Cortland Evening Standard, Friday,
December 21, 1894.
IMPORTANT SESSION.
QUESTIONS
FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO GRAPPLE WITH.
Many
Subjects of Unusual Weight to Be Considered Early In the Year—Governor Morton's
Message Looked Forward to With Considerable Interest—The State's Finances One
of the Most Important Matters For Consideration.
ALBANY, Dec. 21.—The legislature of 1895
will begin its session on the 2d day of January, one day after the inauguration
of Governor Morton, and indications point to one of the busiest and most
lengthy sessions ever witnessed by those familiar with legislation.
It will also be the last legislature to
consist of but 128 assemblymen and 30 senators, for under the new constitution
the future bodies are to be composed of 50 senators and 150 assemblymen.
It will also be the last legislature that
can in any way tamper with the salaries or terms of office of any appointive or
elective officer while in office, although authorities differ as to whether
even this legislature has the right to do this. It will be the last legislature
that can entirely change the charters of cities, its sole work this year being
to perfect the charters in accordance with the provisions of the new
constitution. So that in all ways it is probably the most important body of its
kind that has met in many years.
The senate will meet without many
preliminaries, this being its second year, other than to elect a successor as
president pro tem to Senator Saxton, who will preside over the senate as the
lieutenant governor.
In the assembly, a speaker, a clerk and a
sergeant-at-arms will be elected and installed, but no committees will be
announced until after the usual recess of a week. Both bodies will send the
usual committees to the governor to announce that they are organized and ready
for business, and then the governor will transmit his first annual message to
the body legislative.
Governor Morton's message will be looked
forward to with much interest, because he will in it outline the policy of the
party that will seek through its acts to retain power for years.
His views of the policy to be used in
dealing with the distribution of the offices at Albany, his ideas upon the
proper appropriations, his suggestions about municipal reform and his views on
the proper form of ballots for the voters of the state will all be the outcome
of deep thought upon the part not only of the governor, but the party leaders.
At this writing it is almost assured that he
will indorse [sic] the blanket ballot without a paster, as used in Massachusetts, but
with an emblem for each party.
The peculiar situation confronting the party
in power, as regards appropriations from the treasury, will cause a great
portion of the message to be devoted to the consideration of means whereby the
tax rate may be kept down, and the executive ability of the governor as a
financier will shine forth.
He will ask for the abolition and for the
combining of several state offices where the expenses are large; will advocate
reasonable expenditures for the canals; will favor legislation for the
protection of the forests; will ask for legislation to make the roads of the
state more passable; call for a more rigid set of civil service laws; will make
a suggestion for a more rigid corrupt practices act, and may ask for the
revising of the present excise laws.
In the matter of homerule [sic] for cities
and the preventing of the abuses shown to exist in some cities, the message
will dwell at great length.
Naturally a great deal of Interest will
attach to the expected reports of the special investigating committees of the
senate that have been busy since the close of the last session.
The most important one is the report of the
Lexow committee, and although that committee does not expect to finish up by
the first of the year, yet it is conceded that they will present a report,
together with recommendations, for remedial legislation, needed at once.
In addition to the report of the Lexow
committee there is a very important committee on purity of elections to report
to the senate upon investigations made in Albany, Troy and Buffalo.
The matter that will trouble the incoming legislature
more than anything else is the question of finances, the difficulty being to
keep the appropriations down to such a degree that the tax rate will not exceed
that of former years.
The last legislature in order to divide the
extraordinary amounts of money asked in 1894 devised a scheme whereby on certain
large appropriations the greater portion of the actual money to be taken from
the state treasury should not be drawn until this year; so, therefore, these sums
must be included in this year's budget.
Under the new constitution all revenues of
the state from the taxing of racing associations' receipts is done away with; and
the agricultural societies which have recently benefited by a division of this money
will undoubtedly ask the legislature, with a great deal of force behind them,
to appropriate a similar sum directly from the state treasury.
In addition to this the new constitution calls
for the appropriation of sufficient money to pay 12 additional judges of the supreme
court and cuts off a great source of revenue in the prisons of the state by refusing
to allow the prisoners to work for any compensation, thus compelling additional
appropriations for the care and maintenance of the prisoners.
These are the conditions that confront the
incoming legislature, and when canal improvements are talked of and the various
other things promised in the platform of the party, a grave question confronts
the body. Careful estimates of the lowest expenditures place the sum necessary
for the maintenance of the government at $1,000,000 more than last year.
The most important city legislation to be
enacted will be that for the consolidation of New York and Brooklyn. Next to
that will be the legislation requested by the Lexow committee.
Rochester, Buffalo, Albany and Troy will
also present charter amendments to the legislature.
The canal men will come to the legislature
asking for a large appropriation for the deepening of the canal.
The incoming legislature will work under the
legislative section of the new constitution.
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| Reichstag building. |
PAGE
TWO—EDITORIALS.
The
German Parliament.
