WHY I WANT TO VOTE

 

Rev. Annis Ford Eastman.

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, November 26, 1898.

"WHY I WANT TO VOTE."

A Fine Address by Rev. Annis Ford Eastman of Elmira.

   The lecture of Rev. Annis Ford Eastman of Elmira at the First M. E. church last evening, under the auspices of the Political Equality club of Cortland, was attended by a large and appreciative audience, representing the best culture and social life of our village. The pulpit and altar were draped with the national colors and adorned with beautiful floral pieces. One of the flags was of silk adorned with fine satin stars representing the five states of our Union that have adopted woman's suffrage. The five stars were yellow, that being the chosen color of the Political Equality clubs of the country.

   Mr. Harry Jennison presided at the organ. Seated upon the pulpit with the speaker were Mrs. W. T. Linderman, president of the Political Equality club, and presiding officers of the evening,  Mrs. Forrest, Miss Myra Morton and Mrs. Anna Bentley.

   The ushers were Miss Maud Linderman, the Misses Markley, Miss Pearl Williams, Miss Maud Grannis and Miss Mana Bishop.

   After the organ voluntary Mrs. Forrest read a scripture lesson which was followed by prayer by Miss Myra Norton. The president of the evening then introduced the speaker. Her subject had been announced as "Woman's Rights," but she proceeded to answer the question, "Why I Want to Vote?"

   After a pleasant introduction she proceeded to give as her first reason for desiring to vote, that she wanted to be in good company. Then followed a list of the most distinguished advocates of Woman's suffrage in the country with bright, eulogistic comments upon each name.

   Her main argument was that men and women should be at liberty to work out their own best nature in everything. The home was woman's sphere, but the state was only an expansion of the home. Women had a sphere in the state as well as in the home.

   No short sketch could adequately represent the address which was listened to with the profoundest attention and received with cheers at its close. It was a strong convincing argument, most pleasingly delivered, piquant yet softened with keen wit and quiet sarcasm. Mrs. Eastman is a small woman with strongly marked intellectual features, a pleasant, rich voice, and most pleasing manner. She is persuasive and not vehement. She speaks quietly and with perfect ease and yet is easily heard in very part of the house. The Political Equality club honored itself as well as Cortland by bringing her here.

   At the close of the address Mrs. Anne Bentley asked for a collection in such adroitly witty phraseology that a generous response must have been the result.

   The National hymn was sung and the benediction was pronounced by Dr. Houghton.

 

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

Proceedings of Cortland County Lawmakers and Financiers.

Eleventh Day, Saturday, Nov. 26.

   After rollcall and reading of the Journal of the previous day an invitation was received from Superintendent of the Poor M. G. Frisbie asking the board to visit the almshouse either in a body or by committee. On motion of Mr. Bennett, the invitation was accepted and the board will be represented by the committee already appointed.

   On motion of Mr. Crosley:

   Resolved. That the collectors of the several towns of Cortland county are hereby authorized to pay over to the supervisors of their respective towns the amount of moneys raised for school purposes, taking a receipt therefor which receipt shall be allowed by county treasurer in settlement with collector.

   On motion of Mr. Chaplin:

   Resolved, That the bill of Dougherty & Miller for $44 for legal services in laying out a highway across the lands of A. Courtney and others be added to the town abstract of said town, the same being properly verified.

   On motion of Mr. Tuttle:

   Resolved, That the compensation of the clerk of this board shall be $150 for the annual session—$100 to be paid at the close of the session and $50 to be paid when the proceedings of this board are delivered to the supervisors.

   On motion of Mr. Tuttle:

   Resolved, That the compensation of the janitor for the session be fixed at $40 and the clerk be and hereby is authorized at the close of this session to draw an order on the county treasurer for the same.

   On motion of Mr. Wallace:

   Resolved, That the bill of Keator, Wells & Co., $25, for use of polling place be added to the abstract of the town of Cortlandville, the same being as per contract, properly verified, but not presented to the town board in time for audit.

   On motion of Mr. Wallace:

   Resolved, That the bill of Beard & Peck against the town of Cortlandville for $12 be taken from the abstract of said town and added to the county abstract, the same being properly a county charge.

   The bids for printing 3,500 copies of the supervisor's journal were then opened, and the bid of the Homer Republican, $2.38 per page being the lowest, on motion of Mr. Kinyon, the clerk was authorized to execute a contract with the publishers of that paper for printing the same.

