Heart Lake – L. O. Farrar, superintendent of the Mountain Ice Co., had a narrow escape from drowning, last Sunday, while walking on the lake.

Royal, Clifford Twp. – The teachers’ institute held in the M. E. church at Lenoxville, last Saturday night, was well attended although but few attended from here on account of the social party at Bertha Well’s on the same night. ALSO In Clifford, J. B. Lowrey’s team is busy drawing lumber from Hankinson’s mill. Mr. H. does the sawing for Mr. Patterson who is stripping this county of its timber, both hemlock and hard wood. Our forests are disappearing very rapidly and, hereafter, we may prepare for more severe drougths than ever. Also Next Tuesday evening the Grange will debate the question, “Resolved, that women should have equal rights with men.” Leaders are E. G. Greene and A. W. Miller.

Dimock – Our school teacher now walks every morning from Springville to Dimock with his dinner pail in hand, returning home on the evening train. Walter believes in morning exercise.

Jackson Twp. – School notes of Maple Ridge, Jackson, for the month ending Feb. 20, 1913. The following were present every day during the month: Earl Hall, Raymond Wilcox, Harry Monroe, Robert Washburn, Jay Decker, Nellie Hall, Lloyd Blaisdell, Esther Quick, Ruth Hall and Lloyd Hall. The following poem has been learned by the fourth grade, “Pretty is that Pretty Does.” The sixth grade is reading, “Enoch Arden.” The fifth grade has read “Father Marquerette,” also “The Story of Lincoln.”

Great Bend – The Susquehanna County Electric Co. will install a new system of lights in Great Bend in the near future.

Brooklyn – A horse of the Harford Dairy Company, while plowing ice on W. L. Sterling’s pond, broke through the ice. It was not drowned, but is thought to have died from the shock.

Montrose – Undertaker J. C. VanCampen has purchased a handsome new two-tone grey funeral car which he expects to arrive about April 1st. Also Jesse M. Noble spent the first of the week in West Pittston, visiting his uncle, Eli Noble, who is very ill. Mr. Noble also attended the “Billy” Sunday evangelistic meetings and was highly pleased with them. As soon as the tabernacle was emptied at 5 pm, at the close of the afternoon meeting, people would commence pouring in who had come to attend the evening meeting, which commences at 7:30. It is said that Sunday keeps himself in the physical condition of an athlete, exercising, bathing and being “rubbed down” by a physical director as if in training for the Olympiad. When he gets in action, enforcing his words with energetic motions, his collar wilts as well as the sinner who stands convicted

Susquehanna – Joseph A. Kent has purchased of M. J. Ryan, the Central House, which he has conducted for a number of years.

Harford – Hon. E. E. Jones has introduced a bill in the Legislature providing for a five cent tax on each ton of anthracite coal mined in the state, 60% of the money thus obtained to be used as a fund for disabled miners. He plans to follow this bill with one providing a pension fund for miners’ widows and disabled miners.

Nicholson – It is reported that as soon as warm weather comes, six gangs of five hundred men each will be employed on the big bridge here. This means that Nicholson must find room for 3,000 more people and now every place is more than full.

Flynn, Middletown Twp. – Patrick Conboy, formerly of Chicago but now of South Dakota, is visiting his childhood home here. Also A social time was had at James Conboy's last Wednesday night; it was business combined with pleasure as James re-organized the baseball team and gave several fine solos on the violin.

Hallstead – As the spring mud deepens there is a general rejoicing over the prospect of good roads from Hallstead to Binghamton in the near future.

Bridgewater Twp. – John Quinn, aged 85 years, died at the home of his son, John Quinn, Jr., in Binghamton, March 12th. Deceased had resided in Bridgewater the greater part of his life, having gone to Binghamton a few years ago to live. He was one of the best known and most admired men of this section and a sturdy, honest, upright man. During the Civil war he was one of the color guards in Co. C, 151st Regt., P.V., and was in the battles of Gettysburg, Chancellorsville and other engagements. He was a member of Four Brothers Post, G. A. R., of Montrose, and for many years its color bearer. Interment in Binghamton. Seven sons and one daughter survive.

Silver Lake – An advertisement appears in this issue of the large Rose tract of virgin timber at Silver Lake. This tract has been in litigation for some years and it is likely will now be sold, as the legal entanglements have apparently been eliminated. While there is much valuable timber in the tract, it is to be regretted that it will probably soon be felled and sawed into lumber.

