Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 182, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1912 — “Grapeshot” From a Lay “Regular.” [ARTICLE]

“Grapeshot” From a Lay “Regular.”

The Rensselaer Republican, Rensselaer, Ind. Dear Sirs: I attach you check herewith to cover my subscription due not long since, $1.50. Just sold my hogs at 7% cents, and as you’re running a “regular” republican newspaper I thought I’d just consider this as a compaign contribution and pay at once. Am willing. anytime to give twenty pounds of pork, one-tenth of a good hog, for the good of the country. But still, if all the rank and file democrats “toss in,” as they are requested, and would go twenty pounds of pork to the man it would represent some hog. But I’m of the opinion hogs will be off a few cents before Woodrow Wilson gets that collection all in. Just for charity sake, it looks like “Bab” ought to set it up in big type: “PAY EARLY DEMMIES AND SAVE PORK.” I see by your paper the progressives of Jasper county have issued a call for a convention. Which is this, the “regular” insurgents,” or the “insurging” insurgents? That is, is it the “soft-shells” as Bob LaFollette terms them, or the “hard-shells” variety I

suppose he chose these terms because one variety likes clear water better than the other. By the way, I wonder if some of the “leading light” progressives of Rensselaer who stand near the political throne couldn’t supply us with .h 3 figures off of Teddy’s cash register. I notice recently that LaFollette dared Roosevelt on the second occasion to make public his primary campaign expense. We know Theodore is a believer in publicity, and he surely ordered the figures put out at once. But I either overlooked the article or it came out in a Sunday paper which I didn’t get. Have some of the big gun progressives of Jasper supply us this information through your columns, please. We just want- to see what it costs per head to let on “overwhelming popular demand” express itself. I would like to see whether country votes average as high as his records filed on expense in Kings county, New York, averaged, which was $5.00 each. Some of my neighbors who call themselves progressives but live just over the line in White county are intending to go to the Rensselaer progressive convention and to take active part in the proceedings. They have interests in Jasper but reside in White and argue that they are justified in disregarding the boundary line. They argue that the voters of a county can erase a boundary line fixed by the state just the same way that California erased a boundary line be- . tween congressional units fixed by act of congress.' The Taft men at Chicago, as we all know, refused to rec ognize California’s act as valid, but Jasper progressives, being wedded to this idea, I suppose will receive m? White county progressives with open arms. And if they don’t our White county folks can cry “Thief, thief,” and start a new movement / Don’t forget to print those figures —we’ll be watching for them. Yours truly,

I. C. TRUEBLUE.