Decatur Democrat, Volume 46, Number 28, Decatur, Adams County, 18 September 1902 — Page 2

T fye Deeatu rEa $ I s I Giv<? a

Decatur, Ind., Sept 15. This is the place where the Eagle has its eyrie not the eagle which symbolizes American freedom, but the political eagle. Perhaps it would lie more appropriate to speak of the bird in the plural, as there are a lot of eagles up here and they are all waiting and sighing for an opportunity to sink their long, sharp talons in the person of one George Cromer, congressman from the Eighth district. They may not succeed in making a prey of Cromer, but they will ruffle his plumage before the campaign is over. The “Eagles” are all good, oldfashioned, dyed-in-the-wool republicans, a large majority of whom have never voted for a democrat in their lives. They are now perfecting an anti-Cromer republican organization, which they propose shall be as complete in every respect as the regular republican county organization, which is controlled by Cromer’s henchmen. Their purpose is to have an anti-Cro-mer committeeman in everv precinct and to take a systematic and correct poll of the county. All of this of course costs a good deal, but the Eagles are not hampered by a lack of money. Incidentally they are doing a great deal of proselyting among their fellow-republicans and are gaining all of the support they can for Judge Truesdale, the democratic candidate for congress. The story of how the "Eagles” happened to spring into existence is quite interesting. Last spring there were three candidates for the postoffice at Decatur. They were J. W. Teeple. who was then county chairman; Samuel Shamp and B. W. Quinn. Quinn was a receptive aspirant, while Teeple and Shamp were active and avowed candidates and were doing all they could to land the office by securing indorsements and personal assistance. A majority of the people here thought that Teeple would get the office, as he Lad rendered the party very useful services as county chairman. although Shamp had a great many friends, amt both he and Quinn brought a good deal of pressure to bear on Cromer. Mr. Cromer promise I the posti llice to Teeple in the presence < f three or four witnesses, an 1 it is said that he also promised it to Shamp. New it happened that in Decatur there is a republi 'an politician named Aliiert Brittsou who is a very wily citizen aid an adept in the art of political manipulation. Sometime before Cromer was renominated for rnrress last spring Mr. Brittson made two or three trips over to Muncie and on each occasion he had a conference with Mr. Cromer. It is now charged by the "Eagles” that a deal was made at that time between Cromer and Brittsou. whereby it was agr**ed that if Adams county gave a solid delegation to Cromer at the congressional convention Brittson might have the Decatur postoffiee. When Brittsou returned he had a heart-to-heart talk with Teeple and another one with Shamp. It is said that he told each of them that he was not a candidate for any office, but was a friend of Cromer and wanted to see him win. It is further said that he premised his supper* to Teeple in the latter’s race for postoffice if he would work for Cromer’s renomination, and that he made the same identical promise to Shamp. The result was that both Teeple and Shamp went to work with a vengeance for Cromer and helped to elect C. L. \\ alters, a friend of Brittson, county chairman, to succeed Mr. Teeple. with power to appoint a committee to choose delegates to the congressional convention. The committee selected a solid Cromer delegation.

Not long after Cromer had been renominated the announcement was made that he had appointed Albert Brittson postmaster of Decatur. A tdunderbolt out of the clear sky could not have beeu more unexpected. Nobody had dreamed that Brittson was a candidate. To say that his appointment created a storm of indignation would be putting it mildly. With remarkable unanimity people jumped at the conclusion that Cromer and Brittson had played a sharp political trick on the candidates for the postoffice, and that C. L. the newly-elected and present republican county chairman, was one of the conspirators in the deal. The appointment of a postmaster, it was believed. was purpoeely held off until after the congressional convention to enable Biiltsoc to line up the congressional candidates for Cromer. The feeling against Brittson and Walters became very intense, and within a few weeks after prittson’s appointment tb« •’Eagle club" was organized with MO charter members. It was ted at first that it be caller! •‘The Anti-Cromer club," but the conservative view of a majority of those present was that more could lie accomplished in securing votes if a name wore chosen that would not cast a rv lection on anybody or anything.

