WHO ARE THE TEMPERANCE MEN?

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, February 22, 1895.

WHO ARE THE TEMPERANCE MEN?

   Last Sunday afternoon a meeting, so-called, was held in Cortland opera house which was addressed by several of the Protestant clergyman in town as well as three or four of the professors in the Normal school. One of the former took occasion to criticize an article on the license question published in the DEMOCRAT last week, and we must ask the indulgence of our readers while we gently review the reviewer. To the statement wherein he characterized the idea conveyed as old and passé, we have only to say that the same might with equal truth and propriety be said of his entire address. But whether the arguments used were old or new it matters little, but the sincerity and integrity of purpose of all the speakers is a question of vital importance not only to themselves but to the people whom they assume to instruct in morals, Christianity and Godliness. The instructor should certainly be honest in his convictions and he ought to be better informed on the subject he professes to teach than his pupils, else his seed will fall upon barren ground.

   Now, we venture to say that at least one half the people who listened to the speakers last Sunday afternoon knew that during the campaign last fall, the republican state committee entered into an arrangement with the Brewers and Malsters Association of this state, whereby the latter organization was to furnish its solid vote and contribute a large sum of money for campaign purposes, while the Republican State Committee promised on its part, if the party was successful, that no measure inimical to the interests of the liquor dealers should be passed by the legislature. The Republican State Committee insisted further, that the Brewers and Malsters Association should notify every local dealer in liquors throughout the state of this bargain and sale and require them to keep the contract before they would agree to deliver the republican party into the hands of the liquor dealers.

   Every dealer in Cortland received such notice and in most cases the bargain and sale was ratified by the dealers voting the republican ticket. In consequence of this deal, the republicans were successful and they elected their entire state ticket and a majority in both branches of the legislature. To their credit it must be said that they have kept faith with the liquor dealers association. The bargain may have been wicked and against public morals, but no man can say that they have not fulfilled the contract on their part as faithfully even as the liquor association did on their part.

   Temperance men have waited in vain to see some measure introduced in one house or the other, restricting or restraining the sale of liquor. The only bills thus far introduced have been in favor of granting further privileges to the rumseller. One bill asks for the privilege of keeping rum shops open on Sunday and Mayor Strong of New York, a republican in good standing, favors the bill.

   Even the average clergyman and school professor ought to be able to comprehend the fact that the republican party in this state has sold out body and pantaloons to the rumseller. If he cannot comprehend this fact he is lacking in the ordinary qualifications required of a teacher and ought to step down and out. If he does understand and keeps on voting the republican ticket while claiming to be a temperance man, he is a fraud of the first water and ought not to be tolerated in the pulpit or behind the pedagogue's desk.

   We hazard nothing in charging that every one of the speakers at last Sunday's meeting voted the straight republican ticket last fall. We go farther and charge that every one of them voted the republican ticket last Tuesday, which was made up of dram drinkers with a small sprinkling of temperance men thrown in to leaven the ungodly lump. On both of these occasions the ballot clerks handed these instructors in morals and christianity, a ticket composed of genuine temperance men which they could and would have voted. If they had been sincere in their professions, why did they vote for rum drinkers to hold town offices when they had an opportunity to vote for temperance men? Have they any right to complain that the law is violated when they vote to put men in office whom they know will wink at every transgression of the law? Are they honest in their professions when they vote at the same polls for no-license and for town officers who are in favor of license?

   Last Tuesday an opportunity was presented to every temperance man in the town of Cortlandville to vote a genuine temperance ticket. The prohibition ticket was made up of men who do not drink themselves and who are striving to remove the temptation from others by abolishing the traffic altogether. They are the only genuine temperance men, for so long as liquor is made it will be used to excess.  Had all the men who voted for no-license on Tuesday voted the prohibition ticket it would have been elected by a large majority. Then we would have had town officers in sympathy with the excise board and the two would have worked together in harmony.

   The prohibitionists are working for a principle and not a theory. When their principles are adopted, if they ever are, then and then only may we look for the millennium of temperance. When so-called temperance republicans and democrats become prohibitionists and vote as they pray, the good time will not be far away, but if temperance men wait for either of the old parties to do something for the cause they will wait in vain. Both of the old parties will keep on fishing for the liquor vote because it is numerous and because the rumsellers are willing to contribute liberally to the party that promises to give them the largest liberty in disposing of their stock in trade. Local option is a farce. When Cortland goes dry Homer generally goes wet, and the sale of liquor is not regulated or restrained.

