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| William B. Wilson. |
UNITED MINE WORKERS
Convention Completed, Consideration of Wage Scale.
RAISE 12 1/2 CENTS A TON ASKED.
Demand Will Also Be Made For Proportionate Advance to Laborers. Will Affect the Districts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Pittsburg—Anthracite Miners Not Affected.
Indianapolis, Jan. 24.—The convention of the United Mine Workers of America, in executive session, completed the consideration of the wage scale, and Secretary Wilson announced that there will be no more executive sessions.
The mine workers decided to demand an increase in wages of 12 1/2 cents per ton on a run of mine basis, all coal to be paid for on that basis. A differential of 7 cents between pick and machine coal will be asked for.
The entire competitive district composed of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and the Pittsburg district of Pennsylvania is governed by this scale. The present run of mine rate in Indiana is 49 cents, and the increase, if granted by the operators, would make the rate of wages 61 1/2 cents per ton. In the Pittsburg district it would be 65 cents; in Ohio 70 cents, and in Illinois 61 1/2 cents.
A demand will also be made for proportionate advance to the inside and outside common laborers. The minimum rate of wages in Indiana for inside laborers is $2.25 per day.
It was said that the desire of the convention is to ask for a reasonable increase and stand by it. There will be no receding from this demand, it is said. It was the opinion of the majority that it will be better to make the demand which they expect to enforce, rather than to make a demand for a large increase and probably come down.
THE KIEHL CASE AGAIN.
Adam Kiehl Asks Onondaga Authorities to Take Up Case.
The Syracuse Post-Standard of this morning says: Adam Kiehl, father of Adam and William Kiehl, whose mysterious deaths have excited so much attention and which led Cortland county authorities to attempt to fasten culpability on Mrs. Maude Kiehl and her mother, Mrs. Adelaide Fenner of South Onondaga, began yesterday the circulation of a petition urging the authorities of this county to take up the case.
Mr. Kiehl believes his sons were murdered in view of the evidence obtained at the inquiries had by Coroner Santee of Cortland. The release of Mrs. Fenner and Mrs. Kiehl from custody has led him to take this new step in the case.
Yesterday morning he visited a number of people in the town of Otisco and obtained between forty and fifty signatures to his petition. Today he expects to visit South Onondaga, where both of the women live.
Mr. Kiehl's petition presents the facts of the case already established and calls on the Onondaga criminal authorities to institute inquiries as to the crime of murder and to prosecute whomever the evidence may point to as the probable culprit.
SALARIES FAVORED.
Common Council recommends Legislative Amendments.
MAYOR AND ALDERMEN FAVORED.
Mayor and Two Aldermen oppose—Four Aldermen vote for the Change— Changes regarding Paving and Assessment rolls—Some other matters.
An adjourned meeting of the common council was held last evening at the office of the city attorney to consider the matter of an amendment to the charter, whereby the offices of mayor and aldermen should be salaried. All the members were present. After discussion Alderman Skeele introduced a resolution asking for an amendment that would allow the mayor an annual salary of $400 and each of the six aldermen $200. Alderman Richards seconded this motion, and Alderman Wright called for the ayes and nays. Aldermen Yager, Richards, Pettigrew and Skeele voted in favor of the amendment, and Aldermen Wright and Ingalls against it.
In relation to the proposed amendment Alderman Skeele said that he had heard no one of the Sixth ward complain about the officers being salaried. The people with whom he had talked in reference to the matter supposed the mayor and the aldermen were getting a salary. Mr. Yager also stated that he had not heard any complaints from his constituents.
Mr. Richards thought that if the offices were worth a salary under the village government they must certainly be worth a salary under the city charter. Mr. Wright said that the people of his ward that he had talked the matter over with were opposed to the measure.
Mayor Brown renewed his objections to the idea of giving salaries, and said that in the first place there was a question whether the council could vote itself a salary. He said that he could not favor any such measure as it would be taking advantage of the people that elected him to office. It would be different, he thought, if the matter had been presented before election and the people had known what was intended to be done by the officers that were elected.
Mr. Pettigrew thought that if the officers were ever salaried some board would have to take the initiative in the matter.
Before the resolution of Mr. Skeele was made, Alderman Wright moved that the matter be tabled. This was seconded by Alderman Skeele, who voted against the measure. The ayes and nays were called for and the four who afterwards voted to ask for the amendment voted against Mr. Wright's motion.
