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| Chauncey M. Depew. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, January 13, 1899.
DEPEW FOR SENATOR.
His Selection Unanimous by the Republican Caucus.
NO OTHER NAMES MENTIONED.
Only Five Republicans Absent From the Caucus, and Three of Those Had Been Excused on Account of Sickness. Election Will Take Place Next Tuesday.
ALBANY, Jan. 13.—Hon. Chauncey M. Depew was named as the unanimous choice of the Republican party as represented in the senate and assembly for United States senator at a joint caucus held in the assembly chamber.
The caucus was presided over by Senator Hobart Krum and Senator D. F. Davis and Assemblymen Charles Adler and Richard Gardner were secretaries. The only absentees were Senators Coggeshall and White and Assemblymen Apgar, Fancher and Sprague. The three assemblymen, it was explained, had been excused on account of illness.
When Chairman Krum announced the business of the caucus to be the nomination of a candidate for United States senator, Senator Nathaniel A. Elsberg of the Fifteenth district of New York, Mr. Depew's district, was recognized and presented Mr. Depew's name amid much applause. The nomination was seconded by Assemblyman Frank Bulkley, who represents Mr. Depew's assembly district, the Twenty-ninth New York, and by Senator Benjamin M. Wilcox of Auburn on behalf of the people of his district, who had once hoped that Congressman Sereno E. Payne might be the candidate of the party.
Upon motion of Senator Wilcox, the secretaries were directed to cast one ballot for Hon. Chauncey M. Depew as the candidate of the party for United States senator. This done, Chairman Krum declared him the nominee and the caucus adjourned.
The election will take place in each house next Tuesday and on Wednesday both houses will meet in joint session to declare the result.
Chauncey Mitchell Depew, chairman of the board of directors of the Vanderbilt systems of railroads, was born in Peekskill, N. Y., April 23, 1834. Mr. Depew's boyhood was spent in his native village and there he was prepared for college.
At the age of 18 Mr. Depew entered Yale college and in 1856 was graduated with one of the first honors of his class. On June 28, 1887, the degree of LL.D., was conferred upon him by Yale. The year of his graduation was signalized in a political way by the organization of the Republican party and his first vote for president of the United States was cast for John C. Fremont. Although of Democratic antecedents his early interest in politics led him to prompt affiliation with the new party.
Mr. Depew was admitted to the bar in 1858 and in that year he was elected a delegate to the Republican state convention. In 1860 he took the stump for Abraham Lincoln for president and during the campaign addressed many large and enthusiastic audiences in the Ninth congressional district and in other parts of the state in which he was best known.
In 1861 Mr. Depew was nominated for the assembly in the Third Westchester county district, and although the Democrats were largely in the ascendant in the county, and hopeful of the district, he was elected by a majority of 250. He was re-elected in 1862 and his name was prominently associated with the speakership. He was made chairman of the committee on ways and means and was part of the time during the session speaker pro tem.
In 1864 Mr. Depew was nominated by the Republican party as a candidate for secretary of state and the campaign was an exciting one from its inception to its close. Mr. Depew was elected by a majority of 30,000. Upon the expiration of his term he was tendered a renomination by his party but he declined.
During the Andrew Johnson administration the secretary of state, William H. Seward, appointed Mr. Depew United States minister to Japan and he was confirmed by the senate, and for a time he was disposed to accept, but after holding his commission for four weeks Mr. Depew declined the office with the evident determination to withdraw from political life. He had already won the attention of Commodore Vanderbilt. In 1866 Mr. Depew was appointed the attorney for the New York and Harlem Railroad company and in 1869 when this company and the New York Central were consolidated, and became the New York Central and Hudson River railroad company, with Commodore Vanderbilt at its head. Mr. Depew was made the attorney of the new organization and afterward elected a member of its board of directors. In 1875 he was promoted to be general counsel for the entire Vanderbilt system and elected to a directorship in each of the lines comprised in it.
