al)r Centre Democrat.
SHUGEIIT A VAN ORMER, Editors.
VOL. 4.
Jilt CftttM SlflUOCtilt.
Term* #1.50 pnr Annum.in Advnnc*.
s. T SHUQERT A J. R. VAN ORMER, Editor..
Thursday Morning, June, 29, 1882.
Our Next Governor.
The Democratic convention, yet iu
session as we go to press, has just nom
inated ROBERT E. PATTISON for Gov
ernor. No better nomination could
liossibly have been made. Mr. Patti
con ha* been regarded, and very pro- ;
perly so, a* the inveterate foe of the
machine —the ring—and the boss in
politics. He has done more than any
other living man to bring to light the
immense stealing committed in the
tax receiver's office, and by the gas
trustees of Philadelphia.
He was the Democratic candidate
for controller of the city in 1877, and
in November of that year was elected
by a majority of 1,963, and in Novem
ber, 1880, was re-elected by 13,593
majority over a strong Republican,
while Garfield, the Republican candi
date for President, carried the city by
a majority of 20,566 over Hancock.
His election by so large a majority in
a city so largely Republican, duriDg
an exciting presidential campaign,
demonstrates very much more strongly
than anything we can say, the great
moral worth, personal popularity, high
integrity, eminent ability anil unim
peachable character of the man. He
of all others is the man for the occa
sion.- Free from the rings, niacin nc*-
and bosses, that have become so great
a curse to the people of this State, he
is at once in thought and practice a
reformer upon whose actual worth the
people can rely for the faithful dis
charge of all responsibilities they may
put upon him.
The people of Philadelphia owe to
him a great debt of gratitude ; elected
to the Controllership, and taking up
on himself the duties of the office,
when every department of the city
was filled with practical thieves, and
was slimy with corruption, single
handed aud alone he commenced the
gnat reforms that have since led to
the entire reformation of city govern
ment from mayor to policd.
We promise our readers a full
sketch with some of the comments of
the press of the state in our next issue.
THE Mahone-Arthur combination
has not yet succeeded in coercing the
independent Republicans of Virgiuia
into the scheme to perpetuate jiower
and plunder in tbe boss. They hesi
tate to accept slavery for themselves,
for the mere purpose of strengthening
the stalwart Federal administration at
Washington, who sold itself to the
repudiation hoe* to accomplish this
w>d. The stalwart bosses are likely
•his year in Virginia as elsewhere, to
have a realizing experience that there
>* an honest independent element in
the Republican party controller! by
principle more than plunder.
PRESIDENT ARTHUR ia reported
a* having said, in substance, that gov
ernment employes, who fail to respond
to "my dear HubbleV blackmail cir
cular, need entertain no fear of being
removed. This indifferent action will
have little effect. What is wanted is
an unconditional denunciation of the
spoils system. That will never issue,
by the way, from our emergency execu
tive. He owe* bia individual political
preferment to it, and ia too well versed
iu the principle* of Republican chi
canery to thus array himself against
tbe power and influence of tbe men
who made him what he is.
The Campaign of Morality and
Purity.
In our article lust week on the
morality and purity of the present
campaign as laid down by the Came
ron Republican candidate for Govenor,
we were compelled to stop at the point
where the evidence showing the Gen
eral's faith in Cameron and his belief
iu the political machine was given, we
have therefore taken up and continued
the article on the same subject: Be
side all this General Beaver is as firm
a believer in the bos*, the power of
the machine and ring in politics, as he
is in the doctrines of Calvin in reli
gion. In his speech at the Garfield
and Arthur ratification meeting held
in the Court House in June, 1880, in
speaking of Arthur, the General said
"It is charged against Arthur that he
belongs to the ring in New York. I
see no harm in that, and my word for
it, if he does he w ill be elected." The
result of the election in New York is
proof beyond cavil that the General
knew whereof he spoke on that occa
sion.
Having now shown what Cameron
Republicanism is, and that General
Beaver believes in it, and endorses all
that it is and means. When the cam
paign opens as it will before long, he
will be assailed hv the independent
Republicans and Democrat* alike for
standing before the people aud boldly
declaring that this campaign means
morality and purity, when in reality
it means directly the reverse.
