
nesH in Pennsylvania. At the same
time h made an application for a rule
compelling tlo-so same companies to
show cause why their churtets should
not be forfeited, and they be prevented
Irom hereafter doing any business in
this State. Tho charters of 137 of the
companies are asked to be revoked for
reasons in each case as follows:
"It has issued policies for indefinite
and contingent amounts.
"It has approved and recognized as
signment" of [tolicies to peisons having
no insurable interest in the lines of the
parties in whose names said policies
were issued.
"Ibe Attorney General further gives
the court to understand arid tie inform
ed that he, tho said insurance commis
sioner. has reason to believe that the
said company is insolvent, and that it's
a-sets are not sufficient for carrying on
the business of the same."
I he charters of the remaining seventy
ix companies are asked to be revoked
for the following reasons :
"It has tailed to exhibit an annual
statement to the insurance department
of the amount, if any. of its cspiial
stock, guarantee capital or accumulated
reserve in lieu of capital stock, and also
of ail asset#, a.-e-sments and liabilities,
snd to an-wer such interrogatories as
the insurance commissioner has required
tn order to ascertain its true character
nl condition, although notified to
make vuch answers upon a I lank form
preaeriie-d by the insurance coram s
•toner, for the year ending I>ecetnber
31. 18H1, and forwarded to the address
of aaid ooropany during the month of
December. I**l.
"The Attorney General further give
the court to understand and ftc inform
ed. that he. the said insurance commis
sioner, has informed the Attorney Gen
eral of the aforesaid non compliance by
aa:d company with the requirements of
law, and its non compliance with the
requirements of the act of Ist of April,
'873, in this particular, viz-.
"It has refuserl or neglected to trans
mit to the insurance commissioner a
statement of its condition and business
for the year ending December 31. )88|,
on the first day of .January following,
or within aixty days thereafter."
Theoourt setting in chambers granted
the rule asked for, which was made re
turnable on Thursday, May 11. 1882.
NW of the companies, especially the
liarrisburg oor|*>rati<>ns, have not been
loing a great amount of business during
the past six months, the proceedings
against the other companies having
caused their policy holders to learc them
in the lurch.
Heath of Judge Ro.
SKIT* II or TIIR C4BEEB or A l>l!tTI!*GllllEI>
TOCKO JCBIST.
NOBBISTOWX, Pa.. April 13.—This com
munity was deeply shocked this even
ing by the announcement of the death
of lion. Henry P. Ross, the President
Judge of our county court, which oc
curred about 7 o'clock. His disease, in
flsminatory rheumatism and neuralgia,
manifested lUelt several years ago, but
an active life and careful habits so re
stated its encroachment* upon his strong
physical and mental constitution that
he was seldom incapacitated for the
duties of his office.
Henry Pawling Koas was born in
Ltoylesiown, Buck* county, December,
1836. He entered Princeton College in
1853, and graduated in 1857. He was
admitted to the practice of law in the
Bucks county courts in 1859, having
prepared himself in the offioe of his
father. In 1862 be was elected bv the
Democrat* as District Attorney. Prom
that period until the time of hi* death
Ins life has been one of great usefulness
nd activity. He was prominent in the
front rank of the Pennsylvania Demo
cracy, and in this section of tbe State at
least hi* name was as familiar as house
hold words. He twice represented his
narly in the Presidential Convention* ;
was twice nominated as a candidate for
Congress from his district; was a strong
candidate for Governor before tbe Pern
ocrattc State Convention of 1876, and
was nominated for the Supreme Bench
in 1878, after having been promineotiy
before the convention four year* previ
ous.
Judge Boss had also held various ap
(•ointive positions of honor and trust,
among them that of Deputy Kscheator
General of Bucks county, in 1865. lie
was Additional Las Judge of Bucks and
Montgomery for three years prior to tbe
period when the two counties were made
separate judicial district#, when he re
signed bis office and su elected Presi
dent Judge of Montgomery county, to
which office he su re elected laat tall
by a majority of nearly 1400 over hia
competitor, Aaron Ncbwarlt, the nomi
nee on the Republican ticket.
Judge Roes was tbe elder of two sons
of Thomas and Klisabeth Pawling Roes.
His brother, George Rose, survive* htm.
ilu mother died ID March last, during
a term of Quarter Iftmons, which was
presided over by Judge Myers, ol Hus
ton. in the absence of Judge Ross. He
wss twice married. His first wife (nee
Mary Clifton, of Princeton, N. J.) died
in 1873. In 1875 he wea married to
Emily Genuug, of Brooklyn, who sur
vives him.
Judge Ross has ever been spoken of
as au sble Jurist. .Several of his opin
ions in impoitani civil trials have been
handed down to tbe profession aa well-
TKBMS: $1.50 jn*r Annum, in Advance.
established criterion*. Few of hi* many
decision* were ever reversed by tbe
.Supreme Court.
A Tale of the l.ut Administration.
j Ox trull Pro...