In the German empire the legislative branch
of government is not constructed on the lines that rule in most countries.
There are two houses, but they do not correspond to our representative chamber
and senate.
When the consolidation of the German states
into an empire took place under Bismarck's sway, there was formed the
bundesrath. The confederation of the different states formed a council to sit
at Berlin. The federation itself was called a "bund," or bond; its
council was the "rath." Delegates are appointed by the rulers of the
separate states as members of the bundesrath. These form a council to
deliberate on measures for the good of the whole empire. When they decide on a
bill, they frame it and recommend it to the imperial legislature, which is
called the reichstag. If the reichstag sees fit, it passes the act the
bundesrath has prepared, and the bill becomes a law when the emperor's
signature is affixed.
It is not necessary, however, for an act to
originate in the bundesrath. It may originate in the reichstag and be passed.
But the bundesrath has the same veto power enjoyed by the British house of
lords. Members of the emperor's cabinet also frame bills for the reichstag to
pass.
The members of the reichstag are elected by
the people. Emperor William is one of the most arbitrary rulers that ever sat
on the German throne, and he is fully persuaded that he represents the Almighty
to the German people, yet he makes a great show of patronizing the reichstag,
as when he opened its sessions in person in a characteristic speech at the
dedication of the new and splendid parliament house. But for all that, if this
reichstag elected by the people to make laws for them does not pass his pet
bills for raising money or for suppressing socialists, he will dissolve it in a
hurry and order a new election.
It is
astonishing how many of the New York policemen want to retire from the force on
a pension since the Lexow committee began its investigations. No wonder. Those investigations were enough
to make them sick.
POLICE
COURT.
Two
Penitent Drunks Before Justice Bull.
Two old soaks were up before Justice Bull
this morning for being drunk. Con Ahern started to go into a saloon on Main-st.
last evening when Chief Sager came along and told him that he had had enough.
Con said that he guessed that was about so and requested Chief to arrest him.
The officer did so. In police court this morning Justice Bull asked him how
much he wanted, ten, five or three days. Con said, "I guess I will take
ten days. It looks queer but I'm goin' to." Justice Bull sentenced him
accordingly.
The next man who appeared was Irving Brown,
a blacksmith of Dryden. He had just sobered up from a drunk and had lost his hat
somewhere last night. His grey hair stood up straight around a bald pate and
his face rivaled his bald head in pallor. He had a bad bruise on his forehead.
He said that for three years he reformed and did not care for anything to
drink, but he "backslid" and was now unable to drink at all without getting
intoxicated. He read himself quite a lecture and Justice Bull told him that he
could not give him any better advice than his own temperance lecture and
advised Con Ahern to follow it also. Brown was fined three dollars.
Another vagrant was given lodging last
evening in the "cooler."
Some
Christmas Drawings.
The blackboards at the Normal are adorned
with some very pretty Christmas drawings. In the intermediate department is a
very handsome one in colors by Miss Helen M. Goodhue, teacher of drawing. Misses
Florence Lund and Gertrude Winter have also pretty ones in white. In the
primary department, Misses Cora Darby and Grace Stoker have represented Santa Claus
filling stockings and sitting by his fireside respectively, both in colors. Each of the classrooms in both intermediate
and primary department has upon its board an appropriate drawing made by the
students.
A
SUCCESSFUL OPERATION PERFORMED
BY DR. VAN DUYN OF SYRACUSE.
James Meshan's
Left Arm, Collar Bone and Shoulder Blade Amputated.
Mr. James Meehan of 36 Crandall-st. has
returned from Syracuse where he has been for the past three months, undergoing
treatment for the removal of a cancerous growth affecting the left shoulder and
the bones of the shoulder joint. Mr. Meehan injured his shoulder four or five
years ago and it has given him more or less trouble ever since. A little more
than a year ago he went to Syracuse to consult Dr. Van Duyn who informed him
that the bones were affected and that he was not suffering from rheumatism as
he supposed.
Early last fall it became evident that an
operation would be necessary in order to save his life. The operation was
performed at the House of the Good Shepherd in Syracuse Oct. 5 by Dr. Van Duyn,
assisted by several physicians of Syracuse, and was entirely successful.
The operation consisted in the removal of
his left arm at the shoulder, the left collar bone and shoulder blade and the
adjacent parts which were also afflicted. The operation occupied three and
one-half hours and is said to have been the third of the kind on record.
Mr. Meehan speaks in the highest terms of
the excellent care he received at the House of the Good Shepherd and also of
the skill of Dr. Van Duyn, who performed the operation. He is now at his home
in Cortland is able to be about and is in a fair way to recovery.
CHRISTMAS
EXERCISES
Held at
the Owego-st. School This Afternoon.
The following is the program of Christmas
exercises held at the Owego-st. school in the rooms of Miss Mary McGowan and
Miss Franc C. Ellis at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon:
Salutation of the Flag, School.
Song—America, School.