As we understand it the triumph of
the Cameron ticket means a continua
tion of all the evil practices with
which this great State ha* lxen cursed,
especially for the last decade, a con
tinuation of ring rule and the subjec.
tion of the people to boss. Tbe tri
umph of the briber and corrupter of
Legislatures and the success of "Far
don Board infamy." As before these
and many other evils the boasted
morality of a candidate who is the
choice of the men who believe in and
practice thent, is hut as a breath be
fore the stord. If General Beaver
with all these evils hanging upon him
can make this campaign mean morality
and purity, then anything no matter
how foul, slimy, impure or unholy
may lie made to mean morality and
purity. For many years the Republi
can party has boasted that it was the
' party of great moral idea, and under
this cloak there is no crime, in all the
long catalogue of crimes that the party
ha* not committed, from the credit
mobelier fraud to the steal of a hun
dred million only last week. To un
dertake to make the triumph of the
i very worst element of this party
; mean morality and purity is a task too
monstrous for humau comprehension.
In his Towanda speech tlie General
does not say that be never asked any
thing of Cameron, and if he means to
be truthful he will not say so during
this campaign.
A NUMBER of the leading Repub
lican members of the House had a
consultation on Friday last, to consid
er the question of a tine die adjourn
ment. The conclusion reached wa*
that the House could be ready for ad
journment on tbe 10th of July, pro
vided tbe Senate gets through its work.
IT is said Senator Cameron bas had
no faith at any time of compromiae
with the Independents, but allowed
some advances to be made in defer
ence to tbe wishes of his friends. He
is said to dismiss all idea of any future
effort* to harmonise with the Indepen
dents, puts on tbe "war paint" and is
making arrangements for a vigorous
dash to crush out tbe rebellion against
bis authority When Don fights he
fights with vigor and generally with
effect. This fall, however, be will
have an unusually heavy load on
band, but the desperation of his for
tunes will no doubt give impetus to
bis blows, as well as free circulation to
his finances, personal and aseemed,
and the Independents need not hope,
for an easy triumph, even if they are!
not again whipped Into trace*.
"EUAL ANl> EXACT JUSTIC* TO ALL MEN, OX WHATEVER STATE On PKKEL'ABION, KELIOIOL'H OR POLITICAL."-iMTmoB
HELLEFONTE, I'A., THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1882.
Spoils !
Tlio worshiper* of the spoils system, ;
that was HO bravely grappled with by
President Garfield and that furnished
the assassin to restore the spoilsmen to I
power, the Phila. Time* thinks, were '
never as insolent and defiant of public j
sentiment us they are to-day. The
champions of that system howl their j
contempt and defiance at every friend i
of civil service reform, ami the collec
tors of the party tithes state substan
tially in their orders to their depen- ]
dents to stand and deliver, that Presi- ]
dent Arthur and the heads of depart
ments approve of the systematic rob- ;
bery.
Mr. George WilliHin Curtis and
some other eminent Republicans, who
believe in the honest practice of what
party platforms profess, recently called ;
the attention of the government de
pendents to the act of Congress for
bidding government officers from col
lecting purtv assessments. It was a
temperate, diguiiied presentation of
the law, and asked that obedience to ;
the law from officers of the govern- j
merit that is enforced among the [>eo
pie. To this sensible and obviously ,
honest and proper suggestion from Mr. 1
Curtis, Mr. Jay A. llubliell, chairman
of the Republican Congressional Com- j
mittce, has answered Mr. Curtis witK
a degree of insolence that could come
only from an utterly debauched wor
shiper of the spoils system.
