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Franklin Repository: September 07, 1870 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: The conferees of Adams, Franklin, and Fulton counties announce that the Republican County Conventions in the 16th District have all expressed a preference for the renomination of John Cessna, the present representative, as Republican candidate for Congress.
(Names in announcement: A. M'L. Crawford, John Bowermaster, Abraham E. Lehman)

A Democratic Lie
(Column 01)

Summary: When Democratic newspapers blame President Grant's administration for failing to deal with corrupt tax collectors, the Repository points out that the individuals at fault were Democrats.

Full Text of Article:

The world over to take advantage of ones own wrong is regarded as about the most dastardly and cowardly trick that any one can be guilty of. To do a wrong act and to try and lie out of it is mean, but it bears no comparison to doing a wrong act and then attempting to give notoriety and publicity to the wrong by charging it upon an innocent party. The latter is just what the Democratic newspapers of Pennsylvania have been doing. First the Age did it, then the Patriot did it and then all the others, generally, did the same thing. What they did do was this: the administration of Gen. Grant has shown such extraordinary energy and ability in collecting the revenues and paying off the public debt that the Democracy found they must do something if possible to counteract the influence this had upon the people. They found as long as it was allowed to go on unhindered the Republican party must grow stronger and more popular among the people. They could not deny the monthly statement of the large of but they remembered that during Johnson's administration large numbers of Democratic revenue collectors had proved defaulters and defrauded the Government out of millions of dollars, and they resolved to use this knowledge against the Republican party. A statement of Secretary of the Treasury Boutwell to Congress, in reply to a resolution, showed that about six millions of dollars had been stolen by Internal Revenue officers in different parts of the country. The Age at once alleged that this had been done since the advent of Gen. Grant's administration, and that none of the defaulters had been arrested and brought to justice. From the statement it argued that the administration had utterly failed to fulfil its promises to conduct the affairs of the Government honestly and economically.

Now the statement of the Age, and the argument drawn from it were lies, lies which the Age knew to be such when they were made, and which the other Democratic papers that have since published them knew to be false. When the Secretary of the Treasury furnished a detailed statement of balances due the government by Collectors of Internal Revenue it was accompanied by a letter from the First Comptroller of the Treasury, containing the following extract:

The balances and payments as shown by the statement are those which appear by accounts adjusted, but in many of them I have no doubt the balances will wholly or in part disappear when further reports and vouchers shall have been transmitted to the Auditor and been acted upon.

In a large proportion of the cases, the balances against collectors consist of tax lists charged to them, but turned over to their successors in office. Under the existing law the accounting officer cannot credit an outgoing collector with lists so turned over unless the Commissioner of Internal Revenue shall certify that such outgoing collector has used due diligence. Hitherto the practice of the Internal Revenue Office has been to withhold such certificates, and to await the collection of such taxes by the successor, and allowances for such of them as may appear to be uncollectable.

It is evident that this practice delays the settlement of accounts, is vexatious and annoying to collectors, and puts them upon the record as apparently defaulters for an indefinite period of time. I am pleased to know that the present Commissioner is disposed to change the practice, and to remedy as far as practicable the evils which exist under it.

From this extract, to make the story short, there is not a tithe of the six millions still due to the Government, and in saying so we are dealing more fair and honorable with the Democracy than they have been striving to do with the Republican administration, for these balances are charged against the Revenue Collectors appointed by Andrew Johnson, who were Democrats, and not their successors appointed by Grant. These Democratic papers ought to be ashamed to take advantage of their own wrong.

Must Have Better Authority
(Column 01)

Summary: When the Valley Spirit accuses incumbent Republican representative, John Cessna, of attempting to purchase his reelection with $100,000, the Repository defends the congressman.

Full Text of Article:

Last week's Valley Spirit said this:

$100,000 IN THE FIELD - It will be a source of great satisfaction to the fellows who "feed" on the candidates for office, to know that Hon. John Cessna is about to throw into the Congressional District one hundred thousand dollars to secure his election. He knows that there is no possible chance of election unless by the lavish expenditure of money. The people must be debauched in order to send him back to Congress. Now is the time for the harpies to sink their long claws into the Hon. John's purse.

But the queries among the people are, where does the money come from? Who furnishes this large amount of greenbacks?

