Eleven Young Men Answer Nation’s Call to War. Second contingent of drafted men leaves for Camp Meade, Maryland.  They will go over the Lehigh Valley railroad, which leaves Montrose at 11:10.  The young men in this contingent are: Harold L. Titman, Springville; William W. Booth, New Milford; Martin D. Howland, South Montrose; Angelo Zukero, Forest City; James J. Hickey, Little Meadows; Harold D. Smith, Springville; Paul E. Fives, Forest City; Fred J. Wolfert, Forest City; Thomas McCormick, Choconut; Thomas J. Reddon, Susquehanna; Henry H. Perry, Susquehanna.

Harford – Sergeant Henry S. Jones, son of State Senator E. E. (Good Roads) Jones, of Harford, and a member of the Lafayette Escadrille, brought down his first German airplane on Monday, while reconnoitering over the firing lines in France.  Jones went to France about two years ago and served with the ambulance corps.  Anxious for actual fighting, he entered the aviation school at Paris last October.  He went on active duty on May 10, being immediately commissioned as a pilot because of his fine record at school.  Only four other Americans have been so commissioned at the beginning.  His instructor said “Jones took to the air like ducks to water.”

ALSO Every morning between eight and nine, a goodly procession of school pupils are to be seen on our main road leading to Harford.  Gilbert Baker drives the school bus (not kid wagon) which carries from 20 to 30 passengers.  A number of single rigs are to be seen carrying two or more and those who live in walking distance are to be seen going a foot and two boys ride bicycles.

Clifford – A number of the friends of Mrs. Henrietta Felts decided to make her a visit.  They were not invited nor expected, but while she was out calling, about 25 ladies invaded her home and were nicely situated to enjoy themselves when the owner arrived.  She was certainly surprised.  The visitors left as a memento various things of use.  The now willing hostess insisted on serving refreshments of cake.  At a reasonable hour the callers departed, wishing many more natal days might pass over their friend’s head to add to the 70 already gone. ALSO All of the young folks of the village and some of the elder ones, held a corn roast in Greene’s sugar camp last Saturday night.  All sorts of fun was indulged in except to roast corn.

Springville – Myron Kasson said the daft had taken three young men from his farm.  In his humorous way “Myron” remarked: “I’m going to give ‘em the dog next, and then quit farming.”  Some farmers who have lost the aid of sons and hired help feel about the same way.

Montrose – Miss Sallie Courtright went to Ann Arbor, Mich. where she will be associated with a

friend in conducting a millinery and dress-making establishment.  Miss Courtright is a graduate of Pratt Institute and had a year’s experience in one of New York’s most fashionable designing and dress-making houses.  Her friends here wish her every success in the new enterprise. ALSO The Library has received, from the National Emergency Food Garden Mission of Washington, a bundle of free storage manuals for distribution in the food saving campaign.  The Commission is offering $5,000 in prizes for best canned vegetables grown in war gardens, which resulted in the organization of war garden exhibits throughout the country. An estimate says the women of the country have placed 460,000,000 jars of canned stuff on the pantry shelves this year and that all food conservation records have been broken.

Lawsville – The marriage of Miss Bertha Southworth to William Barnum, both popular young people of this place, was solemnized at Johnson City, on Sept. 26.  They have begun life together in their cozy newly-furnished home near the creamery, where Mr. Barnum has held the position of buttermaker for some time.

Uniondale – Burns Lyons has invested in a Ford auto.  Burns says the auto can be made to go faster than a horse but there is not the satisfaction that one has to saying “whoa” to a lively steed.      

ALSO The Lyon street school, is well attended by pupils who prefer a smaller school than to ride several miles to a larger one. There are 28 pupils enrolled and the attendance is almost perfect. ALSO Douglas & Yale are tearing down the building formerly occupied by A. M. Knapp as a blacksmith shop, near the stone bridge.  It is an old landmark, being built more than 50 years ago and occupied until recently.

Forest City – Forest City, a well know oasis, gave Mr. Denney [for judge] 431 votes and slighted Mr. Smith, who was able to muster but 110 votes in the whole bloomin town.  Susquehanna gave Denney 245 to 196 for Smith.  Uniondale, a temperance center, gave Denney 31 and Smith 5.  With these figures in mind, it is difficult to determine what part the liquor matter played with the voters.  The flirtation with the “wets” and “drys” will likely continue till the general election.  Perhaps both Mr. Denney and Mr. Smith would be much more happy “were the other dear charmer away.”