Time does not dampen the ardor of the Eagles, but they are more uumeri ous and enthusiastic today than ever. The membership has increased largely and the club today has ramifica tions in every neighborhood in the county. The scope of the organization has broadened and it is now making a fight against the republican county ticket as well as against Cromer. The republican county convention was held on the night of Sept. 4. Before it was called to order the Eagle club had a rousing meeting at its headquarters and discussed a proposition to attend the county convention, capture the county organization from Walters and nominate a county ticket of their own choice. It was finally concluded that the better way would be to soak Walters and nis ticket as well as Congressman Cromer at the polls. Not a single Eagle attended the county convention, and they devoted their energies to seeing that all republicans, whom they could influence, should remain away from the convention hall. The result was that just nineteen persons attended the county convention. The Eagles are now urging all republicans to vote the straight democratic county ticket, both as a rebuke to Cromer and as a lesson to the* state organization that it cannot hope for satis factory results in this county until the republican county organization is taken away from the political manipulators and schemers.

The fact is, the republican party at large in this county never has been favorable to Cromer. It always has been urged against him that while he is a very able politician he does not measure up to the stature of a statesman. In 1898, when Cromer was first a candidate, the sentiment of this county was to A. L, Sharpe of Bluffton, but Brittson and Walters, by some political manipulation, managed to get Cromer the lion's share of the vote. For this service Walters was appointed a deputy collector of internal revenue, but he soon tired of of his job and quit it. About Geneva, which is the second town in Adams county in size, the republicans who put up the money and make the fights always have been opposed to Cromer. In 1898 Cromer received only 1.232 in this county. In 1900 he polled L--639, as against 1.688 for McKinley. That year he was allowed his full party vote because the republicans believed that if he were given a second term he would drop out of politic. The Eagles declare that he shall not have 1,000 votes from Adams county this year, and it seems probn’'•> that he will not get that many, a’ ■ ugh the total voting population of the county is 5,500.

Tuat the situation here is very annoying to Mr. Cromer is indicated by the tact that both Cromer and his friend, Governor Durbin, are scheduled to Ire here on Wednesday of next week. It is with a sincere desire to prevent trouble that I take this opportunity of warning Mr. Cromer that be had better stay away as there is a certain ablebodied Eagle whose name I could mention, who is threatening to give him a polishing off if he comes. At least he should not think of coming without being well armed. Wednesday of next week is advertised by the county fair management as‘‘Durbin Day.” Those who are on the inside understand that to mean that it is to be Durbin's political field dav and that he intends to give the farmers a few practical lessons in political manipulation by trying to get Eagles into line for Cromer. He is not scheduled for a speech of anv any kind which is understood to mean that he intends to give all of his time to the Eagles. I can state positively that the Eagles are next to the little game and that if the governor and Mr. Cromer do not want to be bitten by an early frost they would do well to stay away.

Barney Kalveris a big Eagle with long talons. He would not object if it were noised about in all of the quarters of the earth that he is an Eagle, for he is proud of the distinction. He is a progressive merchant of this city and is one of Judge Truesdale’s most enthusiastic and influential supporters in this county. If Daniel D. Heller of Decatur had been nominated instead of Judge Trues dale at the democratic congressional convention, Mr. Kalver would have made a speech seconding the nonftnation on behalf of the Adams county Eagles. He attended the convention at Anderson for that purpose with a prepared speech in bis pocket, and while he would have preferred to work for a fellow-townsman he is giving Mr. Truesdale very loyal support. While at Anderson he gave an interview to the Anderson News which evidently jarred Congressman Cromer, as it brought an early letter from that gentleman to which Mr. Kalver sent a peppery reply. When Judge Truesdale visited Decatur two weeks ago Mr. Kalver spent half a day piloting ninj around and introducing him' U> . various Eagles. A few days ago <'romer had the antdacity u> write to Mr. Shamp, whom he had turned down in too postoffice race, to ask him what the political situation is in

