Wednesday, May 10, 2017

LETTER FROM THE SUNNY SOUTH



Benjamin S. Turner.
Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, March 9, 1894.

FROM THE SUNNY SOUTH.
H. M. Kellogg Receives a Letter from A. L. DeMond.
   Mr. H. M. Kellogg has lately received a very interesting letter from A. L. DeMond, who was graduated from the Normal in June, 1889, and who is now teaching at Fort Payne, Ala. Part of it will interest many of his Cortland friends and we are permitted to publish extracts from it. Mr. DeMond says:

   FORT PAYNE, Ala., Jan. 15, 1894.
   Mr. Kellogg:
   My school has been aided quite a little this year by the Southern white people, many of whom have become very friendly to me and my work. One of the leading white lawyers here, a man born and reared in the South, took a subscription list among the white people in behalf of my school. He received contributions from the mayor of the city, the probate judge of the county, and all the county officials. There has been a wonderful change of sentiment here in the last five years. Things move slowly down here; but they are moving nevertheless.
   I have just been down in the "Black Belt" of Alabama. It is a black belt sure enough, (as the Southern people say) black with oppression, poverty, ignorance and crime—a combination of evils that only time and faithful teaching and the pure sunlight of the Gospel can drive away. The condition of the colored people in the middle and lower sections of Alabama is sad and deplorable.
   I shook hands with Benjamin Turner, a few days ago, in Selma, Ala. He is the first colored man that was ever elected to congress. He said: "My rights are no more considered here than the rights of a dog. They are under oath-bound pledges, here in the Black Belt, to keep the black man down. They say if he cowardly retreats, push him back; if he manfully resists crush him out. That is the policy of the Southern white man in regard to the black man in the Black Belt."
   I never saw so many colored people before in my life as I saw in Selma. The pastor of our church there, a dear friend of mine, is a native African. He was born in Africa and brought to this country when about ten years of age. He was educated in Philadelphia and for a time was a missionary in Africa. He is a very fine gentleman, a fine speaker and in many ways a remarkable man. He is worth several thousand dollars and has a beautiful home.
   I am well and busy. Remember me to friends in Cortland. I trust that you and your family are in good health.
   Yours Truly,
   A. L. DEMOND.

Oneonta All Right.
   The gentlemen appointed as appraisers to decide on the amount of insurance to be awarded anent the burning of the Oneonta Normal have finished their task, allowing the full amount of seventy-five thousand dollars. The local board go to Albany Saturday to make arrangements for the receiving of the money.—Oneonta Star.
   Governor Flower yesterday signed the bill appropriating $100,000 for the Oneonta Normal. Oneonta is now all right again and has $175,000 at its disposal for a new building. It is probable that the new structure will be much finer than the old, and, in the light of past experience and present needs, it is expected that some changes will be made in its arrangements from that of the old building.

MASSMEETING AT TROY.
An Immense Gathering to Take Action on the Election Outrages.
   TROY, N. Y., March 9.—The massmeeting [sic] of Troy's citizens at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church was one of the most memorable gatherings in the history of Troy.
   The meeting was called that citizens might give expression to their indignation at the crimes of last Tuesday and they might formulate plans for the punishment of not only the murder of Robert Ross, but men who are primarily responsible for the outrages, and to pave the way for election reforms.
   Three thousand people of all political beliefs crowded into the church long before the meeting was called to order. Outside the crowd was so dense that a passageway could not be made.
   The demands of the people on the street could not be ignored, and it was decided to hold an overflow meeting in the Fifth avenue Baptist church, half a block away.
   At the conclusion of the addresses Rev. Dr. Haynes offered a resolution which called for the appointment of 100 citizens to wait upon Governor Flower and ask him to name a date for the holding of a special term of court; to designate a special and unbiased judge to preside, and to call upon the attorney general to prosecute the cases.
   The resolution was unanimously adopted and the committee named.
   The committee will appear before the governor today.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Wayland D. Tisdale.
   It will be with considerable surprise that many of our readers will learn that there is any opposition among Republicans to the election of Hon. Wayland D. Tisdale as village president. The motives which influence such opposition, unless they are the result of misapprehension or misinformation, can hardly be creditable to those entertaining them. No candidate for village president has ever been nominated with less effort on his own part than Mr. Tisdale, and there never has been a candidate for village office whose character was more thoroughly above reproach, whose ability was more unquestioned or whose faithfulness to every public trust committed to him more thoroughly proven by past service or more generally conceded. We believe Mr. Tisdale will make one of the best presidents Cortland has ever had and we believe further that no valid reason, either personal or otherwise, can be given why any Republican should oppose him.
   Democrats and Prohibitionists will naturally vote for their own nominees, but aside from what may be regarded as political duty Mr. Tisdale's merits appeal to members of those parties on grounds of public policy and interest far more forcibly than do their own nominees. Mr. Allen, the Democratic nominee, is in the employ of the Elmira, Cortland & Northern railroad company as superintendent. His time is occupied by the duties of his place, his first obligation is to the railroad company, his tastes are not in the line of village office and his consent to the nomination was probably only obtained with the idea of filling the ticket and without any thought of his election. The office would be a burden to him even if it were offered to him by unanimous consent.
   Mr. Chas. W. Collins, the Prohibition candidate, is in no way better fitted for the office than Mr. Tisdale, and in many ways not so well. He is, furthermore, one of the last men that Republicans should vote for. He left the party to help organize the Prohibition party in this county, and has ever since been one of its chief managers and one of the most stubborn opponents of Republicanism in every way, at local, state and presidential elections. What peculiar or special qualifications for the place he possesses no one has yet discovered—unless in the eyes of the members of his own party his Prohibition principles constitute such qualifications.
   This is not a time when personal piques or disappointments, nor factional resentments or grudges should have influence. Narrow and unworthy as such feelings are at any time, they are especially so now. To-day, if ever, Republican nominees should he given by their party associates full credit for every qualification which they possess and should be heartily supported on their merits, forgetting old scores and all unpleasant feelings which may at any time have existed, and remembering only the experiences of the country under one year of Democratic rule, and the obligation which rests upon every
Republican to do his best, in season and out of season, to unify, harmonize and strengthen the party, and to prepare it for victory next November and every succeeding November till the government of the nation is once more in the hands of Republican leaders and guided by Republican principles and in the enjoyment of Republican prosperity.