In 1872 Mr. Depew was the candidate for lieutenant governor on the Liberal Republican or Greeley ticket, but his party was unsuccessful and he shared its fate, but acted with the Republican party the next year and has canvassed the state and county for the party every year since 1872. In 1874 he was the choice of the legislature for regent of the state university and was also appointed one of the commissioners to build the Capitol at Albany.
In the struggle for the United States senatorship from New York in 1881 Mr. Depew, on the 19th ballot, lacked but 10 votes of an election and on the 34th this record was repeated and other ballots carried him very near to the goal.
In 1885 the Republicans of all factions in the legislature being in a majority of nearly two-thirds, tendered the United States senatorship to Mr. Depew, but he had become committed to so many business and professional trusts and declined the honor.
In 1882 William H. Vanderbilt retired from the presidency of the New York Central and the management was reorganized. James H. Rutter was made president and Mr. Depew second vice president. Upon the death of Mr. Rutter in 1885 Mr. Depew was elevated to the presidency and he held this office until April 27, 1898, when he was made chairman of the board of directors of the entire Vanderbilt system of railroads. He is also a director in a large number of other important corporations.
At the national Republican convention of 1888 Mr. Depew was a candidate, for the presidential nomination and received the solid vote of the state of New York and on one ballot 99 votes were cast for him.
Mr. Depew was delegate-at-large from the state of New York to the national Republican convention at Minneapolis in 1892 and he was selected to present the name of President Harrison. He was also a delegate-at-large in 1896 and selected by the New York delegation to present the name of Governor Morton for the presidency.
Mr. Depew is an active member of the celebrated "Skull and Bones" of Yale college and also of the St. Nicholas society of New York, the Holland society of New York and the Huguenot society of America.
He was for seven years president of the Union League club of New York, a term longer by several years than this distinguished position has been held by any other. On declining further election he was made an honorary life member. He was for 10 years in succession elected president of the Yale alumni association. Having ended a decade of service he declined a re-election and was made an honorary member.
Mr. Depew was married to Elise Hegeman on the 9th of November, 1871, and has one child, a son. Mrs. Depew died on May 7, 1893.
[Mr. Depew spoke at] three great national and international occasions—the unveiling of the statue of liberty in New York harbor, the oration at the centennial celebration of the inauguration of the first president of the United States, George Washington, and the oration at the opening of the great World's Fair at Chicago, celebrating the discovery of America by Columbus, in 1893.
IMPROVE THE CANALS.
A Bill For the Betterment of the Inland Waterways of the State.
ALBANY, Jan. 13.—Assemblyman Reddington will introduce a bill providing for the enlargement of the canals of the state. The superintendent of public works is empowered to widen the channels of the Erie and Oswego canals to a width of not less than 100 feet at the surface except through cities and populous villages where a width of not less than 80 feet shall be provided and to deepen the same to a depth of not less than nine feet of water throughout their entire length from the said cities of Albany and Watervliet to Buffalo and from Syracuse to Oswego.
He shall also cause to be improved the unimproved sections of the Champlain canal to a width of not less than 44 feet wide on the bottom and to deepen the said canal to a depth of not less than seven feet of water from its junction with the Erie canal at the city of Watervliet to the lake level at the village of Whitehall.
It is also provided that locks in the Erie and Oswego canals shall be combined where it can be done to the advantage of the state in reducing the number of lock lifts to the lowest possible number between the tide water of the Hudson river at Albany and Watervliet and the levels of Lakes Erie at Buffalo and Ontario at Oswego.
The bill makes no specific appropriation. It is introduced at the request of the canal boatmen.
WOMAN SUFFRAGISTS.
Leaders in the Movement Endeavoring to Have New Laws Passed.
ALBANY, Jan. 13.—A delegation of prominent woman suffragists came here to confer with the governor and leading members of the legislature concerning a measure which they propose to present later for the extension of the suffrage.