   Would it not be much better if the so-called temperance people would vote as they pray?

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   MADISON.—Charles H. Picket, a well known character of Oneida, has recently become an inmate of the county house at Easton.

   Fire destroyed Stag's Head Inn, at Gilbertsville, occupied by J. C. DeLaney, formerly of Morrisville, Wednesday night, entailing a loss of $65,000.

   George Griffith, the colored blacksmith who recently died at Georgetown, was a slave when the late war commenced and had been sold on the auction block for $1,000, He was with the 114th a year or so and came back with the survivors. He learned the blacksmith trade and settled at Georgetown. He was of lusty frame and cheerful disposition, and died at the early age of forty-five.

   TOMPKINS.—The Unitarian church and society of Ithaca expect to dedicate their new church in May next, and have it free from debt.

   In 1894 the Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Co., built the largest tonnage of work since establishment. Their shipments in the aggregate amount to 10,200 tons.

   A gentleman who represents a bond, mortgage and security firm, and who has made semi- or tri-annual visits to Ithaca on many years, says that in his opinion it the richest town of its size in the United States.

   Dogs made a raid a few nights ago on Wm. Young's flock of 23 sheep in Locke, killed six, mangled six more that had to be killed and four were bitten quite badly. Mr. Young notified two of the assessors, [Mr.] Lowe and J. W. Ingley, who appraised the damage.

   The coal office belonging to W. S. Thompson at Freeville was destroyed by fire at 4 A. M. Wednesday of last week. The building was insured for two hundred dollars. Opinions are divided as to the origin of the fire. Some think it is incendiary work and others that it caught from the store inside. The building was 20x30 and comprised weigh room, office and stove rooms. Books and papers were burned. A new mowing machine and light wagon were in the store rooms; they also were burned.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   Scientific gentlemen have been experimenting with electricity and have decided that it kills. Any one who entertains a doubt on the subject can be convinced by a trial.

   Hon. A. Judd Northrup of Syracuse has been appointed a statutory Revision Commissioner by Gov. Morton. Mr. Northrup has been county judge of Onondaga county for several years past and went out of office on the first of last month.

   "What can you expect of the financial question," asked James S. Clarkson, "with a gold president, a silver senate and a greenback house?" Clarkson hits the nail pretty squarely on the head. The safety valve for the country is the gold president. If the silver cranks and the greenback shooters could have their way the country would be in a nice pickle. The President can't make the laws but he can prevent some wildcat measures from becoming laws.

   Senator Vilas has offered an amendment to the appropriation bill giving the Postoffice department power to purchase and own its own postal cars. In advocating his amendment he stated that when he was at the head of the department the total value of the cars in the service amounted to $1,600,000, and yet the government paid the railroads $2,000,000 annually for the use of them, besides paying by weight for the mails they carried. There are now in the service 740 cars worth about $3,500 each, making a total investment of $2,590,000. The maintenance of these cars would cost $822,360. According to Mr. Vilas figures, the amount paid for the use of these cars annually would be sufficient to buy all the cars required for the service. The government seems to have been most beautifully swindled by the railroad companies for many years. The people pay the freight.

HERE AND THERE.

   Lent begins February 27th and ends April 14th.

   The Women's paper will be issued from the Standard office to-day.

   The Cortland Whist club was entertained at Higginsville, Monday evening.

   Justice Gaynor of Brooklyn has decided that signatures made with a rubber stamp are not legal.

   Hon L. J. Fitzgerald has purchased ninety-three shares of the stock of the Champion Wagon Co. of Owego.

   Mrs. Mary Jane Johnson of this town has been adjudged insane and has been taken to the asylum at Binghamton.

   The state superintendent of public instruction has decided that trustees of common schools must act as truant officers.

   The Cortland Howe Ventilating Stove Co. has received an order for nine of their stoves from an importing house in Rotterdam.

   Burgess, the clothier, calls the attention of our readers to some great reductions in the price of clothing. See his advertisement on the last page.

   Mr. J. L. Watrous has sold the house and lot, No. 10 Clinton-ave., just west of Collins' residence to John Felkel for $3,500. Mr. Felkel will soon erect a business block on the lot.

   Under the new constitution railroads can no longer escape paying but $5,000 for the death of a person through negligence and carelessness. The first case tried since the $5,000 penalty was abolished resulted in a verdict of $18,000.

