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| Queen Regent Maria Christina. |
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| William McKinley. |
The Cortland Democrat, Friday, July 29, 1898.
SPAIN SUES FOR PEACE.
French Ambassador Proposes the Subject First.
ACTING IN SPAIN'S BEHALF.
Would the United States Consider a Peace Proposal.
WASHINGTON, July 28.—The initiation of overtures for peace has had the effect of suspending in a large measure, for the time being at least, interest in the military and naval situation. Though it is known through the open admission of members of the administration that the present peace phase would remain unchanged until after the cabinet meeting on Friday, there was still evinced a disposition to discuss the matter in its every aspect. Naturally the first point of inquiry was the exact shape taken by the Spanish presentation. Curiosity on this point remained ungratified and will probably be so for some time to come. Having decided that nothing more definite than the statement issued from the White House shall be given to the public at this time, the motive is a prudential one and the president has even gone so far as to suggest to the Madrid authorities the expediency of keeping the text of the Spanish overture from publication at this time.
The next point of interest is the character and extent of the demand likely to be made by the United States as the condition of peace. It is felt that the statement of terms of peace, both from Spain and from the United States, may be some days off, as there doubtless will be considerable diplomatic fencing at the outset before the actual point of stating terms is reached. A good deal of this for instance may result from the attempt to define the methods of approach to the object sought, whether through a commission or through the direct exchange of notes. There will be much discussion in all likelihood also, regarding an armistice, for it is the distinct purpose of the Spanish authorities to secure a suspension of hostilities pending the negotiations for peace. It may be that the application will he granted, but if so it will be only under the most effective safeguards to prevent loss of any advantage to the United States and upon binding pledges that certain well defined objects are to be conceded to us.
The president has discussed this complex subject with various members of the cabinet as they called in the course of ordinary business. Secretary Day and Postmaster General Smith spent some time at the White House, presumably exchanging views with the president. It is virtually admitted by leading members of the administration that upon only one point in peace negotiations is there likely to be serious friction and that relates to the future of the Philippines. As to Cuba and Porto Rico, our government feels that there is a reasonable certainty of encountering little opposition to our demands. The Spanish government might insist upon the proposition thrown out by the Vatican, namely, that the United States shall annex Cuba, the ostensible purpose being to secure full protection for the Spanish element left in the island, but while this would be a vexatious point it would yield to adjustment.
As to the Philippines, there is a full expectation of greater difficulties to be surmounted. There is reason to believe that these difficulties, like the Cuban settlement, will be rather internal than international in their character, at least from the outset. The president is firmly of the opinion that the United States has no use for the islands as a permanent possession. The gravest problems of government would result with the attempt to be made to annex them, owing to the heterogeneous and ill-favored character of the large population of the islands, while any effort to unite with other powers in a joint administration might be fairly expected to result as unsatisfactorily as the triharte arrangement between the United States, Great Britain and Germany for the government of the Samoan group. However, there are evidences that a large element in the United States are of the opinion that the islands should be acquired by the United States, and it is hoped by the president that before it comes to the formulation officially of the United States' demand public sentiment in this country, through newspaper discussion and otherwise, will have so far crystallized as to enable the government to perceive the popular demand clearly. It may be stated that it is confidently expected that when the two governments arrive at the point of actually fixing terms they will be found much closer together than is generally supposed.
It is felt by officials that with the diplomatic formalities out of the way the actual peace terms would require little time for arrangement, and it was even suggested that the anomalous condition might be presented of Spain's conceding at much or more than the United States felt justified in demanding. There is little reason to doubt that Spain has made up her mind to give up Cuba. It is almost equally certain that Spain recognizes that she must consent also to the abandonment of Porto Rico. With these two vital points passed there is every disposition here not to press with undue severity on Spain in this respect. About the only reason which would impel this government to insist upon an indemnity would be a further stubborn resistance by Spain.
Speaking broadly, the statement was made by an influential official that a settlement in which Spain conceded two vital points, namely, freedom from a war indemnity and retention of her control of the Philippines would appear to be a just balance of equities.
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| M. Jules Cambon. |
FIRST STEP TAKEN.
French Ambassador Acts for the Spanish Government.
WASHINGTON, July 27.—The Spanish government has sued for peace, not directly through the great powers of Europe, but by a direct appeal to President McKinley. The proposition was formally submitted to the president yesterday afternoon at 3 o’clock by the French ambassador M. Jules Cambon, who has received instructions from the foreign office at Paris to deliver to the United States government the tender of peace formulated by the Spanish minister. At the conclusion of the conference between the president and the French ambassador, the following official statement was issued from the White House:
"The French ambassador, on behalf of the government of Spain and by direction of the Spanish minister of foreign affairs, presented to the president this afternoon at the White House, a message from the Spanish government looking to the termination of the war and the settlement of terms of peace."
