FIVE IMPORTANTS EVENTS

USS Montgomery (C-9).

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, March 11, 1898.

FIVE IMPORTANT EVENTS.

   March 8.—Last night's Washington dispatches say: There was no less than five important events to-day having a bearing more or less direct upon the troubled relations between the United States and Spain, viz., the introduction in Congress by Mr. Cannon of a resolution carrying $50,000,000 for the public defense; the withdrawal by the Spanish government of its intimated objection to the continuance in office of Consul General Lee; the order of the cruiser Montgomery to proceed to Havana in place of the Fern; the passage through the House of a bill increasing the artillery arm by two regiments, and the  institution of negotiations looking to the purchase of warships by our Navy.

   Mr. Cannon's resolution probably led all other topics in interest, particularly when it became known that it was the result of a conference between the author, the President, Senator Hale and other leading spirits in Congress As for General Lee's case, the news of the satisfactory ending of the incident through the withdrawal of the suggestion by Spain was expected as soon as it was noted that a loophole had been left open through the failure to make the complaint as anything like an official shape [sic].

   The Montgomery is being hurriedly coaled and work on her will be carried on through the night. It is hardly expected that she will leave [for] Havana before the morning and her departure may be further delayed. The official reason for the Montgomery's going to Havana is that she is merely to relieve the dispatch boat Fern. A naval officer said he thought it most significant that a cruiser of the Montgomery's calibre should be sent to take the place of a mere dispatch boat.

MORE TROUBLE FOR SPAIN.

   March 5.—A Washington dispatch to The Chicago Times-Herald says:  Spain's troubles multiply. Now she is threatened with friction with the Japanese. If the government in Madrid refuses the intervention which the United States will soon offer for the purpose of restoring peace in Cuba and elects to go to war about it, not only the Pearl of the Antilles will be lost to Spain but the Philippines will stand in constant danger of Japanese aggression. It has long been known that the ambitious Japanese had an eager eye cast in the direction of the Philippine group, and it is believed a Spanish war with America would give Japan the opportunity which she seeks.

COURT RETURNS TO HAVANA.

  After two postponements of its departure, the court of inquiry left Key West for Havana last evening on the lighthouse tender Mangrove. It is believed by the best informed here, that the court will complete its labors in the Cuban capital within ten days. A naval officer in close touch with the members of the court said to a correspondent: "With one exception the witnesses who testified in Key West were Maine survivors. The evidence, in the words of an enlisted man who, when asked what he knew about the explosion, replied: 'Sir, I was blown up. I was saved and I am here.' That was all he would swear to."

Soldiers' and Sailors' Association.

   The following are officers elected at the annual meeting of the Cortland county Soldiers' and Sailors' association last Saturday:

   President—Isaac J. Walker of Cortland.

   First Vice-President—Wm. Wakefield of Homer.

   Second Vice-President— Henry A. Smith of Cincinnatus.

   Secretary—P. W. Chaffee of McGrawville.

   Treasurer—J. F. Wheeler of Cortland.

   Chaplain—Rev. J. Barton French of Cortland.

   The board of directors contain a representative from every town in the county.

   The midsummer meeting of the association will be held in Homer at a date yet to be decided upon.

King's Daughters Supper.

   The King's Daughters will give a 10 cent supper and entertainment in the Congregational church parlors Tuesday, March 15, 1898. A substantial supper will be served from 5 to 8 P. M. After supper Mr. David Wesson will give his stereopticon entertainment of "United States History from Colonial to Recent Times." No charge will be made for the entertainment but a voluntary offering will be thankfully received as the proceeds of both supper and entertainment are to be devoted to the relief of the sick and needy in our own town.

   As this is the first time in three years that the friends of circle have been asked to contribute to a supper, it is hoped that the response will be hearty and generous.

Town Board.

    The new Cortlandville town board held their first meeting Monday in the office of Supervisor D. F. Wallace. The following appointments were made for the town board of health: Citizen member of the board, B. B. Morehouse; health officer, Dr. M. E. Smith; veterinary surgeon, Dr. W. L Baker. The overseers of the poor were instructed to furnish the town board every month an itemized statement of relief furnished and by whom. They were directed to divide the territory, both being in this village, so that their beneficence will not clash. The board decided to hold regular meetings on the first Monday in each month.

TOMPKINS COUNTY.

   TOMPKINS—The dates for the Dryden fair have been fixed for Sept. 20, 21 and 22.

   The Ithaca Democrat says: "The floor of the proposed bridge over Fall Creek will be 150 feet above water. The bridge will be near the old dam in line with the proposed extension of University-ave. The ravine is 125 feet wide at this place.

   The opera house at Farmer was formerly the town hall. The bell is still in [the] tower and the people of the village always know on what night there is an attraction at the play house as the bell is rung half an hour before the performance.

   Rescue Steamer Company No. 2 of Ithaca has a device whereby a record can be taken of the time the company spends at a fire. Two clocks are connected with the repeater and when this rings one of the clocks stops. When the company returns from the fire the clock is started again and a record taken of the time occupied at the fire.

