HUMBUG IN CORTLAND

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, August 24, 1888.

Humbug in Cortland.

(From the Albany Argus, August 18, 1888.)

   We do not know who the editor of the Standard is, but whatever his name, we see no reason why he should not be called, in print, a liar, and why he should not be so regarded. Here is what he prints in his paper:

   The Mills bill, which recently passed the Democratic House of Representatives by very nearly a strict party vote of Democrats in the affirmative and Republicans in the opposition, puts potatoes, wool, butter, cheese, hemp, flax, pease [sic], beans and vegetables generally upon the free list.

   So far as potatoes, butter and cheese are concerned, the statement is an unequivocal lie. We have no time to discuss theories with a liar. The potato lie is taken by the Standard from other papers. The proof of the lie is in the words of two Republican Congressmen. Congressman Boutelle says, Congressional Record, page 6628:

   Mr. Boutelle: I call the attention of the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Millin) to the fact that, under the existing law which the Mills does not propose to disturb in respect, the duty on potatoes is paid at fifteen cents per bushel.

   A few pages later Congressman Reed, the Republican leader of the House, says:

   We have already provided that there should be fifteen cents a bushel duty upon potatoes, the raw material out of which this starch is made.

   The lie about butter and cheese was doubtless made in the office of the Cortland Standard. It has appeared nowhere else, to our knowledge. There is ample room in the political discussion of this year, or any other year, for every one but the liar.

   Now as to matters of judgment. Here is the way "protecting wool" has worked in Cortland county, the Republicans beginning their experiment in 1867. We give the clip of the county: 1865, 137,291 pounds; 1880, 76,581 pounds; loss by thirteen years "protecting", 60,710 pounds. Here is the way "protecting" flax has worked in Cortland county: 1864, 81,198 pounds; 1880, 82,400 pounds; a gain of 1,300 pounds, offset by the loss of the 2,000 pounds of hemp raised in the county in 1864.

More Lies.

   Last Friday the following dispatch was sent from Ithaca to the New York Times:

   ITHACA, N. Y., Aug. 17.—The wagon works at Cortland have suspended operations. Unless work can be recommenced nearly 1,000 men will be thrown out of employment.

   A dispatch was also sent to the World, substantially like the above, only that it expressed the opinion that the works would be permanently closed.

   The Wagon Company shut down their works simply to allow their employees to attend the Firemen's Convention. The works will resume operations next week us usual and the company haven't the slightest idea of closing their works. On the contrary they are making arrangements to extend their business in all directions.

   It seems a little strange that so many false stories about Cortland manufacturing interests should emanate from Ithaca. The Cortland factories are all doing a prosperous business and none of these are doing a larger business or have a more substantial financial foundation than the Cortland Wagon Company. Were it otherwise such false rumors would be likely to work a lasting injury.

The Republican Convention.

   EDITOR DEMOCRAT—Please allow me through the columns of your paper to say a few words to the better thinking class of voters in this county, or in other words, men who are not for sale in every political canvass, and who are not bought and sold like so many cattle. It was my misfortune to be a delegate to the great Republican auction sale held in the Cortland Opera House, August 17, at which time men's birth-rights were bartered for and dealt in as openly as ever was done in human souls by the nigger driver of 30 years ago in the slave pens of the southern states. Notwithstanding the fact that I attended the convention fully in sympathy with nearly all the candidates who were nominated upon the ticket, the thought of victory failed to arouse any enthusiasm within me when I thought of the way in which those nominations had been secured.

   Only think of the Republican party putting in nomination men, not because of their fitness for the position, not because of their popularity through the county, not because the Republican party is indebted to them for services rendered, but because they have got the money and agreed to stop at the best hotels, and are able to buy up the cheap trash of the party who send delegates from their own number to represent the towns in a County Convention. These men put in nomination men who have the most money to offer for votes, thereby dragging party and politics farther down the ladder toward shame and disgrace.

   Do not understand me that all the delegates there assembled on that day, were of the class described above. But there were towns represented in that way, as many who were there will vouch.

   It was no uncommon thing to hear some one remark that such and such towns were for sale, and I know of one town that sold out twice on one office and delivered the goods to another man.

   We desire to ask if the Republican party has come to this, the party which has won and earned the name of the Grand Old Party. Must that faction of the party who love it and have always stood by it out of principle, standby and humbly submit to the decisions of boodle delegates and support candidates nominated  through trickery, chicanery, and the barefaced use of their own money? Is the county safe in the hands of such men? I do not wish to be termed a kicker, and never bolted the party ticket in my life. But is it right to allow these things and go on supporting these men until the Republican party has become too rotten and corrupt to stay together and are obliged to step down and out to make room for one of better motives, principles and more love of country than the mere idea of attaining office no matter what it costs.

   A REPUBLICAN.

PAGE TWO/EDITORIALS.

   The Democratic State Convention will be held in Buffalo, Sept. 12th, 1888.

   The Republican Convention last Friday beat all the conventions the party ever held in this county. For genuine rascality it took the cake, and no mistake. It was openly charged by Republicans, that the candidate for Member bought his nomination, and that the candidate for Sheriff stole his nomination. They might have gone further.

   For the last thirty years the republicans have elected good, clever incompetent men to the office of Superintendent of our poor. Three years since they made a change and nominated a good, honest business man to the place. He was elected and has served the people for the last three years to their entire satisfaction. This did not suit the old ring and they went to work and defeated Vernon T. Stone and nominated D. K. Cutler of Scott, one of the creatures of the ring.

   On the fair ground, two years ago this very month, a responsible citizen of this place publicly charged the present District Attorney of this county with the crime of bribery. We have patiently waited for the past two years to hear that this public officer had called upon that responsible citizen to prove the charges that he then and there made. If the charge was not true it is grossly libelous, and the citizen referred to should be called upon to prove the charge. He would undoubtedly prove the charge to be true, and that is probably the reason why he has not been sued for libel.

   Mr. Marshall Field, the head of the great Chicago mercantile house of Field, Leiter & Co., has been in Boston, and he talked politics while here. Mr. Field is a lifelong Republican, and he is also a protectionist but, to the surprise of some Republicans who interviewed him, he professed an intention of voting for Cleveland. He does this on the ground that President Cleveland's administration, in its policy on the tariff question, is distinctly on the side of the business districts of the country. Mr. Field says that there is no free trade at all to be apprehended from it, but that there is just that wise and moderate reduction of the rate of duties which is needed at this juncture, and which must be had if the nation is to escape serious difficulties. He thinks the Republicans have made a great mistake in allowing the Democrats to take the lead of them in reformation on this point.—Boston Herald.