CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION ANTE-MORTEM SESSION

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, September 29, 1894.

CONSTITUTION CONVENTION.

Today's Session Will Witness the Completion of its Work.

   ALBANY, Sept. 29.—The constitutional convention began its ante-mortem session and at once there was a rush of resolutions to increase the compensation of certain employes [sic] who had done extra service. Mr. Root offered the resolutions of the Republican caucus, providing for submitting to the people in November next the proposed amendments In the form of three ballots:

   1. The 31 amendments adopted and not including the legislative apportionment or the canal improvement article.

   2. The apportionment article, making the assembly to consist of 150 members and the senate 50.

   3. The canal improvement measure.

   The resolution, in accordance to the mandates of the ballot law, provide for six ballots, one set for the amendments and one against.

   A vote of a majority of the total vote cast is to be considered as passing or defeating the amendment.

   The roll was called and the chair announced that the vote was 89 to 41 and the resolutions were carried.

   A resolution was adopted directing the president and secretary to certify the passage of the amendments to the secretary of state. This was done at once.

   Resolutions of thanks to the attaches and to the superintendent of the building were adopted.

   The address to the people drawn by the majority was read and adopted.

   Mr. Jenks said he believed the minority as a whole was against the statements made in the address and thought it did not represent the proper sentiment. The minority would address the people formally through the papers of the state.

   "What's to be done with it now?" said Mr. Bowers. "The chair," said Mr. Choate, "is of the opinion that it will go on the wings of the morning to the furthermost part of the earth." (Laughter.)

   Resolutions of thanks to the revision committee were adopted. A majority of the delegates had been under the impression that the convention would adjourn sine die. It was discovered, however, that the resolutions regarding the manner of presentation to the people of the amendments had to be engrossed and attested by the president and secretary before adjournment, and at the last minute the plan was changed and the convention adjourned until today.

James Corbett.

AMONG THE SPORTS.

CORBETT WILL FIGHT FITZ UPON CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

He Must First Defeat Steve O'Donnell—Corbett Wrathy at Sullivan.

   PORTLAND, Me., Sept. 29.— James Corbett, champion pugilist of the world, was seen by a reporter in his dressing room and in answer to a query on the subject, Corbett handed the newspaper man a copy of a letter mailed to Bob Fitzsimmons.

   The final sentence of the letter gives the substance of the entire epistle, which is rather lengthy. It reads as follows:

   "If you will only meet him (Steve O'Donnell) and defeat him, I will accept an offer of $25,000 from the Olympic club and I will give you all the fight you want.

   "If you want to fight me this is the only way you can ever get me to make a match with you for there is no power on earth that will make me notice you until you have defeated Steve O'Donnell, and any further talk from you I will consider and simply put down as a bluff. I put myself on black and white that if you defeat O'Donnell I will fight you for the championship of the world and all the money you like. This is positively my ultimatum."

Corbett Waxes Wrathy.

   PORTLAND, Me., Sept. 29.—Champion J. J. Corbett waxed wrathy when shown the dispatch sent out by John L. Sullivan, in which the ex-champion accuses him of beating about the bush.

   Corbett readily talked to a reporter on his arrival from Lewiston. He said in substance:

   "These people do not cut any ice with me. Sullivan always had more mouth than courage. He is a quitter from the word go, and I do not want to have anything to do with him. He is out of it, but there is one thing: if I ever meet Fitzsimmons in the ring I will make a better fight than Sullivan did with me. Of course Jake Kilrain, Sullivan and Jackson are sore and I know it, but that does not make any difference with me.

   "The Olympic club does not want a fight, they want to make money out of me. Now, I am not inclined to let them, until I have proof that Fitzsimmons is somewhere in my class and this can be demonstrated by knocking out O'Donnell. I am making good money now and am not taking any risks to please any number of soreheads."

   Corbett became excited as he talked and plainly showed that he is deeply touched by the various stories which have been circulated within the past few hours.

A portrait of David B. Hill by Morton Bly.

Lamont Hopeful For Hill.

