SHAMELESS BUT WELL STUCK TO

Grover Cleveland.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, June 1, 1896.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Shameless but Well Stuck To.

   It would be a hopeless task for any Republican newspaper to try to run down and kill every nimble falsehood which reckless and desperate Democratic newspapers are putting forward to stave off the overwhelming defeat which they see is awaiting their party at the coming election. A lie to-day, as in Fisher Ames' time, will travel from Maine to Georgia while truth is putting on her boots, and no means has yet been discovered or invented whereby falsehoods can be nailed as fast as they are manufactured. These facts make Democratic campaign literature possible, where otherwise there would be an awful void.

   The much-abused McKinley act has to bear many burdens of false statement, but never one more outrageous or more oft repeated than the assertion that it was the cause of the deficiency of revenue which followed the inauguration of Grover Cleveland in 1893. No one who has followed the treasury figures can be deceived by this persistent falsehood. There was no lack of revenue until after the inauguration of Cleveland unsettled business and destroyed public confidence. There was always a surplus of revenue under the McKinley law, not a deficiency, until July, 1893. The surplus in 1891 was $37,000,000; in 1892, in the midst of a presidential election, it was $9, 914,000.

   As soon as it became known that Mr. Cleveland was elected, and a fear and dread fell upon the people that our industries would be attacked by hostile tariff legislation, the revenues at once began to decline. Still, up to July 1, 1893, there was a surplus of $2,341,000. By that time the full intent of the Cleveland administration had become known. Carlisle had made his fateful declaration as to the proposed use of silver, the tariff tinkers had commenced their destructive work, and, as a result, the revenues fell off in a single year over $60,000,000, and the deficiency of that year was $66,542,000.

   The country settled down somewhat when it was definitely known what sort of a tariff monstrosity was to be forced upon the people, but even the first year under the operation of the new law produced a deficit of $50,000,000. With the deficit now increasing at the rate of more than $100,000 per day; a total deficiency, officially stated, for this much of the present year of $25,000,000, and an aggregate increase of the National debt, bonded and non-bonded, of about $500,000,000, the record tells its own story of the results of the perfidy-and-dishonor law which was put in the place of Republican tariff legislation.

   This can be said of the McKinley law, and said truly, that while protecting

American industries, it also provided a revenue adequate to the needs of the government. There were no panics, no deficiencies, no bond issues while it was in force and the party which enacted it was in power. It was the blight of Democratic supremacy which made it less productive of revenue than it had been—until the Wilson-Gorman tariff-for-deficiency was put in its place—and it was that same supremacy which paralyzed business and made bankrupt the national treasury, as well as thousands of American manufacturers, and taught American labor what Democratic tariff reform meant.

   ◘ The members of Boston's famous military organization, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, who are about to leave on a trip to England, are pondering over a paragraph which recently appeared in the London Spectator relative to their visit. The Spectator calls attention to the fact that the company includes several millionaires and that should any of them die or be killed in London the English exchequer would benefit, as the inheritance tax law applies to deceased foreigners as well as natives.

   What the Bostonians would now like to find out, says The Troy Times, is whether there is a plan on foot to kill them with fetes and banquets, or whether this newspaper statement is merely a sample of English wit. If it were intended as a joke, The Times thinks it certainly rather a ghastly one. We confess to being unable to see why the Ancient and Honorables should worry any unless they hold estates in England. English law cannot stop an American's dying on the island, and if his property is all on this side it will be hard work for English law to collect the tax. The corpse might be held as security till the tax was paid, but international law does not recognize such a lien, and we doubt whether Englishmen, greedy as they are for live American heiresses, would care to grab for dead American millionaires.

John Tyler Morgan.

MORGAN TALKS OF CUBA.

Congress May Yet Take Action In Her Case.

CRITICISM OF THE PRESIDENT.

The Senator Thinks Too Much Power Is Placed in the Hands of the Executive, but Does Not Believe He Will Recognize Cuba.

