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| DONG FU XIANG. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, December 5, 1900.
TUNG FU'S PUNISHMENT.
Deprived of Rank and Title, but Retains Command.
WEAK JUSTICE FOR SUCH AS HE.
Edict Deprecates His Ignorance and "Roughness" in Dealing With Foreign Affairs—Rebellion in the South Shows Signs of Reappearance.
LONDON, Dec. 5.—"Native papers report," says the Shanghai correspondent of The Times, "that the court has decided to issue an edict ordering the decapitation of Prince Tuan and General Tung Fu Hsiang."
SHANGHAI, Dec. 5.—An Imperial edict deprives General Tung Fu Hsiang of his rank and titles but permits him to retain command of the troops. He has been ordered to disband five thousand men and to withdraw to the Province of Kan Su with the remainder.
The edict deprecates his ignorance and roughness in dealing with foreign affairs, but it is not regarded as of serious import.
A recrudescence of the southern rebellion is reported. The "Triads" are said to be getting fresh supplies of ammunition and to be preparing outbreaks in the province of Kwang Tung and Kwang Su.
Native papers express the belief that the court is preparing to return to Pekin, whither orders have been issued to send the rice tributes, instead of sending it to Sian Fu.
W. C. T. U.'S PETITION.
Powers Asked to Forbid Sale of Firearms and Intoxicants to Aboriginal Tribes.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.—The Woman's Christian Temperance Union convention, in session here, yesterday adopted resolutions against the army canteen and prepared a petition to the president, another to congress and identical petitions to all of the great powers, against the sale of fire arms and the importation of liquor and opium into the Philippine islands or the island possessions of the other powers addressed.
The petition to the president pointed out that it had been the policy of America to forbid the sale of intoxicants to the Indian tribes and that England, who had had the greatest experience among all the colonizing powers of the world, had been forced to adopt a prohibition policy in her colonies in Africa and elsewhere.
The convention therefore asked that the president, either through the war department or the Philippine commission extend the prohibition law of the Indian Territory so as to take in the Philippine islands.
A petition to the senate urges the ratification of the pending treaty for the protection of Central Africa against intoxicants.
A petition was also drawn up to Great Britain, France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Sweden and other foreign government asking for an international treaty that will forbid the sale of intoxicants, opium and firearms in all islands inhabited chiefly by aboriginal tribes.
LIFE PRISONER RELEASED.
Small Man Who Killed Big Bully in 1888 Pardoned by Roosevelt.
ALBANY, Dec. 5.—Governor Roosevelt has commuted the sentence of Timothy Donovan, who was convicted in Erie county, Dec. 1, 1888 of murder in the second degree and sentenced to Auburn prison for life. He was released today.
Donovan shot and killed John Howard in a saloon in Buffalo. The men got into a quarrel during which Howard gave Donovan a severe beating. Donovan thereupon left and went into another saloon and was followed by Howard who attempted to repeat the beating when Donovan drew a revolver and shot him.
Judge Kenefick who was district attorney at the time strongly recommended, the commutation, holding that there was great provocation on the part of Donovan for the act inasmuch as Howard was a quarrelsome idler of magnificent physique while Donovan was a weak, industrious and peaceable man.
THE GREAT STORM..
Telephone Service Paralyzed by Snow—Electric Lights Demoralized.
Cortland is to-day pretty thoroughly at the mercy of the great storm of last night so far as telephone, telegraph and electric light service is concerned. It rained during the afternoon, and just before dark turned to snow. The snow was as heavy as rain and weighed down everything. The rainfall and snowfall of the past twenty-four hours amounted to a total of .66 inch. Wires of all kinds were weighed down. Early last evening the electric light service was shut down as the sagging live wires were liable to do damage to property. But before the power was shut off the switchboard on the south circuit at the telephone office was burned out by the crossing of wires and nearly half the telephones in town were rendered powerless to call the central office. A little later the wires upon a sixty-foot telephone pole at the southwest corner of the D., L. & W. station became so weighted down that the pole broke off twice. There were thirty wires on the pole. The top break was 15 feet below the top of the pole and this section with the cross arms was thrown against the side of the depot by the pulling of the wires, this pole standing at the apex of an angle, with such force as to make the occupants of the station think that the whole building was coming down. The second break was fifteen feet further down, and thirty feet above the ground and this middle section was thrown into the middle of the street. This mix up of wires demoralized the telephone service of the east part of the village. It is believed, however, that it will all be in shape by to-morrow night.
The telegraph wires were in bad condition and after 8 o'clock last night the D., L. & W. had but one wire working out of Cortland and that was to Binghamton. It was in the same shape to-day at 10 o'clock.
The Traction company kept snow plows at work till midnight last night and had them out early this morning. The result is that the cars have been running pretty nearly on time.
Everyone had a big job cleaning walks this morning, as they were covered from four or five inches deep with pure slush.
Sleighs were out to-day for the first time, and ran very well on the pavement.
