Decatur Democrat, Volume 41, Number 8, Decatur, Adams County, 6 May 1897 — Page 4

THE DEMOCRAT PUBIJNHEII WKKKLY. DEMOCRATIC PRESS I’IfBLISHING CO LEW G. ELLINGHAM, EDITOR. i *1.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE. Entered at the Postolllce at Decat nr, Indiana ns Second ('lass Mull Mailer. OFFICIAL PAPER OF ADAMS COUNTY. THURSDAY, MAY (>. Governor Mount has issued in- i structions to the proper officials to j investigate the reported violation of law, regarding the waste of natural gas- _____ The school board have not as yet selected the corps of teachers for the next year, but it is expected that they will, within a few days or week. The annual export of gold is commencing and brokers are uneasy. Seven million dollars in one week is regarded as quite heavy tor this early period. It doesn’t pay for any business man to sit idly by and see his neighbor prosper and grow rich through the judicious use of newspaper advertising and printer’s ink. In these bustling boom McKinley times, it is no offense to call attention ot the republican brethren to their promises, “that the doors of prosperity would open November 4, 1896.” Trot out the elephant. Advertising is the surest and best means of accumulating more trade. More trade means more cash and success for the merchant. The Democrat reaches the mass, s and will leturn dollars on the investment. Albert G. Porter, ex-g<>vernor of Indiana, died at his home in Indianapolis Monday afternoon. The deceased has been under a physician’s care for a year past, and his death at this time was not unexpected. He has been one of the prominent public spirits in Indiana for a long number of years. The city council have hung on a peg all remonstrative opposition to the proposed improvements of [Second and Winchester streets, and have ordered same bricked. Tht improvement will be somewhat ex pensive for a number of residents along the street, especially at this time. It also puzzles some finan ciers to figure out how the city can stare an empty treasury in the face, and at the same time pay for bricking street crossings. We are heartily in favor of public improvements, but it naturally takes something besides wind, to pay for them. It is well for the political lead era of the present day to recall the memories of such men as Jefferson and Jackson. These men were patriots as well as practical statesmen. They administered the government on simple principles of justice and in then interest of the people. Jefferson foresaw the danger to the masses from the accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few, and did all in bis power to entrench the people in power. Jackson maintained the first great struggle with the money power/ and won the fight. The second contest is now on, and the “first battle” under Mr Bryan’s leadership has been fought. There are more to follow, and pending the truce bfetween the campaigns the study of Tom Jefferson’s life and precepts is an excellen pastime. Mr. McKinley has fully made up his mind to curtail some of the extensions of the civil service rules made by Mr. Cleveland, but he lacks the nerve to do so until public opinion has been worked up a little on the subject. That is why members of h’s cabinet and other prominent officials are public their opinions agai/st those rules." Os course everybody understands • that the rules do not keep the present democratio occupants of the positions in office, but so long as they are in force they do operate to keep those republicans who are not already in the government service out of office. And that is the milk in the cocoanut. Promises have been made that have got to be kept, and the only way to keep them is to withdraw the civil service rules from some of these places. Had Mr. McKinley been a man of backbone he would simply have rescinded Mr. Cleveland’s orders extending the rules and said no more about it, and that would haye been a much more manly way than this beating the devil around the bush in order to make it appear that the public demands their abrogation, when everybody knows that the public doesn’t- care a continental who fills the minor offices under the government.

