Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1885 — Page 1

The Democratic Sentinel.

VOLUME IX.

THE DEMOCRATIC SENTINEL. A DEMOCKAT'.C NEWSPAPER. UUSLiSHED EVERY FRIDAY, Jas. W. McEwen; .»- - ■ RATES Of SUBSCRIPTION. Oa«y«M •S l - 5 ' 1 Six flSLOutlm ' 75 hr«e iaaon th# Axd.'vertisin.g Rates. One *>Huuxiij ooe ycnr. s<to 00 Half column. “ 40 o) Quarter “' “ 3(t oo Eighth " 10 oO TeiT per eeot. added to foregoing price if givcrtisements ere set to occupy more than angle column width. Fractional partsof a year at equitable rates Business cards not exceeding l inch space. $5 a year; $3 for six months ;$ '? for three All leg-il notices and advertisements at es•ablished statute price. Heading notices, first, publication lo'cents . fine ; each publication thereafter s cents a Joe. Yearly advertisements may be changed quarterly (once in three months) at the option of the advertiser, free of extia charge. Advertisements for persons not residents of Jasper county, must bo paid for in advance of first unblie •tion. when less than one-quarter column in size; aud quarterly n advance when larger.

MORDECAI F. CUILCOTE. Attorney-at-Lu.Tr RUNSSELAER. .... IVDIANA Practice? fin tlit> Courts of Jasper and aildining counties. Makes collections a specialty- Office on north side of Washington street, opposite Court H ouse- viul BIMONP. THOMPSON, DAVID J. THOM PSON Attorney-at-Law. Notary Public. THOMPSON & BROTHER, Rensselaer, - - Indiana Practice in all the Courts, UARION Xi. SPITLER, Collector and Abstractor. We pay , irtieular attention to paying tax- , selling and ieasiag lands. • v 2 n4B FRANK W. ii i I COCK, Attorney at Law And Real Estate Itroker. Practices in all Courts of Jasper, Newtor \nd Benton counties. Lauds examined Abstracts of Title prepared: Taxes paid. Collections a Specialty. .TAMES W. DOUTHIT, ATTORNEY'-AT-LAW ani> NOTARY PUBLIC, upstairs, in Maieever’s new building, Lem seiner, lnd.

H. W. SN fDER, Attorney at Law Remington, Indiana. JOLLEGTIONS A SPECIALTY. Yf W. HARTSELL. M D , HOMCEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN & SURGEON. RENSSELAER, • - INDIANA. Diseases i Specialty.^®) OFFICE, in Makeever’s New Block. Residence at Makeever House. July 11, 1884. Dd. dale, • ATTORNEY-AT LAW MONTICBLI.O, - INDIANA. Bank buildine. up stairs. J. H.LOUGHRIDGE. F. P, BITTERS LOUGHRIDGE & BITTERS, Physicians and Surgeons. Washington street, below Austin’s hotel. Ten per cent, interest will be added to all accounts running unsettled longer than three months. vlnl DR. I. B. WASHBURN, Physician A Surgeon, Rensselaer lnd. Calls promptly attended. Will give special alter tion to the treatment of Chronic Oiseiises. R. S. Dwiggins, Zimri Dwiggins, President. Casnier Citizens’ Bank, RENSSELAER, IND., Does a general Banking business; gives special attenlion to collections; remittances made on day of payment at current rate of exchange; interest paid on balances: certificates bearing interest issued; exchange bought and sold. This Bank owns the Pu-glar Safe, which took the premium at the Chicago Exposition in 1878. This Safe is protected by o»e of Sargent's Time Locks. The bunk vaultused i« as good as can be built. It will be seen from thn foregoing that this Rank furnishes as good sacurltj to depositors as can be. ALFRED M COY. THOMAS THOMPSON. Banking House OF A. McCOY &T.THOMPBON, successor to A, McCoy & A. Thompson. Ranker nsselaer, lnd- Does general Ranking b ess Buy and sell exchaoge. ColleoMo de sn all available points. Monel? loan erest paid on specified time deposits. & ce same place as cld firm of A. McCo y mpson. aprli.’gl

RENSSELAER JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA. FRIDAY MAY 1. 1885.

WHERE TO ATTEND SCHOOL

2.—Where you can get good instruction in whatever you may wish to study. 2. —Where you can get good accommodations and good society. 3. Where the expenses are least. 4. —Where tilings are just as represented, or all money refunded and traveling expenses paid. Send for special terms and try the Central Indiana Normal School and Business College, Ladoga, Ind.

A. F. KNOTTS,

THE LATE LEGISLATURE.

