THE DEMOCRATS ELECT AND THE VILLAGE ELECTION

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, March 12, 1897.

THE DEMOCRATS ELECT AND

The Village Election.

   The battle is ours, the victory won, or at least a substantial part of it. In our issue following the convention we said, "This is a good time for Democrats to work, and they have good men to work for," and in our last issue we said. "We ought to elect the greater part of the ticket: we will if Democrats vote for it." The result of the election is given in detail on another page, and justifies the predictions which we made. If we are rightly informed, the village government now passes into the control of the Democrats for the first time, and having the power let them see to it that the interests of the people are carefully guarded. The result of Tuesday's election, gratifying as it is to every Democrat, shows that the people—well, let that pass.

The Democrat to "The Speaker."

   We gladly gave space, last week, to a reply from the speaker at the Opera House meeting held on the evening of Feb. 15th, in defense of charges which he made against the DEMOCRAT. "The Speaker" first charges that: "It is specious and misleading to base an argument, for an increase or decrease of drunkenness, for a series of years, on a comparison of the number of arrests annually made for public intoxication during those years." We shall not take the space to argue on this proposition, although the gentleman freely made use of such figures, in charging the DEMOCRAT with making specious and misleading statements. We will simply ask the readers of the DEMOCRAT, if they remember of ever hearing an address or reading an article, in support of prohibitory laws as a means of decreasing drunkenness, that did not bristle with figures and comparisons of the same character. The statement simply amounts to this, that facts and figures are proofs on one side of this question, but are specious and misleading if employed on the other side.

   The gentleman "Utterly disclaims any purpose of accusing the DEMOCRAT of intentionally misleading the public.'' This statement will hardly stand, in view of the fact that he charged the DEMOCRAT with comparing the number of arrests made during the full calendar years of 1894 and 1895, with the number of arrests made during but nine months, eight months of the year 1896 and one month of the year 1897, and if the words "specious and misleading" have any meaning at all, they mean knowingly deceiving. It is next charged that, "It was specious and misleading for the DEMOCRAT to make the comparison by calendar years rather than by excise years," and the writer then proceeds to give the "facts" as he gets them from the Chief of Police. He states that the number of arrests made during the year of Dr. Higgins' administration was 118, and that during the last four months of his administration but 19 arrests were made, and that the DEMOCRAT includes these last four months of Dr. Higgins' administration in the calendar year of 1896.

   The gentleman then proceeds with his figures, and estimates results as follows: He deducts the 19 arrests claimed for the last four months of Dr. Higgins' administration, from the 109 arrests reported by the DEMOCRAT for the calendar year of 1896, leaving 90 arrests for eight months. Then instead of taking the number of arrests actually made for the last two, three or four months as a guide, he takes an average from his own figures, and says that the same ratio kept up for the entire year, would give 135 arrests or 17 more than during Dr. Higgins' administration.

   The figures as given would make the arrests for four months 45; the actual number of arrests for the four months ending March 1st, 1897 was just 23 and it was extremely unkind on the part of the drunks that they would not roll in and keep the ratio up to the required mark.

   With most charming assurance we are then informed that, "The friends of no-license cannot allow the DEMOCRAT to base an argument for license upon a manipulation of figures." We do not care to manipulate figures by estimating what might be the number of arrests for any period, but will compare the actual number of arrests for the same period in both years. Dr. Higgins' year commenced March 14th, 1895 and ended March 13th, 1896, but to avoid estimating any part of the time we will give the comparative figures from March 14th, 1895 to March 1st, 1896 and from March 14th, 1896 to March 1st, 1897. The police docket is the original and official record of arrests, and if the records of the Chief of Police does not agree with the docket it cannot be correct, and this docket can be seen by any one who desires to see it.

   The docket of the police court shows 148 arrests for public intoxication, from March 14th, 1895 to March 1st, 1996, instead of 118 for the full year, and during this period, 13 days less than the full year. Dr. Higgins was president, and Mr. Bull police justice. The docket also shows 115 arrests from March 14th, 1896 to March 1st, 1897 which is 33 less arrests than for the same period under the administration of Dr. Higgins. If the gentleman thinks that these figures are incorrect or manipulated, the representative of the DEMOCRAT will be very glad to go to the office of Justice Mellon in company with him, at any time and check the docket with him.

   In regard to the question of taxation, the gentleman very frankly acknowledges that the DEMOCRAT was correct in the statement, that the net amount received from licenses was $4,750. On the question of the tax rate, or the saving on account of the amount received from licenses, the gentleman is in error when he states that the DEMOCRAT asserted or claimed that there was a saving of $2.86 on an assessment of $1,000. If he will take the trouble to read again the article on "The Question of License" in our issue of Feb. 12th, he will find that we stated that: "Our tax rate for 1896 was, according to the supervisors' report, .0179." We also stated that if our tax levy had not been reduced by the amount received from licenses, which we gave as substantially $4,6oo, that the tax rate would have been .02076, and neither of these statements is disputed. In our article on the license question, in our issue of Feb. 26th, we stated that the difference between a tax of $17.90 and $20.76 on an assessment of $1,000 was $2.86, and a careful reading of all that the DEMOCRAT has said on this question, will fail to reveal any claim or assertion that there was a saving of $2.86.

   The gentleman states, "The rate which the DEMOCRAT takes is an incorrect one. Whose error this is I do not know. The DEMOCRAT evidently has been misled by the table of equalized valuation pasted in the back part of the report of the Board of Supervisors for 1896. No, the DEMOCRAT has not been misled by that table at all, for before our first article on this question was written, we had not only computed the rate for the town of Cortlandville, but for every other town in the county as well, and the error in the rate for this town was not the only error that we discovered either. The figures which we have given in both of our previous articles were given for the purpose of calling attention to the table of "Equalized Valuation" in the Supervisor's report. This being a Republican county, the DEMOCRAT did not care to open up this question, but was perfectly willing that some responsible Republican should.