New Milford – Owing to a bad wreck on the Lackawanna railroad, near New Milford on Thursday night, which piled 30 coal cars, blocking both tracks, Lackawanna coal trains, Friday morning, covered the distance between Binghamton and Scranton over the Erie and D & H. During the forenoon ten Lackawanna passenger trains passed through Forest City. One was composed of 8 coaches of Swedes and Norwegians bound for western points where they will engage in farming.

Forest City – Notices were posted in Klot’s Throwing mill, in this place, giving the girls an advance of 50 cents per week dating from March 1, 1913. The girls were well pleased with the increase as it came without asking and was a surprise.

News Brief: Representative H. C. Jackson of Wayne county, has introduced a bill which would make the daisy Pennsylvania’s State Flower, and once each year we would celebrate “Daisy Day.” While not wishing to “knock,” why not the arbutus or hepatica (commonly called Mayflower) of spring, or the goldenrod, of the autumn? Many others might be mentioned that are better than the daisy. Those of us who feed stock would prefer the clover blossom, although the reason is unsentimental. (An effort is now being made to substitute the violet for the daisy). [The State Flower is mountain laurel, which symbolizes victory and merit. This was enacted in May of 1933].

The United States Justice Department has not yet announced a decision on whether it intends on enforcing federal drug laws that relate to marijuana in Colorado and Washington – the states that recently legalized the “recreational use of marijuana” by a popular referendum vote. Attorney General Holder has stated that the Justice Department is examining its policy options – but has not stated whether he will enforce federal drug laws in Colorado and Washington. Apparently, Attorney General Holder is suggesting that he may simply ignore the federal statutes relating to marijuana on “policy” grounds.

It would not be the first time this Justice Department has refused to defend federal law on “policy” grounds – the Justice Department (at the direction of President Obama) has refused to defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which became law in 1996 under President Clinton. In other words, this particular Administration has determined that it will unilaterally decide what the laws are worth enforcing – and which laws can be wholly ignored or even actively undermined. This is a strange position for the executive branch to take as its primary function is to assure that the laws are faithfully executed and obeyed.

If the Justice Department believes that the states have the power to supersede federal law by popular referendum, then Attorney General Holder should simply say so. If he did so, he would undermine the very concept of federal preemption of state laws and the supremacy of the federal constitution. If the Justice Department questions the constitutionality of the federal drug laws, then it should seek judicial clarification. Of course, Attorney General Holder already knows the legal answers to these questions – federal law preempts state law and the constitutionality of the federal drugs laws has long been determined. Thus, the Justice Department makes “policy” arguments for non-enforcement – not legal arguments.

The idea of enforcement is a red herring as well – meant to distract from the real issue that the Justice Department is not doing its job. Frankly, the Justice Department rarely gets involved in local prosecutions involving marijuana. The bigger question is whether a state can simply ignore federal law – and the Justice Department has the obligation to defend and enforce those federal laws even where a personal ideology may make that an unwanted task. The Justice Department does not need to arrest a single person in Colorado or Washington. Rather, the Justice Department simply needs to bring an action in federal court to strike down those state laws.

In response to Arizona’s attempt to fight illegal immigration, the Justice Department responded with a federal suit challenging the constitutionality of Arizona’s legislation. If the Justice Department challenged Arizona’s attempt to assist the federal government in enforcing federal immigration laws, it seems even more incredulous that the Justice Department would not seek to strike down the laws in Washington and Colorado that blatantly violate federal law. What it taking the Justice Department so long to make a simple decision? We have been down this road with Arizona – so why should Washington and Colorado be any different?

Last week, eight former directors from the DEA, both from Democrat and Republican Administrations, criticized the Justice Department for its delay in making clear that federal drug laws would be enforced. This was followed up by a statement from the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board that made clear that the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington violated international treaties relating to drug enforcement – and that the United States was a signatory to those treaties. Both the former DEA directors and the United Nations urged for the Justice Department to move forward with a court challenge to these new laws.

Regardless of how you stand on the marijuana legalization issue, the inaction of Attorney General Holder creates a bigger question – it boils down to the question of whether we are a nation that respects the rule of law. If he thinks the states should have the right to legalize marijuana, in violation of both federal law and international treaty obligations, Attorney General Holder needs make that argument in court. As I have said before, as someone with a conservative ideology, I would welcome the federal government making that concession and giving sovereignty back to the states and local governments – and thereby significantly reduce the power of the federal government.

Attorney General Holder faces the classic Hobson’s choice – he does not want to concede that the states can ignore federal law (and international treaties), but he also apparently has no interest in enforcing this particular federal drug law. In the end, if the Attorney General refuses to enforce and follow the law, what message does that really send about the law itself?

Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801 or at our website www.SusquehannaCounty-DA.org or discuss this and all articles at http://dadesk.blogspot.com/.