MUSIC IN THE AIR

L. D. Garrison advertisement, The Cortland News, August 17 & 24, 1883.

The Cortland News, Friday, August 24, 1883.

The Democratic Split in the County.

   We had occasion last fall, when the Board of Supervisors was in session, to call attention to the strife between the two Democratic papers—the Standard and the Democrat—as to which should be the choice of the Democratic members for publishing the session laws. The Standard received a majority of the Democratic votes, but neither received the requisite number to elect, so that while THE NEWS was elected as the Republican paper, the Democrat was allowed to hold over as the ostensible Democratic organ.

   Now, the rivalry of the two aforesaid Democratic organs seems liable to split the party wider than ever on the question of the nomination for County Judge. The Standard, of course, will try to absorb all the advertising and patronage of the office, and will not be contented with anything less. It broke with the Republican party and left it because Judge Smith refused to compel all the printing and advertising incident to the office to go to the Standard. Jones of the Democrat well knows the Standard man's grasping nature, and it galls him to find that his hopes of the entire patronage of the county offices when they should become Democratic, are likely to be nipped in the bud.

   The Standard Ring takes to itself the glory of the election of the Democratic Clerk last fall, and is receiving the spoils of that office. Therefore it is that Jones denounces the communication from Cortland to the Syracuse Courier in the interest of S. S. Knox's candidacy for the County Judgeship as being unfair and inspired by the Ring. Of course he refers to the Standard Ring, as there is no other in this county, and Knox is the candidate of that Ring.

   District Attorney Palmer is the candidate of the Democrat faction, for his "Roman sternness'' intensifies his conversion from the Republicanism in which he was brought up, and which he served in the better and purer days of his early manhood, by the most uncompromising Bourbonism and desire to destroy all that ever savored of Republicanism.

   The more intelligent, liberal-minded Democrats—those who believe in serving the party by putting forward the best men first, and then looking to the loaves and fishes afterward, favor the nomination of O. U. Kellogg, but as this class has no organ, and the Democratic papers, looking for plunder, close their columns against them, they have slight chance in the fight. This strife is all very well, however, for "when rogues fall out honest men get their dues," and the Republican party will nominate the candidates that the people will elect.

   The people's eyes are opened, and the Democrats cannot again well play their "independent" move through such choice specimen reformers (?) as Waters, Prof. Dixon and Clark.

A Prohibitionist’s Answer.

EDITOR OF THE NEWS: 

   I find in your paper of Aug. 3 an article copied from the New York Tribune, in which it is said: "What do the Prohibitionists purpose to do this fall? As practical men, they should heed the lesson of last winter and decline to place tickets in the field," etc.

   This is the same old fogy cry which has been sounding in our ears for more than twenty years, and to the great disparagement of our noble cause we have in many unhappy instances heard and regarded these changes so rung in our ears. And what has been the fruit of it?

   I will give an instance among a hundred equally well known. When Mr. Dix was run for Governor of this State we were entreated as Prohibitionists to help the Republicans elect their ticket, and then it was said, "We should have a good temperance Governor, and of course a temperance Prohibition administration." And to reward us for this complaisance they, as a Republican Legislature, would pass a local option temperance law, which they did, and no sooner had they done so to redeem their pledge than the leaders of the party hung upon the Governor's shoulders till he was induced to veto the temperance bill. And this is the pay we got, and such is the pay we generally get for our want of faith and constancy towards our noble and God-honored prohibition cause.

   Whereas, if those who profess to be on the side of temperance and prohibition would patronize the prohibition press for its own sake, and unitedly patronize the Prohibition party for the sake of prohibition, then could we have not a local option law only, but absolute prohibition of the liquor traffic in the State and in the nation. Then let it be asked, what do the Prohibitionists propose to do this fall and onward, and we answer, we propose to pass and execute a constitutional amendment forever expelling the liquor business from our State and nation, and we propose to give our voice, our prayers and our votes to this end while God spares us; and we have hope in God that these prayers will be answered if we continue to offer them and continue to vote as we pray.

   But never can our prayers be answered while we obstruct them by our votes. So you see what we propose as consistent Prohibitionists to do this fall and henceforth. "So mote it be."

A. PECK.

Cortland, Aug. 22, 1883.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Mrs. E. N. Blackmer has begun the erection of a house on the extension of Merrick street [Maple Avenue]. Messrs. E. A. Fish and C. P. Walrad have also begun a house on the same street.

   The excursion train next Tuesday will stop at Loring's Station both going and coming [to Cazenovia from Cortland—CC editor], in order to accommodate the people of that section who may wish to join the picnic.

   The Hose companies are drilling now and then of an evening in order to be in readiness to compete for the prize offered by the Agricultural Society for the best drilled company at the September Fair.

   Miss Florence G. Kinney, Normal graduate, class of January, '81, who was Preceptress of the Coxsackie Union school the past year, has been re-elected to the position, and will begin her duties on the first of September.

   Mr. C. E. Beecher, assistant State geologist, of Albany, is engaged at the Normal school building in classifying the minerals and geological specimens which formerly belonged to Hon. H. S. Randall, and were presented to the school.

   Superintendent Niver, of the Syracuse and Binghamton Railroad, recently tendered his resignation, to take effect on the first of next month. But the railroad authorities wisely refused to accept it. Mr. Niver is a very popular and capable officer.—Syr. Sunday Times.

   The Library Association are indebted to Hon. Edward B. Thomas for a number of books, donated to the library. The committee would call the attention of others who may be making changes in their libraries to the fact that books of reference are especially desired for the village library, and books in any department are thankfully received.

