Cortland
Evening Standard, Friday, February 12, 1897.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
The Eyesight of School Children.
Public
opinion has gathered from various sources, for which they give due credit, the
following interesting facts relative to the defective eyesight in children and
young people:
Acting
under authority of the school board and with the direction of a committee of
oculists, the Baltimore school teachers tested the eyesight of the children of
the city's public schools. The eyes of 53,067 pupils were in this way examined
by the tests ordinarily used by oculists and the results are interesting and
suggestive; 9,051 pupils were found to have such defective eyesight as to make
school work unsafe; 53 per cent of the children were found not to be in the
enjoyment of normal vision, but curiously enough the percentage of defective eyesight
steadily decreased with the age of the pupils.
The
percentage of normal vision was found to be as follows in the different grades:
First grade, 35; second, 41; third, 47; fourth, 49; fifth, 48; sixth, 48;
seventh, 54; and eighth. 56. No explanation is offered for this improvement in
eyesight with age and the use of the eyes under school conditions. Until such
explanation is given it might be argued either that the eyesight of the race is
deteriorating, being worst in children latest born, or that there are defects
in vision which are remedied either by nature or art.
It was
found that many blackboards and maps in the schools were not placed in the
proper light, and the report of the oculists recommends yearly examinations hereafter
of the pupils' eyesight, and that a uniform system of adjustable seats and
desks be adopted and that these be regulated to the heights of the children.
The large percentage, nearly one-fifth of the total number examined, found to
be in no condition to do school work at all is a warning to parents and school
authorities all over the country. It shows great negligence and ignorance on
the part of parents, where the responsibility rests in the first place, and
where periodical examinations of the pupils' eyesight by school authorities
will place it at last.—Philadelphia Inquirer.
A report
has been presented to the British education department by Brudnell Carter on
the vision of 8,125 children attending 25 elementary schools in London; 3,181
children, or 39.15 per cent, were found to have normal vision in both eyes;
1,016, or 12.5 per cent, had normal vision in the right eye and subnormal in the
left; 700, or 8.6 per cent, had normal vision in the left eye and subnormal in
the right; and 3,228, or 39.7 per cent, had subnormal vision in both eyes.
Comparing
the sexes, the total was made up of 3,928 boys and 4,197 girls; of these 43.7
percent of the boys had normal vision in both eyes and 33.4 per cent of the
girls. Mr. Carter is of the opinion that the eyes of London school children
generally are not in any way injuriously affected by the conditions of
elementary school life. Myopia is not of frequent occurrence, and Mr. Carter
has failed to find any evidence of its progressive increase from younger
children to the elder ones, or any correspondence between the degree and the
prevalence of the defect and the quality of the lighting in the schools where it
was found. He holds that the prevalence of subnormal vision is due to the fact
that children so rarely look at distant objects.—Science, New York.
One of
the common causes of pain above the brows is the overuse of the eyes and the
strain of accommodation in constantly looking at near objects. This pain,
familiar to most people, is more readily excited and permanently developed
among the children in the public schools and the girls of the high schools. The
ocular headache is often coexistent with the anemic headache, especially in
growing girls. Here is found a complication of all kinds of nervous misery, due
to the eye strain associated with the vertical pain felt over the top of the
head, all this being characteristic of bloodlessness. To combat this anemia,
there is nothing like plenty of out-of-door exercise and wholesome food. While
the practice of looking at distant objects and—unhappily—the use of appropriate
spectacles may relieve the headache of eye strain, reading, writing, and sewing
will permanently damage the sight; so that for the sake of education, and in
the struggle for existence, the coming race will have to look out that it does not
become altogether purblind. The suggestion may be pessimistic, but it is none
the less timely.—Minneapolis Times.
◘ The Chinese Equal Rights
league of America, which has been incorporated at Springfield, Ills., is worthy
of consideration. The object of the league is ultimately to obtain citizenship
for the Chinese in America. The Chinese exclusion laws are now so stiff as to
prevent Mongolians from flooding the country in such numbers as they formerly
did. The number of Chinese in the United States is not increasing much. Those
already here show more and more disposition to rear families in accordance with
the customs of Christian people.
 |
| USS Marblehead. |
WITH THE FLEET.
No Vessels
Attempted to Run the Blockade—Wounded Men Improving.
CHARLESTON, Feb. 12.—The weather was not
propitious for the vessels of the blockade fleet, though it suited admirably to
the purpose of a blockade runner. [Naval exercises.] No fugitive craft,
however, attempted to run the gauntlet of the fleet guarding the entrance to
the harbor and the big ships lay at anchor in the rain unable to engage in
target or rowing practice, as has been the daily custom of the men aboard the
ships.