The delegation was composed of Mrs. Marriana W. Chapman of Brooklyn, president of the New York State Woman's Suffrage association; Mrs. Mary H. Loines, chairman of the legislative committee; Mrs. Lillie Devereux Blake, president of the New York County Woman's Suffrage league; Miss Harriet May Mills of Syracuse, state organizer and lecturer, and Mrs. Mary F. Matheson of Albany.
They had a conference with Governor Roosevelt and with Speaker Nixon of the assembly. Afterward, Mrs. Blake said that both had expressed sympathy with their cause and they had great hopes for the passage of the measure at this session.
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| General Nelson A. Miles. |
A VOTE OF CENSURE
Passed upon Gen. Eagan for His Attack on Gen. Miles.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.—The war investigating commission to-day passed a resolution of censure on General Eagan for the language he used yesterday when he appeared to answer the charges made against the commissary branch of the army by Major Gen. Miles, and returned to him the carefully prepared typewritten statement which he had left with the commission after reading it to that body. With its return was sent a letter explaining the reasons for this action and a copy of the resolution passed to-day.
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| Emilio Aguinaldo. |
SITUATION IS GRAVE.
Claimed That Native Troops Are Longing to Attack Americans.
NEW YORK, Jan. 18—A dispatch to The Herald from Manila, via Hong Kong, says: The situation becomes hourly more grave. The Herald correspondent visited General Aguinaldo's outposts around Manila on Saturday and Sunday. The native troops seemed enthusiastic at the idea of an attack on Manila. On all houses are displayed flaming posters bearing the inscription: "Independence or death "
It is said that the native troops in the environe [sic] at Manila number 30,000. All profess great hatred for the Americans. The correspondent was arrested frequently on the suspicion of being an American, but was released upon showing his consular passport.
General Aguinaldo's soldiers, one and all, are longing to attack Manila. They declare they will accept no terms except absolute independence.
Thoughts for Citizens and Taxpayers.
To the Editor of the STANDARD:
SIR—As the time approaches for village election the political pot begins to boil, and I see upon the streets every day the aspirants for police justice to succeed Justice Mellon buttonholing different electors as they meet, and from some of those with whom they have talked I learn that the candidates, five or six in number, who are so anxious to serve the people, are telling them that Justice Mellon has not conducted the office for the benefit of the taxpayers as well as he should. I have taken pains to look the matter up, and with your permission I would like to give to the readers of your paper the facts and figures as I find them. And in presenting these figures I desire to assure the public that three years ago when Justice Mellon was elected I did everything in my power to defeat him, believing at that time that we could not better the gentleman who was then acting as police justice; I believed this possibly because we had never had any other police justice except Mr. Bull, and he seemed to be discharging his duties very well and acting for the interests of the people, but I find that his successor has succeeded in making a better record as police justice even than he did, and the conclusion I draw from all the facts surrounding the work which has been done in police court since Mr. Mellon became police justice. In talking with a large number of business men and others whom I have met, I find also that they are almost unanimously for the renomination and re-election of Mr. Mellon to succeed himself.
Now according to the figures of the earnings of the police court and department from its organization down to the present year, I find the following to be the earnings in money which has been paid over to the village treasurer by the police justice and policemen. The years are given from November to November, as the town and county bills are payable at that time, as the town board meets the first Thursday after election and the board of supervisors the following week and all bills after Nov. 1 go over until the following year. The following are the figures as shown by the books of the village treasurer:
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1890, $836.90.
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1891, $828.55.
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1892, 903.50.
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1893, $401.90, less the town and county orders of which I have been unable to obtain the amount.
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1894, $257.55, less town and county orders.
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1895, $1,838.90. Included in this sum was $227.95 fines, imposed by reason of the violation of the excise law.
Receipts to November, 1896, $2,132 85. Included in this amount was $750 for fines imposed by reason of violations of the excise law. This amount was imposed and collected as fines previous to the election of Mr. Mellon. The present excise law went into effect and force soon after his election, so that during the three years of his administration as police justice he has had no excise cases before him whereby he could impose or collect any fines.