Not by any manner of means. There is only one query among the people, and that is, who is willing to believe such a prodigious story on the faith of the Valley Spirit alone? See, there is no authority given for the silly assertions. "It will be a source of great satisfaction to the fellows who 'feed' on the candidates for offices to know that Hon. John Cessna is about to throw into this Congressional District one hundred thousand dollars to secure his election." We have no doubt it would be. But how are they to know it? On the faith of the Spirit? We can't ask any one to strain his credulity to that extent. We sincerely advise the purchasable element of the Democracy not to put any faith in the statement, for if they rely on it to get their "feed" they will be disappointed.

Again we must assure the Spirit, as we had occasion to do two years ago, that it must not expect to claim the credit of the Hon. John Cessna's election. Its Munchausen stories then disgusted many of its own party, and drove some Republicans, dissatisfied with the nomination their party had made, to accept the candidate. Though there are no dissatisfied Republicans now, it is adopting the same course again. If it is shaping its policy to secure a part of the hundred thousand dollars let it be warned in time that it is wholly in error. We know how powerfully its pocket nerve pulsates at the mere suggestion of campaign funds, and we know too how joyfully it would accept such an inducement to give Meyers a lukewarm support. But fate is against it. Cessna has no need to buy its support, and if he had, neither the party nor the candidate would accept victory at such a price. The Spirit is doomed to carry the load of Meyers and his infamy sorrowfully through the campaign, and dare not lay it down until the end. Bear it meekly and patiently if you can, brother Stenger, though your fragile frame and slender limbs are poorly suited to the burden. It is hard to support a renegade, harder still when that renegade became a traitor and aided and encouraged the rebellion, and advised resistance to the draft, and still harder when that renegade became a free trader and devoted his time and talents to the overthrow of the industrial interests of his district, and to the reduction of the wages of the laboring man to the low standard of the wages in England.

But you have the sublime consolation afforded by the fact that it was not your fault. If the Democratic party blindly and wilfully chose Meyers, it was not because you did not cry out against it, and warn them that the task was Herculean, and that nature had not shaped and moulded you to perform Herculean work.

Still Another Argument in Favor of Republican Rule
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Summary: The paper celebrates the large reductions shown in the public debt statement for September as proof of the excellence of a Republican controlled government.

This Renegade and That One
(Column 03)

Summary: After the Democratic press denounces Republican congressman, John Cessna, as a "renegade," the Repository points out that the Democrat's own nominee has switched his party allegiance and ideology numerous times.

Full Text of Article:

"It never rains but it pours," says the proverb, and a very expressive proverb it is. But it fails to express the full meaning of the situation in which the Franklin county Democracy are plunged by the nomination of Meyers for Congress, Stenger, and Kimmell, and Duncan, and Brewer, and a number of others of our Democrats have frequently howled themselves into spasms, like spoiled children, whenever the thought entered their minds that Cessna had once been a Democrat and is now a Republican. At the sight of him the cry would go up, "Oh the renegade, the howling renegade, the nasty little renegade; take him away, take him away," and off they would go into fits at the very idea.

And yet Cessna is no patching to Myers as a renegade. First a Democrat, then a Republican; that is Cessna's record.

"First a Whig, then a Know Nothing, then an ultra pro slavery Secession tinctured, and now an exceedingly 'White man's anti-protective tariff Democrat," that is Meyers' record, written of him by Ed Scull, Esq. of the Somerset Herald, with whom he was raised and who has known him intimately all his life.

Great Heavens! what a load for our Democrats? First a Whig, and there never was a Whig who was not a Protective Tariff man, he is now the notorious advocate of Free Trade. "oh, the renegade." Then a Know Nothing, denouncing Germans and Irish, unwilling to give them citizenship much less the ballot or a participation in the administration of public affairs, and now ready to crawl on his belly to secure their votes. Nothing half so sweet in life as the "sweet German accent, or the rich Irish brogue." "Oh the renegade." And now a white man's anti-protective tariff Democrat. "Oh the renegade." Now gentlemen, when Hon. John Cessna crosses your path, as we have no doubt he will this fall, we don't expect you to hold your tongues, because it would be so hard to explain to the rank and file of your party if you did, but we do expect you to reflect that every time you howl "renegade" at him you prove yourselves arrant demagogues; and we know that it secret you will pull your hair and curse your unlucky fate in having Meyers, the quadruple renegade, foisted upon you as your candidate for Congress.