   On motion of Mr. Coe the board adjourned till Monday, Nov. 28 at 10 A. M.

 

BIG CHANGES IN CUBA.

Attempt at Civil Government Under Cuban Control.

SANTIAGO MAYOR APPOINTED.

Other Appointments of Importance Will Soon Follow—First Body of American Troops Land at Havana and Go Into Camp—No Trouble of Any Kind Occurs.

   SANTIAGO, Cuba, Nov. 26.—Some time ago Major McLeary, whom General Wood had appointed mayor of Santiago, requested to be relieved of his mayoralty duties and to return to his military post. This request has been granted.

   In the opinion of General Wood, it is preferable to appoint to the mayoralty a civilian acceptable to the Cubans and he has appointed as Major McLeary's successor Senor Bacardi, an old resident. He is anxious to give the mayor as much authority as is compatible with military jurisdiction.

   The new mayor will conform to General Wood's ideas, which are to give the Cubans every opportunity to show themselves capable of self government. The first official act of Mayor Bacardi was to discharge the entire clerical force in the mayor's office and to employ Cubans who had served in the war.

   He will shortly issue a manifesto to the effect that he intends encouraging the city's development and giving employment so far as conditions will permit to worthy persons. He will promise to look closely to the general interests of the community and will call upon all Cubans to obey the laws and thus promote the prosperity of the country and to insure the happiness of its people. General Wood has high hopes of this first attempt at civil government under Cuban control.

   The appointment of supreme court judges for Santiago province will soon be made and, as the local bar association has put forward several names, General Wood will probably select from among these.

 

TROOPS IN HAVANA.

With Colors Flying Our Soldiers Go Into Camp on Cuban Soil.

   HAVANA, Nov. 26.—All four companies of the Second regiment volunteer engineers which arrived off Mariano beach on board the United States transport Florida, landed at the Mariano wharf with colors flying. They formed at the landing place and marched straight for their camp, two miles away, filing past General Greene and his staff, who on horseback reviewed the men as they passed. All the men, with the exception of five who are still suffering from seasickness and were taken to the camp by train, were in line, and all are in good spirits and fit for duty.

   One hundred and fifty Cubans of General Menocal's division were employed in clearing the camp site and soon the tents were being pitched for the first American camp at Havana.

   Passports were delivered to the aides-de-camp on General Blanco's staff, who will sail for Spain on the steamer Juan Forgasion on Dec. 13. On the steamer, it is announced, will embark Marshal Blanco, General Solano and his staff and the officials employed at Blanco's headquarters.

 

OUR POSTAL SERVICE.

How It Has Been Extended Into New Territory.

POSTMASTER GENERAL'S REPORT.

The War Entailed the Necessity of a Military Postal Service and Prompt Measures Were Required For Handling the Mails—No Developments in Hawaii.

   WASHINGTON. Nov. 26.—The most interesting review of the postal service for some years, owing to its operations in military and naval fields is the report of Postmaster General Charles Emory Smith. Aside from the discussion of the regular branches of the department it tells of the work accomplished and policies adopted in our territorial acquisitions. The postmaster general says:

   "The war entailed the necessity of a military postal service and prompt measures were required for handling the mails of an army of a quarter of a million men. Large postoffices were suddenly created at the camps of concentration, the exigencies of constant changes and movements were met and the military and naval forces on active service in the West Indies and Philippines have had prompt and constant postal communication with home. These military postoffices were clothed with all postal powers. Some of the larger camps increased the volume of postal business to that of cities of high rank. Quick and intelligent management was demanded and trained clerks detailed from available points."

   "Railway mail cars were stationed at convenient points on side tracks as postoffices. To provide bonded officials and postal supplies for these offices were constituted branches of some city office. At some camps a temporary rural free delivery service was operated. A special appropriation of $50,000 by congress for military postal services was inadequate and with our campaigns on remote soil already has been exhausted."

   Continuing, the report says:

   "When our troops advanced into Cuba, the postal service advanced with them. When Santiago surrendered United States Postal Agent Eben Brewer took possession of the postoffice of that city, and made it the military postoffice. He removed the Spanish director and 10 of its large force of clerks, retaining some as interpreters, and gave the office a far better footing with a much smaller force. Now there are four deliveries in the business portion of Santiago city, and regular mail communication has been established with Havana and intermediate seaports and with Jamaica and other West Indian islands. Service also has been extended into Santiago province.