PROMINENCE OF HOOSIERS. THEY ARE TO HAVE IMPORTANT i PARTS IN THE POSTAL CONGRESS. I What Senator Cullom Say, of Mr. Fairbanks and HM Modesty—Gowdy’s Feeling Toward Civil Service—Scott Bone’s Success In Journal ism Stories l>.v Congressmen Special Ambassador John TV • Foster. i From Our Special Correspondent. Washington, May s.—lndiana is to figure very prominently in tlieapproachl ing congress of the International Postal I union, which will be one of the most inI teresting and notable meetings ever held in this country. Practically every civilized nation in the world will be represented in the body, wffich is to begin its sessions in the old Corcoran art gallery this month. First Assistant Postmaster General Heath, who is now popularly known as “General” Heath, is chairman of the committee on arrangements appointed in behalf of the United States government, which has made a liberal appropriation to cover the expenses of the congress. “Bob” Hatcher of Lafayette, a former reading clerk of the Indiana state senate, who was until recently a reading clerk in the house of representatives, has been appointed to a similar position in the postal congress. The proceeding are to be in French, and Mr. Hatcher, on account of several years’ residence abroad, is peculiarly fitted for the exacting duties of such a place in so cosmopolitan a body. General James N. Tyner, formerly of Peru, Ind., who for eight years tepresented the old Eleventh district in congress, has been appointed one-of the five representatives of the United States in the congress. The appointment is wisely conferred, for Mr. Tyner is perhaps better informed on American postal affairs than any other man in the United States. During his congressional career his efficient service on the , committee on postoffices and postroads earned for him an appointment as second assistant postmaster general under President Grant. Later he became first assistant postmaster general, and during the last year of Grant’s second term was postmaster general and proved one of the most capable officials ever representing the interests »of that great department in the cabinet. In 1878 he represented the United States in the postal Congress at Paris, so that his previous experience will make him a commanding figure in the coming convention. Since 1880 General Tyner has been engaged in the practice of law. inaking a specialty of postal matters, during several of these years being officially connected with the legal division of the department. Mr. Tyner has retained his residence in Indiana and his interest in Indiana politics, with which he was prominently connected as early as 1864, -when he was a Lincoln elector. He is said to be the onlv surviving Indiana member of the electoral college which chose-. Abraham Lincoln for a second presidential term. —**♦ — Nearly the entire Indiana delegation is now in Washington and went en masse last week to the Grant memorial exercises at New York. Senator Fairbanks is quoted by a New York paper as giving, while there, his views on the proper course for a new member of the senate. He said he believed a new man should go slow. He had much to learn and he would not exhibit any haste in trying to break a record. This view is somewhat in contrast to that of "Billy Mason, the new senator from Illinois, who was so prominent a figure on the stump during the last Indiana campaign. for Mr. Mason shows a disposition to'stir animals and disturb the timehonored and dustcovered precedents of the senate, which is not at all to the liking of the veteran members of tile very dignified body which occasionally sits in the north end of the capitol. Mr, Mason’s colleague is a close friend of Senator Fairbanks, and in speaking of the new members of the senate the other day he mentioned the Indiana man among the four most promising senatorial debutants, Foraker, Mason and Hanna, being the three others. Senator Cullom thinks Senator Fairbanks will prove to be one of the greatest men in the senate. “He is one of the best equipped meh I know,” he said. “He has ability and concentration and good judgment. About the only criticism I would make of him is that he is too modest. I have wanted to see him get a goodcommittee appointment, but there are only a few open now, and I am afraid his modesty will stand in the way of his getting what he ought to have.” Indiana people, however, know that Senator Fairbanks has a quiet way of getting what he wants, which ought to allay Mr. Cullum’s apprehensions. —•*» — Captain Jack Gowdy, with his wife and daughter and bright young secretary, Mr. Maguire, paid the national capital a fleeting visit last week for the purpose of conferring with the state department as to his duties at Paris. A few brief weeks ago, when Mr. Gowdy was here awaiting the arrival of his sure tiling, ' his rooms were constantly crowded witlf happy and expectant Hoosiers. On this trip Captain Gowdy felt “like one who treads alone some, banquet hall deserted,” for most of the -boys were at home communing -sadly with a lost hope. All of which caused Mr. Gowdy to say some things about civil-, service reform which woujd have grated very harshly on the ears of William Dudley Foulke or “Teddy” Roosevelt. When Captain Gowdy was in Washington before he encountered General Grosvenor in the lobby of the Ebbitt House just after the Ohio congressman had delivered his philippic against civil service reform. After greetings had been exchanged “Oom Jack” insisted on shaking hands the second time because of the accuracy with which General Grosvenor had expressed his sentiments. — Representative Robinson is one of those genial persons who are easily reminded of a funny story. In the stationery room of the house the other day he ran across another Hoosier, Ora En ■ yart of Miami county, who is assistant I superintendent of that department. ' | Young Mr. Enyart told the Fort Wayne statesman about two Pennsylvania