I When Conkling went to Mentor to
nee Garfield be asked birn bow Folger
would do for Secretary of tbe Treasury.
C-onklitig thought that be bad juat been
chosen to tbe bench in New York for
fourteen years, it wouldn't be tbe thing
ito lay it aside. When Garfield aent for
Folger be told bitu that he bad a Uili:
with Conkling about bun, from which
I Folger understood that Cookling had
1 rrcomraended him for tbe place. Fol
ger didn't like (iarlield'a manner. So
1 be went to work to make himself ineli
gible, e> be termed it. "I'm not in
sympathy with your end of our party,"
I he said to Gen. Garfield. "I'm in sym
pathy with all tbe party—both ends-
Judge." was the response. "But I'm an
old tree trade Democrat in my views,"
persisted the judge, "i don't believe
; the present tariff can stand or ought to
stand." "I am something of a free
trader myself. Judge," said Gen. Gar
field. "I'm on record on that. I'm
one of the few members in America of
j the < obden Club, 1 realize that the war
! tariff will have to be greatly modified."
I "Then, too, I'm not much of a national
batik man," despairingly put in the
judge. "Neither am I. My views on
those subjects are very determined, '
said G<-n. Garfic d. "Besides," inter
posed Mr. Foiger, "I'm not a strict party
man. I m given to having my own way.
| I'm a good deal of a State rights man.
My old Democratic temper has boiled
over more than once because of the ex
tent to winch the central Government
j ba interfered with the State* ; and as
.to civil service re'orm " "Why, you
j and I agree on those things exactly,"
broke in Gen. Garfield, slapping Judge
Folger on the knee, and neanng him as
jifhe a going to kiss him. The judge
I is rcjiorteU to have said that Gen. Gar
! field was the most "agreeing man" he
j ever m<-t in hm life. But when Folger
got back to Albany and found that
| Conkling disapproved of his going into
j Garfield * Cabinet, he declined the ap
: pointment. And verily be had hi* re
ward. For Arthur ww made President
and Folger was made .Secretary of the
Treasury without displeasing Conkling
and probably with hi* full approval.
Virtue always, or at least, not unfre
( quently, has its reward.
"Dickens's Dutchman."
j TUX rmSONRK WBOH THg KOTEI.IST IB BOS
TALiztii TO as SET rate scans.
Fun.soti.Pßis, April The incorrigi
ble and aged scamp, Charles l.angheim
er, who ba* *|ent stout one half of bia
four score years of existence behind
prison bars, will shortly be released
from the Kastern penitentiary. The old
man has attained a notoriety under the
soubriquet of "Dickens'* Dutchman,"
tbe great novelist having employed his
pen. in hi* American sketches, to in
veigh against tbe solitary confinement
system followed in tbe penitentiary,
and selecting I.angheimer, who was un
dergoing a four years' sentence when
the romancer visited the (ail, as a spe
cial case to illustrate the misery of the
prisoners I<sngheimer was first sen
tenced to the penitentiary on Msy l.'i,
1840. having been arrested for some
thieving o|erations. He served his
term and was released, but was toon
sent back again. His history since that
time ha* been a series of repetitions. A
release from prison, a short freedom,
and an other long term of imprison
ment made up his life. In March. 1877,
he was caught in the act of stealing a
silver watch, and was sent back to his
old quarters at Cherry Hill. Soon after
his release in 1879 be again went back
to bis old habits, and for tbe theft of
some money from the office of Messrs.
Adams k Story, Ninth and Girard
•venue, was taken back to prison. It is
this last term which be is now about
completing. During hi* long confine
ment Langheimer painted the walls of
bis cell quite beautifully, using colors
extracted from the yarn with whioh he
was obliged to work.
On being released from prison in 1877
the old man went to Michigan to work
on a farm, but Shortly after the inspec
tor of tbe penitentiary received a note
from him asking that they send him
some money to return and receive him
back into tbe jail. No attention was
paid to the letter, but shortly after
Langheimer turned up in the city end
found his way into the House of Correc
tion. After his release be committed a
crime and was sent back to his quarters
in Cherry Hill.
William Mstteaon. a colored farmer
living near Abbeville, S.C., recently at
tended a sale of real estate at the court
house, and bought in a valuable proper
ty at f&.fiQO, which he had tbe money in
bis pocket to pay for. When Msttison
was emancipated all he had in the world
was the ragged clothes in which he
stood, but be turned his attention to
hard work, instead of stateamanahip,
saved what he made instead of squan
dering it, and is now an independent
land owner, with the respect of his
neighbors, the respect of himself, and
a good credit.
In the U. 8. Court on Monday, at
Charleston, 8. C., the jury rendered a
verdict of "Guilty as to first count, and
not guilty aa to all others," in ease of
Bates and others charged with election
frauds. Two jurymen announced that
they had been bulldoued into signing
the verdict. Tbe court held Chat the
avowal oame too late. The defendant#
gave notios of application for new trial.
NO. 16.