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| Alfred Milner. |
The Cortland Democrat, Friday, September 22, 1899.
SEES NOTHING BUT WAR.
The Outlander Press Believes That Trouble Has Got to Come.
London, Sept. 21.—There is an unverified Cape Town rumor that the Boers have delivered another message to the British High Commissioner, Sir Alfred Milner, more conciliatory than the last reply.
The rumor, however, fails to obtain much credence, and is not taken as in any way mitigating the seriousness of the crisis.
The Outlander press sees nothing but war ahead and urges the Outlanders to leave immediately.
The London press is now inclined to take the view that the recent action on the part of the Boers does not make war a certainty, though it does place the British Cabinet in a position where it must take steps so aggressive that war or utter ignominious submission will be the only alternatives remaining to the Transvaal, and is by no means so persistent in urging the government to move hastily, except in the matter of hurrying troops to the probable scene of action. The Pall Mall Gazette prints a dispatch from Cape Town which says:
The general impression is that the Boers will at once take the initiative, and an attack is expected at any hour. Troops continue to leave Cape Town for Kimberley and the North and the first class cruiser Terrible, sailing from Portsmouth for China, is reported to have been ordered to go by way of Cape Town instead of Suez.
Nothing is yet known regarding the definite date of the expected Cabinet Council.
The British government is still rushing troops to the Cape as rapidly as possible, and the Cabinet has been called for a council on the situation on Friday.
SUPREME COURT ADJOURNS.
Will Convene November 8 For the Trial of John Truck—Grand Jury Finds Many Indictments.
The September term of [New York] supreme court came to an end Saturday afternoon, or rather took an adjournment until November 8, when it is expected that the trial of John Truck, charged with the murder of Frank W. Miller, will take place.
The following cases were disposed of Friday and Saturday:
Mary A. White against Robert Cooper was tried by the court. This action was brought to foreclose a mortgage amounting to $971.50. The defense was that the plaintiff was not the real owner of the property. F. M. Benjamin of Cincinnatus was appointed referee to sell, and the defendant was given ninety days in which to make a motion to reopen the case on account of newly discovered evidence. W. F. Jenks for plaintiff; John H. Murray for defendant Cooper.
In the case of James Kelly and Mary A. Quinn against Sebastian Lohr and Harry B. Lohr, judgment was rendered against Sebastian Lohr for $155.18 besides the cost of the action. The Messrs. Lohr in 1898 bought the cigar store conducted by the plaintiffs, giving two promissory notes. The plaintiffs later learned that Harry B. Lohr, one of the defendants, was under age, and upon stipulations judgment was entered as above stated. E. E. Mellon for plaintiffs; I. H. Palmer for defendants.
Evidence in the case of J. Price Rounds against George H. Hart was taken, and upon motion of Attorney John Courtney a non-suit was granted and the case was dismissed upon the ground that no evidence of fraud had been produced. The action was brought to recover upon a check for $200. Bronson & Davis for plaintiff; John Courtney, Jr., for defendant.
The jury in the case of Orville Pickert against Constable B. Smith, an action brought to recover damages for an alleged assault, rendered a verdict for $25 in favor of the plaintiff. This sum was so small that the plaintiff's attorneys moved for a new trial, which was denied, and the plaintiff was given sixty days to prepare an appeal, Bronson & Davis for plaintiff; I. H. Palmer and John Courtney, Jr. for defendant.
On Saturday the trial of the case of Maud Graham against Alvin D. Wallace was on trial before the court alone. The action is brought to set aside a deed and conveyance claimed to have been executed Jan 7, 1899, in which the plaintiff conveyed to the defendant her interest in certain property on Homer-ave. At the conclusion of the evidence, the court rendered decision in favor of Miss Graham, the plaintiff, and the defendant's attorneys were given forty days in which to make a case and exceptions on which to go to the general term. Thompson, Woods & Smith for plaintiff; Dougherty & Miller for def't.
YOUNG BRIDE IN TROUBLE.
Her Honeymoon Interrupted and Her Husband May Be Arrested.
Grace Pollman-Fitzgerald, a bride of less than forty-eight hours, whose widowed mother lives in Temple-st., Syracuse, passed a portion of her honeymoon period in a tearful way in the matron's department of police headquarters in that city. She was taken to Syracuse Sunday from Cortland, where she was arrested upon the arrival of the 6:13 train Saturday night, in company with her husband, Wm. Fitzgerald, by Chief Parker of the police force.
The girl, it is claimed, is less than 17 years old. She and Fitzgerald were quietly married by a minister at Fayetteville Saturday, it is said, and were interrupted in their travel at Cortland by a telegram from the Syracuse police. Mrs. Pollman objects to the marriage on the ground that her daughter is under the age of consent.
Fitzgerald, who was not taken into custody at Cortland, was a bartender some months ago in the employ of Hugh Corcoran, who conducted a saloon in this village. Corcoran disposed of his interests here and took charge of the Temple Hotel in Syracuse, Fitzgerald going there to work for him.