Mr. Huhbel! puts iu the technical
plea that he is a member of Congress
and not an officer of the government,'
and he challenges Mr. Curtis to sub
mit the question—not to any compe
tent tribunal to decide the issue, hut
to the Attorney General of the admin
istration that is publicly committed to
the spoils system as the cardinal arti
cle of its political faith. It is possi
ble that Congressman Hubhell is not
an officer of the government 'within
the meaning of the flth section of
chapter 287 of the l*nited States sta
tutes ; hut it is none the less the truth
that he is one of the law makers who
enacted that law for officers of the
government, and common honesty and
common decency, if let legal power
of the law, should make him respect
the statute alike by precept aud ex
ample. There can be 110 more inso
lent teaching of contempt for law than
for a law-maker to issue to government
officer- a request, that ia equivalent to
a command, to diaobey the plain spirit
if not the letter of the law. It is
simply the insolence of lawlessness in
tensified by the law-making authority
of the Republic.
Nor doea Congrewsman Hubbell
ataud alone in his ostentatious and in
solent advocacy of the spoils system.
Frank Hatton, First Assistant I'oat
rnaster General, and A. A. Freeman,
Assistant Attorney General for the
Post Office department, have come to
tbe front by public letters giving the
i broad seal of tbe administration in
approval of the systematic robbery of
all government officers for the benefit
of professional politicians who lire on
(iarty assessments, and fur the pollu
tion of tbe ballot. Both Hatton and
Freeman are officers of the govern
ment and clearly come within the pro
hibition of tbe statute; but Hatton
has tens of thouaaods of subordinates
under him and Freeman has hundreds
who must obey iiia suggestions, and
tbey treat tlie law with open contempt
and practically advise government
officeraand employes to repudiate it.
Had Assistant Postmaster General
Hatton and Solicitor Freeman written
public letters practically teaching con
tempt for the law of the government,
when Garfield was in the Presidential
chair, they would have been dismissed
in disgrace; hut the aasaasiu came to
cleer tbe way for tbe spoilsmen by
murder, and the teachings of Garfield
are forgotten in the planes of power,
as the Stalwart shoots lor the robbery
of govern meat officers aad employes
to debauch tbe dv>| service of the na
tion. It is idle to say that the respon
sibility for this insolence rests on Hub-
' hell or Ilatton or Freeman. It rest*
solely ou President Arthur, and he
and his Stalwart faction must answer
to tbe people for thin open, insolent
contempt for law. The President of
the United State* is to day the author
of the spoil* system that now, for the
fir*t time, declare* it*elf as greater
than either public sentiment or public
law, aud he and his purty must meet
the issue before an honest anil out
raged people.
THE REPUBLICAN* claim that ex- J
' soldiers should vote for General
Reaver for Governor. Certainly they
i -kould if they desire to do so, aud be
now represent* the principles of politi
-11 al government they desire to per
-1 jK-tuate, but not otherwise. He is now
: before the people as a politician, and
whatever his merits as a soldier in
former J*ys, he is to be judged by the
|>olitical principles he avows and the
dark and tnrbid waters floating the
!sat in which he sails as the represen
tative of the basest element of the
Republican party, now falling to pieces
by the corruptions and tyrannies aud
usurpations of that branch of it in
which the General is immediately as
sociates!. That the soldier claim has
no particular merit in political action
ha* been attested by Geu. Reaver aud
hi* party on many occasions. I-css
than two years ago Gen. Winfield
Scott Hancock, a native citizen of
Pennsylvania, was the Democratic
candidate for President. He is sup
posed to be a soldier of some eminence
and had rendered very valuable ser
vice as suah to the country, but uot
representing the stalwart Republican
party with which Gen. Reaver's for
tunes are identified, he did not consid
er it incumbent upon him to vote for
' Hancock, because ne.was a soldier of
merit and distinction, hut preferred a
j civilian because he represented his
political sentiments. In this Gen.
Beaver was exactly right. He voted
> as a civilian to maintain those princi
ples of civil government, which accord
with his own views. The same privi
leges aud the same duty is incumbent
upoo every soldier of the State who
tjore a part in its defence. If the
fragment of tbe Republican party
controlled by boa* and ring methods,
i making law and tbe constitution subor
| dinale to party necessities, meet* the
| desire aod approbation of soldiers,
, they may safely vote for Gen. Beaver.