   Melvin Olds, who resides on Carr hill three miles east of Cortland, and his two children were recently taken ill with the grip, which finally developed into pneumonia. Mrs. Olds then came down with the grip and the family were snowed in. Mrs. Olds finally put a sign of distress in a window in the second story which was seen by a neighbor who came to her assistance. His stock was without food or water for two days and nights.

   To-day being a local holiday, the postoffice in this village will be closed from 10 o'clock A. M., until 5:30 P. M.

   Canton Cortland will attend the dedication of the Odd Fellows temple in Philadelphia on the 21st day of May next.

   The frogs for the crossing of the D. L. & W. were put in on Monday and the electric cars are now running through to Homer.

   Dr. Horton Cowan, who has been practicing dentistry in Syracuse, will soon open parlors for the practice or his profession in Taylor hall block.

   The Fine Wire Drawers' Social and Beneficial society have a dance in Taylor Hall this evening. Music by McDermott's full orchestra. Tickets for dancing $1. Supper will be served in the dining rooms of the Brunswick at 75 cents per couple.

   The polling places for charter election will be held at the following places: First ward—store in Squires block formerly occupied by A. B. Frazier as a meat market; Second ward—Firemen's hall; Third ward—Harrison Wells' store on Clinton-ave,; Fourth ward—Nottingham's shop on South Main-st.

   Mr. D. J. Nash of Binghamton and Mr. LeRoy M. Head have secured the west side of F. N. Cobb & Co.'s store and will open a first class retail and wholesale cigar store about March 1, 1895. Mr. Nash has been engaged in the tobacco business in Binghamton for the last fifteen years and is a man of experience.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   Dansville will celebrate its centennial settlement this year.

   The papers tell of snow drifts 26 feet high over towards Oswego.

   A Tioga county man buys old horses and kills them for their hides.

   Miss Cora Hinds of Jordan committed suicide last week by taking "'Rough on Rats."

   A proposal has been made to move the Onondaga Penitentiary to some stone quarry.

   The snow banks north of Rome are said to be twenty feet high. Apple trees are claimed to be buried out of sight.

   Philo Bardeen and Emma Cornell, aged 65 and 15 respectively, were recently married at Day Hollow, Broome county.

   As a result of the woman's edition of the Syracuse Post, published last week, a fund of about $10,000 is raised to build a Woman's and Children's Hospital.

   Rome has two cancer doctors—both by the same name of Kingsley. Each employs two or three porters to meet incoming trains to secure cancer patients. Every passenger is "sized up" carefully and those who are suspected of having cancers are attacked by the porters, who want to carry them off to the hospitals they represent. Both of the doctors claim through their porters to be the original Dr. Kingsley, and people who go to Rome for treatment are put to their wits end to know what to do. The porters have on many occasions engaged in fights on the street and in the recorder's court their fines have been paid by the doctors. The Rome Common Council is considering an ordinance to abate the nuisance.

TOWNS.

Scott.

   Timothy Nunian is quite ill.

   Old Mrs. Wakefield is improving.

   Mrs. Winchester and daughter are somewhat improved.

   Mrs. Hulda Kinyon of Tully was in town last Monday on business.

   Mrs. Susan Barber is quite ill. Dr. White of Homer has been called to see her.

   Hosea Randall Sr. died last Sunday of pneumonia aged 72 years. The remains were placed in the vault of the Union cemetery.

   Over 50 people of Scott went to Spafford last Saturday evening to attend the services held at the church under the leadership of Mr. Gransberry of Homer.

   Election has passed and the country is saved. One arrest was made upon a charge of electioneering within 150 feet of the polls which happened to be your humble correspondent but it so happened the constable making the arrest was in the same boat and liable, but before he was arrested the board discharged us and we are again breathing fresh air. A very light vote was cast, only 150. Many who talked no-license voted the other way. The day was fine.

   Constable Darling arrested a resident of our town last week Thursday for public intoxication upon complaint of several of our citizens. He was arraigned before Justice E. P. Burdick and tried the next day and fined $5 or go to jail for 5 days. He did not pay so they started to Cortland with him. On his way he stopped for dinner at the Central hotel where the man's cousin, F. M. Hazard, William Roche and Volney Barber and a few other married men contributed and the fine was paid to the constable but the constable finding he had no right to accept it took him to Cortland.