Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1892 — The Gam Belt in Danger. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Gam Belt in Danger.

There is one syndicate in Chioago that is watohing the Indiana Republican suits to annul the apportionments of 1885 and 1891 with great interest. The last legislature whioh was elsoted on the apportionment of 1885 passed a bill to prohibit the pumping of natural gas at a higher pressure than 800 pounds. This law was framed for the purpose of preventing the piping of natural gas outside of the state, and especially to Chicago. A strong syndicate headed by Yerkes, and supposed to be baoked by the Standard Oil oompany, was formed two years ago for the purpose of piping natural gas to Chicago from the heart of the gas belt of Indiana. Over sixty miles of pipes were laid, and hundreds of thousands of acres of gas land leased for this purpose. All the gas towns of the stats were justly alarmed at this gigantic scheme to rob the state of its great natural wealth for the benefit of Chicago and a few greedy monopolists. It was not an undertaking that would give employment to many workmen. Once the pipes and pumping station established, a dozen men along the line would have been sufficient to keep the flow of natural gas into Chicago. The natural gas towns of the state united to seoure the proper legislation to protect and preserve the gas for Indiana people. The gas legislation was enacted In 1891. One of the attorneys of the Chioago company recently boasted that, insido of of ten months, Chicago would be supplied with Indiana gas. That the apnortiouraent of 1885 upon which the legislature of 1891 was elected, would be deolareil unconstitutional by the supreme court; and that the gas compnny would go on with its pipe line regardless of the gas law of 1891, and if arrested, the company would contend that the law was void because enacted by a “sham legislature,” and carry the case to the United States supreme court where the oompany felt certain of success. For that oourt had already established precedents that would destroy every law passed by legislatures wrongfully eleoted. When this matter was referred to a Republican who is connected with the committee of Wabash county, he said: “Yerkes is good for SIO,OOO campaign money.”