Dimock – The funeral of W. G. Thornton, an aged man of Lindaville, formerly of this place and veteran of the Civil War, who was badly wounded there in the hip, was held at the M. E. church, here, Friday afternoon last, Rev. Vaughn of Brooklyn, preaching a very able sermon.  Burial was in the Dimock cemetery nearby. [Wm. G. Thornton was a member of Co.H. 143d Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers.  Mustered in 1862; discharged on serg. certif. in 1864.]

Susquehanna – The Red Cross in this town seems to lack greatly in workers, at its rooms in the Chemical Co.’s building, and church people of all denominations were urged to come out and help.  In nearly every other town and hamlet, names of all members of the Red Cross were published and interest thus awakened, contributed to make a large number feel a stronger desire, both to pay the $1/00 to join the Society, and to unite in its great work.

200 Years Ago from the Montrose Centinel, October 2, 1817.

*NOTICE. The subscribers for Stock in the Milford and Owego Turnpike Road Company are required to pay the balance due on their respective subscriptions, to the Treasurer, by the first day of November next. By order of the Board. PUTNAM CATLIN, Treasurer. Montrose, Sept. 20, 1817.

*LIST OF LETTERS Remaining at the Post Office at Montrose, October 1st, 1817.

Sayre & Mulford, Wm. C. Turrel, Charles Fraser, Aron Blakesly, Rhodolphus Potter, Thomas Thompson, Wm. H. Spencer, John Palmer, Daniel Foster, P. H. Bostwick, Cornelius Wood, Nancy Cook, Wm. Lawrence, Mecom [Meacham] Maine, Isaac Deuel, John Burnham 2, Sally Crane, Ezra Shove, James Wells, Samuel Wilson, Alby Bostwick, Ezekiel Griffis, Alexander Milroy, Henry Park & Benjamin Blakesly.

*NOTICE. PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY Given, that by Orphan’s Court of the County of Susquehanna, will be sold by pubic venue or out cry, on the first Monday of November next, at ten o’clock in the forenoon of that day, a certain lot or tract of land, situate in the township of Great Bend & County of Susquehanna, containing one hundred acres be the same more or less, bounded by the Susquehanna River on the East, by land of Ichabod Buck on the South, by wild land on the West and by land of Almon Monson on the North, late the estate of John I. Way, deceased.  The sale will be held on the premises and the terms made known by William Thomson administrator of said estate.  By the Court, JABEZ HYDE, Jr. Clerk. Sept. 8th, 1817.

*HYMENIAL. MARRIED – on the 28th Sept. Mr. Isaac. D. Stewart of Bridgewater to Miss Mary Lampson, late of Vermont.

Several weeks ago, I wrote a column on the case of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which involved an assistant varsity football coach who was fired because he kept kneeling and praying after the home football games. One of the issues in that case was the capacity of the coach’s employer, the school district, to direct and curtail his speech.  In determining that the school district had the power to regulate Kennedy’s speech, the Ninth Circuit stated: “Because his demonstrative speech fell within the scope of his typical job responsibilities, he spoke as a public employee, and the District was permitted to order Kennedy not to speak in the manner that he did.”

In that case, it was significant that the coach’s employer was a public school district, i.e., a governmental entity.  The First Amendment guarantees a citizen the right to be free speech, i.e., the government is limited in its ability to stifle or silence a citizen’s speech.  The First Amendment only applies to government conduct – not private conduct.  In other words, if someone comes to your house and starts irritating you with some kind nonsensical speech, you can tell them to stop and no violation of the First Amendment occurs.  If you reverse the scenario and you are the guest and you tell the host to cease with any irritating commentary, you still have not violated the First Amendment.  You are a private citizen – the First Amendment only prevents the government from stifling or silencing speech.

The Kennedy decision demonstrates that even a public employer can place restrictions upon an employee to prohibit expressive conduct and speech.  In Kennedy, the school district was fearful of getting sued for allowing a public school coach to kneel and pray after the football game, i.e., an establishment clause violation, so the school district simply told Kennedy that he could not do it.  When the coach persisted, he was fired.  Even though the school district was a government entity restraining speech, the Ninth Circuit concluded that the school district had the power to silence the coach without violating his First Amendment rights.

