SERVED THEM RIGHT.

The Cortland News, Friday, March 30, 1883.

Served Them Right.

   Last Friday evening a strolling comedy troupe with the name of "Matson’s [and] Muldoon's Picnic Company" appealed in Taylor Hall, and, under the instruction of some person who ought to have been in better business, introduced several "gags" upon well-known citizens. One of these [gags] was a disgraceful caricature of Mr. James M. Smith, who, upon learning next day of the manner in which he had been paraded before the audience, sent ex-sheriff Van Hoesen and counselor Jerome Squires to Ithaca where the troupe were to exhibit that evening.

   What passed at Ithaca it is unnecessary to state in detail, but the result was that the manager was put under bonds to appear at Cortland on the third of April, to answer to a criminal charge, and Messrs. Van Hoesen and Squires returned with $100 for Mr. Smith and a written apology for the company's unwarrantable behavior.

   The local "gags" in which the comedy troupes sometimes indulge before a mixed audience are, if innocent, merely provocative of merriment, but when, as in this case, they suggest immorality, they are scandalous, and citizens, any one of whom is liable to attack at the instigation of an enemy, should unite to repress them. Mr. Smith's action showed spirit and pluck, and the lesson he taught the company will, we doubt not, prove salutary in preventing similar exhibitions at public entertainments....

Hearson's Anti-Stylograph pen ad.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Mr. A. Mahan is fitting up piano warerooms on the west side of his building.

   Hon. R. H. Duell has been in Washington within the past week on legal business.

   Mr. Burnett Miller, Tuesday morning, shot a large, fine looking owl in W. R. Randall's grounds.

   Dr. Hoose [Normal school principal—CC editor] lectured before the Tompkins County Teachers' Institute at Dryden on the 22d inst.

   After April first the dry goods stores will remain open until 8 o'clock evenings until further notice,

   Judge Smith and E. D. Crosley attended special term Supreme Court at Binghamton on Tuesday.

   Indications point to the erection of a large number of houses in the north portion of the village this season.

   The number of registered packages which have been handled at this postoffice since Jan. 1. 1883, amounts to 940.

   Mr. A. Mahan has served as a village trustee four years and Mr. G. W. Bradford the same time. Both have just entered on their third term as a village father.

   The weather Tuesday evening was too unpleasant for party gatherings, yet the Universalist Society netted about $22 from the maple sugar party on that evening.

   It is a decided pleasure to trade at the watch and jewelry store of C. F. Baldwin & Co. They keep such excellent as well as beautiful goods, which they sell at such reasonable prices, and take such pains to satisfy the buyer—their representations being strictly reliable, that our readers will find it greatly to their advantage to give this firm their preference.

   In its account of the village caucus the Standard says, "Wm. H. Clark presented the name of Alexander Mahan as a candidate for President of the village." Yes, but Mr. Mahan neither requested Clark to present his name, nor knew that he had until the counting of the ballot was nearly completed. And his friends took pains to inform the voters of that fact so as to prevent defection from Mr. Mahan because of Clark's action. Even then, had some well-known citizen—Mr. G. W. Bradford for instance— worked for the election and made the point (as St. Peters did against Kennedy) that Mr. Mahan was Clark’s candidate, we are not sure that even Mr. Mahan’s great popularity would have saved him.

   Correspondents should write names so distinctly as to afford the printer no chance to question the intention of the writer.

   The maple sugar festival at the M. E. church has been postponed until next Wednesday evening at the same place. Reason why—no sugar.

   A telegram from D. Eugene Smith dated at New Orleans the 28th inst. states that he will come home via the Mississippi river and will be here in about two weeks.

   The Syracuse Journal says that Mr. Ruggles, the new Superintendent of Public Instruction "is a great improvement upon Mr. Gilmour, who at the end of nine years' service was still unfitted for the office.”

   We predict that the village streets, sidewalks, etc., will be put and kept in better order this season than ever before. The present board of trustees will win the applause and encouragement of all good citizens by faithful attention to village interests.

   Railroad commissioner L. S. Hayes says that the route of the Utica, Chenango & Cortland railroad is very direct, has easy grades, involves no expensive construction, the advantages accruing to it by reason of the kind of country through which it passes are apparent, and that the line would be sure of a paying business from the start.

   Hon. R. Holland Duell, ex-commissioner of patents, and John W. Suggett, Esq., of Cortland, N. Y., who have been stopping at the St. James hotel since last Friday, argued an important patent case yesterday before the Secretary of the Interior, and left for their home on the 4:20 P. M train via New York city.— Washington National Rep., 27th.

   Last Monday afternoon, as Eugene Buell, a lad about 9 years of age, son of J. B. Buell, was playing with a small revolver and while trying to get out a cartridge, the pistol was accidentally discharged, the ball passing through the fleshy part of the leg of Charles Conine, a boy about 12 years old, son of Philo Conine. Dr. Hughes was called, and the lad is now doing as well as could be expected. Both boys reside on Port Watson street.

   "The Anti-Stylograph" is the name of a new candidate for popular favor, and is especially for the use of penmen. It can be carried in the pocket, is ready for instant use, has a double nib, which can be renewed at pleasure, cannot get out of order, preserves the characteristics of the hand writing, holds sufficient ink for several days' use, is easily refilled with any ink desired, and is very cheap. Mr. D. F. Wallace is the local agent, and our readers who want a pen which seems to meet every requirement are advised to call for them.