Frank J. Doubleday.
   Democrats in the Fourth Ward are industriously circulating the story that Mr. Frank J. Doubleday, the Republican nominee for trustee, is a Prohibitionist. It ought to be a sufficient answer to such a charge that the Prohibitionists have a candidate of their own in that ward in the person of Mr. E. A. Fish. If Mr. Doubleday were a member of their party, Mr. Fish certainly would not be in the field. Mr. Doubleday has always been a faithful and earnest Republican. He is an intelligent, substantial and valuable citizen and will make an excellent trustee.
   The only ground on which the charge that he is a Prohibitionist could be based is that he is not given to indulgence in the flowing bowl—and he certainly ought not to make the worse trustee on that account. If every Republican who fails to go on an occasional or semi-occasional "toot" were to be classed as a Prohibitionist, the ranks of the third party would immediately begin to bulge.
   Mr. Doubleday did not ask or desire the nomination. He was selected on account of his merits to represent the Republican party in a close ward, and has consented to serve as a political and public duty. Nothing can truthfully be said against him, and to whatever falsehoods may be put in circulation concerning him, the residents of his ward should turn a deaf ear. He deserves an emphatic endorsement at the polls.

When Italian unity was established under Victor Emmanuel and Garibaldi, an offer of $600,000 a year from the new government was made to the pope in lieu of his former supremacy in the papal states. The popes have hitherto never accepted this annuity, preferring to go to faithful Catholics the world over for the "Peter's pence." At the beginning of 1894, the first time since 1870, the Italian government and the papal court exchanged civilities to a slight extent. This may mean that Pope Leo is going to take another radical step and make friends with Italy at last. In that case there would be no further question of his leaving Italy. He would also come into possession of nearly $15,000,000 back pay.

All the governments in the world are heavily in debt. Nearly every separate state of this Union is heavily in debt. Nearly every individual in civilization is more or less in debt, It is time for all to turn over a leaf, make a new deal, buckle down and pay all these debts and take a solemn oath, if the good Lord lets them live to get through, never to go in debt again.

A Word to Property-Owners.
   There are some ugly rumors in circulation concerning attempts being made in the name of the Cortland & Homer Electric Co. to secure rights of way along the proposed route of the electric railway to McGrawville and about Cortland for the purpose of shutting out the Cortland & Homer Co. or compelling them to buy the rights so secured. It will be wise for every property-holder who is applied to in the name of the Electric company to inquire where the capital is to come from with which they can build a road. The Cortland & Homer Railroad Co. means the present Cortland, Homer Horse Railroad Co., and the foreign capitalists who propose to put $150,000 into building the electric road, and whose business and financial standing guarantees that they will do it. We believe that no public spirited citizen who knows all the facts will lend himself to embarrass this most desirable public improvement or to further the private interests of any individuals to the detriment of those of the people. Give your rights of way to the representatives of the Cortland & Homer Horse Railroad Co. only, if you want to be sure of an electric road.

