N. Y. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION AND COWS MUTILATED

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, September 4, 1894.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

Anti-Bribery Law Under Consideration.

Limit of Debate Fixed.

   ALBANY, Sept. 4.—When the session began Mr. Goodelle of Syracuse offered a substitute for the entire section providing that general laws shall be passed preventing bribery and corruption, but not defining the way in which it shall be done.

   Mr. McKinstry amended Mr. Holls' amendment so that it would only allow the use of property and not money for political purposes.

   Mr. Holls accepted this because Mr. Root thought it would exempt the newspapers that very often loaned their property for the pushing of a candidate's canvass.

   Mr. McKinstry's amendment was adopted, as was a technical amendment of Mr. Hawley.

   Mr. Goodelle's substitute was defeated and the article reported favorably to the house by a vote of 59 to 33.

   When the night session opened the committee on rules reported through Mr. Root that they had fixed the time for debate as follows:

   Citizenship a requisite for suffrage, 30 minutes; governor's term of office, 30 minutes; canals, three hours; apportionment, vote to be taken Thursday at 3 p. m.

   Mr. Bowers presented a minority report asking for five days.

   Mr. Gilbert (Rep.) moved to make the hour of the vote Friday at 12 o'clock.

   Mr. Roche said he would accept the amendment.

   Judge Gilbert's motion was carried, many Republicans voting with the Democrats.

   The discussion will be begun today after the vote on the educational article.

   The committee took up the discussion of Mr. Roche's bill providing that a man must reside in the county one year, be a citizen for 60 days and a resident of the election district for at least 30 days.

   Mr. Roche wanted the lapse between election day and taking out final citizenship papers made 30 days instead of 60.

   Mr. Roche's amendment was lost and the amendment reported by the committee compelling a man to be a citizen for 60 days before election instead of 10, as now, was sent to a third reading.

A DASTARDLY OUTRAGE.

Unknown Parties Cut the Teats From a Cow.

   For some time Messrs. W. B. Knapp of 46 Grant-st. and David Benham of 7 North-ave. have each been the owner of a fine Jersey cow. The two cows were pastured together upon the hill north of the village. Last Sunday afternoon when Mr. Knapp went to milk his cow he found her badly slashed with a knife about both flanks and about two-thirds of her tail was cut off. Mr. Benham's cow was all right at that time, but next morning it was found that two of her teats were very badly cut. One teat was nearly off and has since been entirely removed by Dr. Baker. The other teat will probably have to be removed. The cow's udder was also badly slashed. The cow had about a foot of rope hanging from her horns. About ten or twelve feet more of the same rope was found tied to the fence at the back side of the pasture, and close by a pool of blood. Evidently the cow was tied to the fence at that time by the miscreants when the job was done. This rope also appears to have been cut from an electric light pole on Fitz-ave. for about that amount of rope is missing from that lamp and the rope matches.

   There seems to be no explanation for the outrage, unless it be that it was done out of pure spite. It is known that Mr. Knapp had justly rebelled somewhat at having all his rights upon his own property ignored and trampled upon by boys who frequent the [Kingman’s] bathing house in the vicinity of his home and property. The belief is that they did this cowardly and despicable deed wholly from spite. Mr. Benham thinks he has no enemies and believes that the perpetrators of the crime made a mistake when they mutilated his cow, believing that it was Mr. Knapp's. It is hoped that the guilty parties can be caught and be made to suffer the penalty of their deeds.

Alonzo B. Cornell.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Economy or Extravagance.

   Every citizen is vitally interested in the economical administration of the government. The property owner pays taxes directly, while the man who only rents a place, and even he who boards, pays just as much and perhaps more, indirectly; but it is not merely the rate of taxation they are interested in, it is the amount of expenditure, and the purpose for which it is expended. Gov. Hill and Gov. Flower have been talking about the "rate of taxation," and because they can show that it is less than it used to be, they claim great credit for their administrations. The taxpayer knows that whatever the rate may be, he does not pay any less on the same piece of property. It is so easy to put valuations up instead of bringing expenditures down that the rate of taxation shows nothing. Besides, there have been laws passed by successive Republican legislatures which have provided a great amount of revenue from taxes which do not fall directly upon property at all, and so are not counted in the rate, but which are paid by the people all the same.

   The thing that is needed for an intelligent comparison is a statement of the revenue of the state from all sources, and the expenditures for the regular, ordinary administration of government. Hon. Alonzo B. Cornell, the last Republican governor, has furnished this in an open letter, which gives a complete review of the financial management of the state from the beginning of Gov. Robinson's term down to the close of the second year of Gov. Flower's. During the three years that he himself was governor the total direct taxes were $22,000,000, and the corporation taxes $2,700,000, making a total revenue of $24,700,000; but out of this he paid $3,700,000 for work on the new capitol, reduced the state debt $1,400,000, and increased the surplus in the treasury $700,000, leaving the net expenditures for governmental purposes $18,000,000, or $6,800,000 per year.

