The
Cortland News, Friday,
October 12, 1883.
Short
History of the Bad Boy.
Pa, who is the tall young man in the picture
bending over a printing press?
That,
my son, is Billy Clark, and let me tell you his history as a warning to other
bad boys.
In
1874 Clark lived in Wayne county, and on the plea that he was going to correct
abuses in the office of the County Treasurer of that county by legislation was
elected Member of Assembly. He had no sooner been elected than his crooked
transactions became known.
Instead
of fighting the Treasurer as he was elected to do, he turned in with him. The
Treasurer became a defaulter, and Wayne County was a severe loser by the
defalcation. By packing caucuses and other practices similar to tissue ballot
business last fall, he again secured the nomination, but unfortunately for him,
the people had found him out, and in 1875 he was defeated by several hundred in
the district where he was elected by several hundred the year before.
He
said it was a snow storm that did it. There is no doubt it was a chilly time
for Clark. And then he moved into this county early in 1876, and his pa bought
the "bad boy" a printing office, and he has been doing his level best
to raise the devil ever since. This is the history of Cortland's bad boy in one
volume—popular edition.
At It Again.
Not
content with assisting in defeating the entire Republican county and State ticket
last fall, while keeping it at the head of his columns and hypocritically pretending
to support it, William H. Clark, after pretending to be in favor of harmony, by
which he obtained concessions in the last Republican County Convention, is now
at his old game. He is laying the wires for the defeat of the Republican county
ticket this fall.
It is
well understood that a corrupt bargain has been made between Clark and Knox, by
which, if the latter is elected County Judge, he is to give the lion's share of
the pap of his office to Clark. Isn't this a fine start for a judicial officer?
Doesn't it reflect great credit as well upon the purchaser as the purchased?
It is
of no importance that Mr. Knox is acknowledged to be entirely incompetent and
inexperienced. It is immaterial that if elected he will be the head of a Ring
which will make the office of Surrogate a terror to the dying. It is of no
moment that the father-in-law and former law partner of Mr. Knox will be the
only man that will be able to successfully practice before him. And yet it will
be remembered that it was he who so drew the will of the dying Daniel J. Shaw, as had it been legal and
binding, would have robbed the relatives and lawful heirs of over three hundred
thousand dollars, and given the great bulk of that estate to Mr. Waters' friend.
What the private understanding was between that friend and he who wrote the
will can only be imagined.
And
ever since the decision of Judge Smith in the matter, whereby the fraud was thwarted,
Mr. Knox and his friends have any but friendly feelings toward the Judge.
The
only and all important question with William H. Clark is, where will I get the
most patronage? Will the regular Republican papers get all the patronage of a
Republican judge? If so, Mr. Clark, who is not a Republican and has not been
since 1872, will support a Democrat. With him, principle goes for nothing. With
him the success of the Republican party goes for nothing except as it increases
his patronage.
The
sooner he leaves the party and stops fooling the people with his professions of
Republicanism the better for the Republican party and all connected with it.
The Judicial Convention.
The
delegates to the Judicial Convention, in accordance with the adjournment,
re-assembled at Binghamton on Thursday, the 4th inst., and at 9 A. M. commenced
balloting and continued without change in the result until the evening of
Friday, when on the 402d ballot H. Boardman Smith, of Chemung, was given 5,
Clark 3, Harris 2, Waters 1. Judge Smith continued to receive 5 until the 415th
ballot, when he was given 6, and his nomination was immediately made unanimous.
Judge Smith was soon introduced, and in accepting the nomination said:
"Mr.
Chairman and gentlemen of the convention: My success after this long struggle,
I fully appreciate is due, not to any worth of mine, but to the unanswerable logic
of situation, to the paramount claims of locality. I offer you not my thanks
alone, but those of the counties of Chemung and Schuyler, who have specially
requested you to effect my nomination. If elected to the exalted position for
which you have nominated me, while 1 shall enter upon the discharge of the
duties with supreme mistrust in my abilities, there are two qualifications, I
say it perhaps vaingloriously, a high endeavor to do my duty, a love deep in my
heart for rigorous and exact justice. I shall always have in mind the duties
which the Bench owes to the Bar, as well as the Bar to the Bench. In renewing
my thanks, let me return the thanks of Elmira for my nomination."
L. C.
Bowe, of Otsego, A. B. Kennedy, of Madison, S. C. Millard, of Broome, B. A.
Benedict, of Cortland, and A. J. Robertson, of Chemung, were appointed a
judicial committee. Judge Lyon, of Ithaca, offered a motion that the convention
extend thanks to the chairman, Judge Duell, and in so doing said:
"It is a matter of self congratulation in which we all can indulge,
that though the sessions have been protracted and laborious, they have been
characterized by the utmost good nature, leaving no stain behind. This is
largely due to our chairman and the courteous manner in which he has presided
over our labors. I therefore move that the thanks of this convention be
extended to our Chairman."
The
motion was put by the secretary and unanimously carried.
Judge
Duell, in responding, said: "I thank you for this expression of your confidence.