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1897, $1,979.72.
Receipts to Nov. 1, 1898, $2,312.95.
Now it is the privilege of every citizen and taxpayer to test the accuracy of these figures for himself by consulting the books kept in the village treasurer's office. The charter adopted in 1890 provides for the appropriation annually of the sum of $3,500 to pay the police justice's salary, the salary of policemen and other village officers, and the earnings of the police justice and the policemen are to be added to that fund, and if there is any deficiency it is put in the annual budget and paid by the taxpayers. Prior to the organization of the police court and the police force by reason of the new charter, the policemen were paid as night watchman by the business men of Main-st. in the village of Cortland. I was informed by the village clerk that there has been a deficiency in the funds above mentioned every year since the organization of the police court until last year, when there was a surplus amounting to something over $90, and this year the surplus credited to that fund is still greater, amounting to the sum of $423.23. I also find that last year Police Justice Mellon earned and turned over to the village of Cortland more than his salary. This year I find that he has earned and turned over to the village treasurer $376.70 in excess of the salary paid to him by the village—something which has never occurred before since the organization of the police department.
It must be remembered that when a police justice was elected three years ago there had been existing for two or three years a bitter fight on the excise question in the village of Cortland. At the time Mr. Mellon was elected it was openly charged that the whiskey men would run the police court and the police force. I ask any fair-minded man residing in the village of Cortland to point to a single act of Mr. Mellon's that has not complied strictly with the statute, or been subject to criticism in any way. Last year and this year, so far as I am able to judge from all the figures which I can find, are the first years that the police justice has earned more than his salary, exclusive of fines imposed by him, for the village of Cortland. This has been brought about by his careful business management of the office. The expenses have been less than any year since the police court was organized. He has conducted the police court in a business-like manner, and has been willing to listen to any suggestions made by any taxpayer or resident of the village of Cortland. Whether they were rich or poor, they all have always received the same treatment at his hands. He is a terror to the evildoers, yet always willing to do anything in his power for unfortunate families, etc. There has never yet been one of his decisions reversed by an appellate court where they have come for review.
A great disturbance was started last summer in regard to the Irving Carpenter case. In this case some of the distinguished gentlemen who desire to succeed Mr. Mellon as police justice at the coming village election succeeded in getting an appeal allowed by affidavits which showed upon their face that some of the persons making them either committed perjury at one time or another, or could not remember correctly from week to week. That appeal was taken from Carpenter's conviction and sentence by ignoring Judge Eggleston in not making the application to him, and going instead to a supreme court judge of the district, who hid no opportunity to know anything about the case whatever except as set forth in the affidavits. The appellant's counsel did not even show Judge Eggleston the courtesy he is entitled to, as I am informed by attorneys, by bringing to him, after the appeal had been allowed, the undertaking for his approval. When the argument was made in this case before Judge Eggleston, he immediately confirmed the conviction and sentence which had been imposed by Justice Mellon.
I do not know whether Justice Mellon is a candidate for re-election or not, but I, for one, who was opposed to him three years ago, say frankly now that I am for his nomination and election; and I believe that it is for the interest of every taxpayer and of the people of the village of Cortland generally, if he is a candidate, to re-elect him by a handsome majority. He has become thoroughly conversant with all the business pertaining to the police court, and be has conducted it in a dignified, impartial and able manner, and has made it self-sustaining—as I have said before, not leaving a deficiency to go into the budget each year.
I am free to say also that I do not believe that any man, I care not who he is, could serve as police justice for three years in the village of Cortland and not make some enemies who would be against his nomination and re-election. He always has been, and I believe is now, a thorough Republican, and has never allowed himself to be dictated to by any machine or by any clique of individuals. When some people have found fault with him he has said to them frankly: "I am following the laws of the state of New York, which I have sworn to obey, and if the laws do not suit the people let them be amended. I will follow any law which the lawmakers see fit to place upon the statute books of the state."