The Fair Wedding.
Our attention has been called to a communication recently published in the Standard, which was evidently intended to cast odium upon the recent wedding at the Cortland county fair, and which is construed by some to intimate that the marriage was illegal. This latter inference we believe to be wrong, as we cannot construe any statement in the communication as a suggestion that the marriage was illegal.
In so far, however, as it cast reflections upon the managers of the fair, Messrs. Beard & Peck, who arranged the details, the venerable Rev. Geo. H. Brigham, who performed the ceremony, or upon Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Delaney, the article was unjust and ill-advised. The officers of the society are gentlemen who would not countenance any exhibition that is not proper, neither would Messrs. Beard & Peck become responsible for any improper feature of the fair or any other entertainment. Mr. Brigham is known by nearly every man, woman and child in Cortland, and no one would dare breathe the least suspicion of anything wrong in his acts. The bride is a young lady known to the writer ever since her early childhood, and while she hesitated long before consenting to the ceremony being performed before such a large crowd, she finally acceded to the request that the marriage take place at that time after fully satisfying herself that the act was no more liable to censure than if performed in a church, where hundreds frequently congregate to witness such ceremonies.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
President McKinley will take time to go to New York to attend the reception to Admiral Dewey, and incidentally gain a little reflected popularity for use in the campaign.
There is every indication that the administration is much concerned over the situation in Ohio. Another western trip is on the cards for McKinley and his Cabinet, and rear platform speeches through that state have been scheduled.
Bryan's latest suggestion to ''license the trusts," while calculated to startle one at first in its originality, is a most excellent plan, for in granting the license, the Federal Government can make such conditions as will squeeze the water out of the stock and prevent the monopolization of any industry.
J. Pierpoint Morgan seems to have nearly as much control over President McKinley's administration in banking matters, as he had with that of Grover Cleveland. His visit to the White House was quickly followed by the order to pay the October interest three weeks before it became due, in order to help out Wall street.
The Western Union claims to have a grant from Spain of the exclusive right to land cables in Cuba. Whether this claim is well justified, it would seem might be left for the courts to determine, but the administration has interfered to uphold the monopoly to the extent of employing American troops to prevent the landing of a cable of a rival company. Thus it is again demonstrated that the big monopolies have good cause for favoring President McKinley's re-election.
That Gen. Otis is incompetent is now generally admitted everywhere outside of the innermost administration circles, but to few in this country was it known that he is a friend of the Weyler type till the press dispatches of Monday give it away. It seems that an army rule does not allow a private to address his commander-in-chief without permission from an intermediate officer, but an Ohio volunteer did not know this and wrote Otis asking permission to try the examination as a lieutenant, there being a vacancy. Instead, a friend of the general had him arrested, dishonorably discharged and imprisoned for a year. A letter smuggled into the mails to his father gave the atrocity away and it is now up to McKinley to release the lad, restore him to his position in the ranks and then provide for teaching the other raw recruits the technicalities of being a soldier. France is everywhere in the civilized world despised for her treatment of Dreyfus, and we want no such blot on our nation—rather first put such men as Otis in irons on bread and water.
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| William McKinley. |
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept, 18th, 1899—The panic of the administration over the situation in Ohio daily grows worse, and Mr. McKinley tells the Ohio Republicans who call on him that the state must be carried by all hazards. He sent a trusted personal messenger to New York to meet Boss Hanna when he arrived from Europe and tell him just how blue things look from the administration point of view; also to impress upon him the necessity of taking steps to see that plenty of money was provided for use in Ohio. It is probably the taking of those "steps" which caused Boss Hanna to stop in New York, instead of coming direct to Washington. The matter has been discussed in Cabinet meetings, and two members, Postmaster General Smith and Secretary Wilson designated to take the stump. Mr. Wilson will speak mostly in the agricultural section, his powers of persuasion among farmers being supposed to be wonderful, while Mr. Smith will talk mostly to city and town audiences. The ordering of the Civilian Philippine Commissioners home was also influenced to a certain extent by the Ohio scare. It is hoped to have the next fighting campaign under way before election day, and the Civilian Commissioners are gotten out of the way so that Otis can have no excuse for not pushing the fighting. So much for the Republican view of the Ohio campaign.
Democratic confidence in success in Ohio is even greater than the Republican fright. Mr. McLean, who is now in Ohio to remain until after election, is in constant communication with his Washington friends. He says he feels absolutely certain of being elected Governor, and he is not the sort of man to say so without believing it himself. From other sources comes the same sort of news. The Democrats are united and enthusiastically confident, while the Republicans are divided into factions, some of which would rather humiliate Boss Hanna whom they have never forgiven for the rough shod manner in which he kicked them out of the state machine, to make places for his henchmen, than to accomplish any other one thing. There is also much more Ohio Republican opposition to the imperialistic policy of the administration, and especially to the so far unsuccessful war in the Philippines, than even the Democrats supposed existed until recently. Much of this opposition is silent, and will hardly result in direct votes for the Democratic ticket, but it will increase the stay-at-homes on election day, which will be the next best thing to Democratic votes.