   WASHINGTON, June 1.—Senator Morgan of the senate committee on foreign relations and author of the joint resolution recognizing the existence of a state of war in Cuba, and declaring the neutrality of the United States, was asked concerning the probability of securing action upon the resolution before adjournment, and in reply said:

   "Unless the house should act upon Mr. Hyde's resolution, which is identical with the resolution offered in the senate that is now held up in the committee of foreign relations, congress will probably disperse before any further action is possible. That responsibility will doubtless hasten the dispersion of some senators. Congress has practically ceased to be a factor in the government, except in the case of a veto, when the constitution permits it to act finally by a two-thirds vote. Even this function is denied when it is applied to our foreign political relations.

   "For a government with three co-ordinate departments, of which we boast, we are making a strange and rapid movement towards re-establishing the royal prerogative [in] the hands of our executive as an uncontrollable power. If the president without the concurrence of congress should proclaim that war exists in Cuba and that the United States assumes the attitude of a neutral power toward the recognized belligerents under the laws of nations, he would usurp a power of the most dangerous character. In the moment of their enthusiasm for a decree that would be so just and so humane, the people would forgive the usurpation, but the shock it would give to our free government would lead to great disaster. In the present state of political agitation in the country, it is dangerously apparent that a declaration of war with Spain or the declaration of the existence of a state of war in Cuba, made on the sole authority of the president, would create a fever of excitement in the country that would remove all other questions now under anxious discussion from the minds of the people and would control the presidential election near at hand.

   "I am firmly convinced that the president will not venture on so dangerous a course when congress disperses, leaving our relations to this subject in their present equivocal situation. Spain will be at liberty so far as our government is concerned to pursue its accustomed course of summary destruction of the rights, property and lives of our people.

   "War exists in Cuba and the whole world knows it, and while Spain admits its existence in every act but denies it on paper and in a diplomatic way, our government and people are required to indorse this falsehood and to admit that peace prevails in that island. They punish our people for treason, insurrection and piracy with the death penalty because they are charged with disturbing the peace and breaking the laws that are intended to preserve the peace in Cuba, while peace does not exist in the island.

   "To make the case still more obnoxious o reason and justice, Spain violates her treaties with the United States by forcing our citizens to trial for these offenses before military tribunals, organized to convict and deprive them of defense by counsel and of the right to summon witnesses in their behalf in this alleged time of peace. If the government of the United States should declare that a state of war exists in Cuba, it would use the only means that is legally possible to prevent Spain from this insulting conduct, unless we declare war and fight it out.

   "After the almost unanimous declaration of both houses of congress that belligerent rights should be accorded to Cuba and that war exists there, if we disperse without giving relief to our people from this situation, we can find no excuse for abandoning them to this dreadful fate, except that we are ready to abdicate our power in favor of the supposed power or wishes of the president.

   "For more than seven weeks the president has known the will of congress, which expresses, constitutionally, the will of the people. If that declaration is not sufficient to give our people security against Spanish barbarity in violation of our treaties, or to impress the president with its solemnity, we should not and cannot in justice to ourselves omit to present the same facts and convictions to the president in a different form of action that he cannot refuse to consider.

   "It is not necessary that we should have a war with Spain if we give to our citizens the shelter of the law of nations in respect of a public war that already exists in Cuba. It is our own people and not the Cubans that we should protect, and this plain duty relates to the existing state of facts and not to conditions that may exist if we should hereafter be engaged in war with Spain."

Return of the Bermuda.

   PHILADELPHIA, June 1.—The steamer Bermuda, which left Jacksonville, Fla., on April 27 with the alleged intention of landing a cargo of ammunition and a body of men on the shores of Cuba, has arrived at this port with a cargo of fruit. In spite of the experiences the vessel is said to have met with, she presents a trim appearance. All on board maintain the utmost secrecy, and the most persistent questioning fails to disclose any of the alleged filibustering movements of the steamer. The admitted reason for this reticence is that arrests may follow as in the past. From what could be gathered, however, it is most probable that the Bermuda did carry an expedition and that it was also necessary to throw some of the cargo of arms and ammunition overboard. There also appears to be no question that some of the men were landed, but there are fears that they fell into the hands of the Spaniards.

