REAL PROGRESS UNDER TAFT Many Progressive Measures Putin Force THE WHOLE PEOPLE SERVED ■xpress Companies Compelled to Re duce Rates, Parcela Post Law En acted and Other Notable Progres sive Policies Made Effective by Taft Without Boasting and Noise. Dispassionate judges will accord to the Taft administration the credit of putting in force more measures of a positively progressive character than any other administration since the civil war. Not only have such meas ures been numerous, hut they have been of great and far-reacliing impor tance. President Taft has labored ln defatigably to serve the whole people, bnd by means of his broad experience and rare Judicial mind and having at his oommand legal talen of the high est order he has put his progressive policies one after another Into valid and practical legislation. This has been done without boasting and noise. Whether vindicated or not at the com ing election, Mr. Taft's work will stand as a chapter of achievement as brilliant as it Ib meritorious. We wish at this time to invite atten tion to two specific features of gov ernmental progress. One consists of the interstate commerce commission's Investigation of the express compa nies, resulting in the recent report or dering the companies to reduce rates and institute sweeping reforms in va rious directions. The other is the en uctment of the Bourne parcels post bill, one of the most useful measures ever putin force In this country under pny administration. These two re lorms, taken In connection, will exert b powerful influence for a reduction of the cost of living. Mr. Taft has been in complete sym pathy with the interstate commerce commission's inquiry into the express business, a process consistent in all re spects with the administration's gen eral policy of compelling big corpora tions to square themselves with the law and the public interest. Some of the more powerful corporations do not like that policy, but the public ought to indorse it. The enactment of a par cels post law brings to fruition a plan that found indorsement in the plat form upon which the president was elected. Through the action of the senate the Bourne bill, looking to a parcels service at the lowest practica ble rates within a given territory, was substituted for the house bill with its flat rate provisions. The measure as passed probably Is not perfect, nor should the rates be regarded as per manent. The plan is experimental In certain respects. But we believe the principle of the act is correct. One of the most important aspects of this measure is.its bearing on the food sit uation. It will give consumers and pro ducers a new medium of direct con tact. The interstate commerce com mission's rulings respecting the ex press companies also make special ac count of this problem. The express companies are required to order their business in such a manner as to give quicker service and lower rates on food products. It is recognized by all economic In vestigators that one of the greatest problems related to the cost of living Is that which has to do with the sys tem of distribution. Express reforms and the parcels post will be of great value in promoting prompter and cheaper distribution of food products especially, and at the same time the scope of these measures Is so compre hensive as to apply to all classes of merchandise. Production, too, should be greatly stimulated by the influence thus invoked. We do not say that President Taft deserves the sole credit for these de partures, but we cite them as features of an administration that some persons would have us believe is nonprogres sive, when in reality they form a logi cal part of a great progressive epoch, which opened with the Inauguration of Mr. Taft, and which, in the people's patriotism and good sense, will be con tinued during four more years of the same courageous and able leadership. Is Extract from statement of Nr. jjj | ? Roosevelt, dated Nor. 8,1904: |! j 5 "On the 4th day of March j|j i next I shall have served three jjj and one-half years, and this I;! ; three and one-half years con- jjj jjj stitutes my first term. The jjj jl wise custom which llmltt the ijl !; President to two terms regards jlj jjj the substance and not the form. ||| ijl Under no circumstances will I ijl j be a candidate for or accept jjj another nomination." > " What Washington would not I ; take, and Grant could not get, I S io man shall have." I PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION SUBMIT TED TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH FOR THEIR AP PROVAL OR REJECTION, BY THE GENERAL. ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYL VANIA. AND PUBLISHED BY OR DER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH, IN PURSU ANCE OF ARTICLE XVIII OF THE CONSTITUTION. Number One. A JOINT RESOLUTION. Proposing an amendment to article nine, section four, of the Constitu tion of the Commonwealth of Penn sylvania, authorizing the State to Issue bonds to the amount of fifty millions of dollars for the Improve ment ot the highways of the Com monwealth. Section 1., Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania In Qeneral Assembly met. That the following amendment to the Constitu tion of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl vania be, and the same Is hereby, pro posed, in accordance with the eigh teenth article thereof: — That section four of article nine, which reads as follows: "Section 4. No debt shall be creat ed by or on behalf of the State, ex cept to supply casual deficiencies of revenue, repel Invasion, suppress in surrection. defend the State in war, or to pay existing debt; and the debt created to supply deficiency in rev enue shall never exceed. In the aggre grate at any one time, one million of dollars," be amended so as to read as follows: Section 4. No debt shall be created by or on behalf of the State, except to supply casual deficiencies of rev enue, repel Invasion, suppress insur rection, defend the State in war, or to pay existing debt; and the debt creat ed to supply deficiencies in revenue shall never exceed, In the aggregate at any ona time, one million of dol lars: Provided, however, 'mat the General Assembly, irrespective of any debt, may authorize the State to issue bonds to the amount of fifty millions of dollars for the purpose of improv ing and rebuilding the highways of the Commonwealth. A true copy of Joint Resolution No. 1. ROBERT McAFEE, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Number Two. A JOINT RESOLUTION. Proposing an amendment to section seven, article three of the Constitu tion of Pennsylvania, so as to per mit special legislation regulating labor. Section 1. Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, That the following Is proposed as an amend ment to the Constitution of the Com monwealth of Pennsylvania, in ac cordance with the provisions of the eighteenth article thereof. Amend ment to Article Three, Section Seven. Section 2. Amend section seven, article three of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, which reads as fol lows: — "Section 7. The General Assembly •hall not pass any local or special law authorizing the creation, extension, or Impairing of liens: "Regulating the affairs of counties, oities, townships, wards, boroughs, or school districts: "Changing the names of persons or places: "Changing the venue In civil or criminal cases: "Authorizing the laying out, open ing, altering, or maintaining roads, highways, streets or alleys: "Relating to ferries or bridges, or Incorporating ferry or bridge compan ies, except for the erection of bridges crossing streams which form bounda ries between this and any other State: "Vacating roads, town plats, streets or alleys: "Relating to cemeteries, graveyards, or public grounds not of the State: "Authorizing the adoption or legiti mation of children: "Locating or changing county-seats, erecting new counties, or changing county lines: "Incorporating cities, towns, or vil lages, or changing their charters: "For the opening and conducting of elections, or fixing or changing the place of voting: "Granting divorces: "Erecting new townships or bor oughs, changing township lines, bor ough limits, or school districts: "Creating offices, or prescribing the powers and duties of officers in coun ties, cities, boroughs, townships, elec tion or~school districts: "Changing the law of descent or succession: "Regulating the practice or Juris diction of, or changing the rules of evidence In, any judicial proceeding or Inquiry before courts, aldermen, justices of the peace, sheriffs, commis sioners, arbitrators, auditors, masters in chancery, or other tribunals, or providing or changing methods for ths collection of debts, or the enforcing of Judgments, or prescribing the effect of judicial sales of real estate: "Regulating the fees, or extending the powers and duties of aldermen, justices of the peace, magistrates or constables: "Regulating the management of public schools, the building or repair ing of school houses and the raising of money for such purposes: "Fixing the rate of interest: "Affecting the estates of minors or persons under disability, except after due notice to all parties In interest, to be recited in the special enact ment: "Remitting fines, penalties and for feitures, or refunding money* legally paid Into the treasury: "Exempting property from taxation: "Regulating labor, trade, mining or manufacturing: "Creating corporations, or amend ing, renewing or extending ths chart ers thereof: "Granting to any corporation, mm elation or individual any special or ex clusive privilege or Immunity, or to any corporation, association or indi vidual the right to lay down a railroad track, "Nor shall the General Assembly in directly enact such special or local law by the partial repeal of a general