   The gentleman is perfectly correct when he states, that the rate of .0179 on a total valuation of $2,303,763 would only raise $41,237.35 instead of 43,237.14 or $1,999.79 less than the amount required. We are very glad that the one to raise this question happens to be a gentleman standing high in the community, one whose statements and figures ought not to be questioned, and also a Republican. Now that the gentleman has got started on this investigation, will he be kind enough to tell the readers of the DEMOCRAT, and the people generally, how many towns he found for which the tax rate was not correctly given, and in what towns the errors occur? If he finds that the taxes of this town were actually collected at the rate of .0179 will he kindly tell us who paid the deficiency?

   Will he please examine the figures for the town of Solon and tell us what he finds in that town, as well as in some of the others?

   Will he please examine the town assessors' book and give us all of the total footings which he finds on page 300, and any other figures which he may stumble onto that he thinks may be of interest to the public? The DEMOCRAT has not given any figures, or made any statements in regard to the question of taxation, that were not strictly true. That the actual saving was less than would appear from the figures given we admit, but it was the rate given by the Supervisors' report that was misleading, not the DEMOCRAT. If the DEMOCRAT had desired or intended to mislead any one, we would not have repeatedly called the attention of our readers to the table of "Equalized Valuation" and also to the total valuation, the total amount of tax to be raised and the rate, as given, for the town of Cortlandville. We shall be pleased to give our correspondent all of the space in our columns that he may desire, for the purpose of further enlightening the public.

HERE AND THERE.

   Charles A. Gardner holds the boards at the opera house next Thursday evening.

   Evangelists Crane and McLean will hold a service for men in C. A. A. hall Sunday afternoon.

   The Loyal Circle of Kings Daughters will meet with Mrs. S. Doyle, 78 Groton-ave., Friday, March 12th, at 2:30 P. M.

   "The Old Homestead," so well known here, was greeted by a good house Tuesday evening. The company was a good one.

   Thomas Q. Seabrooke in "The Speculator" last Friday night, was one of the best attractions ever in the Cortland opera house.

   On Tuesday Mr. W. J. Greenman shipped a pen of his bantams to St. Johns, N. B. Last week he shipped fifty-five birds to parties in Texas.

   The sewer board held a meeting Monday evening. A few bills were audited and the report of Superintendent Mudge for February was placed on file.

   The Epworth League of the Homer-ave. M. E. church will serve a 10 cent tea and social at the home of Mrs. S. H. Dale, 33 North Main-st., this evening. Tea served from 5:30 to 8.

   The store formerly occupied by G. J. Mager & Co. in the Schermerhorn building is in the hands of Contractor D. G. Corwin. It will be entirely refitted and finished inside.

   Messrs. G. J. Mager & Co. have moved what remained of their stock and their store fixtures to the north store in the Garrison block and today began disposing of everything at auction [fire sale].

   We are obliged to omit the annual report of the President of the Kings' Daughters this week, for lack of space. Also an account of the W. C. T. U. School of Methods and the later Hospital gifts.

   At the annual meeting of the First M. E. church Tuesday afternoon three trustees were elected for the ensuing year, as follows: Prosper Palmer, R. Bruce Smith and A. Leroy Cole. Each succeeds himself.

   Rev. John T. Stone was the recipient of a new Columbia bicycle, presented by a number of gentleman friends, Monday afternoon. This leaves only two or three ministers in Cortland who are not bicyclists.

   Jeremiah Hayes died at his home near the car barns between Cortland and Homer Monday morning of consumption. The funeral was held from St. Mary's church Wednesday and the remains were [buried] in the Catholic cemetery.

   The Eureka club gave a masquerade ball in C. A. A. hall Friday evening. It was a most enjoyable affair and a large number of unique and handsome costumes were worn. McDermott's orchestra furnished music. Supper was served at Kittrick's café.

   Wm. Pendall, who resides with his wife and five children over No. 7 North Main-st., was before Justice Melton Saturday, charged by his wife with assaulting her. After listening to the story of each, the Justice sentenced him to thirty-five days in the county jail.

   The Men's Bible class of the Presbyterian church entertained last Friday evening. An excellent musical and literary program was rendered. From the gallery the Susan Tompkins harp orchestra delightfully filled in all time not otherwise taken up. The men, unassisted, served appetizing refreshments.

   A party of forty of the friends of Mr. and Mrs. D. H Bingham made them a surprise visit in their new home on Church St., Wednesday evening. The time was spent at whist until the refreshments, which the visitors provided, were served. Two handsome dining room pictures were presented by the callers to Mr. and Mrs. Bingham.

   Miss Ada Seaman and Mr. Harry Henry were married last week Thursday evening at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Seaman on Lincoln-ave. Rev. W. H. Pound performed the ceremony. Miss Nellie Jones of Baldwinsville was the lady of honor and Mr. Frank Bilvin of Homer, the groomsman. Mr. C. H. Fenner presided at the piano. The house was most tastily decorated with floral designs. After a trip to Rochester, Mr. and Mrs. Henry will reside in Cortland.

   The Cortland County Ministerial association met in the Y. M C. A. parlor Monday. Rev. E. B. Gearhart was to preach the sermon, but was unable to be present. The forenoon session was devoted to a discussion of the "Use and Abuse of Fiction." The election of officers took place at the opening of the afternoon session as follows: President, Rev. L. Eastwood; vice-president, Rev. F. A. S. Storer; secretary and treasurer, Rev. W. S. Warren; executive committee, Revs. John T. Stone, A. Chapman, O. S. Houghton. The remainder of the afternoon wag occupied in discussing "Methods of Pastoral Work."