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| "Ladies of the wheel." |
WHEELMEN AND SIDEWALKS.
Misunderstanding of a Proposed Resolution.
There has not been as much agitation of the subject of the wheelmen using the sidewalks of Cortland in many years as the mention of the subject by Trustee White in the meeting of the board of trustees a week ago Monday evening brought forth.
Apparently Mr. White's good intentions were very much misconstrued for some one started a petition, which received some five hundred signatures, asking the board not to pass, at its meeting Monday evening, the proposed resolution of Mr. White. As matters stood then and now, there is a state law and a village ordinance in force each prohibiting wheelmen from riding on the sidewalks of the village. The validity of the latter has been questioned but that does not affect the present discussion. By common consent both the law and the ordinance have been a dead letter, the village officials from year to year desiring to give the wheelmen all possible accommodation. The ordinance was passed in 1892 at the request of Cortland's first wheelmen's organization, the C. C. C. C., as the state law provides a penalty of $50 for violation. The village ordinance makes the penalty $5, thus letting a wheelman off much cheaper in case of arrest. Since the ordinance was passed in April, 1892, wheelmen and wheelwomen have had the use of the sidewalks except between the two hotels on Main-st. [Messenger House and Cortland House] and with a few exceptions they have not abused the privilege but on account of these few, embracing all ages of both sexes, the majority have continually suffered. The disrespect and mulishness exhibited by them has been the means of the whole class being condemned by many.
Since the completion of the South Cortland cycle path many riders take a pace out the Tompkins-st. sidewalks that is very dangerous, and from riding that street at a fast clip they have come to adopt it on other streets and a halt of some kind became necessary. To meet this emergency Trustee White proposed a resolution allowing wheelmen the use of the walks only when the streets arc impassible. How this would be a curtailment of wheelmen's rights when they were, by law, not allowed upon the walks at all, we cannot see but some one thought they saw and proceeded to circulate a petition asking the board not to pass the resolution when it should come up last Monday night. Trustee Nodeckcr wanted the wheelmen kept from all walks from 8 A.M. to 8 P. M. on Sundays. The entire subject was argued at some length but no action of any kind was taken,
There seems to be a general misunderstanding of Trustee White's intention and upon the action of the board, many holding that the present trustees are responsible for the law and ordinance against the use of the sidewalks. Such are entirely mistaken for the present board of trustees have not acted upon the matter in any way and wheelmen's rights are the same now that they have been for six years.
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| Main Street, Cortland, N. Y., 1899. |
CONTRACT AWARDED.
WARREN-SCHARFF PAVING CO. LOWEST BIDDERS.
They Will Pave Main-st. with Asphalt, with Parkhurst Combined Curb and Gutter and Nelsonville Brick About the Street Car Track—Cost Estimated at $71,592.50.
Monday evening the village trustees opened the five bids offered for paving Main-st. The bidders were: Warren-Scharff Asphalt Paving company of New York, The Columbia Construction company of Syracuse, The Trinidad Asphalt Refining company of New York, The Metropolitan Asphalt Paving company of New York and The Trinidad Asphalt Paving company of New York.
Engineer Allen was not present Monday evening so an adjournment was taken after opening the bids till Tuesday evening. In the meantime he had figured out the various estimates. The Warren-Scharff Asphalt Paving company of New York were found to be the lowest and their bid was accepted.
Their bid on the asphalt was $1.90 per square yard, 32 cents below the next highest bidder, the others being: $2.22, $2.23, $2.25 and $2.29. There were bids on various options; stone curb and gutter and between tracks, stone or cement curb and gutter and various kinds of brick between the tracks.
The option best pleasing the trustees, except Mr. O'Leary, was the Parkhurst combined cement curb and gutter and Nelsonville block brick next the street car tracks. On this the bid of the Warren-Scharff company was $71,592.50, over $8,000 less than the next highest bid on the same option.
After an informal discussion in the office of Trustee White, the board convened in the office of the clerk about 9 o'clock and Engineer Allen read the figures on the various bids.
Trustee Sprague moved the acceptance of the bid of the Warren-Scharff Asphalt Paving company on an asphalt pavement with the Parkhurst combined concrete curb and gutter and with Nelsonville block brick between and just outside the rails of the street car tracks. The motion was seconded by Mr. White. President L. J. Fitzgerald of the board of trade then asked a few questions as to the comparative merits of the Nelsonville brick and sandstone blocks which were answered to his satisfaction by Engineer Allen.