The arrival of the other vessels which have
been ordered to join the fleet is being looked forward to with eagerness. Particularly
so of the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius, which is to run the blockade.
The monitor Amphitrite came up to the city
and took a position in the stream off the custom house.
Night work on board the fleet consists of
searchlight drills and target practice. The battleship Maine and the cruisers New
York, Columbia and Marblehead take part in the drills.
First Sergeant Wagener and Privates Hardin
and Sewan, who were hurt on board the battleship Maine by the premature explosion
of a 1-pound cartridge on a secondary battery, are now all right. Who is
responsible for the accident will be learned in a few days. An investigation has
been ordered.
The injured men from the Marblehead, who were
sent to the marine hospital, are all doing well.
Arrangements have been concluded for a grand
ball to be tendered the officials of the navy and the officers of the squadron on
the 19th. The ball will be one of the most brilliant social affairs ever held
in Charleston.
 |
| Walter Wellman. |
FATE OF THE TREATY.
It Will Hang In
the Balance For a Time.
BUSINESS OF THE
SPECIAL SESSION.
The Senate Will
Not Have Much to Do and Can Debate the Arbitration Treaty to Its Heart's
Content—The Secret Sessions.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (Special.)—Secret or
executive sessions have been the rule in the senate this past week. The general arbitration treaty with Great Britain has been under consideration much of the
time, and it has been the subject of a great number of interesting speeches. As
I write the news from the capitol it is that the treaty will not be ratified or
rejected during this congress. It will have to go over to the special session,
which is to meet about the middle of next month. Senators complain that they
have no time for such an important and complicated matter at this juncture. It
is too serious a subject to be dealt with hastily. They want to discuss it at
leisure, thoroughly and carefully. From this day forward all the time of the
senate will be needed for the regular appropriation bills.
The Special Session.
After March 4 the senate will be in session all
the time, with nothing, or practically nothing, to do. It will be called to meet
March 5 in special session by President Cleveland, according to the usual custom,
for the purpose of considering the nominations to be made by his successor. About
the middle of the month both the house and senate will meet under call from
President McKinley. The house will at once go to work upon the new tariff bill,
or at least as soon as that measure is reported from the ways and means
committee. But the senate will have nothing to occupy its time. It cannot
originate revenue legislation. There will be no appropriations to make. The
Republican policy will be not to undertake general legislation at the special
session, but to frown upon all such matters and keep them in the background.
Then the senate, say the leaders of that body, can take up the arbitration
treaty and discuss it to its heart's content. There are several amendments already
pending.
What the fate of the treaty will be no one
seems to know. I have talked with some of the ablest and most influential senators
on both sides of the chamber, and they are divided in opinion as to whether the
treaty can be ratified or not. It is not an easy matter to get a two-thirds
vote for a measure to which there is serious opposition, and there is a very
strong opposition to this convention. It is seen to involve many things which
apparently were not considered by President Cleveland and Secretary Olney when
they negotiated it. Senators object to having the senate give up its
constitutional power to participate in the treaty making function of the
government. They say the senate is as much a part of the executive branch of
the government, so far as settling foreign disputes by treaty is concerned, as
the executive himself. One senator explained to me that the secret sessions of
the senate are called "executive sessions" because it is then the
senate resolves itself into an adjunct of the executive department of the government,
as directed by the constitution.
A Possible Contingency.
Some senators think ratification of this treaty
would give foreign governments and their subjects the right to sue the United
States and the states of the Union. In this respect they might enjoy an
advantage which is now denied to our own citizens. The government of the United
States cannot be sued without its consent. A court of claims has been established to which claims are
referred, but no one can present a claim there and have it considered without
first gaining the consent of congress through a special law. If the arbitration
court were established as proposed in the treaty, foreigners might be able to
sue the United States without asking the consent of congress.
The debates in the executive sessions were
published quite fully in the newspapers, greatly to the chagrin of those
senators who are sticklers for privacy. The morning after the first debate the
enterprising newspapers of the country presented their readers with a report of
what had been said and done which was more complete and quite as accurate as if
the session had been open to the public. One senator gives it as his opinion
that the best way to induce the newspapers to report the debates of congress is
to have secret sessions, for then the correspondents are put on their mettle to
see how full they can make their account of the proceedings.
How Secrets Are Divulged.
