MORE IMPORTANT THAN POLITICS

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, March 7, 1896.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

More Important than Politics.

   It is a matter of grave apprehension, in view of the sharp campaign now being conducted by the leading candidates for the principal offices to be voted for at the charter election to be held on Tuesday next, lest our citizens may become so interested in the contest for these places as to lose sight of the exceedingly important office of Union school trustees.

   Cortland is justly proud of her Union free schools, which have made such a steady advance in excellence and such a growth in number of buildings, teachers and pupils since the village was organized as a Union free school district. That this advance may not be retarded or the efficiency of our schools injured, great care should be exercised in the selection of the men who are to have them in charge. They should be men of affairs, men of character, men who do not seek the office for the sake of carrying out some pet theory of their own, regardless of the opinions of others, but who are liberal minded, judicious and really have the best interests of the schools at heart.

   The candidates presented by the Republican party for these offices have long been residents of our village, and not only do they possess the qualifications enumerated, but the additional ones of a long experience and a clean record for valuable service in the same capacity already rendered. Mr. Jennings has filled this office for six years. Mr. Kingsbury has been on the board for twelve years. Mr. Wallace was first elected in 1881 and has filled the office continuously from that time, covering a period of fifteen years, he being now the oldest office-holder in the corporation. During his term the schools of Cortland have increased from three one-story buildings until now we have the three two-story, four-room, ward school buildings, located respectively on Schermerhorn, Pomeroy, and Owego-sts., together with that large and handsome structure the new Central school building, with its eight large class rooms, its spacious hall ways, its modern and scientific arrangements for heat and ventilation and its admirable sanitary appointments, making it a building that is unexcelled in these respects by any school building in the state, and not only the pride of every citizen of our village, but the admiration of every stranger who enter its portals or passes along the street on which it is located.

   Then there were four teachers employed; now there are twenty-three teachers and a superintendent, while the total seating capacity of the schools is fully 1,000 as against 165 in 1881. At that time the total value of village school property would not have exceeded $4,000. Now it is nearly or quite $60,000, or about fifteen times what it was in 1881.

   During these fifteen years our village has raised for school purposes—exclusive of what has been raised for the buildings and grounds—about $100,000, and the state has, in addition, contributed about $35,000. These sums aggregate nearly $200,000, which the board have disbursed since 1881, and there is not a dollar that cannot be accounted for and a proper voucher produced. We publish these facts that the public may understand how exceedingly important these offices are, and how absolutely essential for the welfare of our schools that the right men be selected to have them in charge.

   Much might also be said as to the efficiency of the schools themselves, the excellent corps of teachers that is employed and their faithful, painstaking, untiring and progressive work. Within a comparatively short period the schools have been taken under the care of the Regents, and as a consequence now enjoy all the benefits accruing therefrom.

   Are you interested in schools? Then look carefully to your ballots and see to it that you vote for the right men for trustee, men who have been tried and whose record shows that they are not only interested but competent.

How to Mark the Ballots.

   Either of the tickets of the three regular political parties represented on the blanket village ballot can be voted straight, as usual, by putting a cross mark in the circle at the head of the ticket. On neither of the independent tickets, however, does this circle appear, and a candidate on either of these tickets can only be voted for by placing a cross mark in the square at the left of his name. If either independent ticket is to be voted complete, a mark must be put in the square at the left of each name on the ticket. A mark on either independent ticket, either at the top—where the circle appears on the other tickets—or anywhere else, except in the squares at the left of the names of candidates, makes the ballot irregular, and it will be thrown out.

New Lehigh System.

   A system which was originated by the Pennsylvania railroad company some years ago, to simplify the bookkeeping and train running of the department, has been adopted by the Lehigh Valley road. It is said to be satisfactory to the roads as well as to the men where it has already been adopted. The order applies to all passenger trainmen, conductors, baggage masters and brakemen, and they are to be known by numbers instead of by name. The conductors receive the lowest numbers, the baggage masters next, and the brakemen the highest numbers. The oldest conductors and other trainmen are assigned the lowest numbers.

A BAD RUNAWAY.

Loose Team Throws Three Men From A Cutter, Hurts One.