   "The postal service accompanied our arms and our flag to Porto Rico. From Ponce it was extended as rapidly as different places passed into our possession until now there are 12 military postal stations there, having postal connections with many smaller places. They are under the direction of a superintendent detailed from the railway mail service who acts in conjunction with the military commander, with a force of six railway mall clerks, three postal agents and 32 clerks, including four Spanish translators.

   "In the Philippines two military postal stations have been established at Manila and Cavite, supervised by a veteran division superintendent detailed from San Francisco and conducted by a force or railway mail and postoffice clerks and agents assisted by details from the army of occupation.

   "When Porto Rico and portions of Cuba and the Philippines passed into the military possession of the United States measures for the continuance or restoration of general mail facilities seemed to be an essential element of the beneficent presence of American authority. By order of the president the establishment of the postal service followed the extension of military occupation. In harmony with the general policy adopted for the administration of the civil instructions in the region which thus came under our control, the local system and provisions were retained as far as practicable and adapted to our methods.

   "The general postal service was associated with the military postal service and operated by the same machinery. No new appointments, save in one or two instances, were made. Trained men from our home service were detailed as superintendents and agents and placed in charge of the larger offices, retaining such of the old employees as were needed or could be made available. In the smaller places, the old postmasters are continued or other local officers are found. There has already been a great improvement over the old Spanish service and the work has only just begun.

   "The acquisition of Hawaii has not thus far been followed by any change in our postal relations with that country. The absorption of its postal system into our own and the exercise of our control, like the incorporation of other features of its local administration, have awaited the report of the congressional committee and the legislation which will show. There was more reason for observing this obligation as Hawaii already has a good mail service which is more than self-sustaining.

 

LADIES' MILITARY BAND.

To Play at Normal Hall on Wednesday Evening, Nov. 30.

   The Ladies' Military band of Boston will give the second entertainment in the Normal course at Normal hall next Wednesday evening, Nov. 30, at 8 o'clock. The Syracuse Standard of Nov. 1 says:

   The first entertainment in the Star course arranged by the Y. M. C. A. took place last evening at Wieting opera house. It was a concert given by the Boston Ladles' Military band and was much enjoyed by the large audience present. A military band composed entirely of women is certainly a novelty. The band is composed of twenty pieces and is under the leadership of D. W. Howard. A brass instrument seems rather an unnatural thing for a woman to play, but the Boston band played with a remarkable smoothness and vivacity, the pianissimos being rendered very effectively. The climaxes lacked strength at times but in every other particular it was demonstrated that women can play brass instruments quite as well as the sterner sex. They certainly made a most attractive appearance on the stage, the uniform being pure white with the exception of enough gold braid to give a military aspect. The managers of the Star course are to be congratulated on obtaining such a strong attraction for their initial entertainment.

   Course tickets can still be obtained for the remainder of the entertainments, and single tickets for this concert with reserved seats can be secured at McKinney & Doubleday's.

 

BREVITIES.

   —Rev. D. W. Clark will address the 4 o'clock meeting in the Y. M. C. A. rooms to-morrow afternoon.

   —The Syracuse Courier will begin the publication of an evening edition Dec. 1, to be conducted in connection with the morning edition.

   —The case of Norman Thompson against the Village of Cortland to recover for alleged damages to his garden produce by reason of the overflow of surface water on Elm-st. has been adjourned until Dec. 15.

   —New display advertisements to-day are— Peck. Groceries, page 6; C. F. Brown, Huyler's candies, page 6; McKinney & Doubleday, Standard diaries for 1899, page 6; Stowell, Holiday goods, page 8.

 

A Theatre on Wheels.

   The Lehigh Valley, says an exchange, is constructing a novelty in cars. It is a theatrical car, to be introduced on its through trains. There will be a stage, with footlights, trapdoor, scenery, curtain and thunder and lightning and paper snow. A tank will also be there for special occasions and thrilling scenes of railroad wrecks and hairbreadth escapes to reassure the travelers. There will be continuous performances between New York and Buffalo, with a galaxy of soubrettes, leading ladies and funny men always on hand. A passage on this swell vaudeville car will cost $2 beyond the usual rate.