   The building being erected for the manufacture of forks, rakes, hoes and other farm and garden tools, by Messrs. Nixon & Reckard, will be ready for use about the first of November. The machinery is being manufactured expressly for the purpose by a Utica firm. About 35 men will be employed at the beginning.

   The most ridiculous thing yet in the Waters scandal is to see the Democrat and Standard picturing George as a martyr who was translated by reason of the persecutions he has suffered here. Martyrs in their translation do not usually carry with them $10,000, leaving their creditors to join the family in mourning a common bereavement. Of course, the two Democratic organs feel badly because he is gone, for they will have to find somebody else to play the "reformer" for them, and Prof. Dixon is gone too.

   Stone walks have this summer been put down by several of our citizens, which we are specially glad to note, as they not only look well, but are durable; they end all trouble about the walk. We see that Messrs. W. D. Tisdale, R. T. Peck, R. Beard, D. F. Wallace, D. Howard, Ed. Kinney and J. M. Maybury have lately had stone flagging laid in front of their premises, and Messrs. R. T. Peck and D. C. Dickinson have put down stone curbing. And the work is well done, as it is sure to be when Mr. Henry Colligan does the job. He has also a contract with Mr. E. P. Slafter for flagging at his new house on Argyll Place. Mr. Colligan has been unusually busy this summer, which shows that his skill is recognized. We hope to have the pleasure of chronicling more such improvements.

   The Hook & Ladder companies of Homer and Cortland are much pleased with their excursion to Elmira last week and the financial results. Everything passed off smoothly and pleasantly, for which much of the credit is due to the U. I. & E. R'y officers, who were very successful in their efforts to accommodate the large crowd which, to a certain extent, was unexpected, but which was on hand on the morning of departure. The Hook & Ladder Company of Elmira gave an exhibition of their fine apparatus, by which the men can be swung from window to window of a building, and unless the man has possession of his nerves it is no holiday business, but as plenty of our boys were ready to be swung, the Elmira boys ceased calling for volunteers. Nearly six hundred persons accompanied the excursion, which returned at an early hour.

   THE NEWS is the only paper in Cortland that doesn't use patent plates.

   The Broome county fair will be held at Whitney's Point Sept, 11-14. We have attended several of their county fairs, and have always found them among the best held anywhere.

   The first of last week Messrs. F. J. Peck and D. Hunter started for a week's run upon their bicycles. Their route was through Ithaca, Watkins, where they saw boat races, down Seneca lake by steamer to Geneva, thence to Auburn, Syracuse and to Cortland. The ride for the most part was through fine scenery and over good roads, and was to them a source of much enjoyment and, so far as the exercise is concerned, of profit.

   The Fortieth Separate Company of Syracuse came to Cortland Wednesday and picniced at the Fair Grounds. From the depot they marched up Railroad street to Court, to Main, and so to the grounds, where they passed the day in games and other festivities, returning home on the 6:12 train. Considering that the company was organized only last Spring, their marching and maneuvering through the streets was decidedly good. The leader of the brass band accompanying the excursion was Mr. Louis Pomeroy, son of Dr. Pomeroy, formerly of Cortland.

   During B. T. Wright's term of office as District Attorney, a man who gave his name as J. B. Williams was convicted for forging a check of $500 on the First National Bank of Cortland, and sent to State Prison for five years. After serving his term he was convicted tor forging a check on a Geneva bank and again sent up for five years. His term for that offense expired a short time ago, and yet he has again been arrested for the same crime, this time on a Lockport bank, and he is now in jail awaiting a grand jury investigation. His name is now George Burgess. He is a smooth-tongued, plausible chap, so much so, indeed, that even N. H. Haynes was deceived and believed him innocent. At the depot, however, when starting for Auburn, Williams called for a satchel, which he said he had left there, and on receiving it, Haynes asked for the key, which the prisoner refused to give to him. Haynes opened it, however, and found its contents to be various kinds of blank bank paper, notes, checks, etc., of banks from Maine to California, which, we are told, convinced him that Williams' conviction and sentence were richly deserved.

A New Bicycle Club.

   On Tuesday evening, Aug. 21, the local bicyclists of Cortland met at the office of Squire Bierce and organized themselves into a club by electing Stanley Bierce, president; F. J. Peck, vice-president; Silas Cummings, secretary and treasurer; C. E. Butler, captain, and D. Hunter, first lieutenant. C. E. Butler, C. I. Page and D. Hunter were appointed a committee on constitution and by-laws, to report at the next meeting, to be held Wednesday evening, Aug. 29, at the same place. The club now numbers ten members, as follows: M. S. Bierce, F. J. Peck, H. C. Gray. W. D. Cloyes, S. Cummings, D. Hunter, Glen Tisdale, A. Green and C. I. Page.

Harmony.

   The Cortland Standard has its characteristic articles this week in favor of harmony. They consist of a false statement as to some pretended interview by a Democratic interviewer with our State Committeeman, W. J. Mantanye, Esq., and nearly a column of abuse of Mantanye, and then a rehash of a long ago exploded lie as to Judge Smith, declaring laborers to be "sand-loffers," and the annual addition of another lie in the same line. All this shows that Clark [proprietor of Cortland Standard—CC editor] is engaged by the Democrats for another guerrilla warfare upon the Republican party this fall.

   Last fall it was the "Ring" he pretended to fight. This fall he is to try to drive a wedge of prejudice between the "stalwarts" and the "half breeds." Clark is nothing if not in a factional fight. This is why he hasn't voted a straight Republican ticket since he came to Cortland.