   A runaway occurred on Groton-ave. at 1:30 this afternoon which will result seriously if not fatally. A young man by the name of Clough was driving a double team attached to a load of feed up Groton-ave. at a very rapid rate. The whiffletrees gave way, the tongue dropped down and the team ran at breakneck speed until opposite the residence of J. H. Kennedy, when they overtook a cutter containing Isaac C. Hulslander and two other gentlemen. The neck yoke struck the back of the cutter demolishing it and throwing all to the ground. Mr. Hulslander struck on his face and at the same time one of the horses fell with his knees upon Mr. Hulslander's back pressing him out of sight in the snow, and injuring him seriously. He was taken to his home on Fitz-ave. and Dr. Reese summoned. Just how badly he was injured had not been learned at the time of going to press, as the examination had not yet been completed.

Entertainment at Tully.

   Tully Hose Co., No. 1, has recently been organized and now a minstrel entertainment has been prepared for its benefit. The first presentation was last night and to-night it will be repeated with several changes of program. A number of Cortland people are assisting, including Messrs. Charles S. Roe and Wilson Wilcox, mandolin and guitar; Dillon Brothers, song and dance; Mr. Frank Lanigan, comic songs, Mrs. Lanigan being his accompanist; and Mr. Frank Goddard, cornet. Several Cortland people went to Tully last night to attend the show and others will go tonight.

BREVITIES.

   —The Y. M. C. A. Bible class meets to-night at 8 o'clock,

   —The Salvation Army will held a free and easy meeting Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock at the W. C. T. U. rooms.

   —The bill to change the time of town meetings from spring to the time of the November elections has been killed in the assembly by a vote of 72 to 56. It was in no sense of the word a party vote.

   —Mrs. Enos Wadsworth of 94 Maple-ave. gave a lunch Thursday afternoon, entertaining a few of her lady friends. All expressed themselves as having spent a very pleasant time.

   —Col. O. W. Wiles of Delaware, O., formerly of Cortland, has been re-elected secretary and treasurer of the Delaware Water Works Co., a position which he has very satisfactorily filled for several years.

   —The Syracuse Post gives a description of an enjoyable coffee given by Mrs. Edgar F. Brown of that city at her home, 139 Holland-st., yesterday afternoon. Among the guests were Mrs. C. Frank Lighton and Mrs. Arthur R. Peck.

   —An invention provides for pneumatic seats in railway carriages. These may be readily inflated by means of a hose connected with the pipes of the air brake. In this manner may travelling be made a luxury at small permanent cost to the railway companies.

   —New advertisements today are—A. S. Burgess, spring overcoats, page 7;

G. J. Mager & Co., embroideries, page 6; Fred I. Graham, tooth liquid, page 6; Second National bank, report, page 5; N. L. Hopkins, garden and flower seeds, page 6; Independent ticket, page 4.

   —Four eastbound freight cars belonging to the Lehigh Valley company were burned by incendiaries at Waverly at 5 o'clock Friday morning. Only by the vigilant efforts of the fire department was the complete train saved. The loss is probably $10,000. There is no clue to the firebugs.

   —Rev. Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler is not well this winter and has been urged to take to his bed. This, however, he refuses to do, inasmuch as on April 1 he fills out a half century in the ministry, and he is determined to have it to say that in all that time he never spent a Sunday in bed. Dr. Cuyler was born and reared at Aurora-on-Cayuga.—The Facts.

"A Green Goods Man."

   A "Green Goods Man" is the title of the laughter provoking farce which will be presented by Mr. W. E. Gorman's excellent company of comedians at the Cortland Opera House to-night, The play derives its title from the notorious green goods game which is cleverly exposed in a satirical manner. In fact all the incidents are bandied in such a way as to provoke laughter, which is the predominating feature of the performance. The comedy contains many bright lines and sayings, and the action of the incidents and scenes is rapid, and follows one after the other; one laugh is succeeded by another, checked only by the interpolation of bright and catchy music, new songs, dances, medleys and specialties, with which the play (as is customary in farce comedy) abounds. The fun is clean and wholesome and devoid of all objectionable features and questionable sayings.