After seeing and reading numerous media reports concerning the recent NFL anthem protest controversy, it appears that there is a general misunderstanding as to what the First Amendment protects – and what it does not protect.  The First Amendment does not protect you from your employer’s decisions to discipline you for conduct on the job – unless you have a specific contractual agreement that allows or permits that conduct.  In the NFL, individual players have a contract with their teams, and the players as a whole have a collective bargaining agreement with the NFL.  The reporting on this controversy continues to throw around First Amendment lingo without any explanation as to how it would apply to a private employment situation.  The answer is simple: it does not apply.

This is not to suggest that the player is not free to speak or act in any manner that the player believes is necessary.  In Kennedy, the coach decided that he could not stop kneeling and praying despite his employer’s specific instruction to do so.  He was terminated and the Ninth Circuit upheld that termination.  The coach had the freedom to speak through his kneeling and praying and the employer had the freedom to fire him.

The same analysis applies to the NFL except that the NFL has even more leeway to discipline or fire an employee than the school district did because the NFL is a private – not a government – entity.  As to the anthem controversy, the legal question would focus on the parties’ employment contract to determine the scope of any restrictions on speech and conduct.  If a player’s conduct falls outside of permissible contractual behavior, the NFL has the ability to take disciplinary action regardless of the First Amendment.  Private employers routinely reprimand, suspend and terminate employees for a wide variety of behavior.  It is a business decision for the employer – not a constitutional one – but this does not mean that it is an easy decision for the NFL.

The case for a “right to healthcare” amendment

That day: Joe Brown was in the pharmacy and said to the pharmacist. “Obamacare is killing me! I can’t wait for Trumpcare to kick in.” That night: The pharmacist was helping her 17-year old son with his American government homework. “Mom, why are there constitutional amendments like ‘freedom of speech,’ ‘the right to a fair trial,’ ‘the right to vote.’ But no ‘right to have affordable health care’?”

The pharmacist knew her son was correct. The US Constitution has never included an amendment that guarantees Americans health insurance. However, government plans were implemented in the 1960s to assist Americans who need healthcare. Example: Medicare provides health insurance for Americans aged 65+ who have paid into the system through payroll taxes, as well as for younger people with disabilities. Another example is Medicaid. Unlike Medicare, Medicaid is a healthcare welfare program for people with limited resources; 60% of those on Medicaid are nursing home residents.  

The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, is a 2010 law passed to make available health insurance to any American not covered by a government or an employer’s plan. It is not a perfect law. For instance, you can be fined if you do not buy insurance. While insurance companies also now provide a wider range of benefits and cover people with pre-existing conditions, premiums have risen to pay for these features. And businesses are surreptitiously cutting employee hours to avoid providing insurance.

Conversely, more Americans now have health insurance; over 16 million obtained coverage within the first 5 years of the ACA. Second, pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, made it difficult for many people to get insurance before the ACA. Most insurance companies would not cover treatment for these conditions. The ACA now prohibits such discrimination. Joe Brown’s wife had breast cancer and was fortunate to have her treatment bills covered via the ACA. Third, there are no lifetime caps on care. Before the ACA, some people with chronic health problems ran out of insurance coverage. Now, insurance companies cannot set limits on what they would spend on an individual consumer.

The basic concept of the GOP’s “Trumpcare” is to tweak Obamacare and then rename it. The bill plans to cover pre-existing conditions. However, insurance companies can return to charging much higher premiums to those people. The bill would defund Medicaid to the tune of $1 trillion by 2027. The bill might reduce the cost of plans by letting insurers sell across state lines, However, that would mean more “junk insurance” – unmonitored plans that would not cover high-cost medical events.  

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the federal agency responsible for economic forecasting, estimates that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under Trumpcare than under Obamacare. By 2026, about 51 million people under age 65 would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law due to soaring premiums. Also, services such as Planned Parenthood, which performs cancer screenings, would lose funding. The plan hurts the sick, poor, and women; it is a tax break for the upper class, large employers, and industry. Therefore, healthcare becomes, not a right, but a privilege to those who can afford it. Repeal. Replace. Remorse.

Of course, if and when the 2018 and 2020 elections fall in favor of the Democrats, they can scuttle Trumpcare and return to a new improved Obamacare. It’s political ping-pong. A partisan tug-of-war. A constitutional amendment that would declare affordable health care to be a fundamental right of all Americans could begin to correct these Congressional food fights. And as far as Joe Brown is concerned, the pharmacist thought, he may find out that Obamacare was the better way to go in the first place.

Ron Gasbarro, PharmD, is a registered pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Read more at www.rx-press.com