(HOY. GRAY’S ESTIMATE OF THE WORK PERFORMED. “The Legislature, in the Yalue of Its Labors, Will Compare Favorably With Any of Its Predecessors.” Indianapolis Sentinel: Knowing that Governor Gray had had considerable experience in one branch of the law-making body of the State, and that he had been a close observer of men and measures for many years, a Sentinel reporter called upon him on Saturday and requested that he would give his estimate of the late Legislature as compared with others with which he was familiar. He replied substantially as follows: “In my estimation no finer body of men ever assembled in the legislative halls of the State than that which composed the last Legislature. Many of them were men of experience, and it may be said generally that they all appeared to have a high conception of their duty, and this was discharged honestly and faithfully. I hardly think any legislative body ever assembled here under so many pledges to its constituency to work for the passage of local measures, and it may be said with truth that more local bills were passed than at any former session. It was the pledges made to their constituency to pass certain local bills that, I think, prevented the consideration of the General Appropriation bill and necessitated a special session. The members were urgently requested by their constituency to forward certain measures which were regarded as of vast importance to the sections dojwhich they applied, and the members pursued a very wise course in granting as far as possible the prayers of the people whom they were elected to serve. “Prior to 1852 the Legislature met in annual sessions, but under the constitution adopted at that time the sessions have been biennially held, except when emergencies led to the calling of the body together in extra session. At the time of the adoption of the present constitution sixty, one days was possibly enough in which to transact the business of the State, but in wealth and population, Indiana has outgrown her organic} law in this respect, and sixty-one days biennially is now hardly sufficient in which to transact the legislative business which comes before the body. The greater or more diversified the interest of the people the more time will be found necessary to harmonize the conflicting views of the representatives who assemble together, to the end that just and equitable laws may be made, laws that will provide alike for all sections and all classes. In this connection it may be stated that Indiana has less legislation than any other State of its wealth and population in the Union. In my opinion, the people will judge the Legislature more by its work than on account of the time it consumed in accomplishing the work. As for my part I was anxious not to have a special session, but it was unavoidable and I do not think the State could have gotten along without it. “The last Legislature differed materially in one respect from many of its predecessors. Itwasdis-

tinctively a laboring man's Legislature. It appealed to seek out and remedy many laws regarding labor and laboring men. The InV making the wages of laborers to the amount of SSO preferred claims in cases of suspension or assignment of persons or corporations is one that applies a remedy for many cases where great suffering is entailed by business failures. 'The claims of such men are generally small and, owing to the expense incident to litigation, hardly wo Ah while going Into the courts to collect, bnt in tjie aggregate they frequently amount to large sums. The new law, making such wages preferred claims, insures the laboring man at least a few dollars with which to support his family till he can find employment elsewhere in case of the assignment of the employer. The law requiring that laborers shall be paid monthly is another designed to protect them from the consequences of business embarrassments for which they are in no sense responsible. “Still another law, which can not be too highly praised, is that requiring the polls to be opened at 6 o’clock in the morning instead of 8 o’clock, as heretofore. Uuder the operations of this law the laboring men of the State can cast their ballots before going to their work in the morning, and will be particularly free from those influences that have been brought to bear upon them when they appear at a later hour. Again, when the polls have been opened at a late hour and closed at 6 in the evening, the laboring man had but one, and that the noon hour, in which to cast his suffrage. When his place of labor was situated at any great distance from his voting precinct, it often physical impossibility for him tft attend the polls and return to his work without being “docked” on account of lost time. Thus the old law worked a hardship, and in so far as its operations deprived any laboring man from exercising his right of suffrage, was unjust. In applying a remedy for this defect the Legislature acted very wisely. The argument made against the measure at first, that it would open the door to fraud, was not based upon a popular appreciation of the average laboring man’s character, in whose interest the bill was drawn. It is not from the outsider that the election laws suffer, and especially not from the laborer, who generally casts fyis suffrage and leaves for the work that demands his attention

Principal.

“The Deficiency Appropriation bill, made necessary by the failure of the Appropriation bill two years ago, the General Appropriation bill for the ensuing two years, and the bills providing means for the completion of the State-house and the new Hospitals for the Insane, were severally passed and have become laws. I think very little, if any vicious legislation was enacted,” and the Governor concluded by mentioning, among others, the following list of bills, a careful study of which, he said, would show the bent of the legislative mind and prove that their assembling had not been in vain:

An act providing that all cities or towns having a population of less than 70,000, may provide for the collection of such municipal taxes through the County Treasury. An act limiting the amount of taxes that may be levied by County Commissioners, in cities or towns having a voting population of over 25,000. An act to protect the ballot-box, prevent the purchasing of votes, and prescribing penalties. • An act giving laborers and persons furnishing materials in the construction of railroads a lien on the road, bridges, etc., in the county where the labor was performed and the materials furnished.

An act known as the ‘Civil Rights Bill.’ An act making the laborer a preferred creditor in certain cases. An act prohibiting telegraph and

telephone companies from discriminating between patrons. An act prohibiting employment of child labor in manufacturing or other establishments. An act requiring plats of new additions to towns and cities to be approved by the Boards of Trustees of towns or Common Council of cities, so that streets and alleys shall be coterminus. An act to abolish the office of City Assessor and City Treasurer of cities containing certain population. An act requiring corporations and companies to pay their employes monthly. An act fixing the term of office of County Commissioners so that one shall go out of office each year. An act to prohibit forced contributions from railroad employes. An act to provide for the education of poor children in County Poor Houses.