G. A. R. cemetery marker.

MEMORIAL DAY EXERCISES.

An Elegant Address by Rev. J. A. Hungate of Homer.

   The program for Memorial day as previously announced was carried out Saturday afternoon. The column formed in front of G. A. R. hall at 1:30 and moved to the soldiers' monument on Church-st., where Rev. J. L. Robertson offered prayer and the male quartet composed of Messrs. James Walsh,  J. B. Hunt, C. B. Doolittle and T. N. Hollister sang, after which followed a short address to the absent dead by Comrade George W. Edgcomb.

   H. M. Kellogg was president of the day. The column reformed and proceeded to the cemetery, where the exercises were opened with prayer by Rev. M. J. Wells. On the platform were seated Revs. A. Chapman, J. L Robertson, M. J. Wells, J. A. Hungate, Village President H. F. Benton, Trustees B. L. Webb, E. J. Warfield, J. J. Glann and J. H. Wallace.

   After a song by the quartet, Rev. J. A. Hungate, pastor of the First Baptist church of Homer, was introduced and delivered one of the most stirring and thoughtful addresses ever given in Cortland on a similar occasion.

   Among other things he said: I would be untrue to myself I did not first say that this is an occasion of great pleasure to me to stand here and plead the cause of patriotism. Our environment should be such as to inspire our nobler thoughts and aspirations. The trees and flowers and surroundings in this city of the dead ought to put our minds in a position to receive these impressions of to-day in a manner helpful to us as fellow citizens and as ladies and gentlemen. We come here not idly or aimlessly, but to memorialize, to prophesy, to think. We want to think and speak about ourselves and our relations. Man is a creation of God and has manifold energies. He has religious, social and civic duties. We are to think of this as a civic occasion though with military surroundings.

   I cannot believe that God withdraws himself from any part of the universe, but is present in every part of it. He will consent that the sword shall be unsheathed, if necessary, to preserve the country.

   Mr. Hungate referred to Revolutionary history, the Mexican war, the Missouri compromise, the Dred Scott decision and the causes leading to the Civil war. He referred to the days of enlistment as the time when men laid their hammer on the bench or stopped the plow in the furrow and mounted the fleetest horse to enlist. He gave a very vivid description of the battle of Gettysburg and concluded by saying that the responsibility in peace is not less than in war. The traitor of to-day is the man who fails to perform his duty in time of peace. Every citizen has three duties: first, an earnest and proper national spirit; second, loyal obedience on the part of every citizen to every law of the land; third, have awakened and kept alive in every place a memory for the heroic dead.

   At the conclusion of the address "America'' was sung and soldiers then decorated the graves of the dead.

   The column then reformed and marched to the front of G. A. R. hall where it was dismissed.

CORTLAND RIDERS AT ITHACA.

Bulkley, Hollister and Smith were Winners at Saturday's Races.

   The Cortland people at Ithaca Saturday were much better satisfied with the

sports than those who went to Syracuse. Cortland riders figured prominently in the races and brought home some trophies. Brownell Bulkley won first in the boys' half mile race. He won his heat in the half-mile open in one minute, thirteen seconds and in the final heat took second place. He also took second place in the trial heat in the quarter mile race, but did not get a prize in the final.

   B. C. Hollister took third place in the two mile handicap and Per Lee Smith third in the one-mile novice.

   Bulkley is a coming rider as his work at Ithaca shows. He had a fast field to ride against. In the final of the half-mile open he was kept in a pocket until the last quarter was reached when he backpedaled and going on the outside passed all his competitors at the quarter by a rapid spurt, but unfortunately his wind didn't hold out for a spurt of a full quarter mile, and he was overhauled and passed by one reputedly fast man just at the tape, securing for himself the second place.

