The Cortland Democrat, Friday, January 5, 1900.
Governor's Message.
The annual message of Governor Roosevelt to the legislature recommends some sweeping changes, in some of which he is to be commended and is possibly sincere while in all can be seen the partisanship of himself and the Tioga Boss [Thomas Platt].
The governor recommends that state and municipal taxes should be divorced and thus do away with the annual equalization of values between the several counties, avoiding a source of friction between cities and counties.
We hope the governor is sincere, as he certainly is sound, in recommending that the state tax should be levied on all classes of property and that corporations owning public franchises should pay their proper share of the public burden.
Unification of the state educational system and the appointment of a chancellor of the university are proposed. This is in accordance with the recommendation of the partisan educational commission and is purely political and diabolical as well, when the present excellence is considered.
The Horton boxing law is opposed and will undoubtedly be repealed. The National guard of course receives attention as does the development of the forestry system and the ideas are good.
It is with the trusts that Teddy got in his fine work. He had to say something—the people demand it—but their feeling and operations are in no way jeopardized by recommendation.
Thomas [Pratt], of 49 Broadway, gets in his fine work on the proposition to create a commission to remodel the charter of New York city. The easy Boss will never be satisfied while the Democrats have the present large majorities in the city and he has long maneuvered to gain the control of city affairs that he already has in the state.
With a scheme well underway to spend ten million dollars a year on the state canals for ten years, that passage of the message preaching economy becomes nothing if not farcical.
For further and complete particulars of the message read the text on page 7.
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| William McKinley. |
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Regular Correspondent.)
Washington, Jan. 1, 1900.—That queer things occur in politics everybody knows, but nobody ever expected to see Republican members of congress trying to get Democratic members to assist them in resisting what they call an underhanded attack on the protective tariff system by the Republican administration. Yet that is precisely what is being done. Republicans representing sections which produce articles affected by the several reciprocity treaties, negotiated under the Dingley tariff law, which require the approval of the house as well as the ratification of the senate, are trying to get Democrats to help them defeat the treaties.
Mr. McKinley pulled off his New Year reception without a scrap between those who have been fussing for weeks over whether Gen. Miles or Admiral Dewey should be given precedence. Gen. Miles was given precedence under the rule which has always been followed.
There is another row on between Gen. Miles and Adjutant General Corbin. It was started by the recommendation of Gen. Miles that this year's West Point class be graduated in February, instead of June, in order that the graduates instead of civil appointees might fill the numerous vacancies in second lieutenancies in the regular army. For some reason, Gen. Corbin bitterly antagonizes this recommendation. Of course he, as adjutant general of the army, has no personal interest in the appointment of civilians to be second-lieutenants in the regular army. Secretary Root is said to lean towards Corbin a little, although he has not actually decided the question yet.
While no one in Washington seriously believes that the Republican caucus will dare to endorse the bill of Representative Crumpacker of Indiana, which proposes to reduce the congressional representation and the electoral votes of a number of southern states, Representative Wilson of South Carolina, who is an able constitutional lawyer, has gathered a number of legal decisions showing the congress has no constitutional authority to do what Mr. Crumpacker'a bill proposes , even if it had the inclination, which he doubts. Mr. Wilson quotes several decisions of the U. S. Supreme court, one of which contains the following plain language: "The right to vote is a privilege regulated by municipal law, adhering exclusively in the state." He also points out that the right to vote has been denied by a large number of states. For instance, an educational qualification is required by Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Colorado, and Wyoming while the payment of certain taxes is required before citizens can vote, by Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Nevada. Mr. Wilson says the educational qualification imposed by Massachusetts debars a larger number of citizens than are affected by the constitution or laws of any southern state, and that he feels sure the best sentiment of the country, regardless of politics, sustains the solution which the suffrage laws of South Carolina and other southern states have secured to the people of intelligence of those states.
Secretary Gage's expressed willingness to answer any questions congress may ask him, concerning his choice of a New York bank to receive on deposit all moneys collected from internal revenue taxes, about $1,000,000 a day, and to distribute the same to banks in all parts of the country, as may be ordered by the secretary of the treasury, is likely to be put to the test very soon, as there are several things about this transaction which many senators and representatives would like very much to know. For instance, even among those who concede the legal right of the secretary of the treasury to give the free use of government money to some banks and not to others, which many do not, there is curiosity to know why a bank controlled by one of the biggest and worst of the trusts, The Standard Oil company, was made the distributor of these funds, and how long that bank is allowed to retain the money before distributing it to the other favored banks, and whether those banks are given the free use of the money for any specified time. It was this same New York bank that bought the old custom house property in New York, and while questions are in order, Secretary Gage will he asked to explain the legal jugglery in delaying the transfer of title from the government to the purchaser, by which the bank has escaped the payment of city taxes amounting to more than $120,000.
