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Franklin Repository: April 27, 1870 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

The Commercial's Sympathy
(Column 01)

Summary: The Repository expresses offense at a Harrisburg editor's previous articles in opposition to border damage claims, noting how that same writer is now apologizing to the border people only when it is politically advantageous to do so. The editorial insists that the Repository has always had the interests of the border counties at heart.

Full Text of Article:

The Chambersburg REPOSITORY might stand a chance of getting something done for the relief of those who suffered from rebel invasion if it would manifest a little common sense. Those sufferers have the sincere sympathy of every part of the State. Precisely what should be done for their relief, and if anything, however, are questions about which men must be permitted to differ. The surroundings of the bill of the late session were so bad as to repel the support of many of the sincerest friends of the cause. The editor of the REPOSITORY is either ignorant or careless if he is not prepared to admit this much. If support of that bill or any similar bill with similar surroundings is to be made the test of friendship for the sufferers on the border, then we fear they will continue to fare badly. They can well afford to have the REPOSITORY abate some of its peculiar zeal in their behalf. Its style of advocacy is unfortunate--Pittsburgh Commercial, 22d.

Those who recollect the columns of unqualified abuse of the border people which the Commercial published a month or two ago, and the ill-concealed pleasure it took in cruelly insulting the feeling and wounding the honor of many thousands of brave and patriotic people, will be no little surprised and pleased to learn that it has so far mended its ways as to say that there is little in the way of those who suffered from the rebel invasions getting relief except the lack of common sense in the REPOSITORY. To think that "these sufferers have the sincere sympathy of every part of the State," and they wholly ignorant of it and likely to be ever so long, had it not been for this chance paragraph of the Commercial. Well, the oddest things are forever happening, and people and newspapers have the strangest way of showing sympathy! Of course we have no right to complain if their way of showing is not exactly the approved way, nor the old-fashioned way inculcated by an eminet teacher whom we were taught to accept as authority on the subject.

Though this offer of sympathy and good will on the part of the Commercial be somewhat late, it will be gratifying to our readers to know that they have it at all. They surely are willing that it should shift the indefensible and foolish assaults it made upon them over to the bill that was offered for their relief, when it finds that it is politic so to do. To judge from its greatly improved tone and temper since our notice of last week, we cannot admit, however amiable we feel, the charge it makes as to our lack of sense. The manifest improvement we have wrought in it must vindicate us from any such allegation.

There is a word or two we must say, however, to correct a false impression the Commercial seeks to make throughout the whole paragraph. Its effort is to show that its opposition was to the kind of bill and the influence it had, not to the border people. This we emphatically deny. We are familiar with all it wrote on the subject, and know that it took the position that the border people were entitled to nothing, and tried to maintain it throughout with such marvelous misstatements, as nothing but the grossest ignorance could excuse. If it has learned better since, we are glad, and hope it will make such amends as honest minds seek to make when convinced of error. It can rest assured that we did not misrepresent the sentiment of the border people on the subject of their losses in our last issue, and their determination to use their power to secure the relief to which they are entitled.

Who Will Carry the County Next Fall?
(Column 02)

Summary: The paper warns the Republicans of Montgomery, Peters, and Antrim that the Democrats are boasting they will carry the county in the next election "even if every colored voter casts his ballot with the Republican party." They claim to have support from the parties building the railroad from Mercersburg and will "import" voters if they must.

After the Negro Vote
(Column 01)

Summary: This editorial answers accusations by the Spirit. The author denies that Republicans are exploiting black voters, stating that blacks hated the Democratic party and were too independent minded to be manipulated.

