CORPORATIONS VS. CORTLAND

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, March 12, 1894.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Corporations vs. Cortland.

   The Democratic nominee for village president and trustee in the fourth ward are both in the employ of railroad corporations—the former with the Elmira, Cortland & Northern railroad and the latter with the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York. We can hardly believe that either of these gentlemen before accepting the nomination fully considered the embarrassing complications liable at any day to result, in case of his election, from his divided responsibility to his employing corporation and to the village whose interests were committed to his care. There have been in the past—and  are liable to be in the future—matters of difference between the village and the railroads, or matters where the interests of citizens or domestic corporations of Cortland and the railroads were in direct conflict. Railroad corporations are notoriously arbitrary, and would a village officer stand who was in the employ of such a corporation and to whom an order was issued by his superior officer to take action favorable to the company in a difficulty between it and the village. Such an order might, and probably would, mean dismissal in case of refusal. The village officer under such circumstances could not even resign his village office without seeming to act in an unfriendly manner to the railroad company, and without being liable to suffer the consequences. He could not take to the woods. He would simply have to decide which he would serve, the village paying him one or three hundred dollars salary or the railroad paying him many times more? It would require a type of civic loyalty and unselfish patriotism very scarce in these times to lead a man in such a quandary to side with his village.

   The probability is that both Mr. Allen and Mr. Brownell accepted a nomination on the Democratic ticket more as a personal compliment than anything else, and their friends should help see to it that the compliment does not develop into so serious a matter as placing either of these gentlemen in a position where he will be forced to choose which master he will serve, Cortland or a railroad corporation.

Vote the Straight Ticket.

   There is no earthly reason—and certainly no heavenly one—why every Republican should not vote the straight village ticket at to-morrow's election. On the contrary there is every reason why he should. The ticket is made up of first-class timber from beginning to end. It was fairly nominated. It expressed the preference of the vast majority of the party. There is not a nominee upon it who suffers by comparison with his Democratic opponent. It deserves to win if ever a village ticket did.  To oppose any man upon it will not be the part of wisdom for any Republican. Fraud or rank incompetency in a nominee may justify the splitting of a ticket, but bolting or cutting without reason is sure to plague the one who indulges in it. Vote the straight Republican ticket.

Polling Places.

   To-morrow is charter election and the electors of the village will vote by wards in the following places:

   First Ward—The south store of the Squires block on the west side of South Main-st., formerly occupied by J. O Reid for a meat market.

   Second Ward—Fireman's hall, Main-st.

   Third Ward—The office and store of Harrison Wells on Clinton-ave.

   Fourth Ward—Nottingham's shop South Main-st.

The Story of Ireland.

   The C. M. B. A. of Cortland have made extensive preparations for the entertainment at the Opera House to-night and the prospects are favorable for a packed house. Messrs. Finerty and Murphy presented their entertainment to a crowded house in Syracuse last night at the Bastable Theatre, and the lecture on the "Songs and Story of Ireland" which will be given here to-night was pronounced a remarkable success. Mr. Finerty is an orator of national reputation and is deeply learned in the history of Ireland. His commanding physique, deep, full-toned voice and wonderful command of language give him an advantage over most of the orators of the day and his delivery, often rapid and always finished, is of a style which can fascinate and hold any audience.

   His associate, Mr. Murphy, is as striking a figure. He is a trifle over six feet in height, although he looks small alongside of the giant Finerty. He is erect and athletic in build and has a fine stage presence. His voice is a rich powerful baritone which is of great power and expression. In ballads, especially, Mr. Murphy is a great artist and is, alone, worthy of a large house.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Record of the Past Year—Officers Elected.

   At the meeting of the stockholders of the Cortland County Agricultural society held at Fireman's hall Saturday afternoon, E. E. Mellon acted as chairman and G. J. Mager as secretary.

   Messrs. J. R. Hathway and D. E. Kinney were appointed tellers.

   The minutes of the last two meetings were read by the secretary and with the exception of Mr. Squires' motion regarding the legality of dividing the balance of the stock pro rata were, on motion, adopted.

   The combined annual reports of the treasurer and secretary were read by the latter and, on motion of Mr. E. Keator, were accepted and ordered placed on file. It is a complete minute and itemized account of all the receipts and disbursements of both officers for the past twelve months amounting in the aggregate as follows:

   Total Receipts, $8258.35

   Total disbursements, $8114.29

   [Balance] $144.06

   On motion of Dr. W. L. Baker, the chair appointed Messrs. D. W. Van Hoesen, C. F. Brown and A. F. Stilson a committee to draft and present at the next annual meeting a set of by-laws for the government of the society.

   On motion of Mr. Hathway, the secretary cast one ballot for the following directors to serve this society for the ensuing three years: Messrs. O. U. Kellogg, G. P. Squires, F. N. Harrington, Harrison Wells and J. J. Murray.

   On motion of Mr. Woolston, a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. G. J. Mager for the able and efficient manner in which he discharged his duties as secretary of the society during the past year. The meeting was then adjourned.

FIRE NEAR MCGRAWVILLE.

House and Barns Burned—Occupants Escape with their Lives.