law; but laws repealing local or spec ial acts may be passed: "Nor shall any law be passed grant ing powers and privileges in any case where the granting of such powers and privileges shall have been provid ed for by general law, nor where the courts have Jurisdiction to grant the same or give the relief asked for." — BO as to read as follows: Section 7. The General Assembly shall not pass any local or special law authorizing the creation, extension or impairing of liens: Regulating the affairs of counties, cities, townships, wards, boroughs, or school districts: Changing the names of persons or places: Changing the venue in civil or crim inal cases: Authorizing the laying out, opening, altering, or maintaining roads, high ways, streets or alleys: Relating to ferries or bridges, or in corporating ferry or bridge compan ies, except for the erection of bridges crossing streams which form bounda ries between this and any other State. Vacating roads, town plats, streets or alleys: Relating to cemeteries, graveyards, or public grounds not of the State: Authorizing the adoption, or legiti mation of children: Locating or changing county-seats, erecting new counties or changing county lines: Incorporating cities, towns or vill ages, by changing their charters: For the opening and conducting of elections, or fixing or changing the place of voting. Granting divorces: Erecting new townships or bor oughs, changing township lines, bor ough limits or schopl districts: Creating offices, or prescribing the powers and duties of officers in coun ties, cities, boroughs, townships, elec tion or school districts: Changing the law of descent or suc cession: Regulating the practice or jurisdic tion of, or changing the rules of evi dence in, any judicial proceeding or inquiry before courts, aldermen, jus tices of the peace, sheriffs, commis sioners, arbitrators, auditors, masters in chancery or other tribunals, or pro viding or changing methods for the collection of debts, or the enforcing of judgments, or prescribing the ef fect of judicial sales of real estate: Regulating the fees, or extending the powers and duties of aldermen, justices of the peace, magistrates or constables: Regulating the management of pub lic schools, the building or repairing of school houses and the raising of money for such purposes: Fixing the rate of interest: Affecting the estates of minors or persons under disability, except after due notice to all parties in interest, to be recited In the special enact ment: Remitting fines, penalties and for feitures. or refunding moneys legally paid into the treasury: Exempting property from taxation: Regulating labor, trade, mining or manufacturing; but the legislature may regulate and fix the wages or salaries, the hours of work or labor, and make provision for the protection, welfare and safety of persons employ ed by the State, or by any county, city, borough, town, township school district, village, or other civil di vision of the State, or by any contract or or sub-contractor performing work, labor or services for the State, or for any county, city, borough, town, town ship, school district, village or other civil division thereof: Creating corporations, or amending, renewing or extending the charters thereof: Granting to any corporation, asso ciation, or Individual any special or exclusive privilege or Immunity, or to any corporation, association, or in dividual the right to lay down a rail road track: Nor shall the General Assembly in directly enact such special or local law by the partial repeal of a general law; but laws repealing local or spec ial acts may be passed: Nor shall any law be passed grant ing powers or privileges in any case where the granting of such powers and privileges shall have been pro vided for by general law, nor where the courts have Jurisdiction to grant the same or give the relief asked for. A true copy of Joint Resolution No. 2. ROBERT McAFEE. Secretary of the Commonwealth. Number Three. A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, proposing an amendment to section three of article eight of the Consti tution of Pennsylvania. Section 1. Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the Com monwealth of Pennsylvania (if the Senate concur), That the following la proposed as an amendment to the Con stitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in accordance with the provisions of the eighteenth articlo thereof: — Section 2. —Amend section three of article eight, which reads as follows: "All judges elected by the electors of the State at large may be elected at either a general or municipal election, as circumstances may require. All the elections for Judges of the courts Cor the several judicial districts, and tor county, city, ward, borough, and township officers, for regular terms of service, shall be held on the municipal election day; namely, the Tuesday next following the first Monday of