He is the standard bearer of that ele
ment. But we trust our veterans will
be governed by principle and sound
common sense in selecting the parly
to which they desire to give promi
nence in the important electiou ap
proachiug, and not be governed hy
the silly claim to which we refer. It
in not Gen. Ik-aver, it in not John
Siewart, nor in it the Democratic can
didate, whoever ho may lie, that claims
ownoideratioii. It in the principles of
the party they nerve, and the claim
i each party ha* for sincere effort to
1 correct existing abune, promote re
form and restore the administration to
i the plain methods of honest economic
| administration, dispensing justice and
i equal rights to all alike, uot only to j
secure a full, lair and just represents- ,
tion of the people in their Legi-lnture.
To AW .'KIT the utterances of Gen. j
Beaver, Attorney General Palmer, 1
who thinks Brosius is the Moses for
the occasion, Corporal Owper and
other stalwart politicians, one would
be led to believe that everything ia
lovely for the Cameron ticket— that
tbe demonstration* of the Independ
ent* ia a mere byplay to be swept off
whenever the boese* cease to he amused
by the frolicsome gambols of the per
formers. Plays sometimes Itecon e
serious, if protracted, and it now looks
as if John Btewart aod his associates
have reached the serious point and
"mean business." This is not a cheer
ful aspect of the situation for our
eeteetoed friend, tbe General, and it ia
not surprising that ke and his stal
wart adherent* are loath to receive it.
MESSRS. JOHN L. HAYES, W. H.
McMuhon and A. M. Garland, mem
bers of the tariff commission, says the
I Washington Pott, have nothing to say
when approached u|on th<* tariff quee
| tion. Alexaudei R. Boteler. however,
I ventures to give expression to his be
lief that after uli a commission is the
only way to settle such a vexed que*-
tion. Mr. Robert P. Porter takes oc
casion to deny the charge that he rep
i resent* special interests. He believes
j that much depends on circumstances,
I on the comparative state of industry
j and ou the necessities of the consumer.
"I will go into this investigation," said
he, "with no interest save the good of
the Natiou and tbe elevation of Amer
ican labor." Mr. Henry W. Oliver,
Jr., thinks the commission "should
follow closely the act under which
i they are appointed, and not forestall
the action of the body by muking
! public personal views iu advance of
it* organization." The only one who
talk* lreely is Mr. J. W. I*l. Under
wood. He is in favor of raising a
revenue to defray the expenses of the
government and to pay the public
debt in a reasonable time by duties on
imports, which, in his mind involves
the overthrow of the internal revenue
Bystcm. As the present tariff was
adopted when the natioual debt wa*
| large and the exigencies of the coun
try required a great income, he thought
a change should now be made result
ing in a complete revi*ion of the whole
system. In his interview he puts him
self on record as being opposed to a
tax on tobacco and other product* of
the country. The ground for his op
position lies in his belief that the gen
eral system of internal revenue fosters
monopolies.
THE aat< wxnenla levied by the Con
gressional campaign committee upon
the Federal officials and employes iu
Philadelphia at 2 per cent., will aggre
gate the sum of $2-5,769.02, divided as
follows:
CORTOM LLOAW V..4.W v
*r TwC
PoatoflL fi/fclfi'fi
Sab Tr-mr> Mvi-VX
Add to this the a?H**mcnts of the
post offices, revenue offices, attorneys,
judges and other Federal officials
throughout the Htate, and the stal
warts have quite a sum to commence
the work of corruption and fraud on
the first levy. A large dividend of
this will be claimed by the State com
mittee for the exclusive use of the
Cameron campaign. This c/tVy and
the personal assessment* of the iron
men by Cameron himself, will explain
the character of the great fight the
boa* proposes to make for continued
power and supremacy in Pennsylvania.
The money hag is certaioly a great
power, but it is not equal to tlie virtue
and intelligence of the people, when
properly aroused, to the neceasity of
maintaining popular freedom aud in
dividual rights agaiost the |s-r*oual
rule of a bloated self-constituted mas
ter and usurper.
ORNKRAI. BKAYKB'S vaunted popu
larity among the masses of Republi
can voters ia a myth. Nine-tenths of
' the instructed dolegates who voted for
! him at Harrisburg, represented coun
, tics in which the Republicans are in a
hopeless minority. Tbe appointment
j of delegates in most of these districts
was, therefore, merely a matter of
j form ; only the work of a few of the
; leaders. Thi* kind of support rush.