There is, of course, no secret as to how the
information concerning the secret debates finds its way to the newspapers. The senators
themselves are responsible for the leaks. Sometimes they do not know they are
being pumped. Others consciously and deliberately give their newspaper friends information.
I can remember one occasion on which three senators were primed to report a secret,
or so-called secret, debate in the executive session. They sat with pencil and
paper before them and made full notes of what was said and done and after the
session was over turned their notes over to their newspaper friends. As a rule,
however, correspondents depend upon the memory of senators. Visits to a few of
the statesmen, a shrewd putting of two and two together, and it is not
difficult to make up four. As a rule, again, every bright correspondent in town
knows the views of the leading senators upon any such important question as this
arbitration treaty. He knows because he has talked the whole matter over with
the statesman. Given the fact that such and such senators made speeches in the
secret session, and is not difficult to guess what they said.
A vigorous but unsuccessful effort was made
to throw open the doors and hold the debate on the treaty in public. I incline to
the opinion that the senate is wise in adhering to the old custom. It is
executive business, and, while the enterprising correspondents dig out the
facts and give them to the public, now and then words are used which, if made
public, might embarrass us in our foreign relations. If the same words get to the
ears of foreign officials in the roundabout way of a newspaper report, it is
set down as hearsay, and at least as unofficial, and not much weight is
attached to it. One senator made to me the very sensible observation that there
was just as much reason why
Secretary Olney and Sir Julian Pauncefote should ask the newspaper men to be
present at their negotiation of a treaty as in expecting the senate to open its
doors to the press in considering such a document. WALTER WELLMAN.
Tickets on Sale.
The sale of reserved seats for "My Cousin
from New York" opens to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock at the drug store of
Sager & Jennings. All those who have purchased tickets from members of the
Sons of Veterans or Woman's Relief corps, by calling at Sager & Jennings' can
select their own seats and have them reserved by paying the small additional sum
of five cents. Reserved seat tickets can also be obtained direct at the store,
price 20 cents.
The entertainment will not begin until 8:20
P. M., Feb. 18, in Grand Army hall to accommodate those who wish to go
elsewhere early in the evening. The comedy "My Cousin From New York"
belongs to a class of plays rarely attempted by local players. It has none of
the conventional, villain, hero, stern parent, darkey, Dutchman and persecuted
heroine flavor. It belongs to that new and refined class of comedies which the
public has become familiar with in "Jane," "Charley's Aunt,"
"Dr. Bill," "Mr. Wilkinson's Widow," "A Trip to
Chinatown," etc. It has never been seen in Cortland, although its success
on the road has been remarkable.
The play is adapted from the same source as
C. B. Lease's comedy, "A Bachelor's Divorce," but is played with a
more compact cast and is much more brisk in action than the latter piece. The
full cast of the play will be published in Monday's paper.
The arrangements for
the production are fast nearing completion and the public are sure of seeing
one of the best local entertainments Feb. 18, ever given in Cortland. Those
desiring the best seats should secure them early to-morrow morning at Sager
& Jennings'.
May Leave Cortland
Permanently.
Mr. and Mrs. Burrows left Cortland yesterday
morning for Georgia. Mr. Burrows has been suffering for a considerable time
with an affection of the throat and it was upon the advice of his physician
that a change of climate was sought. Should Mr. Burrows not improve in health,
their departure from Cortland may be permanent and their many friends here will
hope for his speedy recovery.
Mr. and Mrs. Burrows came to Cortland in
1890, Mr. Burrows entering the employment of the Homer Wagon Co. as bookkeeper.
When the company was reorganized in 1892, as The H. M. Whitney Co., Mr. Burrows
was elected secretary and treasurer, which position he has held up to this
time. Upon their arrival in Cortland Mr. and Mrs. Burrows joined the
Presbyterian church. In 1896 Mr. Burrows was the honored president of the
society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick to which office he was re-elected
last January. Mr. Burrows has also been the president of the Cortland Athletic
association for the past two years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Burrows, by their
geniality and friendliness of manner, made a host of friends in Cortland, who
will unite in extending well wishes to them.
BREVITIES.
—New advertisements to-day are— Vito, Last
Day for Consultation, page 6; L. N. Hopkins, Violet Valentines, page 6.
—The Avalon club will give the second of the
series of dancing parties in Empire hall, Feb. 20. McDermott's orchestra has
been engaged.
—Lewis S. Hayes' chair factory to-night
begins running day and night with a double force of men. There are a large number
of orders ahead.