   Sept. 29.—Secretary Lamont said: "I see no reason why Mr. Hill should not be elected. New York is a Democratic state, and has been for 30 years. Mr. Hill is a vote getter and the campaign will undoubtedly be an active one. There may be some men of greater or less prominence, with more or less of a following, who will refuse to support him, but he will not be concerned about that. He has his own way of making a canvass, and will look elsewhere for his votes. He has unquestionably looked the ground over and knows about where his strength lies and thoroughly understands the situation. I see no reason why Mr. Hill should not be elected."

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Weak and Waning.

   The Honorable David Bennett Hill's boom for the governorship is on the bumblebee order—biggest at the borning. Ever since it was sprung on the people at Saratoga it has suffered from the shrinks—and it will keep on suffering. It is awakening no enthusiasm anywhere and is creating a great deal of disgust everywhere among such Democrats as believe that a politician is not justified in being a thief, or the instigator of theft, and that a party should exist for some other purpose than putting unprincipled adventurers in places where they can debauch the ballot, falsify election returns, exact tithes from vice in return for protection, and insult and defy public decency and public conscience.

   Even the Democratic press of the state is cold and unresponsive where it is not actually hostile. The New York World damns the head of the ticket by comparing Hill with Judge Gaynor, and says it is a question how many Democrats may not vote for the senator who wants to be governor. The Times sails into him as the principal in the crime in which Maynard was only the agent, and the Evening Post sums up the character of the man and the issue which his nomination makes as follows:

   "The nomination of Hill makes a sharp and clean division between the vicious and reckless element who supported Maynard last year and the decent people who buried him under a hundred thousand majority. It is well known that Maynard was a tool in the hands of Hill; that Hill devised the job of stealing the State Senate by a criminal suppression of the returns of the election in Dutchess county, and that after the crime had been committed and the proceeds pocketed he caused poor Mr. Flower to appoint Maynard a judge of the court of appeals, and afterward caused the poor Democratic party to nominate him for that office and get itself 'snowed under' by the votes of an indignant people. Now the impudence and fatuity of the Democratic party in nominating this man for governor of the state surpass belief. Such an act can only he explained on the hypothesis that the party organization is thoroughly depraved and corrupt; that it is a menace to society, and that no truce or peace with it or its leader is possible.

   "We consider Mr. Hill the most dangerous man in American public life. He is a 'dare devil' and delights to be considered as such. He is attractive to Tammany Hall and all the bosses and bad elements of society because he represents what they all aim at and strive for. The people of New York owe themselves the duty of putting an end to his unprincipled career and bad example. That they will do so in the coming elections we have not the least doubt. The majority against him ought to be larger than that against Maynard, because he was the principal where Maynard was only the puppet and the tool."

   It is only poetic justice that the man who has done more than any other man in the state of New York to make his party name a stench in the nostrils of every patriotic citizen should bear in his own person the penalty of his political crimes; of the falsification and theft of election returns; and of the enormities of Tammany Hall rule which he has encouraged and defended, and of whose police taxation of houses of ill repute, gambling hells, confidence men and villains generally, he has been the political beneficiary. David B. Hill has been bold many times. This time he is too bold, and will pay the penalty.

Retiring Generals.

   The death of General Stoneman left few of the generals who commanded volunteers and after the last war retired to private life, one could count on his fingers the distinguished generals of either the volunteer or regular army service who participated in the civil war. The next few years will retire from active service all who are left of the best known commanders, except General Miles. This autumn one brigadier general and one major general will step down and out into private life because they have reached the age of 64 and are retired by law. The first to go will be Brigadier General John P. Hawkins of the subsistence department. His retirement comes Sept. 29. Major General O. O. Howard, commander of the department of the Atlantic, will go into private life Nov. 8.

