Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-08
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LANCASTER, PA, June 8, 1889.
The Strau 70 situation.

there are no principles to speak Of The
latest situation is the constitution OF
Pittsburg gentleman as dictator over the
whole treatment of the relief of the Con-
emaugh valley. ellis will shall be SUI
preme," declares the self constituted
committee that elected him, of which
committee Adjutant General Hastings
was an asserting member
Evidently the adjutant general de
eires to vacate soine Of the authority
with which he was invested. What re-
mains to him we do not know and can
hardly sec, with Mr.. Scotts will the
supreme law of the land. II seems
hardly the proper thing that the adiu-
tant general, representing the governor,
should take a back seat In this way;
particularly after he has been front.
And the sheriff, too, seems relcgated to
the rear his function appears to be to
appoint deputies TO do what Mr.. Scott
commands.
II is queer situation altogether, and
not the least notable thing is that the
adjutant general handed over Ia Mr..
Scott a regiment or two of the state
guard, who are on the ground, although
at first soldiers were sent away lest they
would offend the sensibilitics Of the
Johnstown people. A poor lieutenant,
who brought ont his company from
Pittsburg at the request of the Chamber
of Commerce, without call from the gov
ernor, was sent home with n flea in his
ear.
But now the sensibilties of people are
less thought of Strangers are not al
lowed within the gates. Mr.. Scotts pass
only can open them. People who
live in the valley, correspondents,
relatives searching for their dead,
must all have passes, else the rail
road company will dump them at
the entrance of the valley. Deputy
marshals etand on the ear platforms
and put everybody Off who is not prop
erly passed. The pass of the Pittsburg
committee Is still good, we believe, and
under IL any one can get in who says
that he has business there; consequently
there Is not much restraint upon the
visitors for curiosity sake who are willing
to lie, and the precautions To keep them
out avail little. II is said that Johns
"
the roads entering il, and has all the
features of beleaguered camp. There is
great complaint of the suddenness and
vigor with which these orders were put
In force. The Pennsylvania railroad
dropped men, women aud children from
their trains at Bolivar, by command of
the deputy marsbals In the night time.
wv IS. not wonder at all that Adiutant
raj Hastings wants to get away
the responsibility of this situation,
fe there is now every chance OF
,iemnaton for the man who under
Takes II and fails to get through with it
properly; as he is likely to do for there
is no doubt about the position being a
very difficult one, and not AT all healthy
for gubernatorial candidate. We note
that General Hastings would like
now to have the Legislature called to-
gether, that 1t may bear hand in
shouldering the responsibility, and may
provide the millions needed To clear up
the valley Of it, wreckagc.
And IL the job is To be done by the
state aud is as great as competent author-
ties say, II is clear enough that the Leg
islature will have teprovide the funds.
Millions upon millions are needed, says
Captain Jones, 10 rehabilitate the valley
The money contributed by private in
dividuals, can have no such mission as
TO restore the Conemaugh valley TO its
original condition. IL is not enough, aud
Is given to relieve personal distress. The
work of cleaning up the valley, from
fheSq IL only. Oh
incidentally in searching for the bodies
; ---O.s~ss-.s
- Before any money of the state is spent
upon restoring this valley, it will be
necessary To determine whether the
game is worth the candle If millions
upon millions are needed, we should
say II was not since the assessed
value of the valley can hardly
be many millions. The state would
spend less money in paying the
poor people the value of what they have
lost and letting the ridding up of the
valley to nature. There is one great
business plant upon which the prosperity
of the whole valley depends, and this
there is some talk of moving away.
Before millions upon millions" are
spent in the work of getting this valley
: EeadN for business, il will be well TO
find out whether business wants il. II
Is the duty of the state to open up its high
ways and water courses but when the
cost is great and the benefit small, il
need not do it.
III this work at Johnstown is To go on
as long as now contemplated, the Legis-
lature had better meet. 1t will not do
for the will of a private citizen TO be
made supreme " over large extent of
the state, for many days. Such situa-
ton does not commend itself to good
sense. II ought not to have been created
and should not be continued. We should
have no such commission in any eX-
tremity, and there is no excuse for il
now, when the emergency is a
week Old. There seems TO have been
. lack of something at Johnstowp
10 have brought about this result. We
cannot read with patience that citizens
VIII was made supreme ia the valley by
the unanimous vote of a half dozen
men, including the adjutant general of
the state. There was lawful authority
IN the sheriff; and If he was willing To
abdicate, he should have done so in form
and have let Mr.. Scott he appointed in
his stead ; but he should have endured
No usurpation. Nor should those who de-
sire 10 so TO Johnstown be kept out off
They have right to be there, if they
Kern 4 he Deaee lffhey do unt aut =,