HUCKSTERS AND BUSINESS LICENSES IN CORTLAND

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, August 16, 1889.

Concerning Licenses.

   A petition numerously signed by the proprietors of markets, groceries, &c., was presented to the Board of Trustees last Tuesday evening by a large and representative body of these dealers. The following is a copy of their petition:

   To the Honorable, the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Cortland, N. Y.

   We, the undersigned, business men and tax payers of said village, hereby request you to pass an ordinance by resolution of your Board of Trustees, prohibiting the trade called Huckstering, or the retailing from house to house fall fruits, meats, and vegetables, within the corporate limits of said village, by any and all persons, or regulating the sale thereof in some proper manner, by providing a suitable place for selling the same; as such Hucksters are a great detriment to parties doing a full yearly business and paying store rent and taxes within the village.

   The following is a fair synopsis of the arguments adduced in support of the prayer of the petition: That the petitioners paid municipal taxes and for that reason were entitled to be protected against the competition of those who did not reside or have a place of business within the corporate limits; that they were required to rent a place of business and keep in stock a good assortment of goods of good quality, and should be protected from irregular and ruinous competition.

   One among many illustrations given was this: a farmer from Cincinnatus would come to Cortland, buy a quantity of baskets go out between the lakes and buy a load of peaches or grapes, return to Cortland, visit the grocers and sell to them a part of his load for the greatest price he can obtain and dispose of the remainder at private houses and upon the streets for less than he had sold the same fruit to dealers, thus compelling dealers to sell at reduced prices or suffer loss by the decay of perishable goods.

   The President [I. H. Palmer] called the attention of the petitioners to the fact that the village taxes paid by them did not entitle them to protection from legitimate competition in their business; that the money raised by these taxes was expended for streets, water, protection from fire, for police protection and sanitary purposes and not for the regulation of trade in a way to compel consumers to pay prices which they might agree to combine upon, and those who brought goods to Cortland to market to sell to them at prices also fixed by their combined agreement, thus enabling them at the same time to take advantage of the producer or vendor and consumer.

   The purpose of this proposed ordinance requiring a license is not to provide the municipality with revenue; it would not pay for collection; its true object is to protect local dealers from the effects of legitimate business competition; to limit the right or privilege of selling meats, fruits, vegetables, &c, to a favored few, who now all sell at the same price, presumably by a pre-arrangement, in effect a trust, which has recently become so hateful to a large body of the American people. Such a trust can only succeed when protected from outside competition, hence a license, a local tariff (in effect) is needed to complete the arrangements for a market monopoly, and thus the Board of Trustees are requested to create a monopoly.

   We have no right or power to do this, the State legislature has no such power and could not therefore confer such power upon us.

   The effect of such a license is to discriminate between classes of individuals. The farmer who has but one carcass to sell, cannot afford to pay for a license to sell it and must therefore dispose of it to one who has such license at a reduced price, while the artisan, the mechanic and the laborer is deprived of the opportunity to purchase his supplies from any one but the local dealer whose prices will be fixed by a combination of local dealers.

   The result of such a policy is, that farmers and others will not bring their products to our market to sell nor buy those he needs from our merchants and dealers. The effect of this is to impair our business, to diminish its volume and its profits. Rather let us say to all, "bring hither all you have to sell and while you are here, buy all you want of us." This policy will prove to our mutual advantage; this policy is anti-Chinese; it is English free trade and the product of the ripest statesmanship in the world.

   There is nothing in all Europe so well worthy of our imitation as this much tabooed "English free trade." It has made England the foremost nation in commerce and wealth on the face of the globe; it would do as much and more for America if they had the good sense to adopt it. Let us not imitate the unprogressive statesmanship of the pagan Chinese, let us not be too selfish and narrow-minded for our own good; we can't afford to injure a whole town for the sole benefit of a score or two of butchers.

   TAXPAYER.

Charles Dana.

Robinson—Dana.

   The New York Times is authority for the statement that the late Governor Robinson, when Republican Comptroller of the state, was a stockholder in the Republican state organ, the Albany Evening Journal, and negotiated a sale of the paper to Charles A. Dana; that Thurlow Weed broke not the arrangement; and that "after Mr. Robinson was a Democrat." Yes, one of the "alliance" kind of Democrats.

    He was a Democrat before he became a Republican, and it is a curious fact that his jumping to and fro was coincident to his nomination for office. He left the Democracy in 1859 to accept a republican nomination for Assembly and was elected and reelected.