schoolma’ams who wore investigating the mysteries of the capitol the other day and halted before a window over j looking the bit of gwi< ward inclosed b< tween the capitol an 1 t-be western terrace. “Well, I’ll declare,” remarked one of i them, “I suppose that's where the congressmen go when they have recess.” I “That reminds me," said Mr. Robin- I son, “of a fellow up at Fort Wayne who had a friend he wanted to get info a secret order. In fact he was ‘dead anxious,’ as they say at Fort Wayne. Well, when they took the vote he was the teller, and when the counting was over ho reported that his man was elected. A brother jumped up and tiled some very vociferous ol jeetions, claiming that there was fraud in the count. The chairman asked him how could he tell. ‘Wcjl, I know,’ he shouted, ‘because I put in two blackballs myself to maltb sure.’ ” Mr. Robinson failed to explain just what there was in the first story to re mind him of the second, and only smiled when asked if thatwas the way he rolled up his big majority in Allen county. —*** — The oldest postmaster in Indiana, who is probably outranked by few if any postal officials in point of priority of service, is Isaac Caulk of Birmingham, Miami county, who was appointed on July 6, 1869. Birmingham is not what one would call a great industrial center, ami the duties of the office are not such as to cause an incumbent to die of overwork, so that Mr. Caulk will doubtless round out his 30 years of service at least. —■»** — The death of Mr. Holman confers upon Representative Steele the honor of being dean of the Indiana delegation in congress. He is one of 16 members of the Forty-seventh congress, in which he first served, who are members of the present congress. Major Steele went to Indiana last week on business connected with the Marion home and the distribution of postoffices in the Eleventh congressional district. Mr. Henry has been back from Anderson for several days and claims to have had a real nice time with the 2,300 candidates for postoffices in his district. Representative Faris, who has been suffering from an attack of illness (which he claimsis not nervous prostration brought on by the recent fratricidal struggle over the Terre Haute postoffice and collee.torship), has been joined by his wife. Representative Hemenway has left word with an Indiana colleague to notify him if Speaker Reed makes the slightest sigh of an intention to consider the appointment of colleagues, and this colleague is preparing to spring a huge practical joke on the congressman from “the pocket” by telegraphing him that if he wants that place on the rivers and harbors committee he should come on at once. —***- “The Republican members,” said Representative Zenor the other day, as he smiled a satisfied smile, “don’t know what the happiness of being a congressm> u really is. What good does it do ray colleagues from Indiana if nature is smiling in these spring days? What are blue skies and green grass to a statesman who is struggling with the problem of whether Smith or Jones should have the postoffice at Possum trot; or how he is going to square himself with Brown if he don’t get that consulship for him; or how he is going to get any offices for his friends when they are nailed down with civil service spikes, and clinchers at that. Now, all we Democrats have to do is to enjoy the vacations and wait for 1898 and 1900.”. —*** — A number of indianians who held office under the Harrison administration are seeking reinstatement in the departments. Among these are John C. Cheney, formerly of Sullivan, who cairn 4 here as assistant attorney general under Attorney General Miller in 1889. John A. Stine of Union City, who Was a clerk in the treasury department from 1860 until the second Cleveland administration, and Rev. W. \V. Curry, the Uni versalist minister who entered politics iii Indiana during the war to 1 e 'ome one of the greatest sjuinp speakers the state evfer produced. He served two terms ■ as secretary of state early in the 70’s. He was appointed a chief examiner in the pension department under Colonel Dudley during ‘Garfield’s administration, but was removed in 1881 by President Cleveland. **» — Scott Bore, the managing editor of the Washington Post, was recently given .an increase in salary from $3,500 to $4, 000 a year. Mr. Bone is one of the many Indianians who have made their mark in newspaper work. Ho is a native of Shelbyville, who came to Washington from Indianapolis. Four years ago he purchased an interest in the Anderson Democrat, but before he had unloaded his household goods in that thriving gas town the management of The Post telegraphed him an offer of an increase in •alary, and after a career of three days in Anderson journalism he came back to assume the duties of night editor, from which place he was promoted the other day to his present distinguished position. — The recent appointment of General JohrsW. Foster to be “an ambassador on a special mission,” for the purpose of negotiating a new sealing treaty with Great Britain, is said to be unprecedented in thehistory of American diplomacy, though once before General Foster was a special envoy to Spain and Mr. Blount was a “paramount commissioner” to Hawaii. General Foster’s career since he became minister®to Mexico in 1872, after serving as chairman of the Republican state central committee, has been such as to make him perhaps the first among American diplomats since Benjamin Franklin, and this is not the first unprecedented honor achieved by him. The object in appointing General Foster an ambassador is to place him on an equal footing with Sir Julian Pauncefoote, with whom the negotiations are to be carried on. Sir Julian is very particular with whom he deals and the designation was made in order to avoid any embarrassment that might arise on account of the English ambassador’s hyper-sensitiveness on matters of diplo-’ mafic ettiquette. It is the hope of the administration to be able to negotiate -through Mr. Foster a treaty for the suppression of pelagic sealing which will be agreed to by Great Britain, Japan and Russia, thus not only bringing to an end the indiscriminate slaughter of seals, but removing a constant source of irritating international controversy. George B. Lockwood.