County Chairman
(Column 03)

Summary: The Repository reports that Col. J. G. Elder will be in charge of managing the Republican election campaign and calls for an "active" contest.
(Names in announcement: Col. J. G. Elder)

Full Text of Article:

The Republican County Committee met on Saturday the 3d inst., and organized by electing Col. J. G. Elder, Chairman. We regard this as a very excellent selection, and the Republicans of the county may rest assured that the campaign carried on under his management will be thorough and active. The time until election day is too brief to be spent in inaction, nor can the campaign be made too lively. We want a thorough stirring up of the dry bones of the party. The issues are too important to allow a quiet campaign. The Republican party have nothing to conceal. They want discussion and ventilation both of the acts and doings of their own party and those of the Democracy. We say emphatically, give us an active campaign.

There will be another meeting of the Committee on Saturday next, the 10th inst. at 1 o'clock, when the meetings for the county will be arranged, and other important business transacted. It is important that every member of the Committee be in attendance, and if any cannot be present some one should be sent instead.

The Campaign Repository
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Summary: The paper reports it is making arrangements to expand circulation during the campiagn. One thousand copies have been taken so far, and the editors hope to hit two thousand.

Van Amburg and Co.
(Column 01)

Summary: Van Amburg's menagerie visited Chambersburg on Wednesday. Large crowds attended the exhibition and saw the "long train of beautiful wagons" pass through the streets. The displays of wild animals were tasteful and appropriate for "all classes of our citizens." The paper calls it the best exhibition to have visited Chambersburg.

Sudden Death
(Column 01)

Summary: T. M. Richards of Shippensburg died suddenly on August 31st. He had lived in Chambersburg for six years before recently moving to Shippensburg where he taught in one of the public schools. "He was a man of quiet demeanor and retired habits" but well-known and "highly respected for his many excellencies of character." He was ill for only two days. He leaves a wife and family of small children.
(Names in announcement: T. M. Richards)

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: The Chambersburg Printers and the Scrub Nine of Shippensburg played a game of baseball in Shippensburg resulting in a victory for the Printers.
(Names in announcement: O. Elsrode, Skinner, McCleary)

Deceased
(Column 01)

Summary: Judge Orr, "a well known and influential citizen of this county," died at his residence in Orrstown on Sunday. A number of Masonic brethren attended the funeral.
(Names in announcement: Judge Orr)

In Luck
(Column 02)

Summary: The paper thanks the Ladies' Committee of the German Reformed Church festival of St. Thomas for a beautiful cake. The ladies raised $150 at the event.

Married
(Column 04)

Summary: George W. Potts and Miss Margaret Robinson, both of Franklin County, were married in Mercersburg on August 30th by the Rev. Thomas Creigh.
(Names in announcement: George W. Potts, Margaret Robinson, Rev. Thomas Creigh)

Married
(Column 04)

Summary: George A. Wood and Miss Katie Spangler, both of Chambersburg, were married in the First Reformed Church in Chambersburg on September 1st by the Rev. P. S. Davis.
(Names in announcement: George A. Wood, Katie Spangler, Rev. P. S. Davis )

Died
(Column 04)

Summary: Josiah Meade died in Chambersburg on August 26th. He was 67 years old. "He was an old citizen of this place and an honored and respected member of the M. E. Church. After an illness of several years, he died without a struggle, passing peacefully and calmly into the life to come."
(Names in announcement: Josiah Meade)

Died
(Column 04)

Summary: Amelia Carlisle, daughter of Thomas and Anna Miller Carlisle of Pittsburgh, died in Chambersburg on August 26th. She was 7 years old.
(Names in announcement: Amelia Carlisle, Thomas Carlisle, Anna Miller Carlisle)

Married
(Column 04)

Summary: John Craig of Welsh Run died on August 26th. He was 73 years old.
(Names in announcement: John Craig)

Died
(Column 04)

Summary: James Dunlap McDowell, son of A. B. McDowell of Peters, died on August 30th. He was 9 months old.
(Names in announcement: James Dunlap McDowell, A. B. McDowell)

Died
(Column 04)

Summary: Jesse M. Jones, son of S. Doyle and Emma Jones, died at Carrick Furnace on August 28th.
(Names in announcement: Jesse M. Jones, S. Doyle Jones, Emma Jones)

Died
(Column 04)

Summary: T. M. Richards died in Shippensburg on August 31st after suffering an illness of two days. He was 51 years old.
(Names in announcement: T. M. Richards)

Died
(Column 04)

Summary: Gertrude Hewitt, daughter of William and Susan Hewitt, died at Carrick Furnace on July 29th. He was 2 years old.
(Names in announcement: Gertrude Hewitt, William Hewitt, Susan Hewitt)

Died
(Column 04)

Summary: James McGinley Gallagher died at Carrick Furnace on August 29th. He was 5 years old.
(Names in announcement: James McGinley Gallagher)