The trees did present a most beautiful appearance this morning and professional and amateur photographers got many a shot at specially picturesque scenes.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
Appropriations Very Low Notwithstanding the Expensive Murder Trial.
At 9 o'clock yesterday the board of county supervisors convened for the nineteenth day's work.
The consideration of the resolution of Mr. Hunt of the eighteenth day, that the prayer of the petition of George L. Cass, relating to his double assessment, be granted, being a special order of business for this time, the matter was considered and a vote being taken upon the same, the motion was declared carried, eighteen voting for and three against it.
On motion of Mr. Surdam:
Resolved, That the town abstracts be, and the same are hereby confirmed by this board.
Mr. W. H. Crane, a former member of the board from Homer and a former chairman of the board for many years, being present, upon motion of Mr. O'Donnell, he was accorded the privilege of the floor. Mr. Crane addressed the board for about ten minutes in complimentary terms.
At 10 o'clock A. M., the rules were suspended, upon motion of Mr. Hunt, for the balance of the day.
Mr. O'Donnell offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the clerk be instructed to draw orders in favor of S. S. Knox and J. E. Eggleston each for $5 for legal information furnished the board during the session.
Mr. Hunt offered an amendment that an order be also drawn in favor of T. E. Courtney for the same amount.
The amendment was adopted and the resolution as amended was upon a vote, declared carried.
On motion of Mr. Kinyon:
Resolved, That the county treasurer be authorized and instructed to withhold from the state treasurer all state tax levied and collected on the assessed valuation of bonded railroads that claim exemption from such tax under provision of Chapter 907, Laws of 1869, or subsequent acts.
On motion of Mr. Kinyon:
Resolved, That the medical society of the county of Cortland be allowed the free use of the supervisors' rooms for the purpose of holding their meetings when it does not conflict with sessions of the board.
Mr. Hunt, chairman of the committee on miscellaneous bills, submitted the report of the committee, which was, upon motion of Mr. Patrick, adopted, all the members voting for such adoption. The report showed the amount claimed to be $5,032.27, and the amount allowed to be $4,926.58.
On motion of Mr. Kinyon:
Resolved, That in view of the fact that other physicians than the duly appointed jail physician have submitted bills for audit by this board, for professional services at the jail, that the clerk be directed to call the attention of the sheriff and the sheriff-elect to the resolution of this board appointing Dr. P. T. Carpenter, jail physician.
The estimates for the ensuing year, as recommended by the committee on appropriations, aggregating $64,452.26, were confirmed by the board, upon roll call, by an unanimous vote. This is only $727.21 more than was appropriated last year, although a twelve or thirteen thousand dollar murder trial [John Truck] has been carried on the county this year.
On motion of Mr. Kinyon:
Resolved, That three committees of two each be appointed to apportion the state tax, to apportion the county tax and to apportion the school commissioners' expenses.
The chairman announced as such committees:
To Apportion State Tax—Messrs. Walrad and Allen.
To Apportion County Tax—Messrs. F. A. Phelps and Kingsley.
To Apportion School Commissioners' Expenses—Messrs. Peck and Johnson.
Dr. F. J. Cheney, principal of the Cortland Normal school, through Supervisor F. A. Phelps, extended a verbal invitation to the board to visit the school at some time suiting the pleasure of the board.
On motion of Mr. Kinyon such invitation was accepted for the second day of the adjourned session, Tuesday, Dec. 11, and the clerk directed to inform Dr. Cheney of such acceptance.
On motion of Mr. F. A. Phelps:
Resolved, That the county treasurer, having certified to the tax districts interested the amount of unpaid tax of each district, that his report so far as it relates to unpaid taxes be accepted and adopted.
At 4:30 o'clock P. M. the board adjourned to meet Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock A. M.
The supervisors adjourned this morning after a short session till next Monday morning when they meet for their second session to complete the work of the year.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
Treaties With Spain.
The war with Spain dissolved all the treaties of commerce and amity between that country and this, but in his message the president announces that a new treaty of extradition is approaching completion. He hopes also that a treaty of commerce may follow, though he does not say that negotiations are in progress. It is the opinion of the president that "we should not suffer to pass any opportunity to reaffirm the cordial ties that existed between us and Spain from the time of our earliest independence, and to enhance the mutual benefits of that commercial intercourse which is natural between the two countries."
The president announces, however, that an important treaty has been negotiated with Spain whereby that country sells several small islands to the United States for $100,000. This treaty will be submitted to the senate forthwith. Whether or not it will be ratified depends entirely upon how much importance the Democratic senators really place upon the doctrine of "the consent of the governed." The islands are inhabited and it does not appear that either Spain or the United States took the pains to ascertain what opinions, if any, the savages who live on the islands may have as to the transfer of sovereignty. But the principle involved in this treaty seems to be precisely the same as that involved in one of the most important sections of the treaty of Paris which ended the Spanish war.
