The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-06-16
The Johnstovvn Address.


Of truth, as well as the suggestions of
falsehood, contained in the Address directs
ed to the Editors of the Johnstown Denl>
ocrat and Johnstown Tribune, on the
question of the removal of the county seat
After having read a second time this high
sounding bulletin, which bristles all over,
like the fretful quills of porcupine, with
unfounded assumptions and still baser
conclusions, we are appalled, at the mag
nitude of the task we had set before US,
and will content ourselves with exposing
a few only of its most prominent misrep-
resentations. 1t is quite unimportant who
is its author, and yet every line in it be-
trays its undoubted paternity. We are
very certain, that there is but one member
Of the legal profession in Johrstown, who
ls capable of committing so many villain
GUS and dannable sins ag ainst all the
we'll known rules of SyntaG, as are to be
found in this mendacious production
For that objectionable offence, however,
there is no remedy.
The writer sets out with the promise
of giving "a brief history of the contest
for court privileges and the county seat
between Ebensburg and the south of the
county," and as part of that contest
proceeds to say:
"For a number Of years prior to the legisla-
tive session of 1863. bills erecting a District
Court for the southern part of Cambria coun-
ty, were from time to time, pressed by the
people upon their representatives at Harris
burg, but, for reasons lately disclosed, no IA
yorabe act ion was obtained"
We pronounce this TO be a falsehood,
pure and simple, and the writer of the
Address knelU it to be so when he penned
the paragraph. We assert that never,
prior TO the Legislative session Of 1869,
was such project as ga District Court
Tor the southern part of Cambria county"
ever heard of, nor was any bill for that
purpose ever oppressed by the people upon
their,representatives at Harrisburg" Cy-
rus L. Pershing, Esq was first elected
TO the Assembly in 1861 and continued
to represent this county until he was suc-
ceeded by John z. Linton, Esq in Octo-
Der, 1866, who was reelected in 1867,
and neither of these gentlemen will say
that during their respective terms as mem
bers of the House, they ever heard of
bill to organize 'District Court" at
Johnstown. The project was first men
toned and talked about early in the spring
of1869. Its friends, and especially the
author of this address, limited its iurisdc-
tion to $500 and declared, that if the bill
in that shape became law every difficulty
would be removed and the controversy
ended. The Court, as the bill finally
passed, was limited in its jurisdiction to
5000, which we believed then and still
believe to have been below the proper
amount. This disposes of that portion of
the Address.
"Alter the adjournRent of the Legislature
EbensbuTg turned its attention to other meas
ures calculated to forestall agitation of the re-
moval of the county seat and obtained
recommendation of two grand iuries condemn
ing the county jail, and authorizing the con
struction OF a new one"
We do not know certainly when the
Legislature of 1869 adjourned, but pre-
sumo it was on the 10th or 18th of April,
as the general appropriation bill was ap-
proved by the Governor on the former
day. The charge in the foregoing para
graph is, that the erection of new Jail
was not thought of, or the necessary legal
steps taken to bring about its erection,
until ''affer the adjournment Of the LegiSla-
ture." 1t was then that this ''obsolete"
village of Ebensburg, as some of the mag
mates of Johnstown, contemptuousIy style
it, became alarmed at the passage of the
bill erecting the District Court, and sob
tanned recommendation of two Grand
Juries condeming the county Jail and au-
thorizing the construction Of new one. .
This is falsehood number hUo The re-
cords of the Court show, and hey at least
never lie, that the .tirst presentment Of the
Grand Jury in favor of the erection of a
new Jail was made on the 9th of 1Tarch
1S69-at least one month and ten dags
6cf0re the final adjournment, and one
month and seven days before the passage OF
the District Court bill The simple state
ment of this tact disposes of the question
of time involved in the above paragraph
and of the terrible things that Ebensburg
did not resort to after the adjournment OF
the Legislature.
The Sto6, not argument, in the Address
against the legalright of the County Com