GALL, IGNORANCE OR DECEPTION

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, January 29, 1894.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Gall, Ignorance or Deception.

   "In the editorial column of the daily STANDARD of January 24, there appeared an article on "The Suffering People," and an extract is made from a speech said to have been recently made by General Husted of Pennsylvania. The general is quoted as having said, that the "People are now  in want, with a hard winter and poverty staring them in the face, and who can say that all this is not due to Democracy and the Democratic congress?" This statement is entirely uncalled for, and in its meaning tends to disrupt the public mind rather than to ease it. The people of these United States are now, and have been for many years, living under laws that were enacted by a Republican congress. The McKinley tariff bill is now in full force and has been for the past two years, and ever since it has been in force the laboring classes have suffered reduction after reduction in wages, and shop doors have been closed against them for the want of business. By the terms of this law the laboring man is made to pay a tax of seventy-five cents on every ton of coal he burns, which goes into the pocket of the money king protectionist. We ask, in the language quoted, who can say that this is not due to Republican laws and a Republican congress."—Cortland Democrat, Jan. 26.

   Whether the above paragraph was dictated by unmitigated gall, dense ignorance or a studied purpose to deceive we are unable to say, but whatever its inspiration it could not well have been made more utterly false or foolish. It insults the intelligence of every wage earner and kicks up its heels in the face of facts. Ask the workingmen and women how the first ten months of Democratic rule [Cleveland Administration] compare with the last two years of Republican administration [Harrison Administration] and see what they will say. Now there is depression, stagnation, enforced idleness, starvation and misery. Then there was prosperity everywhere, every mill was busy, and every man who wanted work could get it at good prices. If the Democratic congress which is causing the continuance of these hard times and threatening us with even worse ones, would pass a resolution that the McKinley law would be left untouched for the next three years, in a single month we would see the return of business prosperity. The charge that this law ever caused a penny's reduction of wages or shut a single shop door or made the laboringman "pay a tax into the pocket of a money king protectionist" is as false as perdition.

◘ Last fall's elections ought to have convinced Democratic newspapers that their lies about "the robber tariff" would no longer be believed by workingmen. For years the free trade or tariff reform press has been going on the principle that the harder it lied the greater would be the effect. It finally deceived the laboring men to the extent of getting them to select a Democratic president, senate and house, and now they are idle and hungry, the business of the country is at a standstill, and financial wrecks are scattered everywhere.

◘ American workingmen are no longer going to swallow such paragraphs as the above from the Democrat. They know better. They have learned by bitter experience. They will spew such political tainted meat out of their mouths and stamp on it. They can't be fooled all the time. And our Democratic congress has only to keep on till next fall as it is doing now, holding the business of the country up by the gills and whacking it first on one aide and then on the other, to make such a wreck of the party that there will not be enough left of it to furnish material for a coroner's inquest or to decently fill the smallest sized political coffin. And this result will not be "due to Republican laws and a Republican congress." These will come later, and put the business of the country firmly on its feet again, and set idle men at work, and put food in their stomachs and clothes on their backs, and fix in their minds the intense conviction that Republican protection is the only thing which holds them up above the level of the degraded and half-starved labor of foreign countries.

◘ The present hard times everywhere may perhaps give a great impetus to state socialism, at least in the direction of government ownership of railroads and all matters and industries in which the whole public is interested and of state labor bureaus and state enterprises for the employment of those out of work. The argument is already advanced that this would at least be a change, and things in any case would be no worse than they are now. That, however, is not at all certain. 

◘ Yale college has a club made up entirely of students who are natives of Hawaii. It is needless to say they all go in strong for annexation. On the evening of Jan. 17, the anniversary of the founding of the provisional government, they had a banquet in honor of the occasion. Dean Francis Wayland of the Yale law school himself responded to the toast, "President Dole—Every Inch a Man." 

◘ The practice of whipping children brutally is not yet wholly outgrown even in this most civilized country. A creature in Pittsburg who called himself a man beat his 10-year-old son so cruelly that the lad sprang from a third story window to escape the blows. The fall killed the child. For thus murdering a little boy, his own flesh and blood, the creature was sentenced to pay $100 fine and serve a year in the workhouse. Boys' lives seem to be cheap in that part of the country.

◘ Lieutenant General Sir George Tomkyns Cheany, M. P., has been making a speech in which he says that in case of war between Great Britain and the United States it would be impossible, without stronger coast defenses, to prevent Canada from being annexed to the United States. Canada may or may not be annexed to the United States in the course of time, but there can never be any war between England and the United States. Neither nation can afford it.