No vember in each odd-numbered year, but the General Assembly may by law Bx a different day, two-thirds of all the members of each House consent ing thereto: Provided, That such elections shall always be held In an odd-numbered year," so as to read: Section 8. All judges elected by th* electors of the State at large may be elected at either a general or mu nicipal election, as circumstances may require. All elections for Judges of the ooarts (or the several judicial dla ttka «4 tor eounty, dtj, wt, ough, and township officers, for regu lar terms of service, uuau m. the municipal election day; namely, the Tuesday next following the tirst Mon day of November in each odd-uuixiber ed year, but Jhe General Assembly may by law fix a different day, two thirds of all the members of each House consenting thereto: Provided, That such electio 10 biiu I be held in an odd-numbered > car: Provided fur ther, That all juut;es for the courts of the several judicial districts hold ing office at the present time, whose terms of office may end m an odd numbered year, shall continue to hold their offices until the tirst Alonday of January in the next succeeding even numbered year. A true copy of Concurrent Resolu tion No. 3. ROBERT McAFEE, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Number Four. A JOINT RESOLUTION. Proposing an amendment to section one of article nine of the Consti tution of Pennsylvania, relating to taxation. Section 1. Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, That the following is proposed as an amend ment to the Constitution of the Com monwealth of Pennsylvania, in ac cordance with the provisions of the eighteenth article thereof: — Section 2. Amend section one of article nine of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, which reads as follows: "All taxes shall be uniform, upon the same class of subjects, within the territorial limits of the authority levy ing the tax, and shall be levied and collected under general laws; but the General Assembly may, by general laws, exempt from taxation public property used for public purposes, actual places of religious worship, places of burial not used or held for private or corporate profit, and institu tions of purely public charity," so as to read as follows: All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of subjects, within the ter ritorial limits of the authority levying the tax, and shall be levied and col lected under general laws, and the subjects of taxation may be classified for the purpose of laying graded or progressive taxes; but the General Assembly may, by general laws, ex empt from taxation public property used for public purposes, actual places of religious worship, places of burial not used or held for private or cor porate profit, and institutions of pure ly public charity. A true copy of Joint Resolution No. 4. ROBERT McAFEE, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Number Five. A JOINT RESOLUTION. Proposing an amendment to the Con stitution of Pennsylvania. Be It resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Com monwealth of Pennsylvania in Gener al Assembly met, That the follow ing is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania, in accordance with the provisions of the eighteenth article thereof: — Article IX. Section 15. No obligations which have been heretofore issued, or which may hereafter be issued, by any coun ty or municipality, other than Phila delphia, to provide tor the construc tion or acquisition of waterworks, subways, underground railways or street railways, or the appurtenances thereof, shall be considered as a debt of a municipality, within the meaning of section eight of article nine of the Constitution of Pennsylvania or of this amendment, if the net revenue derived from said property for a per iod of five years, either before or after the acquisition thereof, or, where the same la constructed by the county or municipality, after the completion thereof, Bhall have been sufficient to pay interest and sinking-fund charges during said period upon said obliga tions, or If the said obligations shall be secured by liens upon the respec tive properties, and shall impose no municipal liability. Where munici palities of counties Bhall Issue obliga tions to provide for the construction of property, as herein provided, said said municipalities or counties may also Issue obligations to provide for the Interest and sinking-fund charges accruing thereon until said properties Bhall have been completed and in op eration for a period of one year; and said municipalities and counties shall not be required to levy a tax to pay said Interest and sinking-fund charges, as required by section ten of article nine of the Constitution of Pennsyl vania, until after said properties shall have been operated by said counties or municipalities during said period of one year. Any of the said munici palities or counties