Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1905-01-12

lars; the expenditures exceeded nine
teen million; the excess of receipts
over expenditures exceeds two mill
ion .and half. There il money
enough in the treasury to extinguish
the state debt.
During the year over six millions
of dollars were appropriated and ex-
pended for common schools. About
three million were expended for hos
pitals and charities. Half a million
expended in aid of counties to build
bridges, of which Sullivan county
got a liberal share. One million
was applied to the new state capitol.
The good old Keystone State is
the best governed and most thrifty
state in the Union.
Governor Pennypacker in his mes
sage says: "The greatest injury to
the forest lands arises through fire.
| recommend as one means of di-
mlnishing the loss which comes from
this cause that the railroad corpora
tions of the State and those having
lines passing through it be required
under fixed penalty and the pay
ment of resultant damages, to put
out all fires within 100 feet of their
tracks, except in municipalities"
Governor Pennypacker has back,
hone like a crow bar. He was crit
cised and abused by many newspa-
pers of the state because he recon-
mended an amendent to the libel
law which the Legislature passed
and he signed. The only essential
change in the new law is that the
responsible owners of newspapers
must put their names in the papers
which they publish. Most of the
members of the Legislature who
voted for the law have been re-elect-
ed. The Governor now proposes
that law be passed which, careful
ly guarding the freedom of the press
in all the rights it now possesses,
shall protect honest and honorable
citizens from what isl known as
"Teliow Journalism" Yellow Jour
nalism is defined as publications
which habitually and Intentionally
for the sake of gain, with falsehoods,
defame and ridicule public officers
and private citizens. 1t is known
to all that there are few such
newspapers in our great cities.
The command "Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neighbour"
is certainly as applicable to the pub
fishers of newspapers as to other
citizens. The great mass of news
papers respect it. Why should those
who do respect it stand up for those
who do not? This question we cam
not answer; but it is fact that
many newspapers have assaIled Gov
ernor Pennypacker for the stand he
has taken. 1t takes brave man to
stand up against the 'slings and ar
rows'l of an incensed press, but the
| Governor is doing it. He will be
sustained by all considerate citizens.
The State of Pennsylvania now
owns about seven hundred thousand
acres of land acquired for Forestry
Reservation purposes. AS tits con-
tinually adding to its purchases for
this purpose, we think it would be
well for the Commissioner of Forest
ry to turn his attention to this coun-
ty. There are some lands at the
head waters of streams which will
grow trees but of no value for culti-
walton. On this subject Governor
Pennypacker says, "The efforts for
the preservation of the Forests, the
Game and the Fish, all of which the
state has undertaken, seem to look
to the accomplishment of ends close
ly related, and it is well worthy of
consideration whether better results
could not be secured by combina-
ton of them. The fish propagate in
the streams, the streams traverse the
forests, the game for its life needs
both stream and forest, and all q
them require the employment On
watchmen and wardens.
Hon. VIM. Connell, of Scranton,
has introduced bill in Congress,