The treaty of peace with Spain set forth certain boundaries in the Philippines, but these did not include several small islands lying westward of the Sulus, which were under Spanish control. The occupation of those islands by our naval forces brought forth a protest from Spain, to which we could make no good reply. In order to cure the defect of the treaty of peace and remove all possibility of future misunderstanding, the president directed the negotiation of a supplementary treaty, whereby Spain quits all claim and title to the two Islands which our forces occupied, as well as to any and all islands belonging to the Philippine group lying outside the lines described in the third article of the treaty, and agrees that all such islands shall be comprehended in the cession of the archipelago as fully as if they had been expressly included originally. In consideration of this cession the United States is to pay $100,000.
A failure to ratify this treaty would be foolish, and probably there will be no objection to it. The presidential campaign is over, and the Democratic senators will doubtless be willing to act as patriots rather than as partisans.
POLICE FORCE.
ANOTHER CHANGE MADE BY THE CITY OFFICIALS.
The Mayor Declared the Board Adjourned, but Alderman Thompson Took the Chair and Declared Police Resolutions Carried—Other Matters.
At a meeting of the common council last night, and when the board was about ready to adjourn, Alderman C. F. Thompson introduced a set of resolutions to rescind the former resolution of the board in relieving Officers Parker, Nix and Corcoran from their duties as policemen of the city, and to provide that their successors, Frank E. Fellows, Chas. W. Townsend and Maurice Sweeney be discharged from the force and that Messrs. Parker, Nix and Corcoran be directed to report at once for duty as policemen of the city.
Mayor Holden refused to entertain a motion concerning these resolutions on the ground that the police force had already been reorganized by the common council in accordance with the provisions of the city charter and that the appointive power rested with the mayor. Mr. Thompson asked for an appeal from the mayor's decision, and in the midst of a discussion concerning an appeal, Mr. Buck moved to adjourn. Mr. McKinney seconded the motion, and Mr. Thompson called for the ayes and nays. The vote stood: ayes, Buck and McKinney; nays, Yager, Thompson and Skeele. Mayor Holden declared the adjournment motion lost. After a short space of time, he then stated to the board that if there was no farther business to come before the meeting the board stood adjourned and with Aldermen Buck and McKinney, Mayor Holden left the room.
The other three aldermen remained and Mr. Thompson as president of the board in the absence of the mayor, then took the chair and the resolutions were brought up by Mr. Skeele and declared carried. The clerk was authorized to notify Policemen Townsend, Sweeney and Fellows that their services were no longer needed, and to notify Messrs. Parker, Nix and Corcoran to report for duty at once with Mr. Parker as chief. A resolution was also carried reducing Mr. Smith who has been the chief to the ranks.
Before the police matters came up, the bond of City Chamberlain G. J. Maycumber was fixed at $100,000. Mr. Maycumber asked that he be allowed a counter and screen in his office, these being necessary, he thought, to his protection in taking in taxes. The board allowed the improvement.
The matter of placing a flagman at the D., L. & W. crossing on Grant-st. was taken up and it was decided to insist that the railroad place a flagman at this point.
The bills for auditing were next taken up and the first presented, the police pay roll, was objected to by Mr. Thompson, and voted down by Alderman Skeele, Thompson and Yager. The pay roll provided for the salary of the four patrolmen, Townsend, Sweeney, Baker and Fellows for the month in the amount of $55 each and the salary of Chief Smith at $65.
Mr. Skeele then moved to pay the bill of Chief Smith and Patrolman Baker which was carried, all voting in the affirmative. Later bills of Messrs. Parker, Nix and Corcoran were read and objected to.
Other bills were audited as follows:
The bills of Jas. F. Costello and D. F. Waters for salary were not audited as they had not first been presented to the secretary of civil service commission for comparison with the official payroll and for his "O. K.," according to rule.
The matter of a tax budget for next year was discussed, but no action was taken. The matter will be a special order of business for Friday evening.
With the Gillette Skirt Co.
Mrs. Thos. Button, who has conducted a dressmaking and ladies' tailoring establishment for many years in Cortland, has accepted a position with The Gillette Skirt Co. She takes the management of the ladies' tailoring department.
Pomona Grange.
After The STANDARD went to press yesterday Pomona grange completed its election and elected the following delegates to the state grange: C. B. Hall, McGraw; Mrs. Daniel McNish, South Cortland; E. M. Tennant, Willet; Mrs. Julia A. Greenman, McGraw.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements to-day are—S. Simmons, High grade clothing, page 7; Hudson, Gray & Co., Crockery, page 7; W. J . Perkins, Chest protectors, page 7; C. W. Stoker, Groceries and provisions, page 2.
—George Capay and George Carey of Syracuse and Thos. Fitzgerald of New York, who were arrested last night by Officer Day Baker, on the charge of being tramps, were sent on their way this morning by Judge Davis.
—Cortland friends of Rev. Dr. and Mrs. John B. Calvert have received invitations to a reception at their home 15 East 57th-st., New York City, on Monday evening, Dec. 10, from 8 to 11 o'clock in observation of the fifteenth anniversary of their marriage.