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Democratic employees of the treasury department who are not so unsophisticated as to expect to be protected by the civil service commission are-preparing to “get it in the neck.” A committee has been appointed to investigate all the bureaus of the treasurery department, and to report a plan of reorganization that will enable the most efficient employes to get the largest saltaies. That sounds all right, doesft’t it? But every wide-awake democrat knows that th« plan reported will give the biggest salaries to the republicans, and is preparing to take his dose of reduction with as good grace as he can, it he isn’t in a position to show his disgust by resigning when the reorganization is made. ttENEVA ELECTION. The Geneva election returns show a division of the spoils among both the democrats and republicans. The result was jerked from the phone, which was manipulated by the genial landlord of the Shamrock. We can submit the following figures: Clerk—F. N. Hale, D 116 Willis Glendening, R 157 Glendening's majority 41. Treasurer —E. F. Walsh, D 1-9 G. W. Hamma, R . 137 Hamma’s majority 8. Marshal —E. Vachon, D =.IOB Eugene Barnes, R....... 160 Barnes’ majority 52. Prus Ist Ward —J. F. Reiff. 1).... 138 C. Haviland,* R.. 128 Reiff’s majority 10. Trus 2d Ward —E. Callihan, D ... 142 E 11. Ash, K ... 118 Callihan’s majority ,24 Not much interest was manifested, the contest being void of anything resembling the usual excitement of an election. The tickets were both excellent and the successful electors will make efficient officers. The vote cast was some thirty less than at the election last November. The Ladies Mite Society of the M. E. church have secured Ghar lotte Aljen Scott to give an entertainment in the lecture room of the church on May 12. Mr. and Mrs. C, J. Lutz entertained a small party of young people at their elegant home yesteday evening. All kinds of amusements were indulged in. followed by a dainty repast. Those who partook of the evenings pleasantries were Misses Elma Sutton, Clara Rittenhouse, Bertha Sellemyer and Venice Cutting. Messrs. J. C. Sutton, Allen B. Porter and E. Howard Lyon. A sad affair occurred at Markle last Sunday, in which two young men lost their lives and another is on the verge of death, with no chances for recovery. The boys, named Davis, Coffenberg and Gravenstrot, went into a drug store, and while the clerk had his back turned, took a bottle labeled “alcohol” off the shelf and went out. It is generally supposed that the boys believed the bottle to contain alcohol, but which in reality contained a deadly poison, , and drank the contents. In a short time they became deathly sick and were soon suffering terrible agony followed by convulsions. Physicians were summoned but nothing could be done to relieve them, and in a short while two of the boys died and. the third is in a hopeless condition.