   In Gov. Flower's two years the direct taxes were $18,200,000, and he had also $8,500,000 from corporation and inheritance taxes, making a total revenue of $26,700,000. Besides this he decreased the surplus in the treasury $2,400,000, so that he paid out in all $29,100,000. Out of this there was paid for work on the new capitol $1,600,000 and the debt was reduced $900,000, so that the actual net cost of the state government was $26,600,000, or 13,300,000 per year.

   Since Gov. Cornell's term the population of this state has increased 22 per cent, but expenses have been doubled, and $700,000 besides. This increase in the cost of government has been progressive under the different Democratic governors ever since Cornell went out. His own net expenditure, as noted above, was $6,300,000 per year; under Gov. Cleveland this rose to $7,300,000, in Gov. Hill's first term it was $9,800,000, and in his second term, $10,400,000, while Gov, Flower has reached $13,300,000.

   What makes this comparison still more striking and significant is the fact that Gov. Robinson's term, which preceded Cornell's, shows an expenditure of $6,800,000 per year, so that the increase has not been continuous. The amount was reduced half a million per year under a Republican governor. It has increased at the rate of $800,000 per year under Democratic governors. The tax-payers of the state, without regard to partisan leanings, can take these facts and figures, taken by Gov. Cornell from the official reports of the controllers of the state, and study them with great profit.

Item.

   In the three-cornered fight in the orient one fact stands out that cannot fail to be most gratifying to Americans. It is that the only country which either Japan, China or Korea trusts implicitly is the United States. We alone have no ax to grind on any of them.

HOMER DEPARTMENT.

Gleanings of News From Our Twin Village.

   Two carriage loads of summer guests arrived in town from the Glen this morning and took the train for their homes in New York and Philadelphia.

   Prof. L. H. Tuthill spent Labor day at Truxton.

   Mr. Bruce Aldrich spent Sunday at the Hotel Windsor.

   Mr. D. E. Shepard is in New York City purchasing goods for the fall trade.

   Mrs. Willard Reed was buried from the Calvary Episcopal church in this village yesterday afternoon. Interment was made at the Sand Hill cemetery at Dresserville. Mrs. Reed leaves a husband and two sons William and Ivan, who reside on Grove-st. in this village.

   Mrs. Catherine Vanderline Herrick died at her home on West-st. in this village on Saturday, Sept. 1, aged 69 years. The funeral was held from her late home this afternoon. Interment was made at Glenwood cemetery. The deceased was the wife of Hiram Herrick of this village who survives her.

   Mr. John Vandenberg Arnold died at the residence of his son, Mr. J. J. Arnold, in this village yesterday at noon. Mr. Arnold was a resident of Tully, where for many years he engaged in the tailoring business and held the offices of justice of the peace and notary public. The deceased was seventy-four years old and until recently has been in apparent good health. He leaves one son, Mr. J. J. Arnold, at whose home he died. A short service will be held at the residence of Mr. J. J. Arnold this afternoon at 3 o'clock and will be led by Rev. E. C. Olney of this village. The funeral service will be held from his late home in Tully to-morrow. Interment will be made in the Tully cemetery.

   Mrs. Amelia Smith, widow of the late Lorenzo Smith of Cortland died at her home on Elm-ave., in this village on Sunday, Sept. 3, aged 74 years. One sister Mrs. Lina Eighmy of Cortland, a granddaughter, Miss Lillian Snyder of Buffalo, are her only surviving relatives. The funeral was held at her late residence on Elm-ave. this afternoon at 4 o'clock, Rev. Parker Fenno officiating. Interment was made at Glenwood cemetery.

   Melvin Chapman was arrested last evening by Officer Shirley for assault and battery, on a complaint of Ella Hicks. He was brought before Justice Kingsbury, this morning, and subsequently released on bail to appear before the justice on Thursday, September 13.

Cortland Guests at Homer.

   The following list of Cortland guests at the party given by Mr. and Mrs. George Brockway of Homer in honor of Miss Grace Dunbar, on Friday evening last, was omitted—through an error in our composing room—from the notice of the affair which appeared in last Saturday's daily.

   The Cortland guests were Misses Mabel Brewer, Lillian Bayes, Bessie Benedict, Mabel Fitzgerald, Jennie Humes, Carrie Kellogg, Mary Mahan, Fannie Mantanye, Jennie Newkirk, Maude Kinney, Ethel Saunders, Hattie Strowbridge, Louise Wallace, Anna Winchell, and Messrs. Robert Barker, Harry Greenman, Louis Hulbert, Alex Mahan, Earl Newton, Harry Wickwire, Chas. Wickwire and Chas, Dunbar.

Reception at McGrawville.

   A reception in honor of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Brooks was given last Saturday evening at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Holland Wood. Mr. Brooks was formerly of McGrawville, where he has a host of friends by whom he is held in the highest esteem, and by a portion of these the house was filled. The gathering was a merry social event and one thoroughly enjoyed by those present, among whom were several from Cortland, Elmira and Ithaca. Very fine and appropriate refreshments were served and quite extensive merrymaking indulged in so that the hours passed all too soon away.

