Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1915 — A “Knocker’s” Idea of a Joke. [ARTICLE]

A “Knocker’s” Idea of a Joke.

It is very seldom that The Republican sees anything in The Democrat deserving direct reply, but the following paragraph is so palpably and entirely false that we print it Just to show the contemptible tactics pursued by The Democrat in its efforts to prevent the growth of Rensselaer and the development of Newton township. Here is what The Democrat says: It has been generally understood that the proposed Lafayette & Northwestern Traction Co. would run its line into Rensselaer, if built, down Cullen street, and we believe that The Republican has so published. In the blue print filed with the clerk df the circuit court, as provided by law, for an election in Rensselaer and Marion tp., the line comes in at the west side of town on the college road and College avenue, it seems. The “booster” editor of The Republican, who has been so anxious to have the line come down his own street, because it would advance property values to such an extent along the line, has possibly not noticed the official survey, and may now turn _ against the proposition altogether. The blue print of the proposed railroad through Jasper county shows that the road will enter Rensselaer at the south side of town and will leave the corporation at the west side, near the Monon railroad. Two routes were surveyed, one past the college and north on Cullege avenue and the other past the college, thence northeast to Cullen tsreet and north to Vine and then west. The company has not definitely decided on the route through Rensselaer and has not asked a franchise of the council. The company has complied with the law in filing the blue prints with the proper officials and any taxpayer of Newton. township can see the blue print at the clerk’s office or at The Republican office or the Makeever hotel. It does not matter a particle to any taxpayer in Newton township whether the road passes over College avenue or Cullen street in Rensselaer and it don’t, matter a particle to the editor of The Republican, who is not so contemptibly narrow or selfish to oppose a great improvement because of the manner it affects him personally. The well-known Babcock style of “knocking” is plainly evident in the above paragraph. He is a great little guesser and he “understands” and “presumes’ like a two-year-old. He knows that the editor of The Republican owns two properties in Rensselaer and that one is located on College avenue and the other on Cullen street Now, had he been fair or honest he would have been compelled to so state and thus would have saved himself the spasm he had. The property the writer owns on College avenue has practically twice the street frontage that the property on Cullen street has, apd if we were inclined to be selfish and believed that the construction of a street car line on the street would enhance the value of property we should favor the College avenue route. As a matter of fact, it is a matter of much doubt whether property is thus benefited and last year when the Roberts crowd asked the franchise O. K. Rainier, a resident of Cullen street, appeared before the council and opposed the construction of the road on that street, because he contended that it lessened the value of property. The editor of this paper is an aboveboard performer. When the council last year had under consideration the granting of d franchise to the Roberts crowd we went personally before the council and argued that Hie franchise be granted over Cullen street. Because we had property on that street, for one reason and that was that every time we heard the rumble of the wheels or saw the trolley line it would speak of the proposition we had boosted and remind us of the knocking and opposition of the one who regards “knocking” a virtue. Otherwise for the reason that if the franchise was granted on Cullen street, the crossing would be at the Makeever hotel corner, where it would furnish a convenience for the many who would come here to market their produce and to trade. This is a fact of the greatest importance and we believe that it would be of far greater value to Rensselaer to have the, road pass through its business center than at either side of the city.

Now about our attitude toward the Brown road. We are for it So are 99 per cent of the people of Marion township- Probably not over 85 per cent would vote for the subsidy, but 99 per cent are for the construction of the road, because they know that it means a greater Rensselaer, a better Jasper county, a substantial advance in th# value of all real estate, and they know |hat many cities have doubled their population in ten years because of interurban railroads. They want it because they know that it will make Rensselaer grow and make

more trade for our merchants and open better markets for the farmers along the road. They want it because it will afford employment to many people while it is being incorporated. They want it because it will add to the taxable valuables of the city and the townships and the county. They want it because it will afford convenience in travel and eventual advantages in freight rates. They want it because they are progressive and forward looking and feel good and happy and don’t go about with a grouch on looking for something to hammer and knock. We are glad Babcock published the little sneaking, falsifying paragraph because it gives us a chance to say that Mr. Brown has never said to the writer that there was any prospect of going down Cullen street with the railroad. He has stated that the construtcion would be so much cheaper on College avenue that he considered that route probable and knowing this the writer has boosted just the same. Why, if the road was to be constructed in a manner to make Editor Babcock a millionaire we would boost it just the same. We never have been a cheap booster and we have never held out an itching palm to any project that ever came this way. We are for anything that is good and calculated to help Rensselaer and we have never used deception to try to influence people to oppose something certain to be of inestimable advantage to them. We want this railroad; any railroad. We # want anything that will help Rensselaef grow and we are for development, with no selfish motives except that of a bigger town and a better country. Can Editor Babcock define what he is for ?