   Sunday morning about 3 o'clock the young son of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Williams, who lived on the top of the hill leading from Cortland to McGrawville, was awakened by a feeling of suffocation. He aroused his father and mother and it was discovered that the house was on fire, that the room was full of smoke and even as they were waking up, the flames burst into the sleeping room. There was no time to save anything and the three who were the only occupants of the house had to pick up the clothing which they had laid aside when they retired and escape through the windows and dress in the open air. There was no water accessible and no way of saving the two barns which stood near the house. Mr. Williams got out his two horses, a cow and a wagon and then they had to stand by and see it all burn down.

   Mr. Williams had recently bought this place with its twenty acres of land and had it partly paid for. There was only a little insurance on the house. Mr. Williams had a sum of money in the bank with which he expected to make a payment April 1. As he escaped from the house he saved the bankbook, which was in his sleeping room. The family of course lost everything they had. They are now staying at the home of Mr. J. K. Greenwood near by. Mr. Williams is employed by the Cortland Wagon Co.

   The fire was plainly seen in Cortland.

Attempt to Blow Up a Building.

   INDIANAPOLIS, March 12.—An attempt was made to blow up the office of The Ironclad Age, an infidel paper published at 55 Indiana avenue in this city. The office is located in a large building, the upper floors of which are rented to families. Miscreants entered the office through the cellar, and after turning on the natural gas in two stoves lighted a lamp. The pipes were removed from the stoves in order to prevent the gas from escaping from the flues, and the doors and windows were carefully closed and locked.

   The expected explosion was prevented, however, by the arrival of the editor of the paper. The paper is very bold in denunciation of all forms of Christian religion, and it is believed that the attempt to blow it up was [be]cause of the stand it has taken.

Mulatto Woman Lynched.

   LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 12.—The colored population of Little Rock is greatly exercised over the reported ghastly discovery made by several negroes in returning from Marche. About half way between this city and Marche, they found the dead body of a young mulatto woman, probably about 30 years old, suspended to the limb of a tree. On her bosom was a placard bearing the inscription: "If anybody cuts this body down they will suffer the same fate."

   Several parties reported finding the body. It is supposed the woman was lynched by men, but when, by whom and for what reason, no one has been able to state. The body appeared to have been suspended several days.

Congressman Sereno E. Payne.

BREVITIES.

   —Charter election to-morrow. Polls open from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M.

   —Regular meeting of the board of directors of the Y. M. C. A. this evening at 8 o'clock.

   —Mr. C. Hornbeck has opened a jewelry repair store at Brown & Maybury's branch store.

   —The Cortland Normal school is under obligations to Hon. Sereno E. Payne for a full set of the valuable and interesting reports of the Paris exposition.

   —A poultry fancier on Clinton-ave. lost fourteen choice hens one night recently as the result of the depredations of a weasel. The heads were eaten off and the blood sucked. The bodies of the fowls were untouched.

   —Officer Jackson arrested Emmet Card Saturday night for public intoxication. Joseph W. Murphy was arrested for the same offense and both spent Sunday in the cooler. Card was fined five dollars and Murphy was discharged.

   —Rev. S. F. Sanford of Homer will deliver his lecture on "Lies," in the Y. M. C. A. rooms Wednesday evening, March 14. This is one of the lectures on the members' course, and is free to all members and friends of the association.

   —Mayor Jordan of Gloversville suspended the members of the excise board for unjust discrimination in granting licenses. The saloon license for several years has been $250. Saturday it was reduced to $50. The terms of office of the commissioners expire today.

   —An agreement has been entered into between the American and Adams express companies by which goods can be shipped from points on the line of one company to points on the line of the other without rebilling, and packages shipped from one company to points on the line of the other, where there is a competing company and office, will be charged for as though one company carried them clear through without change.

   —Though three weeks have passed since the Normal fire, the flames are not yet entirely extinguished, nor indeed likely to be for some time. The fire is now located entirely in the great coal bins, where were stored perhaps a hundred tons of soft coal. These bins are covered with a heavy layer of brick, mortar and other debris, under which the coal burns steadily and through numerous openings sends it bluish flame, two feet or more into the air. In the new building there will be no boilers and so no coal bins, the plans contemplating a separate structure, comprising a boiler house and a residence for the engineer, to be situated northeast of the Normal building and not far from the fountain. Danger of fire from the boilers and heating apparatus will thus be reduced to a minimum.—Oneonta Herald.

The Electric Railroad.

   The STANDARD this morning inquired by telephone of Mr. W. J. Buchanan, president of McGrawville village, if he had read the interview with himself and the McGrawville board of trustees which was published in The STANDARD of Saturday. Mr. Buchanan said that he had done so, and that the report of the interview was accurate in every respect. The facts were all stated correctly and he endorsed every word of it.

   A reporter also called at the office of the Hitchcock Mfg. Co. this morning to see if the Cortland and Homer Electric Co. desired to make any statement in regard to their action in the matter of the electric railroad, or any reply to the statements made by the McGrawville board of trustees. Mr. Hitchcock was out of town. Mr. Gleason said that he was not yet ready to make any statement and before he did so he wanted to go to McGrawville and see the McGrawville trustees.