   An elegant onyx top stand was given to Mr. and Mrs. Brooks by two or three of Mr. Brook's friends, as an addition to an already long list of elegant wedding presents, a few of which from Mr. Brook's friends in New York are awaiting them there as a surprise.

   The bride was formerly Miss Jennie May, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Sackett of Lowville, N. Y., a lady of unusually fine culture and social standing and who on this occasion immediately won the sincerest admiration of all those who had the honor of meeting her.

   This evening they leave for their home in Brooklyn and take with them the sincerest good wishes for a long and happy life.

PEEK-SANFORD.

A Bride of Thirty-five and a Groom of Eighteen.

   At about 10 o'clock Sunday morning a wedding party, consisting of Frederick Peek, Frankie A. Sanford, Mrs. Eveline Nye and Mr. and Mrs. Peek of Virgil arrived at the home of Rev. S. J. Parmitor at 27 Maple-ave. After a series of questions Frederick Peek and Miss Sanford were married. The groom is eighteen years of age, while the bride is seventeen years his senior.

   After the ceremony the party attended the Baptist church. They then drove to Virgil.

   Monday morning Mr. and Mrs. Peek left for the hop fields, where they will spend their honeymoon.

BREVITIES.

   —Justice Bull discharged a vagrant in police court this morning.

   —The STANDARD is under obligations to Constitutional Convention Delegate Mantanye for valuable public documents.

   —Daniels' orchestra of six pieces leaves to-morrow morning for the Whitney's Point fair, where they play for three days.

   —Regular meeting of the membership committee of the Y. M. C. A. this evening at 8 o'clock. All members of the committee are earnestly requested to be present.

   —The King's Daughters will send flowers Wednesday morning from Mrs. Holt's, 6 Graham-ave. Those wishing to contribute will please leave them Tuesday afternoon.

   —The Normal will open to-morrow morning at 8:45 o'clock. Nearly all of the teachers are back and others are expected to-night. Students are pouring into town in large numbers.

   —The public schools opened to-day. Not all the pupils are in yet and some are to be changed from one room to another so that it is not possible yet to give exact figures of the number in attendance or the number in each school.

   —A horse, which was hitched in front of a house on a new street leading off of Homer-ave., became tired at about 8:30 o'clock last night and broke loose. He created considerable excitement before he was captured. No damage is reported.

   —Ada Hollenbeck of Preble was taken this morning to the Idiot asylum at Syracuse by Supt. Angel and one of the keepers, Mrs. F. D. Wire. The little girl is certainly unfortunate and it is hoped that she will be much benefited by the treatment.

   —At a meeting of Vesta lodge last evening the invitation of the patriarchs was accepted and the members of Vesta will join in the parade next Thursday as a subordinate lodge. Their lodge rooms will also be open to visiting Odd Fellows, all of whom are welcome.

   —Canton Binghamton, No. 21, will leave for Cortland on Thursday next to attend the annual Cantonment of New York Odd Fellows. The D. L. & W. will run a special excursion on that occasion and it is expected that a large number of Binghamtonians will take advantage of the opportunity.—Binghamton Republican.

ODD FELLOWS' DAY.

Nineteen Cantons Will Own the Town on Thursday.

   Next Thursday will be a gala day for Cortland, probably one of the biggest from every point of view that she has known since the Firemen's state convention. The occasion, as previously stated, is the annual field day of the Patriarchs Militant, I. O. O. F., of the state of New York.

   At 2 P. M. the grand parade will form right resting on Main-st. at the Cortland House. The parade will then be made up Main-st. to Lincoln-ave., to Homer-ave., to Madison-ave., to Main-st., to East Main-st., counter march to Main, to Grant, to North Church, to Port Watson, to South Main, to Union, to Reynolds, to Tompkins, to Main, to Cortland House, counter march to right on Main to armory.

   The prize drill will be held at the armory at 3 P. M. Battalion drill and dress parade at 5 P. M. The fete will close with a grand ball at the armory, commencing at 9 P. M.

   Every house and business place in Cortland should be decorated with the lodge colors, yellow, purple and white. The Cortland Odd Fellows especially urge that every one on the line of march, at least, decorate. Emblematic flags and colors may be secured of Cobb & Perkins.

   Four Cantons will arrive on the 6:04 P. M. train to-morrow. They will be met at the D., L. & W. station by Canton Cortland in uniform. Nineteen Cantons have signified their intention of being present.

BURIED IN A DITCH.

Two Dagoes Have a Narrow Escape This Morning.

   At about 7:30 o'clock this morning two Dagoes had quite a narrow escape from being buried alive by a cave-in on the sewer ditch on Park-st. Luckily the men were standing up and they were only buried to their waists. The whole force was set at work digging them out.

   The men were taken in a wagon to the Dago camp, but neither was seriously injured. Had they been leaning over when the cave-in occurred they would probably have been killed.

   The sewer contractors take every precaution for the protection of the lives of their men and this is the first accident of any consequence.