MATTHEWSON COUNTED OUT.

He Won the Race at Syracuse, but the Judges Gave It to Coville.

   About 150 Cortland people were in Syracuse Saturday in attendance at the

Kirk park races, but that which interested Cortlandites most was the 100-yard foot race between Dwight Coville of Syracuse and E. S. Matthewson of Cortland. They believed that the Cortland boy could win, although he was declared defeated by the judges.

   The first heat was given to Coville. He started and was three yards away, as the spectators declare, before the crack of the pistol, but Matthewson, knowing that the start was unfair and expecting Coville to be called back did not run. Coville, however, was not called back and a heat was declared.

   The second heat was won by Matthewson by three yards in ten seconds.

   At the third heat Matthewson anticipated that Coville would resort to his former unfair tactics and kept a close watch so that as soon as Coville started, he too started. Coville was a little ahead, but the Cortland boy quickly closed the gap. Fairminded men who stood in an exact line with the tape say that Matthewson struck it first. The judges took over one hour to decide the matter. In the meantime they sent to Coville and asked if he would run another heat if they would call the last one a dead heat and Coville, of course, answered that he would not.

   Fairminded men declare it a game of bunco from beginning to end. They say that the starter was either green or unfair. Matthewson is in their opinion the faster man and they declare that the Syracusans know it or they would not have resorted to means that were outrageously unfair to win the race for Coville. With fair dealing Matthewson can defeat Coville at 100 yards or more and Coville knows it, or he would not have refused an offer to run one heat for $500 immediately after the race.

   The treatment Cortland received at Syracuse Saturday was decidedly unfair and far beneath the dignity of true sportsmen. The very fact that the judges asked if Coville would run the third heat over again shows that their private opinion as that Matthewson was fairly the winner and the hisses with which the decision was met when announced showed how the crowd felt in the matter, even though mostly a Syracuse crowd.

A War Talk at the Normal.

   The class in United States history at the Normal school had a treat last Friday which they will not soon forget in the shape of a talk on the Civil war by Mr. H. M. Kellogg. Mr. Kellogg saw over three years' service and described it as only a soldier can. While he pictured the sufferings and privations very vividly, he also managed to bring in many amusing stories and told them so well that the class were very sorry when the hour was finished and gave him liberal applause. It was an excellent preparation for Memorial day, and all who had the privilege of hearing Mr. Kellogg felt that one day a year is little enough to devote to the memory of the brave men who fought for the Stars and Stripes.

BREVITIES.

   —There will be a regular meeting of the C. A. A. to-night.

   —New advertisements to-day are—A. S. Burgess, elegant suits, page 7.

   —Regular meeting of the Y. M. C. A. Christian work committee to-night at 8 o'clock.

   —An interesting meeting of the Woman's Relief Corps is expected to-morrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock.

   —The Cortland Juniors defeated the McGrawville Juniors at McGrawville Saturday morning at baseball by the score of 28 to 4.

   —The Cascadilla team of Ithaca was defeated at the fair grounds Saturday afternoon by a picked Cortland nine by the score of 13 to 4.

   —There will be a special meeting of the Universalist church and parish to-morrow night (Tuesday). Members are requested to meet promptly at 7:30 o'clock.

   —The music festival begins to-night. The town is already beginning to fill up singers from away who have come to take part in the chorus.

   —Messrs. Fletcher & Bangs have just purchased a beautiful new hearse made by Sayers & Scovil of Cincinnati. The wood is of the best French burl with silver trimmings.

   —The county court has to-day confirmed the decision of the commissioners in the matter of the application of Eugene H. Underwood in laying out a new highway in the town of Scott.

   —The Elmira Telegram issued as a supplement yesterday to its Cortland edition a fine half-tone cut of Masters Leon and Fred Beaudry, the two young sons of Mr. G. F. Beaudry, mounted on their tandem which was specially built for them.