Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-06-14
LOCAL AFFAIRS.


the public, and as long as properly kept in
order and due degree of decorum entorc-
ed, it will be frequented by people laying
claim to respectability, whether concerts,
exhibitions, public meetings or divine ser
vices are held there. Our country is In
part free, and while no one will dispute the
RIGHT of citizens to assemble and discuss
public measures, yet there is limit beyond
which no public officer ought to suffer
such a place to be perverted. When,
few years ago, a difficulty arose with some
jealous, perhaps then over-zealous temper
ence men, the Burgess and Town Council
promptly took the ground that attacks up
on individuals were not justifable, and re-
fused to give the further use of the hail
for that purpose. In this action they were
sustained by three-fourths of our best citi-
zens, most of whom at once saw the dan
ger which would necessarily follow an un-
bridled license of speech From that time
to within few weeks, but little fault has
been found either with temperance or any
ether lectures, fer although at times per-
sonal references have been made, argu-
ments of another cast were found to be
quite as efectual. A few weeks ago, how
ever, few men, useless as citizens, and al
most totally irresponsible, taking advantage
Of some excitement among certain water
renters who felt agerieved at the action Of
the board, called public meeting, ostensi-
bly, for the purpose of transacting business
but in reality to enable wormwood to vent
his pentup malice against certain indiyidu-
ais, in which the living and the dead were
alike indiscriminately slandored, abused
and beled That, as we'll as the subse-
quent fzzle, amounted to nothing so far as
business was concerned, leaving the inevi-
table conclusion that business" was not
the object.
If the Town Hall is hereafter to be
used for such purposes, we'll and good, but
let it be known. Those, therefore, who
have spite and grudge against neighbors,
who envy industry, covet prosperity, or
possess that worst of feelings, pure malice,
need only find a pretext to call a public
meeting, employ a fitting cat'spaw well
soaked with rotgut whiskey to do the work,
o,1 +lo o,n bova +bogo +lo,, I,o+o o- lo,.r
abused to their hearts content Here's
the Burgess and Town Council for instance,
who have been doing some work in the
north eastern part of the borough not to
the liking of many felks-here's the
Lewistown Gas Company, what business
have they to charge anything fer the use
of gas except what people want to pay ?
the Bridge Company-the Odd Fellows
Hall Company-the tavern keepers and
liquor dealers-the lawyers, the doctors,
and preachers-the merchants, shoema-
kers and hatters-any or all of these as
well as other classes, embrace men who no
doubt have their enemies, and will afford
an excellent pretext for calling "public
meeting" The charge for such occasions
in summer is only 80 cents per night,
which is dog cheap to have your neighbor
traduecd and bclied, or to rake pp the ash
es of the dead Unbridlcd liberty of
speech, invective, blackguardism, anything
that hell can dictate or suggest, can be
used-truth or falsehood uttered, it mat
tiers not, for you will be told you have your
remedy in law ~ There is no doubt of
that-you can sue irresponsible men, and
perhaps by the time you get through your
pocket may suffer to the amount of some
S25 or $50, which as everybody knows is
most satisfactory to wounded feelings and
longstanding accounts in ledgers. Come
along, then, ye Vipers and Wormwoods,
and relieve the monotony of dull times;
the Town Hall has been repainted and re-
paired first or second for better purposes
and next for yOur use the constable will
keep order for you there, and probably not
disturb you afterwards should you carouse
about the streets, although he is paid for
doing both--in short, this is 'E free coun-
try" and even if you are too lazy to work
or too dishonest to pay your debts, there
is no reason why you should not, like Me-
phistopholes, act yOor part in life, even if
it is of the worst shade.
nsa-The appraisers appointed by the
Governor to value the real estate subscrib-
/ ed to the Mih1in Countv Rank mot last