◘ The Jabez Spencer who figures in W. T. Stead's story of "Two and Two Make Four" is a real character. The swindling operations of the Emancipator Building society, as depicted by Stead in the novel, are merely the history of the actual Liberator Building society, which went to pieces in England some time since, involving the ruin of thousands of poor people who invested all they had saved in it. The Jabez Spencer of "Two and Two Make Four" is really Jabez Spencer Balfour. He fled the country when the crash came and was seen not long since living in luxury in the Argentine Republic on a fine ranch. The despair and suffering of those he had ruined did not seem to trouble him much. But when the treaty of extradition was concluded between Great Britain and the Argentine Republic, Mr. Jabez Spencer Balfour disappeared suddenly from the neighborhood of Buenos Ayres. It must be inconvenient to keep dodging about like that, even if one is a millionaire and has no conscience.

                             

James Corbett.

                                Corbett Resumes His Acting.

   NEW YORK, Jan. 29.—Champion James J. Corbett gave a supper to Billy Brady, his trainers, and several other intimate friends. He said that he was in excellent trim. He will be in Boston to open with his show "Gentleman Jack" tonight. Charley Mitchell arrived in the city accompanied by his father-in-law, Pony Moore, and his trainer, Harry Darrin. The party went to the Metropolitan where Mrs. Mitchell was anxiously awaiting her husband. A reporter sent up his card with the request to Mr. Mitchell that he might say something about himself. In response he simply wrote "I met a better man." He denied himself to all callers. Mitchell has no plans for his immediate future and the length of his stay In town is unknown.

Corbett Lionized at New York.

   NEW YORK, Jan. 29.—Champion Corbett arrived here from Jacksonville, had a conqueror's welcome on ferry and streets, put up at the Coleman House and stood in triumph before thousands at the Madison Square reception.

CHARLES LA VERN BUSHNELL.

Diphtheria Cause His Death After an Eight Days' Illness.

   One of the saddest deaths that The STANDARD has had to record for a long time is that of Charles La Vern Bushnell, the only son of Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Bushnell, who died at 5:40 o'clock yesterday afternoon, aged 23 years. He was born at Gustavus, O., and when only five months of age came with his parents to New York state. He spent his early years with his parents at Harford.  About seven years ago, he came to Cortland and entered the Normal, his father having been elected county clerk and having moved to this place. On leaving school he was appointed special deputy clerk and has worked in the county clerk's office at different times for the past five years. He expected to go to Texas upon January 9, had his ticket bought and trunk packed, but just before starting he accepted a place in Sprague & Brooks' feed store on Greenbush-st. He had worked for them but five days when he was taken ill. Friday evening, January 19, he had a chill but, notwithstanding his mother's warning and fears as to the result, he went to the meeting of the Sons of Veterans. He was quite ill Saturday, and Sunday it was pronounced diphtheria. Every effort was made to save his life but in vain, and he died after an eight days' illness.

   Mr. Bushnell was a young man of exemplary character and was a general favorite in the Sons of Veterans' camp of which he was elected captain for 1894. He had only been able to attend two meetings of the camp since his election. He has been a member of the First Methodist church for the past four years and his untarnished reputation, good habits and high character had made him one of the model young men of Cortland.

   The remains will be taken in a hermetically sealed casket on the 8:52 train to-morrow morning to Watkins, where funeral services will be held at the grave at 2 P. M.

Myrtle Ferns Word Contest.

   The committee selected to look over the lists handed in for the prize contest regarding the Myrtle Ferns entertainment to-night have adopted the rule that no letter should be used more times in a word than it occurs in the words "Myrtle Ferns;" for instance, "esteem" containing three "e's" while "e" occurs but twice in Myrtle Ferns, would have to be stricken out. A large number of lists have been handed in, most of them containing many hundred words, and the committee are working on them but it is feared they will not be through in time to bestow the prizes before the entertainment, so it is suggested that all who have sent in lists, purchase tickets and attend the performance. The announcement of the winner will be made from the stage, and the amount of the prize, the prices of two tickets, will be refunded to the winner if present, if not, to the one who is present having the next highest list.

Cortland Opera House (on left) and Cortland House on Groton Avenue.

BREVITIES.

   —"Myrtle Ferns" to-night at the Opera House. Admission 25, 35 and 50 cents.

   —Don't forget the entertainment for the benefit of the poor at the Opera House to-night.

   —The Wheel club give another of their popular "smokers" to-morrow evening. Pork and beans will be served.

   —The sale of the Cortland Desk Co.'s plant, which was to have been held this morning, has been adjourned till April 4 at 10 A. M.

   —The members of the Tioughnioga club are requested to attend the performance this evening and thus lend their support to this good cause.

   —A special meeting of James H. Kellogg camp, Sons of Veterans, will be held this evening for the purpose of taking action on the death of Captain C. L. Bushnell.