   After the second election he was the rival of DeWitt C. Littlejohn for the Republican Speakership, but was beaten and took the Republican leadership on the floor. After that he was nominated by the Republicans for Comptroller against Sanford E. Church and elected, and again nominated and elected. It must have been during this last term that Mr. Robinson failed to sell the Evening Journal to Mr. Dana and "after that was a Democrat," for he secured the Democratic nomination for a third term but was beaten by Hillhouse, Republican.

   "After that," when Horatio Seymour declined, Mr. Robinson was nominated for and elected Governor, and succeeded in wrecking the party and throwing the state into the hands of the Republicans by war upon Democrats and Democratic organizations that ended in the bolt of 1879, led by the late William Dorsheimer, who had been re-elected Lieutenant Governor upon the ticket with him in 1876, and by David Dudly Field.

   Mr. Dana, unlike Mr. Robinson, never pretended to be a Democrat. He had been a Brook Farm Socialist, and one of the editors of the Harbinger, a Socialistic journal started to advocate the views of Fourier. Then, in 1847, he joined the staff of the New York Tribune, under Horace Greeley, and became and until 1861 remained managing editor of the Tribune. Messrs. Greeley and Dana could not agree upon the manner of conducting the fight to put down the Rebellion, and the latter retired and became subsequently Assistant Secretary of War under the despotic Stanton, who held views as to the "liberty of the press" not in accord with those now advocated by Mr. Dana.

   After the war Mr. Dana became editor of a new Republican paper established at Chicago, the "Chicago Republican." The venture failed, and Mr. Dana returned to New York and became editor of the Sun, which he made a great success.

   In the politics of the period Mr. Dana is a very good Democrat on all questions of importance, save that of the tariff. He has been unable to divest himself of some of the vagaries of his early training under Greeley on the Tribune.—Rochester Union.

PAGE TWO/EDITORIALS.

   The Democratic State Committee will meet on Monday to select the date and place for holding the next State Convention. New York people are in favor of Saratoga Springs, but the people of the central and western portion of the State seem to favor Syracuse. The latter city is the most accessible to all parts of the State and can be reached within a few hours ride. Cortland would perhaps be a still better point for holding the convention and it is a little singular that our State Committee has never thought of the possibility of this place. The hotels could easily take care of the crowd and the new Cortland Opera House would make a splendid place for the delegates to meet. Why not Cortland?

   The Cortland Standard says that Assemblyman R. T. Peck is not a candidate for Senator Hendricks's seat, and announces that he is a candidate for renomination for the Assembly. Mr. Peck is a very able and useful legislator.—Syracuse Journal.

   Especially able and especially useful since he has decided not to contest the senatorship.—Syracuse Standard.

   Judge David S. Terry of California has finally met his just deserts. On Wednesday morning when the overland train arrived at Lathrop, Cal., U. S. Supreme Judge Stephen J. Field and Dep. U. S. Marshal David Nagle walked into the depot dining room and took seats for breakfast. Soon after Judge Terry and wife entered and the latter on seeing Judge Field and Mr. Nagle retired from the room. Judge Terry walked up to Judge Field and stooping over slapped him in the face. Dep. Nagle at once arose from his seat and shot Terry through the heart, killing him instantly. Mrs. Field rushed into the room and the wildest excitement ensued. Deputy Nagle was arrested and placed in jail at Stockton and District Attorney White ordered the arrest of Justice Field on his arrival at San Francisco. The DEMOCRAT is not in favor of people taking the law in their own bands, but it has no tears to shed over the murderer and loafer Terry. Our readers will remember that a few years ago this same Terry forced U. S. Senator Broderick to fight a duel and deliberately murdered him. Broderick was one of nature's nobleman and Terry was a brute. In almost any other State the latter would have been lynched by an outraged public. Four or five years since he was counsel for Miss Althea Hill, a notorious character, who sued U. S. Senator Sharon for divorce, with the idea of obtaining a large share of the Senator's great wealth. No one believed that she was the wife of the Senator but she swore to it and succeeded in obtaining considerable money from the Senator's estate. Soon after the case was decided, the people of the country were startled by the announcement that Judge Terry had married the woman. They were well mated. It was fit that the bully and murderer should consort with a woman of the town. If Terry had been "removed" years ago the State of California would have had a better reputation.

TAYLOR.

   Miles Bennett is confined to the house with inflammation of the stomach.

   Mrs. Louisa Rider of Beaver Meadow, was the guest of M. Calkins, last Thursday.

   Fred Halbert is cutting oats for the farmers hereabouts with a Deering reaper and binder.

   Moris Jacquins and Glenn Weaver roosted in a tree a part of the day Sunday. Underneath was Frank Skinner's bull. A good reason why they had to.