may Incur indebt edness in excess of seven per centum, and not exceeding ten per centum, of the assessed valuation of the taxable property therein, if said Increase of Indebtedness shall have been assented to by three-fifths of the electors vot ing at a public election, In such man ner as shall be provided by law. A true copy of Joint Resolution No. 5. ROBERT McAFEE, Secretary of the Commonwealth. ■ —I The Advertised Article (la on* In which the mere hut him—if has Implicit faith— •lae he would not advertise it. Von are safe In patronising the merchants whose ads appear In this paper because their foods are up-to-date and never shopworn. j DO IT NOW Sa| HE TURNS TO TRUSTS. Woodrow Wilson Evades Discussion of the Tariff Question. It Is the trust issue, we are now told by Woodrow Wilson, that is para mount in the campaign. Last week it was the tariff. What it will be next week has not yet been indicated. In his speech of acceptance Gover nor Wilson emphasized the fact that a platform was not a program. Those were words of wisdom. A program is something to be followed with some degree of fidelity. A platform, in the lexicon of the Democratic candidate, is a flexible thing, not to be taken too seriously, but to be bent and altered to meet the demands of the moment. A nice, adaptable platform is good enough for him. In all fairness and in all decency, however, Dr. Wilson should not be permitted to evade a discussion of the issue he brought forward as the im portant one eurly in his campaign. His campaign manager refused a chal lenge for a joint debate between Re publican and Democratic speakers on the tariff, and the candidate might disclaim v personal responsibility for that, but certainly Dr. Wilson cannot avoid responsibility for his own words and his own arguments. The fact that he found his audiences to tally out of sympathy with his free trade views should not still his tongue if he has the courage of his convic tions and honestly believes the doc trine which he preached. If he be a true leader of the anti-protectionists lie will justify his beliefs and opin ions. So far from doing this, however, he has elected to evade, precisely as his managers evade, adequate discussion of the subject which means so much to every individual in the land. First assailing protection and making state ments that demonstrated his lack of knowledge of the facts, he shifted from that position to one where he was trying to calm the fears of the indus trial and commercial elements in the population aroused by his initial ut terances. Out of all his more or less vague talk on the subject only one thing emerges clearly and distinctly —fiat is, that he and his party pro pose c purely politic "'""J'S for InvaltißWc book ■ B TO ?,f TA,M .I'" 1 SELL P.-.TENTS, ■ ■ Which ones will pay, Iluw to get , |. i.tner! I ■ patent law and other valuable lal urination. ■ ID. SWIFT & CO.I Seventh St., Washington, D. C. J DEMONSTRATER WANTED A good man to demonstrate the National Vacuum Cleaner in Sul livan County, A fine proposition to the right party. Address, THE REPUBLICAN NEWS ITEM, Laporte, Pa. M. BRINK'S PRICES For This Week ton 100 lb Corn Meal 30.00 1.50 Cracked Corn i'O 00 1.50 Corn -.0 00 1.50 PureCorn&< )atsChop 35.00 1. 75 Sacks each 6c with "privilege of returning without expense to me Schumacher Chcp SI 00 I.GO Wheat Bran 24.50 130 011 Meal ,39 00 2.00 Gluten 32.0M 1.G5 Brewers Grain 27.00 1.40 Choice Cottonseed M0a134 00 1.75 Oyster Shells 10.00 GO Portland Cornell per tont 9.00 45 (rebate lrc each for sacks re urned) Beef Scrap . 3.00 Mixed grains for hens 2 00 New Oats to arrive in October .40 140 lb bag Salt coarse or fine .GO 100 lb bag Sa't s .45 Flour per bbl. k Shuntacher Patent GOO I.GO Marvel G GO 1.70 Luxury 5 ( , 0 1.35 \ eal Calves wanted on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Li\e fowls and ( liicl ens 011 Wednes lay. M. BRINK; New Aluany Fa. *V< J THftOE-MAHKS \ iPsl I ttji'N ii c "MB COPYRIGHTS 4 P ■ n B Sstil: E OBTAINED J I ADVICE AS TO PATEPJTAniI-iTt } [Notice in " Inventive >Kt K3I S? M < Book "How to obtain Patent*' fj 9ikw A i Charges moderate. N.'feeti!! nutent is secured. 1 [ Letters stricrly confidential. Address. * ■. G. SIGGtHS. Patcr.i Lanyer, Washington, 0. C J | QUALITY | I Z When people miiizo that it 2 $ is not tlx* quantity I'nr the & 1 HK'ney, so much as tlio i|iinlity i * that counts, then they will ¥ ♦ patronize the store which does ♦ ♦ business in . good pure goods. ♦ 2 Cut >rices often mean cut A Z qt alii es. Our prices are as X t lo at {ood goods wil allow. X J Our go 'tis are not of the cheap # • ma.i-oi er variety. When ♦ • t oui wing prices do not for- 2 • »et j c mpare qualities. II 2 X y >u nd he prices lower than x { ours, ihe you will find the J ± qualit es inferior—generally • # "b'rg. in luse" joh lots. • X Ask is J show you why 2 { our to. k is superior. 2 j^Buschhausen's. Subscribe for the News Item.