The amendment as asked by the aldermen in relation to salaries strikes out of Section 14 of the charter the words "mayor'' and "aldermen" from the list of city officers who receive no compensation for their services and adds the clauses, "The annual salary of the mayor of said city shall be $400." "The annual salary of each alderman of said city shall be $200."
Other Amendments.
The other amendments that Assemblyman H. A. Dickinson will be asked to secure are given in substance as follows:
The paving act is to be amended so that the board of public works will have the power to force water and gas mains in streets that are to be paved. Macadamizing without a petition will also be incorporated, provided the unanimous vote of the board of public works is recorded in favor of such improvement. Not more than two-fifths of 40 per cent of the entire cost of the improvement can be assessed upon the abutting property owners.
The section in regard to the organization and procedure of the common council is to be changed so that the ayes and nays shall be taken upon a resolution only when these are called for.
The time for the several boards and officers of the city to report estimates to the common council is changed from between the 1st and 15th of October to the same time in November. The entire amount necessary to be raised to defray the expenses of the city is to be fixed by the common council not later than the 31st of December, instead of the 15th of the same month.
The common council is also to be given authority to provide a building line along any street, alley or highway, and no building may be erected inside of this line.
The time for the completing of the assessment roll is set down for August 1st, instead of July 1st.
In regard to the salary of the acting city judge the amendment will provide that the city shall in no case be liable for any services he renders.
The section in regard to limitation of actions against the city is changed slightly in defining what actions may be brought.
Pleaded Not Guilty.
Ella Wood was arraigned this morning and pleaded not guilty to the charge of vagrancy. The case was adjourned until Monday morning, and the prisoner was taken to the jail in default of $100 bail.
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| Captain William Saxton. |
WAR REMINISCENCES
By Captain Saxton of the 157th Regiment, N. Y. Vols.
THE BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES.
Presidential Vote of 1860 Analyzed—South Carolina Eager for War—President Buchanan's Easy Course—Several States Secede—Efforts to Treat With Seceders—Star of the West Fired Upon-Confederates Begin to Arm—President Lincoln Inaugurated—Bombardment of Fort Sumter.
(CHAPTER NO. 2.)
To the Editor of The Standard:
Sir—Let us analyze the presidential vote of 1860 a little. Mr. Douglas received 3 electoral votes from New Jersey and 9 from Missouri, only 12 in all, although his popular vote was 1,291,574. Mr. Breckinridge, with a popular vote of only 850,082 received 72 electoral votes. Mr. Lincoln was elected by a united North against a divided South. The slave states gave Lincoln 26,430 votes, Douglas 163,525, Breckinridge 570,871 and Bell 519,973. Please note those figures. The "fire eaters'' of the South were as bitterly opposed to the "squatter sovereignty" of Douglas as they were to the black Republicanism of Lincoln. The Bell-Everett party, the late American party, had declared its platform to be "the constitution of our country, the union of our states and the enforcement of the laws," and on that platform note its vote in the slave states. South Carolina at that time chose her electors by the legislature, so that in the above figures of the slave state vote for Breckinridge, her vote is not counted, but probably would have increased it to about 621,000. The total presidential vote in the United States was a little less than 4,700,000. Of those 621,000 votes for Breckinridge in the slave states not nearly all of them were for secession.
South Carolina Rebellious.
There had been a meeting of the prominent politicians of South Carolina as early as Oct. 25 before the election, and they had decided that in case Lincoln was elected, and they expected he would be, that South Carolina would withdraw from the Union.
Hon. William Boyce, a leading representative in congress from South Carolina, said in a speech at Columbia, Nov. 5, the day before election, "I think the only policy for us is to arm as soon as we receive authoritative intelligence of the election of Lincoln."
James Chestnut, Jr., a United States senator from South Carolina, said in a speech at the same time and place, "before the setting of tomorrow's sun, in all human probability, the destiny of this republic will be decided.
Secession was brought about by a very small number of the citizens of the slave states. The fire eaters of the South really hoped that Lincoln would be elected as that would give them the excuse they wanted.
Charleston Rejoices.
There was great rejoicing in Charleston, S. C., on the morning of the 7th of November, 1860, when it was known that Lincoln was elected. Men rushed to shake hands and congratulate each other on the news, and according to program South Carolina publicly seceded Dec. 20, 1860, and was quickly followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. I was teaching a country school that winter and boarding around in the school district as was the custom then. The political situation was thoroughly discussed around the firesides of the homes in the evenings.