‘ thia county. “Just let me answer that,” said Mr. Kalvcr, "and I will I send him a reply that will make his head swim. I’ll tell him that there are only three republicans in the county —Walters, Britson and John Kern who are going to vote for him. Mr. Kern is a merchant of this city. Mr. Kai ver is one of the old republican wheel horses here. During the last seventeen years he has been a delegate to every state, congressional ' and judicial convention. He has never held an office and has never asked for any reward. , Uncle Johnny Reed, who lives five miles north of Decatur, is a character. He is 103 years old and active as a cricket. He walks to Decatur frequently and back home, and seems to stand these trips as well as if he were three-quarters of a century younger. He drinks a great deal of whiskey and smokes a pipe and is considered a good citizen. He is a democrat. I find the democrats of this county in fine fettle and glad to be in the company of such substantial republicans as compose the Order of Eagles. The chairman of the democratic county committee is John W. McKean, a preacher, who knows a few things about politics as well as religion. Democratic headquarters is a cheerful place, handsomely decorated with the stars and stripes and with pictures of democratic celebrities. The Decatur Democrat, the local party organ, renders valuable assistance to the party under the direction of Lew G Eilingham, who is energetic and progressive and a vigorous writer. "The situation in this county is very pleasing from the democratic point of view,” said Mr. Ellingham. "The democrats are harmonious, we have a good county ticket and a fine set of county officials, and we have reduced the tax levy materially so that we are in fine shape to go before the people for an indorsement." Notwithstanding the large democratic majorities j which this county rolls up. it never Las had a democratic state officer nor a candidate for state office nor a dem- ] ocratic congressman nor candidate for congress. This county is so strongly wedded to the primary .plan of mak- I ing nominations that there never will lie a change back to mass conventions. An attempt was once made to restore the convention system, but it created almost a popular uprising and it hastily fell through.

The show windows of Decatur present some interesting sights. In one window is a regularmenagerieof curiosities, including a calf with two heads and a sheep with eight legs, four on its back and four on the under side where a sheep's legs ought to be. The calf came from Blue Creek township and the sheep from Preble township. Both’ are dead and stuffed. In front of another store is a bunch of corn stalks grown this year on the farm of Frederick Schafer. The ears are enormous and the stalks bear about the same relation to the Ordinary plebian corn stalk that the giant trees of California do to* the common forest trees. The people here say that Decatur never had such an enormous corn crop and that the stalks on exhibition are only a little above the usual size found this year. The Decatur undertakers are up to date and one of the most novel sights I have seen here is a sign which holds forth this alluring inducement: “Embalming done free."

The spirit of progress is abroad in Decatur, and some valuable improvements of a private and public character are being made. C. A. Dugan, cashier of the Decatur National bank, is building a beautiful home of classical design which will cost about $15,000 when completed and furnished. Chalmer Schafer is constructing a handsome residence that will cost in the neighborhood of $5,000. \\ .H. Niblick of the Adams County bank, has just completed a new home that cost nearly $20,000, including furnishings. is doubtful whether there is a more handsomely furnished bouse in Indiana. There is an interesting character here named Willard Steele, who is doing so much improving that it is hard to keep track of all of his progressive movements. He has laid out a park of 400 acres near the city, planted a great variety of shade trees in a great variety of designs, built a lake aud parks and driveways galore. He is now arranging to construct an electric railway connecting the park with the town, which will be the first electric road in this vicinity. Mr. Steele got his start by peddling vegetables. He is rough in appearance, aud you would judge from his dress and appearance that he if a day laborer. He literally works I all the time that he is not asleep and I that is not to exceed four or five hours.

The Presbyterians are building a new church here that will cost about $16,000, and the German Lutherans one that will cost about SIO,OOO. The Catholics have a church and school building, which, together, represent' an investment of about $200,000, and the Methodists have a handsome new church. A new county infirmarv is another attraction. It coat about r'so- - and is pronounced a model by the state board of charities. The town promises to receive an additional ! impetus by the npeoiag up of a new and promising oil and gas field seven i miles east. One of tie gas wells I maintains a pressure of 350 pounds, while the productive capacity of one of the oil wells is seventy-five barrels I a day. Generally speaking, Docatur I has a bright future. 0

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