Full Text of Article:

The extreme scarcity of local news will perhaps justify Local Editors in using double extra magnifying glasses when hunting for items; at all events it is not worth while quarreling with them if they do. It is no justification however for manufacturing, out of the whole cloth, a half column of stuff which has not the slightest foundation in the truth, and attempting to impose it on their readers. Our neighbors, across the way, did this last week, and manufactured the most astonishing story about the colored voters, and how the Republican party was trying to manipulate their votes. They told how we had attended the meetings of the colored people, and we were actually shocked when we learned from them what we had there done, and how meanly we thought of our newly made citizens. Well, we were at one of the meetings. We were very respectfully invited to come, and we very respectfully agreed to go. The meeting was held for the purpose of making arrangements to celebrate the proclamation of the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment on the 26th inst., and we went as a spectator purely. We might say here that we were regarded as such, and that those who held the meeting did not see fit to consult us in any partiaular. The Local Editor of the Spirit, however, thought us of more importance than the negroes did, and informed us, much to our surprise, that we were there "for the purpose of moulding the opinions and shaping the actions of the negroes according to our own wishes." We did not know that such a deep laid plot was hidden in our heart, and feel badly since we have learned it, to think how completely the colored folks circumvented it. But this sharp Local Editor, what a sly dog he is? told us still more about ourselves, that we don't know. Robie Burns was right. We didn't see oursels as ithers see us. What wicked thoughts we were thinking of our colored citizens without being aware of it until "the Local" told us in the Spirit? Why, we "regard the negroes as 'dumb driven cattle' and think and say that all we need to do is to direct them to do so and so, and forthwith it will be done. We believe them to be like a flock of sheep which will follow wherever the bell-wether leads the way."

Ah! no Mr. Local, that last was too big a whopper. We were willing to believe the first, but now we disbelieve the whole story. We can't go the bell-wether part. We know too much of the colored folks for that. Why, if the biggest bell-wether in the Democratic herd was to marshal the negroes and tell them with all the well known eloquence of the "Local" himself, that just across in the Democratic lot there was the finest grazing in the world, and if they just went over with him they could get all they wanted for nothing, do you think that a single one would be fool enough to believe him? No, not one, unless he is far more stupid than any we know.

The "Local" further told his readers that "we indulge in vehement denunciations of the negroes who dare assert their independence," that "we instruct our pupils"--who are they pray?--"to murder the man who shows the slightest symptoms of flinching from the support of the Radical party," that "we cried lustily in the meeting, when one of the negroes asked to have his name erased from the roll, 'put him out', 'kill him,'" &c. Who ever heard of a Local cutting a story so fat as that? Why if we denounced the negroes who assert their independence we would denounce them en masse, for in a body they repudiate the Democracy and all their wiles. On the contrary we applaud and admire their independence. As to inviting them to murder any who may not agree with them in politics, the murdering of the poor negro has so long been the exclusive work of the Democratic party that they have for many years regarded it as an indefeasible right, and the obstacles which the Fifteenth Amendment puts in the way of their exercising this truly Democratic amusement is the ground of their main objection to its incorporation in the Constitution. But after the bell-wether story we do not deem it necessary to enter any specific denial to anything the "Local" has said.

Court Proceedings
(Column 01)

Summary: This report lists the cases - mostly civil - and verdicts of the county court.
(Names in announcement: Judge King, Judge Rowe, Jere Cook, Eliza Cook, Daniel Palmer, Frederick Guyer, William Kaiser, Emanuel Sites, Emanuel Kuhn, Jacob Sites, John W. Sollenberger, Jacob L. Wingert, Ephram Shank, Samuel Reisher, George H. Storm, Jacob Hatmaker, S. M. Armstrong, W. W. Jones, Andrew Baker, J. R. Smith, J. M. Brown)

Full Text of Article:

His Honor Judge King presided until Wednesday, when His Honor Judge Rowe took his seat and presided during the remainder of the week. The following cases were disposed of:

Jere Cook, Trustee of Eliza Cook, vs. Daniel Palmer.--Feigned issue to try the validity of Judgment No. 120 of January term, 1869, for $3000. Jury not being able to agree was discharged.

Frederick Guyer vs. William Kaiser.--Summons Case in Trover and Conversion. Defendant plead not guilty. Jury found for defendant.

Emanuel Sites vs. Emanuel Kuhn, Executor of Jacob Sites, dec'd.--Summons Case in Assumpsit. Jury found for plaintiff, $150.

John W. Sollenberger, Trustee of Jacob L. Wingert, vs. Ephram Shank.--Appeal from judgment of S.M. Armstrong, Esq., for $87.50. Jury found for plaintiff $94.50.