I'f'NTOI'GII PI SHING. So Sayw a Taxpayer of Bluffton. in Commenting upon Jliineipal Reform*. The citizens oi Bluffton have been aroused to a high tention. The first republican mayor Bluffton ever had know at the head of the government. Said mayor with a few members of the common council, concluded that they would make themselves immortal by having sewers constructed all over the city, so such was undertaken and a storm sewer was constructed that cost about six times its value, and of course, property-holders are outrageously assessed to pay for the same. The sewer was constructed over the written protest ot many of the property-holders. Not being content with outraging the proper-ty-owners with a storm sewer, the august council are now having a sanitary sewer constructed that will cost five times its value and out rageous assessments will have to be made to pay for the same. The conucil, not content with the municipal rapes, conceived the idea of having Bluffton made a Chicago or London, and also the idea of having the streets paved with asphalt or some other costly material, and hence it was necessary for the mayor and some four of the common council to visit the prominent cities of the eastern states if not Halifax, and as the citizens of Bluffton had not already been taxed enough, a select few of the common council met without letting any one else know (even the city clerk was not notified) anything about the meeting, and decided to issue an order on the city treasurer for S4OO to pay the expenses of the mayor and selectmen to take their visit to the east, and the mayor signed said order as “mayor” and “clerk pro tem,” but when the order w'as taken to the c.ty treasurer he refused to pay ou' the money on the same until endorsed by one of the select men oi by the city clerk. So the order was taken to the city clerk and he re fused, at first, to sign it for the reason that the council had made no order for the same, but being assured by the mayor and select men, he signed it and the money was drawn The expedition now being in shape, on the 21st inst. they started on their visit to the east, and did not return until the evening ot the 28th inst. How much of the money was spent and how it was divided is unknow to the taxpayers of Biuffton, but there is strong talk of having a legal investigation to determine what right they had to the money and what they did with it. At any rate the people of Bluffton are loud in their denunciations of the common coun cil and the head thereof. The minutes of the meeting when the order was issued were never presented to the city clerk until the 28th inst., when the mayor delivered the same to the city clerk, saying that he has been too busy to present them sooner. Hurrah for Bluffton, prosperity under McKinley’s administration and a republican mayor. OBITUARY. George Frank, son of Peter and Magdalina Frank, was born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, November 7, 1815. When 17 years of age he emigrated with his parents to Darke county» Ohio. In In 1838 he came to Adams county . and entered eighty acre# of land in %

Blue Creek township. He was married September 29, 1839 to Nancy 1 Sackett, born August 14, 1’823. Mr. and Mrs. Frank had seven children, three of whom survive, Peter, Samuel and Elezan. Mr. Frank in early days served as clerk ot Blue Creek township also as justice of the peace for Several years. In 1848 he was elected county assessor, at that time there were no township assesso.rs. In 1878 he was elected sheriff for two years and when that term expired he was re-elected for the second term. He was subsequent!v appointed to fill a vacancy in the board of county commissioners and after his appointment expired he was elected to that office. He was serving the county at the time the court house was built, and was one of its strongest advocates. It was built largely through his influence. He had lived in the county fifty-nine years. Aged eighty-one years, five months and twenty days. His funeral took place at the Baptist church, April 29th, conducted by Rev, Hart. PRESS cbMMENTS. The Decatur Dimocßat issued a fine illustrated edition last week, in honor of the M. E. church of that pla<se. It contained nineteen fine half-tone cuts. —Warren independent. The Democrat of" Decatur last week put out a finely illustrated edition in honor of the dedication of the handsome new Methodist church at 1 that place. It was printed on good paper and a credit to the publisher and the town. Over $(1,000 was raised at the dedication, .when only $5,500 was asked for.—Markle Journal. The Decatur Demobrat done j itself great credit test week in the write-up of the dedication of the M. E. church of that city. Its issue was of the finest bo< k paper and highly decorated with halftoned i I lustrations of the new building and those who participated in the work of dedication. Bro. Ellingham is an up-to-date newspaper man and knows how to please his readers. —Winchester Herald. The Decatur Democrat, L. G. Ellingham’s paper, pays tribute to the the dedication of the M. E. church in that city on Easter, by a fine special edition last week. Not only is the affair minutely described by a complete history of the church together with many of its pastors, but the prominent members are remembered by halftone photographs and short sketches of their lives. The edition was run on calendared paper, and _ makes a fine souvenir.—Winchester Journal. The Decatur Democrat did great credit to itself last week in the write-up of the dedication ceremonies of the new M. E. church of that city. The issue was printed on fine book paper and profusely illustrated with half-toned illustrations ot the edifice and those who participated in the dedication cere- j monies. Its editor, Bro. Ellingham, is an up to-date, all-around newspaper man, aiid deserves much credit for his efforts. He will ever be remembered by the patrons of this paper as one of its foremost editors.—Winchester Democrat. To Cure Constipation Forever. Take Cascarets Candy Cathartic. 10c or 250. If C. C. C. fail to cure, druggists refund money. Educate Your Bowels With Cascarets. Candy Cathartic, cure constipation forever. 100,25 c. If C.O.C. fail, druggists refund money. ■ a