   The three best known names of generals still in service are those of Howard, Schofield and Nelson A. Miles. When General Howard goes out in November, General Miles will proceed eastward to take his place at the famous headquarters on Governor's island in the bay off New York city. In one year from now, on Sept. 29, 1895, Major [General] John M. Schofield, commander of the army of the United States, will be retired. Then, with Howard and Schofield both out, Miles, the great Indian fighter, will be the senior ranking officer of the service and will go to Washington to take the place now occupied by General Schofield, and with him will be placed at the head of the army the last of our distinguished war generals.

   Two facts recall themselves prominently in connection with the promotion of General Miles to be commander of the Atlantic department and probable senior officer of the whole army. One is that he is not a graduate of West Point—never attended school there at all; the other, that his hardest fighting has been done since the war. He is the only man who has ever attained so high a place in our army without having received a military education at school. He got his schooling on the field.

   General A. McDowell McCook will be retired April 22, 1895, and General Thomas L. Casey May 10, 1895. General Howard, like Stonewall Jackson, will go down in history as a religious soldier. Perhaps he will become a preacher after his retirement.

BREVITIES.

   —The first rhetoricals of the present term were held at the Normal yesterday afternoon.

   —There will be a meeting of the Republican league Monday evening, Oct. 1, at 8 o'clock.

   —A drunk, the remains of the Dryden fair, paid a fine of three dollars in police court this morning.

   —A teachers' examination for second and third grade certificates will be held at Marathon, Oct 5 and 6.

   —Adolph Frost, Jr., will lead the prayer meeting in Good Templars' hall, Sunday, Sept. 30, at 4 o'clock P. M. All are invited to attend.

   —Harrison Albright of McLean has let the contract to Frank Groat for the erection of his new house on Tompkins-st. just beyond the cemetery.

  

Two New Hacks.

   In addition to his well stocked livery stable Mr. J. J. Gillett has purchased two fine hacks at Patterson, N. J. Both are spacious and well finished. They are of late style and when hitched behind one of Mr. Gillett's teams, with a silver-plated harness, which he has also purchased, make a fine turnout. The livery is open at all times of the day and night.

Got the Wrong Lady.

   Miss May Blanchard asks us to say that she was not the lady in the hitching contest at the Dryden fair who ran into Mr. Watrous and knocked him down. She started third and finished third. Our reporter derived his information from the junior member of the furniture firm who offered the prize, and who superintended the event, but it is very easy for every one to see how with nine charming young ladies upon his hands he could become so filled with enthusiasm and with the spirit of the occasion as to mix the personality of the contestants, and give the reporter a wrong name.

A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

A. H. Bennett Tried To Board a Train at Freeville.

   Messrs. A. H. Bennett and Horace Phillips of Cortland attended the Dryden fair on Thursday and came up to Freeville in the early evening to join the excursion party from Cortland to Ithaca to hear The Bostonians. The special excursion train only slowed up at the crossing of the Lehigh Valley R. R. at Freeville and did not stop. The two young men attempted to jump the train. They ran hard on the platform and Mr. Bennett was just about to spring on board when his hip struck against the elevated platform before the freight depot, which he had not noticed in the darkness. He was thrown into the air and fell flat on the low platform between the higher level and the track. A brakeman on the rear platform of the car saw the fall and stopped the train. He ran back and found Mr. Bennett just picking himself up. He was helped upon the rear platform where he remained with Mr. Phillips until Ithaca was reached. The stop was so short that no one on the train except the railroad men knew that anything had happened.

   Mr. Bennett attended the opera and then drove in a livery team to Dryden and on to Cortland, reaching here at about 4 o'clock in the morning. He went to bed and has not been up since. He is very lame indeed in his hip, his side and his neck. It is a wonder that the result was not worse.

Nautch-styled dancer at Royal Theatre and Opera House in 1901.

A DRAWING CARD.

Dancing Girls Perform at an Agricultural Fair.

   NEW YORK, Sept, 29.—A dispatch from Poughkeepsie says, The moral sense of this community has been shocked by the exhibition of dancing given by alleged Nautch girls at the Dutchess county fair this week. The fair management has been criticized with great severity for permitting such an exhibition on the grounds. Means will be taken to prevent similar exhibitions in the future.