   The Republicans who were misled by the Standard Ring into assisting in the election of the Democratic ticket last fall, will find some interesting reading in this paragraph and on the last page of this issue. The hypocritical cant of that Ring in favor of temperance, civil-service reform and anti-monopoly, paid for by the money of the liquor men and railroad monopolists, is bringing forth fine fruit at Albany. Not only is whisky being made free, and the railroad kings allowed to plunder the poor, but in the interests of the monopolists, the paying and useful labor in State Prisons is to be abolished and the tax-payers are to be required to take the money from their pockets to pay the expenses of those institutions. In the interest of civil-service reform, for every Republican legislated out of office, two offices are created and filled with Democrats. Even the non-partisan Commissioners of Emigration, who were appointed for their high character without salary, are abolished, and a Democratic Commissioner with $6,000  per year salary and a paid corps of Democratic assistants put in their place. For all these Democratic measures Dr. J. C. Nelson voted, and the Standard Ring, who rejoiced over his election have no words of disapproval.

Interesting History of a Campaign.

   THE NEWS last fall frequently called the attention of its readers to the fact that the so-called temperance campaign in this county was being carried on with moneys furnished from Democratic sources and was entirely in the interest of the Democratic party as well as against the interests of the temperance men. It seemed that the very fact that the Republican ticket was made up of consistent temperance men, while the ticket being advocated by the sham temperance Democratic reformers consisted of well-known liquor men, ought to have been enough to satisfy people of the hypocrisy of the reformers. While sham temperance men were parading through the country with two-horse liveries and brass bands, shouting to the people to "vote for principle "and "put down the Ring,” the question was occasionally asked, "who pays all the expense of this great display?"

   It was generally understood by those who knew them that the men named were not of those who contribute their own money to carry out any public benefit, yet many were satisfied with their bombastic assertion that they were pushed on by a “great tidal wave." The result shows, as usual, that "tidal waves" only throw up flood trash, and the history of the campaign, now coming to light, proves the truth of the assertion of THE NEWS that the so-called temperance campaign was carried on with the money and in the interest of a "free whisky" party

   It was a well-known fact that all the legislation upon the statute books in favor of temperance, from the excise law of 1857, including the civil damage act and the laws of 1870 and 1873, providing in effect for local option by allowing each town to elect its commissioners, had been obtained through the Republican party. The temperance people had every thing they had asked for which was allowable under the constitution.

   But one thing remained, and that was to submit to the people an amendment to the constitution, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor. The Republican party met this demand of a large body of its members and in the platform of the party, adopted at Saratoga, put a plank in favor of submitting this proposed amendment to the people.

   The Democrats saw that unless they could split the Republican party, they were beaten and they set themselves shrewdly to work. They put "Uncle Sammy" Tilden—the great American Hoodwinker—at the helm. Emissaries were immediately sent to every county of the State to secretly and personally see all the leading liquor sellers, and call their attention to the temperance record of the Republican party and the prohibition plank in the platform, and to point out the danger to their interests.

   Thus, immense sums were raised and paid in to the Democratic committee to aid the liquor interest, and the liquor men presented a solid, unbroken front for the Democracy. Then in every county of the State a temperance campaign was organized, to run independent temperance candidates that would draw votes only from the Republican candidates for the Legislature, which was to be the battle ground. In every county in the State was to be found a band of political jumping-jacks, like those who compose the Standard Ring in this county, who, for money, coupled with the privilege of punishing the Republicans for refusing to submit to their dictation, were ready to do this dirty work. Thus did the money of the liquor dealers carry on the "Temperance campaign" in every county, with flare of torches, blare of trumpets and drums, and noisy harangues of demagogues, that should make people forget their friends and interests, until the liquor interest had procured a majority of the Legislature which not only would prevent the submission of a prohibitory amendment, but should make the selling of liquor free, without requiring even a moral character, petition of freeholders or a fixed habitation.

   It was for this victory that whisky flowed free in the no-license village of Cortland on the night after election.

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper April 1883

One of the Great Illustrated Papers of the World.

   Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper for March 24 [opening of Brooklyn Bridge—CC editor] is accompanied by a supplement giving its history and achievements, its art and literary staff, and the methods employed in producing illustrated literature, and affords palpable evidence of what pluck and ability can accomplish. The same supplement is covered on one side with a portrait of Mrs. Frank Leslie (who, since the death of her husband, has conducted the great paper with wonderful skill), and pictures of the building and of the various departments—from the composing-room to the press-room.

   Thirty years ago Mr. Leslie, who was not only the founder but the pioneer of pictorial literature, began the business of illustrating news in the most humble of quarters. In that time, to what mammoth proportions has the Leslie publishing house grown? It is almost beyond belief. Occupying a building four stories in height, and about seventy-five feet square, it issues four weekly, four monthly and three annual publications, engaging in their production the constant services of over four hundred employes, besides a large number of artists, authors and contributors.

   The weekly consumption of paper is about seventeen tons, as the aggregate circulation of a single edition of the weekly and monthly periodicals largely exceeds a quarter of a million of copies, and a million and a half of "ems" are set every week in the composing-room. And yet still greater and more important features are promised than have ever been given, with the intention of making it the great illustrated paper of the world.

Hearson’s “Anti-Stylograph” pen: http://books.google.com/books?id=okvPAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA662&lpg=PA662&dq=anti-stylograph+pen&source=bl&ots=h6XzhhyjKi&sig=0TsNiMhTQKpu3MaaD1o96kqYeAY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0nFNU9W1C6fKsQSBkoCYCg&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=anti-stylograph%20pen&f=false

Frank Leslie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Leslie