Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-01-05

7hf Public .Nor0fs 81 fhf Dan.
Oar columns for The past few DAYS
have rchecicd, in the history of the
hour as represented chiefly in our
law courts. q very lameniablc cond.
lion Of the publicmorals ofthe day. We
know not whore we live ifit be not ia
the midst of crime We know not
what air we breathe lit be not out.
side ,hc atmosphere Of Christianity.
Murders, homicides, govcrncmnt
| frauds, bond robberics, divorces and
political corruption IN up tho meas
uro OF the day news In our issue Of
yesterday, for instance, we had TO
chronicle, first, that atrocious case Of
wife murder at Bombay Hook, in
New Jersey-a murder heralded a
long time ago by the threat Of the ac-
cuscd husband, an get rid of you
yet" Then follows the case OF Eek
crson, at Hackensack, for the murder
of Peter Stokum. The case of the
condemned convict Real for the mur-
der of officer Smedicls, still keeps that
bloody story alive in our courts, 1t
was supposed that the question was
settled by the decision of the Supreme
Court but il seems there is still some
technical flaw by which the case is to
be prolonged, and possibly justice is to
be cheated In another court the lot
terry business, which is not only unlaw-
iul, but Infamous, involving, rs il does,
the ruin of thousands presents some
curious phases of our social lie. Men
notoriously engaged in ilegaI transac-
tons come before the courts TO demand
an adjustment of their quarrels, and
they find judges willing to come into
conflict with each other, one judicial
official appointing certain receiver
in the affairs of a gambling concern,
and another official appointing a diff.
erent one, thus turning our courts in
to ridicule and contempt, recognizing
gambling as within tie pale of the
law, like any other legitimate bust.
ness. One OF the parties in action in
this lottery business dares TO threaten
a Judge Of the Supreme Court with
public charges Of perjury, drunken
ness, corruption and general malfea-
sance in office. Some people might
ask, can the Judge so threatened dare
to hold his seat on the bench while
such serious charges are pending -
Should the threat be carried ont the
judge will doubtless exercise his best
judgment in the matter, not uninduen-
ced, Of course, by public opinion.
Passing this Shiny piece of buncss
concerning the lotteries, wefnd per.
feet mountain OF government frauds
growing up around us The Custom
House furnishes its share, and it is n
very ugly contrbution--for instance.
frauds in drawbacks, frauds in sugar,
frauds in the storage and warehouse
system The Internal Revenue De-
partment also presents its claim 10
public attention in the shape Of whis-
key and tobacco frauds, by means of
Illicit distillatioh and the use of false |
stamps These dishonest transactions
are brought before US every day. The /
meanest, yet the most ingenious, of
all these devices to cheat the govern. /
ment was the counterfeting of two
cent Treasury stamps on bank checks /
by Kautzcr the other day. Bond rob
berries have become so familiar that
il requires a case like that developed .
in the Toombs Court on Monday TO |
revive q little interest in them. Alto
gcther, public morals at the present
time are IN most degraded condition.
IL may be very well to attribute the
fact to the consequences Of our late
war and the Generalization which fol.
lowed II in many classcs of the -um.
munity. To certain extent this nav
be true, but it happens that this de
moralizati0n exists among classes who
might be deemed superior to such in.
fucnccs. IL is not in low places alto
gether that we have 70 look for the
prevalent vices Of the dav. We can
find among them the so-callcd intel.
lectual classes, and even the church
men and church devotees. Witness
the weekly illusions from some of our
pulpits; the eargorness with which
the congregations seek for everything
that can minister to morbid appe.
tite, aud swallow il in the name ofre-
ligion, and how disappointed they are
if the preacher only touches the mar.
gin, without going into the centre
and heart of an indicate subject.
which even sensational preacher
sometimes has not the efirontery to
penetrate. Witness tho Womans
Equal Rights and Woman's Suffrage
meetings, at which some Of those cler-
gymen are moro bold than in the pull.
pit, and proclaim opinions that strike
nj the root ofsocicty, scofi at marriage
ties and all domestic relations, fiatior-
ed and petted as these orators are by
a few foolish women, who, like crow.
ing hens, know not whereof they
speak. For twenty years we have
been accustomed TO laugh at the wo.
mans rights movements, but the mis-.
chief is being developed now.
10 our columns OF one DAYS nows
yesterday we gave, side by side, one
great cause of tho present condition Of
the public morals of the day, in the
vices expressed at u woman's equal
rights mcoting-which is only one ox-
ample in hundred-and we gave the
result in the low morality evinced in
eases Of wife murder, divorce, seduc.
lion, abduction and public and private
frauds which are developed in the ,
courts and police reports. The prcva-
encc OF loose New England opinions
ipon questions Of morality, marriage,
rec love and family relationship
sweetest bond which holds society TO-
yether-is dragging us down into
gulf deeper perhaps than VIC think
of-N0O York Herald. /
Some ."loil" knayes suggest the name
If that Infamous creature, Jo Holt, TO
Grant, for n scat on the Supreme