The Cortland Democrat, Friday, January
1, 1892.
PAGE FOUR/EDITORIALS.
The Court
of Appeals, the highest Judicial tribunal in the State, handed down its decisions
in the contested election cases last Tuesday. The decisions are entirely satisfactory
to the Democrats, and ought to be satisfactory to all citizens, as the law was
very plain in each case. Sherwood, the Republican candidate for Senator in the
Steuben district, is declared to be ineligible for the reason that he holds the
office of Park Commissioner of Hornellsvllle. It will be remembered that the Attorney
General of the State gave his opinion immediately after Sherwood's nomination
that he was ineligible, and the Democrats posted notices of the fact in every
polling place throughout the district on election day. Rufus Peck, the Republican
candidate for Senator in this, the 25th Senatorial district, is held to be defeated
on the ground that over 1200 Republican ballots in the county of Onondaga were
marked contrary to law. In the towns of Clay, Camillus, Elbridge and Tully, the
Republican ballots were changed about so that the ballots indorsed "first district"
were sent to the second district and
vice versa. This enabled the Republican watchers to know whether the
voter cast a Republican ballot or not.
The law
on this question is as follows and is very plain:
"On
the back of each ballot shall be printed in type known as great primer Roman
condensed capitals, the endorsement "official ballot for—" and after the
word "for" shall follow the designation of the polling place for
which the ballot is prepared, the date of the election, and a fac-simile of the
signature of the county clerk. The ballet shall contain no caption or other
endorsement, except as in this section provided."
This decision will send Ryan, Democrat, for
Member of Assembly in place of Munro, Republican. Derby, Republican, for Senator in the Rensselaer district will have the
certificate, but Collins, his opponent,
says he will contest the
election on the ground of fraud
when the Senate meets. The State
Board of Canvassers were given permission to canvass the Mylod returns in
the 15th district, which will probably
seat Osborne, Democrat. The decisions will have the effect to warn all parties to conduct the elections in strict conformity
with the provisions of law. When this is done there will be no trouble about
the result. The DEMOCRAT is not in favor of taking advantage of technicalities in
elections, but it is in favor of a strict enforcement of the law governing
elections.
Peck's friends are very bitter
over the result. So far as we have heard they are not finding much fault with
the decision of the Court of Appeals, but some of them charge that the mixing
up of the ballots was done on purpose by some one in the Onondaga County
Clerk's office to insure his defeat. They swear roundly whenever Jim Belden's
name is mentioned and are sharpening their tomahawks and getting ready to take
his scalp at the very first opportunity. The probability is that the mixing of
the ballots was done on purpose and was a part of the scheme to
help pull both Peck and Munro through, both of whom were in danger of defeat.
It acted as a boomerang and defeated the parties it was intended to
help. Honesty even in elections is the best policy.
The Democrats will have a
comfortable working majority in both the Senate and Assembly. This result insures
a new census and a re-apportionment, that will be fair and just instead
of one-sided and unreasonable like the present apportionment.
Is Hiram Baker Neglected?
Last Monday the Cortland Journal
published a communication signed "Citizen," calling the attention
of the people of this village to the condition of Hiram Baker, an inmate of the
county Jail. Baker, it will be remembered, was sent to Jail a few weeks since
on the charge of attempting to outrage the little daughter of Mrs. Sullivan, a full
account of which was published exclusively in the DEMOCRAT at the time.
"Citizen" claimed to
have visited the Jail and here is what he says he saw:
"There on a cot, scantily
covered with clothing, lay an old man upwards of seventy years, apparently
writhing in the agonies of death, with no one to minister to his wants, except
a kind hearted inmate of that institution who requested the writer to call the
attention of the public to this sad case."
The writer of the article was
undoubtedly a well-known reporter of the Journal and it was intended
simply as the foundation for a sensational article on the same subject
published in the Journal the following day.
In the reporter's second
article he says: "For a man in his condition to spend day and night with
no one to respond to his call for water or other necessities is not pleasant to
think of," and again the reporter says:
"His cell was dark and at
his request. Officer Goldsmith lighted a lamp that stood on a table. As the
rays fell across the face of the dying man, it showed a pair of sunken eyes
peering from beneath bandages, and blue parted lips that were parched and
feverish. He breathed with difficulty and in fact his breathing was hardly
noticeable. He begged to be taken where he could have attendance and care. He
said while he knew he was dying and could live but a short time he wanted to
die as easy as possible."