   —The Normal Banjo and Guitar club this morning presented to the Normal school a large and fine framed photograph of themselves. It has been hung in the office.

   —The members of St. Mary's Catholic church are taking steps to establish a branch of the St. Vincent De Paul society, the object of which is to care for the poor.

   —The curtain will not rise till fifteen minutes after 8 o'clock to-night. This will enable many to attend the benefit performance who otherwise would be unable to do so.

   —If you are disposed to help the needy even to a small amount, you can do no better than to buy a ticket for the benefit to-night at the Opera House. Admission 25, 35 and 50 cents.

   —On Friday evening, Feb. 2, a social hop will be given at the Empire House in Tully. Music will be furnished by Prof. McDermott's full orchestra, George D. Goddard is the proprietor of the hotel.

   —The Presbyterian choir and organist are planning for a grand concert to be given in the church some evening the latter part of February in aid of the Ladies' Home Missionary and church society. The concert will be given by themselves only, without any outside assistance.

   —The Y. M. C. A. now has an opportunity of securing for three months at a moderate salary, a physical director for the Y. M. C. A. gymnasium; and the directors will secure his services if fifteen or twenty new members can be induced to join at once. Will each member try and do his part in this work.

   —Harrison Miner of DeRuyter, who has been for years well-known to members of the Cortland county bar, died at 5 o'clock yesterday morning at his home after a long and lingering illness. The immediate cause of his death was dropsy. The funeral occurs at 2 o'clock to-morrow afternoon.

   — Court convened this morning, Judge P. B. McLennan of Syracuse presiding. Attorneys A. P. Smith, O. U. Kellogg and R. Champlin were appointed a committee to draft resolutions on the death of Harrison Miner of DeRuyter. Court was then adjourned till 2 o'olock this afternoon, when the resolutions were to be presented.

   —Dr. Lorimer's lecture on Wednesday evening will not begin until half past 8 o'clock, thereby giving all who desire an opportunity to attend the union revival services in the Presbyterian church at 7 o'clock. This service will close promptly at 8:15, giving ample time for any and all who wish to go to the Opera House to hear the great lecturer.

   —Mr. Prosper Palmer has received word announcing the death of his brother, Miles G. Palmer, which occurred at his home at Camanche, Ia., and was caused by paralysis. The deceased was nearly 90 years of age and leaves a wife and two brothers, Prosper of Cortland and another brother at Nortonville, Kan. The funeral was held Saturday.

   —The Tioughnioga Club relief committee is doing good work among the worthy poor of our village. Over twenty families who have become destitute temporarily through sickness or the stress of the hard times, have been relieved by the distribution to them of coal and provisions during the month of January. The work is systematically and carefully done, and the subscribers to the fund may feel assured that every dollar is placed where it will do the most good.

   —Officer Monroe arrested Tim Maher Saturday night for public intoxication. On being arraigned in police court this morning Justice Bull said to him, "Well, it is the same old story?" "Yes, I suppose so," said the prisoner. "Have you got three dollars?" asked the judge. "No." "You will have to take three days in jail then," said Justice Bull. "I will not give you any temperance lecture," he continued, "because it does not do any good, but will just give you plain three dollars or three days." Tim was then taken to jail.

Revival Services.

   The union revival meetings will be continued through this week at the Presbyterian church upon each evening except Thursday and Saturday. On Thursday evening the usual church prayer-meetings will be held separately, and will be of the nature of revival services.

   This evening at 7:30 o'clock Rev. C. E. Hamilton will preach. Tomorrow evening it is expected that Rev. J. L. Robertson will preach and on Wednesday evening Rev. W. H. Pound. The services on Wednesday evening will begin at 7 o'clock and will close promptly at 8:15 to permit all to attend the lecture at the Opera House to be given by Dr. George C. Lorimer in the Y. M.C.A. course. The lecture will begin at 8:30 o'clock.

   The union woman's prayer-meeting will be held in the Presbyterian chapel each day this week from 2 to 3 o'clock.

   The union men's prayer-meeting will be held in the same place each evening this week except Thursday and Saturday a half hour before the time for evening service.

Athletic Association Notes.

   The first "hard time smoker" of the Cortland Athletic association will be held at the clubhouse [Randall house] this evening. The boys are sparing no pains to make the affair one of the most successful of the kind ever held in Cortland.

   Work was begun this afternoon fitting up the third floor of the clubhouse as the gymnasium. The apparatus will be set up immediately.

   At the meeting of the board of governors, held this afternoon, the contract for fitting up the bathroom was awarded to the firm of Buck & Lane. Four basins, a shower bath, and lockers will be put in. Messrs. F. H. Monroe and E. B. Richardson were appointed a committee to look into the advisability of putting in a bowling alley.