I have intended and endeavored to preside impartially. I sincerely desired to
do that which was best for the convention. We have all stood by our first
preferences, until it became apparent that only that nomination could be made
which has been made. He will not only be indorsed by the Republicans, but will
also meet the approval of the Democrats as a fit and able candidate for a high
office."
The Temperance Issue.
The
temperance issue approaches an important standpoint in the politics of this
State. The Republican fiat has gone forth, and it has declared its willingness to
submit to the voters of the State a constitutional amendment in regard to the
manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. The time has undoubtedly arrived
when this great and all-absorbing issue must command the attention of thinking
men.
Rum
has been from the beginning of our career as a State and as a nation the great curse
of our political life. It has warped men's judgment, dulled their
sensibilities, and driven them to place personal interest before all public
considerations or national necessities. The proper regulation of the liquor
traffic is the great coming issue, the root of the greatest evil. When that
issue is decided in accordance with reason and conscience and common sense, the
purification of our politics will be possible, and the welfare of our great
public interests assured.—New York Commercial Advertiser.
Item.
The frank and candid appeal for aid which the Republican State Committee has
just issued is entirely in keeping with the spirit in which all the work of the
canvass is being pushed by its official managers. A visit to the committee
rooms at the Fifth Avenue Hotel makes this plain. Marks of economy and strict
business methods are everywhere visible. Instead of seventy clerks who
considered themselves necessary a few years ago, five are now found sufficient to
do the work. There is no air of mystery pervading the apartment, but voters of
all shades of Republican opinion are welcomed and consulted gladly by the
committeemen in the Executive Committee room as well as in the reception room.
It was not always thus by a good deal. The change is an agreeable one, and
marks an honest return to old-fashioned Republican simplicity.—Tribune.
Corporation Proceedings.
Monthly meeting
of the Board of Trustees held at Fireman's Hall, October 1, 1883. Present—A.
Mahan, president; G. W. Bradford, D. E. Smith, T. Stevenson and H. Wells,
trustees. Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.
On the petition of all the
property holders on East River street to change its name, it was unanimously
Resolved, That the name be changed to Clinton avenue and made a continuation of
that street from the bridge northeastwardly to the limits of the corporation.
Messrs. Stevenson and Bradford
were appointed a committee to examine the stove in the room of W. W. Engine
Co., and if necessary for safety to procure an exchange.
A petition for the removal of
obstructions to a water sluice on Elm street was referred to the street
commissioner.
Moved and carried that the
expense incurred in laying the sidewalk on the north side of Railroad street,
in front of the premises of Emma C. Lee, be made a charge against the real
estate and assessed upon the same.
Resolved, That a new plank walk five feet wide be built on the west side of Pendleton
street, from the north line of the premises of William Nash to the south line
of the same, and notice of the same in the usual printed form ordered to be served.
Also to serve upon Norman Higgins notice to build a new walk across the
driveway in front of his premises on the south side of Elm street.
Resolved, That the sidewalk in front of the premises of Thomas Mulligan, on the
north side of Elm street and west side of Hubbard street, be repaired, and that
notice in the usual printed form be served. Also notice to Mrs. L. B, Earle to
extend her sidewalk across the lawn on her premises on the south side of Elm street.
Also notice to E. Newton to extend the sidewalk across the lawn on his premises
on the south side of Elm street.
On the report and at the
request of the Board of Engineers an exempt fireman's certificate was granted
to Frank Plumb, who has been honorably discharged from service in the fire
department after nine years and five months service therein.
Ordered also that the name of
Isaac Miller be entered on the rolls as a member of W. W. Engine Co., to date,
June 1, 1859.
Ordered also that the name of
Horace H. Robbins be recorded as an active member of Excelsior Hook &
Ladder Co.
The matter of the line and
width of North Main street, near Dibble's carding mill, was referred to the
whole Board for investigation.
Mr. Mahan was appointed a
committee to purchase iron pipe for wells.
The following bills were allowed and ordered paid:
L. J. Fitzgerald, rent store house, $75.00
Bates & Hollister, repairs lamps, $25.65
" “ engine house, $4.20
Palmer & Loucks, " " $9.00
John Heher, engine house , $50.00
Homer & Cortland Gas Light Co.,
gas, engine house, $7.00
Homer &
Cortland Gas Light Co.,
Street gas, $47.90
Jonathan Hubbard, village clerk, $9.00
Jay Baker, lighting lamps, $6.25
C. E. Bennett, M. D., sanitary, $8.60
F. G. Kinney, printing, $9.75
Theodore Stevenson, streets, $9.20
Estate W. J. Harvey, clearing snow
on streets, $5.00
J. J. Davern, labor on streets, $43.75
Patrick Kain, " $28.88
John Quinlan, " $28.88
William Nash. " $29.62
John Kain, " $27.37
Luke Doyle, " $27.37
Andrew Kennedy, " $26.63
Cornelius Sweeney, " $19.12
Andrew Stout, with team on streets$65.62
Patrick Garrity, labor on streets, $63.87
John Hayes, " $59.50
James Heafey, " $43.75
George A. Petrie, " $11.37
G. W. King, " $41.12
James McDowell, "
$3.50.
On motion, meeting adjourned.
JONATHAN HUBBARD, Clerk.
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