Congress had convened Dec. 3 and President Buchanan had said in his last message, "how easy it would be for the American people to forever settle the slavery question. All that the slave states ever wanted was to be let alone." Now what the South really wanted was partnership and cooperation.
Buchanan is Easy.
When secession came, Buchanan said "he believed congress had no power to coerce a state into submission." This argument was taken up at the fireside discussions, a few would argue glibly that we had no right to "coerce" a state, and coercion became a great word that winter.
Then came the futile efforts of congress to conciliate the South. On the night of Dec. 26, Major Anderson, on his own responsibility, transferred the few United States troops and stores he had from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor. He did this because volunteers were flocking into Charleston, and he was afraid he would be attacked, and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan Island was not near so strong as Fort Sumter, situated in the harbor.
To Treat With Seceders.
Buchanan had sent a private representative to Charleston to negotiate with the seceders. On the governments part the army, to remain as it was unless due notice was given, on the seceders part no hostile act to be done while Buchanan was in office, he failed in his mission, but it was tacitly understood that this was an agreement and the secretary of war, Mr. Floyd, promised South Carolina that no change should be made in the disposition of the forces in Charleston harbor. So when the seceders found Major Anderson had indeed transferred his eighty men to Fort Sumter, they shouted it was an act of intended "coercion," but the Charleston Courier claimed it to be the opening of civil war. When the news reached us we feared we were actually drifting that way. One man in particular wanted to get my honest opinion, did I really think those slave-holders would fight, and I told him I thought it was a great bluff put up by them to scare the North into doing what the South wanted it to do, and this was the general belief in the North, so far as I knew.
The First Shot Fired.
On Jan. 9, 1861, the steamer Star of the West, loaded with re-enforcements and supplies for Fort Sumter was fired on from Fort Moultrie and Morris island by the secessionists, and she returned to New York without accomplishing her mission.
A constitution for the provisional government of the Confederate states of America was adopted Feb. 9 at Montgomery, Ala.
Jefferson Davis was inaugurated president Feb. 18, a confederate army was organized and principally officered by men who were formerly officers in the United States army.
On March 3, Gen. Beauregard, a former major in the United States army, was sent to Charleston and took command of the confederate forces. About the same time commissioners were sent to England, France, Russia, and Belgium, asking recognition of the confederate states and a like commission was sent to Washington but was not received.
We still hoped the whole trouble would be settled when Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated president. In the meantime the secessionists seized most of the government forts, arms and property within their borders.
Lincoln Inaugurated.
The 4th of March 1861 came. Mr. Lincoln took the oath of office and how it did thrill our hearts to read the noble words contained in his inaugural address when he said, "he considered the Union unbroken, and he should execute the laws in every state to the extent of his ability." And again, "the power confided in me will be used to hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the government. In doing this, there need be no bloodshed or violence, and there should be none unless it was forced upon the national authority."
On April 8 the government at Washington notified Gen. Beauregard of its intention to reinforce Fort Sumter, and he, Beauregard, was instructed by the confederate state authorities to attempt its reduction. Accordingly fire was opened on Fort Sumter April 12 and after a bombardment of thirty-four hours Major Anderson surrendered with all the honors of war.
W. S.
BREVITIES.
—A ladies' auxiliary to the Royal Arcanum has just been organized in Binghamton.
— Rev. E. E. Davidson will speak at the Sundayschool [sic] of the Presbyterian church tomorrow, and all members of the congregation are invited to remain and hear him.
—Mr. A. H. Greenlund of Jamestown arrived in Cortland this noon to be the guest over Sunday of Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Stilson. Mrs. Greenlund has been here for a week past.
—The Standard is indebted to Mr. E. C. Alger, clerk of the board of supervisors, for a copy of the Journal for 1902 which has just been issued from the presses of the Homer Republican and is a very creditable piece of work.
—New display advertisements today are—Rev. E. E. Davidson, Meeting for men only, Presbyterian church, Sunday evening, Jan. 21, page 5; McKinney & Doubleday, Artistic wall paper, page 6; Opera House, "A Breezy Time," page 5.
—The evening service at the Homer-ave. M. E. church will be omitted tomorrow night on account of the union evangelistic services. All men are urged by the pastor to attend the union service for men at the Presbyterian church, and all women to attend the union service at the First Baptist church.
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