William McKinley.

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From Our Regular Correspondent.)

   WASHINGTON, March 7.—There is no denying that the present policy of the administration is aggravating and galling to the average American, regardless of his political situation. It is difficult to understand, when Spain is moving heaven and earth to borrow money and to buy warships to fight us, why we should not be openly preparing for war by having Congress appropriate the money needed to buy warships and to put us on a war footing generally, instead of pretending that the preparations for war, which the administration is making, not only to the extent of available appropriations but in anticipation of appropriations, are merely routine proceedings. We are not fooling Spain, and it seems nonsensical trying to fool ourselves. Mr. McKinley knows, just as everybody else knows, that there isn't one chance in ten that war will be avoided. He knows that the acceptance of blood money from Spain will not be countenanced, and that a peace at any price policy would have no supporters outside of Wall street and its connections. Knowing these things it is his duty to ask Congress to make the necessary appropriations to put the country in a proper condition of defense and to enable it to give Spain the thrashing it has been itching for during the last year or two. It is no valid excuse to claim that doing so would be a reflection upon the Naval Court of Inquiry. If so, Spain has been casting reflections upon that Court quite numerously during the last few days. But, as a matter of fact, would it be any more reflection to openly ask for the money from Congress to make proper and needed preparations for war, than it is to be secretly making conditional contracts for the same thing, in anticipation of appropriations that Congress has not even yet been asked to make? There is probably not a man in Congress who would ask that a gun be fired in advance of the verdict of the Court of Inquiry, but inasmuch as everybody now thinks that that verdict will show that the destruction of the Maine was not an accident, there is little doubt that a majority of Congress would like to see the administration openly making ready to fight after the verdict is rendered.

   Few men in Congress are willing to believe the rumors connecting Mr. McKinley's name with the scheme to buy Cuba from Spain. Some of his advisors may be in the scheme, but Mr. McKinley ought to know the people of this country well enough to know that they would bury every man out of sight, politically speaking, who dared to support the necessary legislation to make this country guarantee the payment of Cuban bonds which would go to the present holders of Spanish bonds. If this scheme is seriously pushed, it will soon be discovered that the universal sentiment of our people is millions for the preservation of our national honor, but not one cent for Spanish bond holders.

   It appears that the friends of Hawaiian annexation are afraid to try to secure annexation by a joint resolution, owing to threats of the opposition to keep Congress in session all summer, if they do. At a secret meeting of the Senate committee on foreign relations it was decided to make another attempt to ratify the treaty. If that fails, as it is expected to do, the whole matter may be dropped until the next session of Congress.

   The United States reward has been increased to $1,500 for the arrest of any person or persons who were connected with the killing of the negro postmaster at Lake City, S. C., and his child, and a number of government detectives have been put on the case. The members of the South Carolina delegation in Congress all say the State authorities are also trying hard to run down and punish the perpetrators of this barbarous crime.

[Cortland] Charter Election.

   Well, it worked again. The people have spoken and the bosses are again turned down. With one lamentable exception, Trustee in the fourth ward, the entire ticket nominated by the Democratic convention was elected on Tuesday. The old breech in the Republican ranks has been opened farther than it ever was before and it will be many, many moons before they again meet in harmony and put a ticket in the field which will command the support of the solid G. O. P.

   Furthermore, the new village officers are men who have won on their merits. Each man is particularly well fitted for the office he is to fill and the taxpayers and all citizens can rest assured that village affairs will be well taken care of.

HERE AND THERE.

   Lent. So is our umbrella.

   The horseless carriage is a novelty but the cowless milk wagon is a chestnut.

   The cold storage house near the L. V. depot has been filled with Dryden lake ice.

   A. W. Stevens moved his barber shop two doors west to No. 5 Railroad-st. on Wednesday.

   Barber Abe Newman in the DEMOCRAT block has added another chair in his shop and a first class barber has been engaged to operate it.

   Sousa's band was at its very best Saturday afternoon and delighted a large audience at the opera house.

   Rev. J. O. Corliss, who has conducted the Atlantic Cereal store on Railroad-st. for some months, has decided to move his business to Binghamton.

   Kellogg's Cash Dry Goods house have a new adv. Announcing the first special sale under the new management. It is for ten days and commences this morning.

   The Little York Ice Co. have finished their ice harvest for this season. Their houses are not overtaxed but enough has been secured and it is all of the finest quality.

   A maple sugar social will be given at the Women's Riverside Home this evening. The sugar is made from the trees on the Home grounds and is very fine. Everyone invited.

   Sherman's milk delivery horse took an independent spin Monday morning on Port Watson-st. and badly wrecked the wagon besides giving a free delivery of many quarts of milk.

   The Lehigh Valley railroad company last week discontinued 27 passenger trains on different sections of its system, and also largely reduced its force of section men in order to reduce expenses.