A CONTEMPTIBLE ATTACK

Normal School, Cortland, N. Y.

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, March 13, 1896.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

A Contemptible Attack.

   “The state legislature is being sadly imposed upon. The trustees of the Normal school in this place are asking the state nearly every year for appropriations on the ground that it is an institution of learning, when in fact it is fast becoming an institution for the dissemination of republican politics of the rankest and meanest sort. It is high time that this institution should be classed for what it really is instead of what it is not. If it is to be a school where the principles of Republican politics shall be taught the people ought to know it. Democrats will hardly be willing to send their sons to an institution of that sort, and then be taxed to pay for having them taught pernicious political doctrines. The people of all parties are paying liberally, yea, most generously to support the Normal schools of the state, but they will not be willing to pay to support schools that are being run in the interest of any political party.

   “For the past year or more some of the professors of the Normal have acted the part of pernicious Republican politicians and by so doing are causing an immense amount of just criticism. The school is being injured by their course and we do not believe the trustees countenance their action in any respect. The rankest of these political professors own no property here and pay no taxes and yet they assume to rule the town by virtue of their positions. If the trustees do their duty, they will grant these professors an indefinite leave of absence, so that they may be able to give their whole time to the dissemination of Republican politics. A political priest is not a creature to be admired, but he is sometimes tolerated for a time in a community, because the people are not obliged to suffer under him for a great length of time.”

   The Cortland Democrat has achieved many triumphs of meanness and mendacity, but the above is the cap sheaf. It is a masterpiece of deliberate, willful and malicious falsehood. A year ago, when the no-license law was being defied all day and all night and Sundays, when Normal students were being lured into saloons and enticed to drink, and in some instances intoxicated, some of the professors in the Normal school took part in a non-partisan movement to secure the better enforcement of this law—a movement which resulted in the defeat of the Republican ticket and the election of a ticket made up of Democrats and Republicans on the platform of law enforcement. Did the Democrat denounce them then for "disseminating Republican politics of the rankest and meanest sort?" Not a bit of it. It was glad to have its party receive its share of the results of the victory.

   During the past year these professors, as all good citizens ought, have interested in an organized attempt to enforce the laws and protect their students, and for this unselfish and unpleasant work they deserve general thanks. This year the Good Government people, with whom these professors had associated themselves, saw fit to endorse a portion of the Republican nominees as men who would exert themselves to see that the law was enforced, and worked for their election—not because the nominees were Republicans (one of them in fact having been a Democrat till very recently, and a man whom the Cortland Democrat had twice supported for the same office) but because they were pledged to enforce the laws. And this is the occasion for the contemptible attack made on them in the Democrat.

   Partisan politics have never entered into the management of the Cortland Normal school, nor have Republican politics or any other kind of politics been taught in it, and The Democrat knows this as well as any one. Democrats and Republicans alike have been employed in its faculty, and the politics of an applicant for a place in the school has never been inquired into, and in many cases not even known, and never allowed to enter into consideration.

   The teachers in a public school have the same rights as American citizens that the editor of a Democratic newspaper or the proprietor of a Democratic saloon has. It would be a sad day for any republic if its intelligence, its culture, its decency and its good citizenship should be debarred the exercise of political rights, and the duties of citizenship turned over to ignorance, brutality, greed, corruption and crime. If this is the state of affairs which the Democrat wants, a day of public fasting and prayer that it might be brought to realize the depths of its iniquity would be in order.

   As one of the members [William H. Clark, editor and proprietor of the Standard—CC editor] of the local board of the state Normal school in this village, we beg to say that no teacher in its faculty, Democrat or Republican, will be "granted an indefinite leave of absence" with our vote for doing his duty and daring to exercise his rights as an American citizen. Were we a teacher instead of a trustee, or an employee, instead of an employer, and any man in authority over us should attempt to dictate how we should think, speak, act or vote politically, and especially on moral questions interesting the community, he would have a declaration of political independence served on him [instantly] and a resignation along with it.

   ◘ The American flag which now floats by law over the schoolhouses of the Empire state means that the republic protects and fosters education on the one hand, and on the other hand depends for its own protection and integrity on the educated conscience and intelligence of a people who know their rights and recognize their duties as citizens, and who are ever ready to exercise the one and to discharge the other.

POLICE JUSTICE MELLON

Takes the Oath of Office. An Excise Case the First.

   Police Justice-Elect Enos E. Mellon took the oath of office before the village clerk last night.