Recitation—The Crop of Acorns, Louie Crane.
Recitation—The New Year, Byron Ingalls.
Recitation—A Heritage, George Lucy.
Song—Winter, 4th and 5th Grades.
Recitation—Letting the Old Cat Die, Gerry
Sanders.
Recitation—We are Seven, Bertha Brown.
Recitation—The Stocking Ball, Gertrude Nix.
Christmas Song, 3d and 4th Grades.
Recitation—The Boy's Cartoon, Ray Stevens.
Recitation—The Sin of Omission, Ella
Donelley.
Solo—Carol, Sweetly Carol, Robbie Shaw.
Recitation—Claribel's Prayer, Lizzie Cummins.
Recitation—Santa Claus and the Mouse, Ella
Morrison.
Song—Christmas Time, 4th and 5th Grades.
Recitation—A Modest Wit, Lou W. McAleer
Recitation—After Christmas, Mabel Ashworth.
Song—Jingle Bells, 3rd and 4th Grades.
Recitation—Why She Didn't Stay in the
Poorhouse, Lillie Carty.
Recitation—The Middle One of Three, Arthur
Cotanche.
Recitation—After Christmas, Charlie McAleer.
Song—Goodbye Robin, 4th and 5th Grades.
Recitation—The Penny Ye Meant to Gie, Claude
Perry.
Recitation—Harry's Christmas Message, Charles
Corwin.
Recitation—Granny's Trust, Louie Hammond.
Recitation—Goodbye—Mary Donnelley, Trio and
Chorus: Mary Donnelley, Gertrude Nix, Mabel Ashworth.
—"The Black Crook" company were registered
at the Cortland House.
—The new E., C. & N. depot is finished and
is one of the handsomest on the road.—Cazenovia Republican.
—Schools will take a ten days' vacation next
week.—Ithaca Democrat. How can
that be done?
—Mr. Edwin Robbins has greatly improved the
interior of his tobacco store by painting and varnishing it and hanging some
fine new pictures.
—"The Black Crook" drew a large audience
to the Opera House last night which seemed to enjoy the play very much. The
dances were as good as ever and the costumes were brilliant,
—Mr. John O. Reid has sold his seven year
old roan horse "Jim Corbett" to Mr. M. Casey of the Alahambra at
Ithaca. The horse secured first premium at both the Cortland and Dryden fairs
as being the finest driving horse. The consideration was $500.
—If you have a sign over your door, says an
exchange, you are an advertiser. The sign is intended to advertise your business
to passers-by. An advertisement in a reliable paper is many thousand signs
spread over many miles. You can't carry everybody to your sign, but the
newspapers can carry your sign to everybody.
—Says the Lyons Press: A number of farmers in and about Lyons will be called upon
very soon to pay a number of notes of $25 each, given some time ago to a man
who was selling a superior quality of oats in small lots. Many of the farmers
claim that they did not sign the notes as they now appear. The probabilities
are that they did and that they will have to settle.
—A reporter must travel rapidly about his
business. One of them tried it yesterday on the new motor cycle and there was
as great a confusion of whirling wheels and flying legs on the walk in front of
the Baptist church as when the physician [Dr. Ellis Santee] and wheel tried a
few days ago to see which could show the greater speed. But neither of these
upsets have been able in the least to weaken the faith of the physician or the reporter
in the new motor cycle.
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| Emily C. Ormsby. |
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| Cortland Normal School. |
THE
NORMAL FACULTY.
Where
They Will Spend Their Holiday Vacation.
Dr. F. J. Cheney will be at home part of the
time, but expects to attend the annual meeting of the academic principals of
the state at Syracuse next week.
Prof. D. L. Bardwell will be at home.
Prof. J. E. Banta will be at home, but
expects to devote his time almost exclusively to work in the Normal library.
Prof. W. A. Cornish will be at home, but
expects to go to Syracuse to attend the meeting of the academic principals.
Miss Martha Roe is at Clifton Springs for
treatment, hoping to recover from the effects of her fall several weeks ago.
Miss Mary F. Hendrick leaves to-morrow morning
for Rochester to spend the Holidays with her sister.
Miss Clara E, Booth leaves to-night for her
home in Perry Center, N. Y.
Miss Clara J. Robinson leaves to-morrow morning
for her home at Fort Edward, N. Y.
Miss Mary E. Trow starts to-night for her
home at Northampton, Mass.
Miss Helen M. Goodhue goes to-night to her
home at Newark, N. Y.
Miss Carrie Monell Curry goes home to-morrow
morning to Albany, N. Y.
Miss Minnie M. Alger expects to be in Cortland
the greater part of the time.
Miss Grace K. Duffey will remain at home in
Cortland.
Miss Emily C. Ormsby expects to remain in
Cortland.
Mrs. M. C. Eastman leaves to night for her
home in Binghamton.
Miss Sara A. Saunders will be at home in
Cortland the greater part of the time.