I believe that when you have an honest, competent man to preside over the police court of the village of Cortland, he should be sustained in the discharge of his duties so long as he faithfully performs those duties, whether it be rich or poor, great or small, who come before him; and I believe that the electors of the village of Cortland owe a duty to the village to nominate and re-elect Justice Mellon at the coming village election
Yours truly, A REGULAR REPUBLICAN.
ABOUT TOWN-MEETINGS.
THEY WILL OCCUR IN CORTLAND COUNTY FEB. 14.
Biennial Town-Meetings Hereafter—Three Assessors to be Elected—Each Town Will Have Five Justices of the Peace During the Year 1900—Provisions of the Town Law in These Respects.
There has been considerable discussion and speculation in the towns of Cortland county relative to the date of holding the town-meetings in this county this spring, the number of officers to be chosen, and the terms of their office. County Clerk H. T. Bushnell this morning kindly pointed out to a STANDARD man the provisions of the town law, and their application to the conditions prevailing this spring.
Section 10 of Chapter 481, laws of 1897, and Section 10 of Chapter 363, laws of 1898 are essentially the same, and provide for the holding of town-meetings the second Tuesday in February. The statute reads as follows:
"The electors of a town shall, biennially, on the second Tuesday of February, assemble and hold meetings at such place in the towns as the electors thereof, at their biennial town-meeting shall, from time to time, appoint. If no place shall have been fixed for such meeting, the same shall be held at the place of the last town-meeting in the town or election district, when town-meetings of a town are held in election districts. The board of supervisors of any county may, by resolution adopted at an annual meeting of such board, fix a time when the biennial town-meetings in such county shall be held, which shall be either on some day between the first day of February and the first day of May, inclusive, or on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November; and such time, when so fixed, shall not be changed for the period of four years.
This is the same as the old town law passed in 1890. The board of supervisors at their session in 1892 took advantage of one of the provisions of this law of 1890 and made the time of holding town-meetings the "third Tuesday in February." But the laws of 1897 and 1898 are new laws providing for biennial town-meetings, and County Clerk Bushnell believes that the resolution of the board of supervisors in 1892 cannot affect them, and is now of no force. No action was taken by the board in this respect at its recent session. The second Tuesday of February falls on Feb. 14, and on that date the town-meetings in Cortland county must be held.
Chapter 481, laws of 1897, provided for the election of only two assessors in 1899, and as the one elected in 1898 was only elected for one year, there would be only two assessors in office from 1900 to 1901. But Chapter 474, laws of 1898, corrects this by directing that there shall be three assessors elected in 1899, two for the full term of two years and one to fill the place of the one whose term will expire in 1900. This statute is worded as follows:
"At the town-meeting to be held in the spring of 1899, there shall be elected three assessors, two for a full term of two years and one for a term of one year beginning at the expiration of the term of office of the assessor, whose term will expire in the spring of 1900. At every biennial town-meeting thereafter held, three assessors shall be elected for a term of two years."
But this chapter does not correct what appears to have been an oversight in naming the law of 1897 relative to the election of justices of the peace and, in consequence each town will have five justices of the peace during the year 1900. The statute in force provides as follows:
"There shall be elected at the town-meeting to be held in the spring of 1898, one justice of the peace for a term of four years, beginning on the first day of January, 1899. At the town-meeting to be held in the spring of 1899, there shall be elected two justices of the peace for a term of four years, beginning on the first day of January, 1900; and at the biennial town-meetings thereafter held there shall be elected two justices of the peace for a like term, beginning on the succeeding first day of January."
In 1897, supervisors and other town officers were chosen for a term of one year, but from now forward, town elections will be held every second year, consequently the following officers chosen in each town Feb. 14 will hold their respective offices for two years: Supervisors, town clerks, commissioners of highways, collectors, overseers of the poor, inspectors of election, and constables. The terms of office of assessors and justices of the peace are referred to above.