! iug into the Beaver column sickened
the reprewntatives of other parts of the
Htate, wherein is expected to be (Milled
the vote that is to elect. If our friend
is really in earnest in his statement
that be verily believes himself to be
the choice of the Republican suffra
gists of Pennsylvania, why does be
not suggest a new convention of dele
gates, properly instructed at a primary
election? This would plaoe him, if
they cboM to endorse bis candidacy,
beyond tbe limit* of a regular ring
political prize fight aud steal from the
Independent* their tenable only
ground.
TEBMN: s!.&<) per Annum, in Advance.
THE army worm* have made their
j appearance in the neighborhood of
Philadelphia, Delaware and Mary
land, and are very destructive to the
| growing crops. Considerable alarm is
felt in the visit of these destructive
! IX'sts. 1 hey move in large bodies with
the regularity of veterans, and carry
destruction to every field they attack.
SENATOR CAMERON, fearing the
assessment process of taxing govern
ment officials, adopted by the Con
gressional campaign committee might
be too slow and fail in obtaining suffi
cient funds for present emergency, has
i in his capacity of boss, assessed the
! eleven Bessemer steel companies of
I his ranch SI,OOO each, witli warning
j to prepare for future orders.
IT is expected that a very lively
i contest will occur this week in Con
gress over the funeral expenses of the
late President. The extravagant aod
shameless allowances to physicians
aDd others connected with the case,
will undoubtedly be sharply resisted,
hut the surplus in the Treasury is very
attractive to robbers, and the present
majority do not seem disposed to place
any restraint upon their raids. The
hills will of course be paid.
T THE medical cranks are now in
motion appealing to the President in
the interest of Science for a respite of
the execution of Guiteau. Tbey claim
that he is a confirmed lunatic and
ought not to be bung but confined for
life at hard labor. They propose to
prove this on the most Scientific prin
ciples, if allowed time to do so, and
for this purpose ask the appointment
of a Scientific expert commission.
Guiteau obtained notoriety by killing
& President, and why should not the
medical cranks seek notoriety in sav
ing the assassin in a Scientific way.
THE Cameron Republican conven
tion rc-assembled at Ilarrisburg on
Weilnesdav of last week, to repair the
broken tail of the boss ticket John
Wanamaker having declined to per
mit his name to be used as a candi
date, the choice fell upon MarioU
Brosius, of I.ancastcr, for Congrees
inan-at-Larg'\ To the question so
frequently asked since the adjourn
ment of the convention, "who is Bro
sius V Gen. Beaver has answered in
an interview, "I am acquainted with
him and am satisfied." That's enough.
The boss didn't care.
THE New York Globe, an exponent
of the interests of the colored race,
and a paper of great political sense,
will not regret to see "the power of
the idea nipped in tl e
bud." Considering the stalwart growth
:of the Catueronian idea, "nipped in
the blossom" would have been better,
but it's not worth while to be hyper
critical alntui metaphors. The Globe
disguises its opinions in no equivocat
ing terms. It soys: "If the Ilepub
liean party proper is to crtuli out the
full and free expression of the popular
voioc, then it is better that it should
l>o curbed now, before it develops into
HII evil toocousequeutial to be bundled
I effectively." And then, with the in*
i fumies of the reconstruction era at the
south rising vividly to its recollection,
i the Globe adds: "The carpet-bag
governments were modeled after the
Cameron fashion.'* Of all the criti
cisms and animadversions which have
Iwo heaped upon "machine" rule in
this country, nothing rougher than
this has ever been spoken of the
"bosses." At the same time, when wo
ootno to look at it, nothing is more
true. The carpet bag idea and the
t ameruoian idea are both based upon
the same degrading principle—that all
power resides in the leaders and that
independence of thought is a forbidden
heresy to their followers. The analogy
is perfect, and the only consolation te
be derived from it is that being alike,
the same inglorious fain which over
took the ens must sooner or later over
take the other.
NO. 20,