Boss Hanna was right when he said that the talk about Secretary Gage resigning was bosh. The interests which put Mr. Gage in the cabinet have more work for him to do for their profit, and nobody knows it any better than Boss Hanna. Mr. Gage could not resign, even if he really wished to, without queering [sic] himself with those interests.
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| Judge A. P. Smith. |
CORTLAND IN 1868.
(Continued from First Page.)
[First page is missing—CC ed.]
…take a sleigh ride. The company came to Cortland, where the gentlemen were dined at the Messenger House, after which they were tucked into the sleigh and started for home. The late B. B. Jones, then editor of this paper, closed an account of the affair by saying that he found himself unconsciously humming "O, would I were a boy again."
Hon. A. P. Smith was at that time county judge of Cortland county, Col. Frank Place was county clerk, and Isaac W. Brown sheriff.
On Easter Monday the annual meeting of Grace Episcopal church was held, and the following officers were elected: Wardens, Horace Dibble and W. O. Barnard. Vestrymen, Wm H. Shankland, Charles Turner, E. N. Johnson, A. D. V. Mills, A. S. Higgins, H. B. Hubbard, Wm. H. Crane and Henry L. Rogers.
At the annual M. E, conference held that year the following appointments were made for this locality: Cortland, E. C. Curtis; McGrawville, W. D. Fox; Virgil, O. L. Torrey.
What was then known as the old Cortlandville academy was managed by a board of twenty-one trustees, Horatio Ballard being president, Dewitt C. McGraw secretary, and Edwin P. Slafter treasurer.
In the latter part of the year 1868 Cortland became much interested in a proposed railroad line from Norwich to Auburn via Cortland. A public meeting was held on the evening of August 24, at which a committee, composed of Horatio Ballard, J. S. Squires and James C. Pomeroy, was appointed to confer with the promoters of the line and with committees from other towns.
On the first of October two barns belonging to Wm. R. Randall, located on his farm just south of the village, were burned with about thirty tons of hay. This was the only fire in or near the village the entire year. At Preble a store house owned by A. H. Hoag was burned, entailing a loss of about $2,000.
BRIEF NOTES.
L. E. Warren formed a law partnership with Geo. B. Jones. Other attorneys were Messrs. Duell & Foster, O. Porter, B. B. Jones, McGraw & Reed, Shankland & Couch, Waters & Waters. Riley Champlin was admitted to the bar in November of that year.
The Cortland House was conducted by Wheeler & Co., the Messenger House by Wm. N. Copeland, and Sperry's Hotel by D. J, Sperry.
On May 1, John E. Peck and W. A. Pierce formed a partnership for the manufacture of cigars.
In February H. D. Totman took possession of the hotel in McGrawville.
During the summer H. M. Kellogg was appointed deputy county clerk in place of Chas. T. Saxton who had formed a law partnership with Arthur Holmes. Mr. Saxton later became lieutenant governor of the state.
In the spring of that year Messrs. E. P. Slafter and E. P. Sumner bought a stock of dry goods of A. Burnham.
In January, 1868, A. Mahan, who is widely known as any business man in Cortland at the present time, bought a book store of Geo. W. Apgar.
At that time Thos. H. Howard, who is still a hale, hearty gentleman, conducted a livery stable, and it is said no man in the town had a better knowledge of horse flesh than Mr. Howard.
W. D. Tisdale, H. C. Blodgett and Lucien Hale sold plaster, coal, flour, feed and groceries.
Among other business men were: L. D. Garrison, bakery and confectionery; J. C. Carmichael, furniture; Rouse, Hubbard & Co., groceries; Dickinson & McGraw, shoes; Kent & Sperry, clothing; J. S. Squires & Co., dry goods; Henry F. Benton, lumber; Abner L. Smith, drugs; Cornwell & Lohler, ice.
(In our next issue all important events occurring during 1869 will appear in the DEMOCRAT.—ED.)
HERE & THERE.