   The case of The People against Daniel Lathrop, who is charged with violating the excise laws, was on the docket for this morning. Irving H, Palmer appeared for the plaintiff and Horace L. Bronson for the defendant. The case was held open until 2 o'clock this afternoon in order to look up some points of law which were suggested by Attorney Bronson relating to the jurisdiction of a new police justice in a case which had been begun by his predecessor.

   At 2 o'clock this afternoon the case proceeded in the usual way, the question of jurisdiction having been satisfactorily settled. Defendant's attorney called for a jury which was dawn and the case adjourned to March 23 at 10 o'clock A. M.

Quarterly Meeting of the Cortland County Medical Society.

   The quarterly meeting of the Cortland County Medical society was held in the supervisors' room in Cortland yesterday afternoon. The meeting was called to order at 2 o'clock by the president, Dr. A. J. White, these members being present: Drs. Higgins, Neary, Reese, Sornberger and White of Cortland, White, Whitney and Green of Homer, Forshee of McGrawville and Trafford of Marathon.

   After the reading of the minutes of the last meeting Dr. C. B. Trafford read an interesting paper on "A Case of Puerperal Convulsions," where the woman had been seized with convulsions a few hours after the fracture of the leg. The discussion which followed was taken part in by all the members and was interesting as well as instructive, especially as regarded the methods of treatment.

   Dr. F. D Reese followed with a report of seven cases of sprained ankle treated by Dr. Gibney's method, that of applying adhesive plaster straps to the injured part and the results showed a more rapid recovery than by any other method in practice.

   The third and last paper was given by Dr. S. J. Sornberger, his subject being the "Diagnosis and Treatment of Scarlet Fever." This paper also called out an interesting discussion as to methods of treatment, the consensus of opinion being that the best practice was to avoid over medication and to treat complications as they might arise. On motion, the meeting then adjourned.

   F. H. GREEN, secretary.

   Homer, March 13, 1896.

BREVITIES.

   —It is Police Justice Mellon now.

   —The D., L. & W. pay car will pass through Cortland to-morrow.

   —A large number of Cortland young people have received invitations to attend a leap year party in Homer this evening.

   —The full text of the Raines bill as passed by the legislature and sent to the governor appears on our third and eighth pages to-day.

   —The D., L. & W. carried an average of 5,197 cans of milk per day to New York last year, beating every road.—Whitney Point Reporter.

   —The colored ladies of Cortland are preparing to give a dime sociable and supper at Collins' hall, Friday evening, March 20, for the benefit of their society.

   —The regular Lehigh Valley mileage books and clerical tickets are now good on the Elmira and Cortland branch of the Auburn division of the Lehigh Valley road.

   —The vacuum brakes on the passenger engines and cars of the old E., C. &

N. R. R. are to be replaced by Westinghouse air brakes which are used by the

Lehigh Valley R. R. and which are generally considered more serviceable.

   —April will be the banner month for releasing convicts at the Auburn prison. Over seventy convicts will be released during the month, and on several days as many as eight men will breathe the free air again, coming out together.

   —Messrs Lampman & Lanning have discontinued their retail cigar and tobacco business in the Graham block. Mr. Graham is closing out the stock with W. W. Gale in charge until April 1 when the store will be occupied by L. W. Aldridge, optician.

   —Roadmaster Clancy of this division of the Lehigh Valley R. R. went to Camden yesterday afternoon on the snowplow and returned this morning, leaving there at about 5 o'clock. He reports the snow piled in banks higher than the tops of the cars in some places.

   —At a meeting of the directors of the Tioughnioga club Wednesday evening Messrs. A. M. Schermerhorn, A. F. Stilson and C. F. Wickwire were elected house committee for next month. Mr. W. C. Bouck was elected to membership of the club. The secretary was instructed to arrange for the placing of a telephone in the club rooms.

   —The DeRuyter Gleaner has been sued for libel in the sum of $25,000 by five residents of Cuyler, Hon. F. Lee, Israel D. Brown, Seabury F. Brown, Joel J. Albro, J. B. Kibbe, who have each brought an action to recover $5,000. The alleged libel lies in certain statements made regarding town meeting in Cuyler. The Gleaner has our sympathy in its libel suits. We have three on hand.

   —George W. Houk, formerly of Cortland, the bicycle expert who made a great record as a salesman, is now vice-president of the Eclipse Electric Light company of Buffalo. This company manufactures among other things an electric bicycle lamp invented by Mr. Houk, which is claimed to be superior to any other wheel lamp on the market. Those who know say Mr. Houk has a good thing and that he is pushing it along for all it is worth.