   Sheldon Warner, of Binghamton, our first supervisor, attended the Beebe picnic in Pritchard's grave [sic], a few days ago. His 95 years appeared to sit lightly upon his head.

   If the lady (?) who lives a short distance beyond the town line in the town of Cincinnatus, could be made to see a very large mote in the eyes of her nephew, instead of trying to find one in the eyes of those of this place whom she denominates as "that trash," it would be but doing her conscience justice. We have always held that so long as one person behaved himself as well as another, that one person was as good as another, no matter where he lived. Not so with her, as she talks as though none did right but her and hers. Surely "There's none so blind but can see if they wish to."

   CALUMET. [correspondent's pen name]

HERE AND THERE.

   The fall term of Cincinnatus Academy opens Tuesday August 20th.

   The merry-go-round has deserted Homer and is now located on Owego street.

   A. R. Peck has taken out letters patent on a combination lock.

   Frank Braman has sold his bakery on No. 17 North Main street to J. G. Bridenbecker, who has taken possession.

   The Prohibitionists are to have a course of lectures in this place. Rev. Amanda Deyo, opens the list next Monday evening.

   The Kings' Daughters will meet at the residence of Mrs. Lewis Bouton, corner of Union and Owego streets, on Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock.

   The first meeting of the Homer and Cortland Gun Club will take place on the grounds of the club near Homer next Wednesday. All amateurs are invited.

   The editor's family are under obligations to the Acme Quartette, composed of Messrs. H. C. Beebe, M. D. Murphy, Jr., F. Dachler, and C. F. Brown for a serenade last Thursday evening.

   Messrs Hopkins & Filsinger received at their market on Monday last, an immense sturgeon measuring 8 1/2 feet in length and said to weigh 600 pounds. The fish was cut up and sold to customers on Tuesday.

   The Cortland Box Loop Company are putting up a three-story brick building 75x25 feet in rear of their present factory on Port Watson street. Their increasing trade requires nearly double the room to manufacture their goods.

   A rather comical performance took place on Wednesday on the opposite side of the street [Railroad/Central Ave.—CC editor] from the DEMOCRAT office. A strong curtain about eight feet square was held up by strong poles and securely fastened by stake driven into the ground. A little below the centre was a round hole a little larger than an ordinary man’s head. A "coon" of uncertain age stood behind the curtain and thrust his wooly pate through the aperture. The "white trash" who had charge of the entertainment then offered any bystander a chance to throw three baseballs at the darkey’s head from a distance of about sixty feet for a dime. If he hit the mark once he drew ten cents and if he hit it three times he drew a dollar for his skill. None of the marksmen, and they were not a few, earned the dollar, but a good many of them earned a dime. The darkey's head seemed not a whit the worse for the many solid bumps it received. In fact, John said he rather liked it.

  

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   Chicago has over 4,000 salons.

   There are less than 250,000 Indians.

   The life insurance companies lose $250,000 by the Johnstown disaster.

   The Russian language is being taught in the Missouri State University.

   A passenger train on the Ithaca, Auburn & Western road ran into two colts near Myers station Saturday evening, ditching the engine, killing one of the colts and breaking engineer Harvey's left leg.

   The last issue of the Canastota Bee says: "A weed worse than the Canada thistle has made its appearance in abundance through this section. It is the wild carrot, one plant of which if allowed to mature will produce pollen enough to seed an acre of meadow, and the only way to get rid of it is to pull it up. It seeds rapidly, takes root readily, and will soon run out grass. How it got here so suddenly is a mystery, but it is probable that it came in clover and grass seed brought here from the west. Purchased seed should therefore be closely examined before it is sown, and much annoyance and trouble will be saved if the weeds are promptly exterminated wherever found."

   The Buffalo Courier has a special from Sodus, Wayne county, reporting a terrible crime committed Sunday night eight miles southwest of that place. George Howe, taught the district school, and boarded with a widow by the name of Wilkinson. Miss Ella Wilkinson, a daughter aged 21, and a younger brother constituted the remainder of the family. Miss Wilkinson and young Howe were engaged to be married. On Sunday they went driving and Howe came back after 10 o'clock alone. Young Wilkinson asked where his sister was, and Howe told him to follow and he would show him. They walked back on the road nearly a mile and Howe pointed out the dead body of the girl near a clump of bushes. Howe said while they were returning home two men stopped the carriage and forcibly dragged the girl out. They commanded him to get into the buggy and drive on or be shot. Howe was arrested. He poisoned himself Monday morning and died about noon. The coroner's inquest was held Monday afternoon, and showed that the girl bad been criminally assaulted and her throat cut.