Secretary Gage and the Standard Oil bank make almost as good a combination as do Roosevelt and T. C. Platt.
McKinley does not support Mr. Quay in his efforts to set aside Senatorial precedent. Each seems to have troubles of his own.
The state department has instructed its counsel, by mail, to investigate those flour seizures. He will get the letter in about four months.
Secretary Gage has set the pot boiling by his favoritism to New York banks and he will be in hot water till he resigns or his term expires. Party leaders realize that the glaring charges against the secretary are bad things to carry into a campaign and all kinds of diplomacy will be brought about, as with Alger, to remove him.
Great Britain is using Spain's old tactics of reporting the great success of her arms against the Boers by wire from the seat of action when in reality the opposite is true. The truth has usually come out next day and made the matter worse. A crisis seems at hand in English affairs and a general turning out of the officials who have made the blunders accountable for many losses so far.
Could you do it Monday? Write 1900, we mean.
Those who started the new year right are cheered by the assurance that well begin is half done.
The receipts at the New Year's turkey dinner given by the Homer-ave. M. E. church were $35.
It is stated from high authority that a new time table for the Lackawanna railroad will be issued soon.
Don't flatter yourself that you are a year ahead of everybody else because you think the twentieth century has already commenced. It hasn't.
The wife of H. L. Beach, court stenographer, who is well known among the legal fraternity of Cortland, died suddenly at her home in Binghamton Wednesday.
W. Watkins of Cortland took possession of the East River Milling company's property at East River on Monday. He will move his family to that place soon.
Monday was a good time to turn over a new leaf, but it was not necessary to wet the thumb in order to do it. Still, wetting the thumb is a more successful plan, as a rule, than wetting the whistle.
Dr. Sornberger on Wednesday took Mr. Albert Saxton of No. 34 Owego-St., to St. Joseph's hospital, Syracuse, where it is hoped to ease his condition, which has confined him to the house for some time.
Who is to be the first citizen of Cortland to own and operate an automobile? Many are amply able to indulge in the new method of travel. Why would not one of our local liveries make a hit by getting an automobile?
It is awful to think of the lung power wasted in that controversy as to just when the present century ends and the new one begins, and it becomes more awful when one really stops to consider that there is really but one side to the question.
In the death of George Allport, which occurred last Saturday, Cortland loses a gentleman who was an honor to the town. Honest, reliable and industrious, he was one of that class of men whose daily life tends to elevate his fellow men. The Memorial Baptist church will especially miss wise counsel and generous assistance.
Wm. Nash, who has been flagman at the Elm-st. crossing for many years, has been compelled, on account of his age and infirmity, to give up the position, being succeeded by F. D. Crofoot, who has been switchman at the junction for a long period. The latter work is now done by A. H. Mudge, agent at the junction.
F. A. Allen of Marathon has in his possession the rope with which Ruloff was hanged at Binghamton in May, 1871. The trial of Ruloff attracted much attention all over the state, the offense charged being the murder of a clerk in Halbert Bros.' store. The rope was given to Horace Root, at that time sheriff of Tompkins county, and by him it was given to the late Dr. Allen of Freetown, from whom it has reverted to P. A. Allen.
The entertainment by the literary societies of the Normal, which has been advertised for Jan. 10, has been unavoidably postponed to Monday evening, Jan. 15. This is one of the lecture course and promises to equal if not exceed the others.
The city of Syracuse recently made an addition to its police force of about forty men, among the number being Wm. J. McAuliffe, who was formerly a well known Cortland citizen, but who has resided in Syracuse for the past six years, Mr. McAuliffe was one of the Emerald hose company's famous running team in former years, and was active in all athletic sports, especially in local base ball matters. The appointment of Mr. McAuliffe is an indication that Syracuse knows a good thing and proposes to keep it.
The DEMOCRAT recently received by mail a notice announcing the marriage of Wm. Gailor and Miss Augusta Talbot, and supposing of course that it was reliable the notice was inserted in this paper. We have since learned that no such marriage has taken place, and we cheerfully make the denial, regretting that we were misled. The person who sent the false statement is a rascal of the lowest order, and deserves the condemnation of all respectable people.
Highest Cash Price Paid.
For iron and all metals, rags, rubber, etc. J. H. JOHNSON, 70 & 72 Pendleton St., Cortland, N. Y. Opposite Maxon & Starin's Coal office. Telephone 123 D. [Paid ad.]
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