An aye and nay vote was taken, all voting aye except Mr. O'Leary who stated that he would prefer a stone curbing.
Mr. Geo. C. Warren of the company making the successful bid was present and stated that work will not begin till August 13, on account of the firemen's convention next week and because it would take till then to get the bonds signed, etc., and to get the necessary tools and machinery here.
The contract requires the employment of home labor as long as there is any to be had at the rate of 10 cents per hour. Mr. Warren said that probably 300 men will be employed upon the job. As to where work will be begun he said he was unable yet to state, not having carefully looked into the matter. It may be in the center or at either end, but probably at the north end, as their plant will probably be set up at the south end and the unworked portion could then be used over which to transport materials, not necessitating a round-about trip.
Aside from the awarding of the contract little business was done Tuesday evening. Monday there was an informal talk on many subjects, the wheelmen's petition included, but no action was taken.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
Income Tax.
The adverse decision of the supreme court of the United States on the constitutionality of the income tax had the effect two years ago to array the Democratic party in opposition to the opinion of that court. The platform upon which Bryan and Sewall ran in 1896 and which received the support at the polls of 6,502,685 voters denounced that decision as having caused a deficit in the federal revenue and as having "sustained constitutional objections which had previously been overruled by the ablest judges who had ever sat upon its bench." It went further in demanding that congress shall use all its constitutional power, "that the burdens of taxation may be equally and impartially laid, to the end that wealth may bear its due proportion of the expenses of government." Probably no such sweeping and bold announcement of a purpose to reverse an obnoxious judicial decision was ever uttered by any political organization under any constitutional system that ever existed.
The Democrats, not having a majority of either house of congress since that famous declaration, have made no movement toward adopting in any way an income tax policy, but Hon. Mr. Jenkins of Wisconsin, a Republican member of the house, who is an income taxer, has brought in the following proposed amendment to thy federal constitution, which he proposes to administer to his party associates and to ask a vote upon at the short session of next winter. It reads as follows:
"The congress shall have power to levy and collect taxes both direct and indirect, but taxes both direct and indirect shall be uniform throughout the United States."
This would appear to meet all requirements, and its meaning seems beyond the power of any court to gainsay. If adopted, it would be the sixteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States.—New York News.
HERE AND THERE.
W H. Harvey has secured privileges at the Cortland and Dryden fairs.—Groton Journal.
The annual hop growers' picnic occurs at Sylvan Beach a week from next Saturday, July 30.
Druggist C. F. Brown's advertisement this week tells of his soda water. Its all right, buy it.
About fifty Cortland people went to Niagara Falls on the Lehigh Valley excursion last Sunday.
Cortland park has been doing a great business during the recent hot weather. Nearly all cars are crowded.
A regular meeting of the hospital managers will be held at the hospital on Monday next, August 1st, at 3 P. M.
The Cortland branch of .the Standard Oil company is now equipped with a large gasoline tank for bulk purposes.
Preparations for the Cortland County fair are going merrily on and it bids fair to exceed in every way all previous fairs.
The annual inspection of the Cortland fire department will be held next Thursday in connection with the grand parade.
It is stated that Patsey Conway, leader of the excellent Ithaca band, has been engaged to instruct the Ludlowville band.—Groton Journal.
Aaron Sager, Jr., and William Shaughnessey of Cortland have gone to the front with Seventh Artillery which left Syracuse Tuesday night.
Miss Grace R. Stevenson last week Wednesday completed a very successful term of school at Blodgett Mills with exercises by the school of much interest and merit.
Mrs. H. A. Bolles sold from her farm on Wednesday two 3-year-old heifers of the Holstein breed to Messrs Smith & Powell of Syracuse. They are to be shipped to South Africa.
Ben Peak, a Cortland young man, had a serious adventure with an Auburn bulldog last Saturday. While riding his wheel along Genesse-st. in that city the dog caught the front wheel between his teeth, throwing Peak to the pavement, breaking his collar bone and tearing off his left knee cap. Moral, muzzle bulldogs.
Mr. John Thompson died last Saturday, July 23, at the home of his son, George H. Thompson, No. 19 1/2 Winter-st., at the age of 83 years, 4 months and 11 days. He was born in England and came to this country sixteen years ago. He leaves two sons, one daughter, nineteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren. The funeral was held Tuesday morning and burial was beside his wife, who died ten years ago, in the Rural cemetery.
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