CLARK'S DEFENSE

William H. Clark

The Cortland News, Friday, September 29, 1882.

Clark’s Defense of Himself.

   The editor of the Cortland Standard labored through a long editorial last week to show that, while the tissue ballots by which the fraud, if any, was perpetrated at the Cortland [Republican] caucus, [they] were printed for both sides at his office, yet he, William H. Clark, was not responsible therefore, but his head man was. This is an old and stereotyped defense of his. In 1877, soon after he took charge of the Standard, the tickets of Mr. Joseph R. Dixon and Abram P. Smith were sold from that office to Irving H. Palmer for forty dollars in money and Palmer drove all the way to Syracuse and had them counterfeited for the purpose of securing the defeat of those regular Republican candidates.

   Clark then as now was forced to admit the fraud and that it was perpetrated in his office, but he then as now said that he did not do it, it was his foreman.

   There probably never was a man who had so much deviltry going on under his immediate supervision, for which he is not to blame, as William H. Clark. He ought to have a committee! The defense is thinner than the tissue ballots with which he attempted to commit the fraud of which he now complains. But he ends up by saying that if they would pay him enough he would print them even it he knew all about it. What won't that man do for money?

   Clark prints his name in the court calendars as a lawyer. We call his attention to the term particeps criminis. He who whets the knife or loads the pistol of the assassin when he can but know the purpose is just as guilty as the assassin himself, and that he is paid for it is no defense in law or judgment of fair-minded men. Mr. Clark can't throw off the responsibility of printing 2,500 tissue ballots for Howard J. Harrington and 1,500 tor Mr. Bushby—4,000 in all—to be voted, as he says, by less than 900 men.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Beginning next Monday, Oct. 2, the dry goods stores of Cortland will be closed at 7 o'clock P. M., every evening except Saturday, for the ensuing six months.

   The equinoctial storm in this section was quite a mild one, but in other parts the storm was very severe, causing heavy damage, especially along the Atlantic Coast.

   The Oswego Normal school has received this term 70 new Normal students and has 260 in all. The Cortland Normal received 136 new Normal students and has 338 in all.

   The Congregational Society have on sale at Wallace's photographs of the large sketch of their church edifice. They are fine pictures of a pretty building and can be had for 40 cts. each.

   On Wednesday evening Mr. J. Seaman Bull returned from a business trip to Chihuahua, Mexico, He reports sand-hills, cacti, thermometer 110, and a fabulous amount of dust.

   After the Democratic ratification meeting Saturday evening the Homer band serenaded Robert Bushby, the Republican candidate for county clerk. That was a wise move on the part of the band, whether they knew it before or not, for Mr. Bushby escorted them to Taylor's restaurant for refreshments.

   Emerald Hose No. 4, have purchased the elegant hose carriage of Fountain Hose Co. of Binghamton, which took the prize for beauty and richness at the Philadelphia Centennial. The price paid was $1,200. The carriage came by rail yesterday and was at once put on exhibition. It attracted a great deal of attention.

   Mr. H. A. Jarvis, one of the oldest and most respected citizens of Cortland, died at his residence in this village about midnight of Tuesday, the 26th inst. Mr. Jarvis had been in feeble health for some time past, though he had of late felt much better. From 1861 to 1878, over 17 years, he was postmaster of this village. His age was 64 years and 9 months.

   The Board of Education have purchased on the west side of Schermerhorn street near its junction with Madison street, a couple of lots on which they intend to build a school-house for the accommodation of children in that part of the village. The price paid is $750. As soon as a plan and specifications can be prepared, bids will be called for, as it is the purpose of the Board to commence operations as soon as possible.

   The total number of Normal students in attendance this fall is 337, about fifty less than last term.--Cort. Cor. Syr. Herald, Sept. 23. "The allegation is false, and the alligator knowed it," as Thad. Stevens used to say. The Normal school never opened so full or with such flattering prospects as this term. It is and has been a cause for rejoicing by the friends of the school, and every friend of the village is a friend of the school, and it is strange that any living here should so falsify the facts for the purpose of gratifying personal spite at the expense of our favorite Institution. But there has been much in this town for the last three years that is hard to account for. The fact is the number of Normal students this fall is 338, and the number last term was 222, or 116 less than this term, as the records show, and as a visit to the chapel any morning will [prove.]

   Editor Clark, of the Standard, is engaged in fighting a boy, but the boy is ahead, as all of Clark's opponents have ever been, and are sure to be.

   Our young townsman, Mr. Elmer A. Sperry, exhibited his electric light at the Globe hotel in Syracuse on the evening of the 21st inst., and the Syracuse Standard says that it "proved to be a success from the moment it was started. The exhibition was witnessed by hundreds who remarked its steadiness and the peculiar softness of the light, and although the test was made under decided disadvantages, the results attained were most gratifying."

   Last Saturday evening, the Democracy hereabouts endeavored to stir up enthusiasm over the nominations made at Syracuse, and with the help of the Homer Cornet Band they gathered a few Democrats and many Republicans in Taylor Hall and chose H. J. Messenger chairman and Sanford Elwell secretary. Then, that the audience might understand what all this noise meant, John Courtney, Jr., tried to inform them. What he don't know about Tilden and reform isn't worth knowing; and consequently he filled the Democrats so chuck full of—of—what he said, that they dispersed with the belief that the Cleveland nominated for Governor is the baking-powder man, and that this commodity was all the Democracy had on which to depend to elect their ticket.



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