An act limiting the charges of telephone companies. An act regulating foreign surety companies doing business in this State.

An act empowering voluntary associations to establish homes for the care of indigent persons, male and female.

An act to provide means to secure the health and safety of persons employed in mines. An act repealing the alien land law enacted by the Legislature of 1881.

An act to exempt State officers and prosecuting attorneys from liability for costs as relators in suits. An act authorizing the Bureau of Public Printing, Binding and Stationery to determine, to a certain extent the amount of public printing which will save thousands of dollars to the State.

An act allowing County Treasurer’s to retain school funds in their hands at settlement times until the excess, if any, is needed instead of paying same interstate Treasury as heretofore. G f; . * An act reorganizing the Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home at Knightstown. An act prohibiting the importation of foreign contract labor.

THE LATE LEGISLATURE.

Senator Campbell a Republican Member, Thinks It Was a Very Respectable Body of Men. We extract the following from a letter of Senator Campbell, a Republican member of the late Legislature, published in the Indianapolis News: If the late General Assembly of Indiana be judged only by what the press of the city of Indianapolis has said of it, it must go into history as a body composed of one hundred and fifty men without ability, honor, or decency. If the members were guilty of the various things charged to them by the city papers, they were destitute of each and every one of the above attributes. The criticisms and imputations have been, in the main, indiscriminate, so that any man who was a member of that body must feel that he himself was one of the worthless lot who were spending time solely for the six dollars a day. In the very funny accounts of the leaving after adjournments, as given by various city reporters, the members are represented as if they were a gang of thieves. A man of judgment and prominence has told me that if he had known nothing of the last Legislature except what he had read of them in the newspapers, he tvould have thought that one hundred and fifty worse men could hardly be found in the State. If the members were as bad as they were represented, they were a disgrace to the whole State. If the press has grossly slandered them, it is a disgrace to the press. I occupied a position in that body which I think enabled me to judge them impartially, having been a republican member, voted for by at least sou thousand democrats, and from mr observation and intercourse wit^

membeas, I am constrained to be: r testimony that the reports published In the city papers have not oniy been greatly exaggerated, hut insome respects libelous, and I believe the effect will be as injurious to the press and the people as to the members of the General Assembly. The day has bng since gone by when the “old woman ’ proved a thing by showing it wa. “printed in the papers.” During; tie ninety days the Senate was in session there was not a werd uttered in debate that had to be apologized for or retracted There was never a breach of decorum.

No member was ever punished or reprimanded, nor, so lar as I know or believe, was any member of either house accused by another of any improper act or motive. No Senator, and, so far as I know, no member o ‘ the House, ever appeared on the floor in a state of intoxication. Every one seemed to he carefully and conscientiously at binding to his Maty. In more than fifty committee meetings I attended the members went about their work industriously and in a spirit of franks ness that would have done credit to any business or church board in the country, and with such propriety that their wives might have attended every meeting. Some of us can recollect Indiana Legislatures for thirty years past, and can recall the orgies in committees of our greatest statesmen when a demijohn of liquor was considered as indispensable as a copy of the statutes. We know how time and money was spent in dissipation by brilliant men of twenty and thirty years ago, and look upon the contrast and improvement as marvelous. As to the flippant newspaper clinrges that the session was prolonged for the sake of the six dollars a day, I have to say that there were more than one thousand different bills and resolutions to be considered, comprehended and acted upon, and every sensible man (except reporters) must know that it ’ could not be done well in sixty nor one hundred

days. Taking the whole body as I saw them, they were in capacity, industry, honor, sobriety and decency far above the average of Indiana Legislatures in the last thirty years and, notwithstanding the humorous allusions in the city papers to the “rural six dollar a day statesman,” it is my opinion that if a man had to hunt among the one hundred and fifty members for ten who were influenced by the pay to lengthen the session, they co’d not be found, but if found at all, five of them wo’d be of the Marion county delegation. More than the whole amount of money paid to that Legislature was left in Indianapolis. You may take any business directory in your city, begin at any point and count one hundred and fifty names in any direction and the men would not compare favorably with the much abused members of the Legislature. Now, this sort of indiscriminate abuse is not only wrong per so, but it is unwise and exceedingly impolitic. Is it any wonder that Marion county can not get the State to pay for the gas, fuel and water used by the Legislature ? Is it strange that citizens of Indianapolis can not "et their j ust dues from the State ? The city press influences the country press to some extent and men in the several counties cl Hie State are not encourag’d to investigate claims and pay debts to their slanderers. If Indianapolis had only known how to treat the other parts of the State with reasonable decency, every publ : c institution of the State might have been located where they ought all to be located, viz: in Marion county, and it is greatly to the credit of the other portions of the State that provision is made to complete the State-house certainly. If Indianapolis endorses her newspapers she does not deserve even to have the capitol completed. H n % # # qt

L. M. CAMPBELL.

Danville, Ind.

A street railway is to be built between South Bend and Mishawaka..

NUMBER 14