Then follows a detailed
account of the chicken-hearted reporter’s endeavors to get the old rascal out
on bail and his failure on account of technical difficulties.
The DEMOCRAT saw through the
cheap scheme at once but to make matters sure the editor called at the jail
Wednesday morning and asked Sheriff Borthwick if he could see Baker. He was
promptly taken to the cell or room occupied by Baker. The old man was bolstered
up in bed and had more covering than he used. His eyes were not sunken, neither
wee his lips parched or blue and there seemed to be a total absence of feverish
symptoms. He seemed to breathe quite naturally and without pain. The room is
not an unpleasant one by any means. There was a comfortable fire in it and a
large window that furnished plenty of light. In fact it is a much better room
and more comfortable than many people can boast of who own and occupy their own
houses. He has constant attendance by an excellent nurse, who looks after his
wants carefully. He gets away with considerable oyster soup dally and seems to
particularly relish the milk punch, all of which is furnished and paid for by
Sheriff Borthwick, out of his own pocket. Baker is able to get up and walk
about the room and through the hall, and Dr. Dana, who attends him, says his
pulse is and strong and that his feebleness and inability to talk when
strangers are in the room is mostly assumed. His attendants say that he talks
well enough when others are not present. Baker is suffering from a partial
shock of the right side and his right eye remains partially closed partly owing
to the shock and partly owing to the pounding he received at the hands of Mrs.
Sullivan. He does not want for anything. He is as carefully nursed as he would
be in any hospital and he lacks a good bit of being in a dying condition.
While disclaiming any
intention to injure Sheriff Bothwick, the Journal prints such rascally
lies, knowing that the stuff would have that effect where Borthwick is not
known. Those who know Mr. Borthwick of course do not believe he would allow any
human being to suffer so long as he had power to prevent it. If there is a man
in the county that would go further to relieve the sufferings of the
unfortunate than Harlow G. Borthwick we must confess we haven’t met him. This
is his reputation wherever he is known and his life thus far fully entitles him
to the record. Borthwick probably has faults with the rest of mankind, but want
of sympathy is not one of them. We haven’t heard people find fault with him for
treating his prisoners too kindly, but the Journal is the first to
discover that he allowed them to suffer for want of proper care. In its efforts
to get up sensations the Journal seems to care very little whose private
character is assailed.
Change at the Messenger House.
For some weeks past negotiations
have been in progress looking to a change in the proprietorship of the Messenger
House in this village. The negotiations culminated yesterday, when Mr. O. L.
Ingraham purchased the entire interest of his partner Mr. Delmer Bauder,
and from this date Mr. Ingraham will be sole proprietor of this popular house
While the house has been practically under his management for the past year and
a half, he has demonstrated the fact that he knows how to cater to the wants of
the traveling public and the guests of the house all pronounce him a model
landlord. We understand that the old corps of assistants will remain with Mr.
Ingraham, and that considerable improvements in several departments will be inaugurated
in the near future. Mr. Bauder has accepted an engagement to travel for a large
wholesale house in New York and will at once enter upon his duties. His many
friends in this place will wish him success.
Hitchcock Hose.
If you want to spend a merry
New Year's, you can't do better than to attend one or both of the performances
given by the Hitchcock Hose Co. at the Opera House, on Jan. 1st, 1892. An elegant comedy and musical programme
will be presented under the direction of
Mr. [and] Mrs. J. H. Snyder, the comedians, who were here last fall with the
Mitchell Co., and made themselves
favorites by their clever acting and singing. They will be assisted by the beet
of our local talent, and a genuine comedy and musical treat is assured. A presentation
matinee will be given at 2:30 P. M., Friday, on which occasion each
child attending will be presented with an elegant toy. No blanks. The prices
are within the reach of all and from the way the reserved seats are being
taken, crowded houses will be the rule. Reserved seats can be secured for both
matinee and evening at Wallace’s.
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