Samuel Reisher vs. George H. Storm and Jacob Hatmaker.--Appeal by defendants from judgment of S.M. Armstrong, Esq., for $51.80. Jury found for defendants.

W.W. Jones vs. Andrew Baker, J.R. Smith and J.M. Brown.--Summons Case in Assumpsit, founded on promissory note dated Oct. 1st, 1868, payable in 60 days after date, for $375. Jury found for plaintiff, $125.42.

Horticultural Exhibition
(Column 02)

Summary: The Franklin County Horticultural Society will hold an exhibit in Repository Hall in June. Supporters in Philadelphia and in Franklin donated money for premiums. The Chambersburg Nursery Association will give $25 worth of trees, shrubs, and flowers to the resident who keeps the neatest yard during the summer.

Assault and Battery
(Column 02)

Summary: An African American woman named Margaret Wiley was beaten by her husband James Wiley while aboard the train. "Mrs. Wiley, it appears, did not enjoy the felicities of married life, and had determined to leave her lord and master. She purchased a ticket for Carlisle and after the train had started her husband entered the car she was in, and without ceremony commenced beating her." Justice Armstrong issued a warrant for his arrest.
(Names in announcement: Margaret Wiley, James Wiley, Justice Armstrong)

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: The paper warns that Dr. A. C. Wood, consulting physician of Dr. Allen, is a "humbug and swindler." Wood was in town selling his "Lightning Cure" when he was recognized by Capt. Kyner as Dr. Augustus Chesnutwood who, a few years ago, absconded from Orrstown, leaving his landlord in the lurch.
(Names in announcement: Dr. A. C. Wood, Dr. Allen, Capt. Kyner, Dr. Augustus Chesnutwood)

Another Veteran Gone
(Column 02)

Summary: Sgt. Benjamin Wallace died on April 14th after suffering a short illness. "He was among the best of Franklin county's soldiers in the late war, having served four years and six months in the 11th Pennsylvania cavalry. When duty called he was at his post. Those who knew him as a soldier, praise him as such in the highest terms. As a citizen he was beloved by all who had formed his acquaintance, for his kindness of heart and genial disposition."
(Names in announcement: Sgt. Benjamin Wallace)

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: Sgt. A. Seidenstricker, a veteran of Hancock's Corps, has purchased the Franklin Club Room, in Repository Hall, from John Gelwicks. Seidenstricker has years of experience in the restaurant business and promises to cater wll to the public.
(Names in announcement: Sgt. A. Seidenstricker, John Gelwicks)

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: The governor has approved a measure allowing the supervisor of Franklin County to levy and collect an additional road tax.

Trouble on the Railroad
(Column 02)

Summary: A laborer's strike for higher wages interrupted work on the railroad from Mercersburg. All were paid off and went back to work with the exception of a dozen or so men who went looking for work elsewhere.

Origin of Article: Mercersburg Journal

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: Jacob Bollinger and Thomas H. Wallace, both of Greenvillage, leave for the far west on May 2nd. They plan to tour Salt Lake City and report on their journey.
(Names in announcement: Jacob Bollinger, Thomas H. Wallace)

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: Henry Appenzeller, a "highly respected citizen" of Greencastle, died on April 18th. He was 54 years old.
(Names in announcement: Henry Appenzeller)

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: John A. Robinson of McConnellsburg was admitted to practice in the courts of Franklin County.
(Names in announcement: John A. Robinson)

Married
(Column 05)

Summary: Franklin Taylor of Dry Run and Miss Martha Lessig from near Carrick were married on April 14th by the Rev. A. Smith Gorden.
(Names in announcement: Franklin Taylor, Martha Lessig, Rev. A. Smith Gorden)

Died
(Column 05)

Summary: Miss Maria Reynolds died in Mercersburg on April 18th.
(Names in announcement: Maria Reynolds)

Died
(Column 05)

Summary: Abraham Shetter died in the Indian Queen Hotel in Chambersburg on April 23rd. He had reached "an advanced age."
(Names in announcement: Abraham Shetter)