COURT PROCEEDINGS.
The Betts Case Still Excites Much Interest.
   It appears that some little excitement was created in court this morning by the attorneys for the defense in the case of The People vs. Carleton H. Betts over the quotations in yesterday's STANDARD from The New York Sun and The New York World of the previous day, in relation to the doings of the same defendant in New York City. The attorneys claimed that the quotations were made at the instigation of some interested parties with the idea of injuring the defendant, or prejudicing his case. The items referred to were discovered "by one of the editors of The STANDARD while looking over those papers and were clipped out by him. Not a word was passed by him with any one in relation to their use.
   This case is creating much interest in Cortland and in New York and The STANDARD published them as interesting bits of news. No jury would be prejudiced by them and if there was danger that they might be prejudiced, it was the duty of the judge to charge them against it. The STANDARD has no interest in the case except to tell the news and it does that regardless of where it hits.
   After the testimony of Mr. H. L. DeClerq, the surrogate's clerk in the case of The People vs. Carleton H. Betts, Attorney William J. Smith of Homer was put on the stand for the purpose of showing the acts of Betts in the proceedings before the surrogate on accounting of the defendant's father.
   The next witness called was William D. Dickey of Newburg, N. Y., who claimed that he had known the defendant and his father for years. The witness claimed that the clause "subject to the $1,800" was not in it at the time the deed was executed. Attorney O. U. Kellogg, who is one of the attorneys for the defendant, cross-examined the witness and endeavored to show that the witness could not testify that the relation of attorney and client existed. The objection was over-ruled. Witness testified that the sale was not made subject to the $1,800 and no mention was made at said sale.
   William Heymon of Newburg swore that the deed was not changed from the time it left the office of William D. Dickey, till he (the witness) returned it there.
   The next witness sworn was Franklin Pierce of New York. In the direct examination he testified that he knew Carleton H. Betts and his father. He appeared before Referee Lewis Bouton on the proceedings to have a new trustee appointed in the father's place. In his cross examination by B. A. Benedict he stated that he had made some complaint to District Attorney Jerome Squires.
   Court was then adjourned till this morning.
   The proceedings of to-day had to be omitted until to-morrow on account of the pressure of other matter.

BREVITIES.
   —Maple sugar sociable at the Homer-ave. church on Wednesday evening, March 14.
   —The new West Side Dairy milk wagon appeared on our streets a few days ago.
   —Yesterday afternoon Mrs. D. D. Burdick served tea to a few of her most intimate friends,
   —Dr. H. A. Cordo will preach in Memorial chapel on Tompkins-st., next Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock.
   —The Y. M. C. A. Bible class will meet hereafter at 8 o'clock Saturday evening instead of Sunday afternoon.
   —Don't be afraid to inform the editor of any little item of news, it will please him and help make the paper interesting.—Ex.
   —The Cortland County Sportsmen's club received this morning 30,000 trout fry, which will immediately be placed in the trout streams.
   —Two applicants were elected to membership at the meeting of the Wheel club last evening. It was decided not to reduce the annual dues from six to four dollars. Other routine business was disposed of.
   —The board of education of New York City has framed a bill for introduction in the legislature this year which provides a pension for superannuated teachers. It provides that a male teacher to be eligible for the pension must have been in the service thirty-five years, and a female teacher thirty years.
   —A ten-pound Hickory boy is the latest arrival at the home of Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Richardson. He came this morning and Ed says he has a Hickory wheel just right for him, and he is going to send him out upon a scorcher race to Little York before long. The pleased look which is on Ed's face as he thinks of the new rider gives out a brighter light than a full moon or an arc lamp.
   —The home of Mr. and Mrs. J. Taylor, 10 Hamlin-st., was thrown open to the Royal Templars and other friends, Monday evening, who entered and gave their son, Ralph, a happy surprise. The occasion was his nineteenth birthday. He was presented with a handsome oak rocking chair. About twenty-five guests were present. About 10 P. M. refreshments were served, after which a musical program was furnished.

Tea Table Talk.
   The Britannic and Germanic, two White Star steamers, have made 200 round trip voyages between Liverpool and New York, a distance in each case of 1,500,000 miles. They have carried over 100,000 saloon and 260,000 steerage passengers.
   Powerful and large as are the greatest of modern United States warships, they are all of low stature compared with the towering structures of sixty or seventy years ago. The United States steamship Pennsylvania, built about 1828, and supposed at the time to be one of the largest warships ever launched, was 220 feet long and 58 feet broad. She carried 220 guns, and towered aloft with five decks. Her complement of men was 1,400.
   In Corea a young man is regarded as a mere child until he takes a wife. He parts his hair in the middle, allows it to hang in a braid down his back, and goes bareheaded. Just before marriage the hair is put up in a top knot, and he "takes the hat."—A. B. Leonard, in World Wide Missions.
   When [a prisoner resists] Paris police they take off one of his shoes and compel him to walk like "My son John." He is so hampered usually by this treatment that there is no further trouble. If this is not enough they cut his trousers buttons, and force him to use his free hand to hold on his garments.
 

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