"Two Orphans" To-night.
The Kennedy players presented "Teddy Maguire, the Irish Duke" to a well pleased audience at the Opera House last night. A very enjoyable feature of the program was the fine singing of Mr. Kennedy and Miss Hassan. They sang a duet that was well received and Miss Hassan sang a few German songs with the yodel. It is a noteworthy fact regarding the playing of this company that it does not permit specialties to detract from the high quality of the play or the playing. The specialties are not dragged in, but come in naturally and only to a limited extent.
To-night the play will be the "Two Orphans," and the management wishes to announce that the show will begin promptly at 8 o'clock sharp regardless of whether the audience has arrived or not. Those who wish to see the beginning should be on hand in time.
BREVITIES.
—The Avalon club will hold a social party in Taylor hall this evening.
—A regular meeting of the Y. W. C. T. will be held to-morrow at 4 P. M. at the W. C. T. U. rooms.
—Frank E. Price of Cortland has been appointed assistant librarian in the state senate for the present session of the legislature.
—The little rain which came at noon to-day has rendered the sidewalks very slippery and consequently navigation this afternoon has been made with difficulty.
—The Baptist church at McGrawville has extended a call to Rev. A. Bergen Browe of Waverly, Pa., to become its pastor and the call has been accepted. It is expected that the new pastor will reach McGrawville about March 5.
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| Lt. Martin Edgcomb. |
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| Major Andrew J. Grover. |
THE FIVE SERGEANTS.
Remarkable Record of Five Members of Co. A, Seventy-sixth N. Y. Regt.
Some veteran soldiers of the civil war were a few days ago recalling the rather remarkable record of the original five sergeants of Co. A of the Seventy-sixth regiment, N. Y. Vols., during that war, and the way in which they were present at regimental reunions during their lifetime.
Company A was raised almost exclusively in Cortland. Its captain was Rev. Andrew J. Grover, the pastor of the First M. E. church, who had been sent to this charge by the bishop of the Central New York conference in the spring of 1861. The company was mustered into the service Oct. 4, 1861, having been raised within the preceding thirty days. The five sergeants at that time were as follows: First sergeant, Samuel M. Byram; second sergeant, Ira C. Potter; third sergeant, Martin Edgcomb; fourth sergeant, Thomas H. McClenthen; fifth sergeant, Norman G. Harmon.
The term of enlistment was for three years. At the expiration of that time all were alive and all had been promoted. First Sergeant Byram was the captain of Company D. Second Sergeant Potter was the captain of Company E. Three months before the expiration of the enlistment of the regiment Third Sergeant Martin Edgcomb, who was then commissioned as second lieutenant re-enlisted for the rest of the war, and was transferred to Company D of the One Hundred Forty-seventh regiment. He was afterward commissioned as first lieutenant, but could not muster as there was no vacancy in his rank. He was with his regiment at the surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox. Fourth Sergeant McClenthen was sergeant major at the time of the expiration of his enlistment. Fifth Sergeant Harmon was promoted to be captain of Company G, but had to resign before the end of the three years because of injuries from a wound and illness as the result of imprisonment, having been captured at Gettysburg, but exchanged soon after.
All of the five were present at regimental reunions with great constancy. Oct. 4, 1886, twenty-five years from the date of mustering in the five men were photographed together in front of the soldiers' monument on Church-st. This was the last time they all met. In 1887 the reunion was at Newark Valley, but Lieut. Edgcomb was in Dakota at the time. Before the reunion came around in 1888 Capt. Harmon was dead. Before 1889 came Capt. Potter had also gone, and in 1891 Capt. Byram's name was among the list of the deceased. Sergeant Major McClenthen and Lieutenant Edgcomb are now the only survivors of the five original sergeants. The former is Methodist minister and is preaching near Utica, and the latter is still residing in Cortland.
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