The objection of a delegation of Washington negroes, including a preacher and several ex-office holders, in calling at the White House, was a reminder of reconstruction days. They seem possessed of the Idea that Mr. McKinley has power to interfere with the proposed election law in North Carolina, and they wish him to put a clause in his annual message to Congress, recommending that the proposed election law be declared illegal because of its violation of the 15th amendment. Mr. McKinley is a strong partisan, but he knows too much to attempt to meet the wishes of these negroes, even if they were citizens of North Carolina, instead of being meddlers with what in no way concerns them. The "nigger" question will never figure prominently again in Presidential messages or in Congressional legislation. If unconstitutional laws are passed in North Carolina, or in any other state, the people can get them passed upon by the proper legal tribunal, without either the help or hindrance of the President or any official connected with the executive branch of the government, and the decrees of the courts will be obeyed by the people. The Supreme Court of the United States alone possesses the power to declare State laws unconstitutional.
Ex-Senator Joe Blackburn, who has been resting a little in Washington, preparatory to returning to the stump, did not give the story that Col. Bryan would not speak in Kentucky a chance to get fairly started before he headed it off by saying: "Mr. Bryan wrote me that he would be glad to speak in Kentucky and would leave the details to me. There was no promise of any number of speeches, nor were any definite arrangements agreed upon. I have written him that we will be ready for him any time after the first of October, and by that time, from present indications, the bolting movement in Kentucky will have dwindled away into nothingness and Mr. Bryan will have a solid Democratic party in front of him."
The naval officials responsible for assigning Admiral Schley to the command of the South Atlantic Squadron, the most undesirable flag-command in the Navy, evidently felt a little bit ashamed, as they took the trouble to give out statements about the intention of the department to increase the number of vessels in the squadron, the importance of the command in case of war with Central or South America, etc. The real object is probably to get Schley out of reach of inquisitive Congressional Committees.
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| M. F. Cleary. |
HERE AND THERE.
Cortland has been nearly depopulated this week, the Dryden fair being the magnet.
The McGrawville branch of the street railroad passes through a large share of Elm-st. in leaving Cortland, and enters McGrawville through another Elm-st.
The Tompkins-st. pavement is completed.
Tell us another town of 10,000 with two miles of asphalt pavement.
There are 543 students registered at the Normal thus far this term.
The Summer Hill fair will engage the attention of many Cortland people next week.
The night school at the Cortland Business Institute will begin Monday evening, Oct. 2.
The physicians of the county held their quarterly meeting at the hospital last Thursday.
There are several cases of typhoid fever in the village due it is alleged to impure water because of drouth.
The "harvest'' moon is the name of the orb which is giving us such splendid nights now.
A ride from Cortland to Dryden will banish all fears of an apple famine, if any such existed.
Those in a position to know say there are seventeen miles of bicycle sidepaths in Cortland county.
Since Cortland has become famous for its much paving the village is now styled ''Wheelmen's Paradise."
The grape trade in Cortland this season is very heavy, the price being within the reach of even a printer.
The maple and other trees in this locality are preparing to go into the sere and yellow leaf business.
The chestnut crop will be large, but the chestnuts themselves will be small, it is said, because of the dry weather.
Hoboes have given Cortland a wide berth lately, and for this deliverance the people are extremely thankful.
The Y. P. S. C. E. of the First Baptist church gave a delightful reception to the Normal students Monday evening.
A game of foot ball will be played in Athletic park to-morrow afternoon between the Normals and the Ithaca High school.
Strangers in Cortland complain of a lack of signs designating the streets of the village. Come to think of it, we are a little deficient in this respect.
The weekly recitals at the Cortland Conservatory of Music for the fall term will begin this afternoon, each being held at 4 o'clock. The public are always invited.
For this year at least, Friday and Saturday, Sept 29 and 30, will be public holidays, Gov. Roosevelt having so ordered by proclamation. All in honor of [Admiral] George Dewey.
The grounds on the east side of St. Mary's church, recently bought by the Catholic society, have been graded and made into a beautiful lawn, which is an ornament to North Main-st.
The thirty-first annual reunion of the 76th Reg. N. Y. Veterans' association will be held in Cortland, Oct. 4. Just 38 years ago Oct. 4 the regiment was mustered in at the fair grounds in this village.
It is said we must go back to 1854 to find another year of drouth as bad as the present summer. In that year the September temperature ran up to 100 in the shade and to 110 in the sun; swamps, springs and wells dried up and forest fires lighted the nights and clouded the days.
The officers of the Emerald stock company, recently organized in this village, as heretofore mentioned In the DEMOCRAT, are as follows:
President—M. F. Cleary.
Secretary—Daniel Reilly.
Treasurer—Henry Corcoran.
Material for several rice puddings was wasted on the D. L. & W. platform yesterday morning. We presume it is necessary, however, for the future welfare and happiness of the bride and groom who were the victims of the rice throwers.