—Sayre is supposed to be $80,000 richer each
pay day on the Lehigh. That is quite an income, as it reaches almost $1,000,000
a year.—Ithaca Democrat.
—The annual meeting of the Cortland County
Soldiers' and Sailors' Veterans' association is in session this afternoon at G.
A. R. hall. There is a large attendance.
—Dr. E. M. Santee this morning received a
box of orange blossoms from his cousin, Isaac P. Santee of Whittier, Cal. The
blossoms were nearly as fresh as when picked.
—The farmhouse of Mr. and Mrs. John P. Taft in
South Spafford, Onondaga Co., was burned to the ground Monday afternoon. Only a
small portion of the contents was saved.
—The secretaries and delegates attending the
Y. M. C. A. convention to the number of sixty were served with dinner at the
Congregational church yesterday. Caterer E. E. Price
had charge of the refreshments.
—Mr. E. E. Wilgus of the Tiona Oil company,
Binghamton, has been in town for a couple of days on business. Jewett, the
jeweler, has just put on his stone floor a quantity of dustoline, furnished by
this company, which makes a very nice floor finish.
—The masquerade ball to be given by the
Crescent club in Empire hall to-night promises to be a most enjoyable event.
McDermott's orchestra is to furnish the music. Any holding invitations who do not
appear masked, may dance after the masks are removed.
—Word has been received in Cortland of the
arrival at Winter Park, Fla., of Mr. E. H. Brewer and family Saturday at 2
o'clock P. M. after a journey of five days, the trip being made from New York
by steamer. The ocean voyage and warmer climate have already made Mr. Brewer
stronger.
—Mr. J. A. Vincent, a delegate to the Y. M.
C. A. convention from Canastota, slipped and fell while entering the Presbyterian
church last evening, striking on his left side, injuring his hip, though it is
not thought the bone is broken. He was removed to his room in the Dexter House
where he is to-day resting comfortably.
—The "South Before the War'' company
gave a splendid entertainment at the Opera House last night and nearly every
seat in the house was occupied. There was plenty of music and good music too,
plenty of dancing and plenty of fun. The acrobatic work of Ferry, the human
frog, was about the finest ever seen in Cortland.
—Every parent and teacher should read the
article on "The Eyesight of School Children," on our second page.
Provision ought to be made, and some day will be made, to test the sight of every
child on entering school and at stated periods thereafter, and defects in
vision should at once be remedied by proper glasses and every precaution taken
to prevent these defects from growing worse. It is the special duty of every
parent to see that his child is not suffering from eye troubles which proper
glasses would correct.
—The time when ladies will customarily
remove their hats at the Cortland Opera House is fast
approaching. At the entertainment last night the manager of the company
requested all the ladies to remove their hats, and all but a half dozen or so
promptly complied. His words were greeted with hearty applause and the ladies
themselves seemed as much delighted as the gentlemen to have the huge
obstructions removed from before their faces. It is likely that the ladies
would all do this voluntarily every time if all would do it, but no one wants
to be the only one to do so. The village fathers could help the thing along if
they would follow the example of Chicago and make it a city ordinance that hats
should be removed. In Chicago there is a fine of $3 for wearing a hat in a
theatre or public hall.
ELM STUMP.
ELM STUMP, Feb. 10.—The party at Mr. Arthur
Edwards' last Wednesday night was quite well attended and all report having had
a fine time.
Mr. Eugene Calkins and sister, Mrs. [Ina] Winters
of Cortland, were guests of their uncle, Mr. Emmett Lang, last Thursday.
Mr. Emmett Cleveland and sisters, Miss
Carrie Cleveland and Mrs. Hattie Ayres of Berkshire, were guests of their
cousin, Mrs. Emmett Lang, several days last week.
Jay Worden and Tom Lawrenceson are carring
cabbage to-day.
Mr. and Mrs. A. Overton and daughter Maud,
Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Price and daughter Nettie, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Marcy and
daughter of Virgil were guests at Mr. David Price's last Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Sherman left yesterday
for Bridgeport to visit friends, but on account of no sleighing returned home
to-day.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Mudge and two sons of
Blodgett Mills were guests at Mrs. Mary Judd's to-day.
Mr. Irving Price was called to Cortland, Monday
on account of the serious illness of his father, Mr. J. D. Price, 47 Clinton-ave.
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Munson are rejoicing over
the advent of a grandson at Mr. and Mrs. Byron Buck's at Groton City.
Mr. Lynn Bell, who has been absent at Dryden
for some time, returned home last week.
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