Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1898 — A NEW CHAIRMAN. [ARTICLE]

A NEW CHAIRMAN.

A few more explanations needed. Stand up, Bro. Marshall and “Honest Abe.”

A. Halleck is reminded that a whole wagon load of corn cobs can be had for 50 cents.

Harbor Knotts is beginning to show the “cloven foot” which was only to be expected by those who know the fellow. —Lowell Tribune (Rep.)

The Democrat is still doing business at the old stand. Our readers are increasing daily, but we can stand a few more. Do you read it?

It was thought best by “Honest Abe” and his board some time ago to investigate the taxpayers. Now let there be an investigation of ‘‘Honest Abe’s” board and some other of the county officers.

Complexion powder, eau-de-co-logne, sodozont, a sure cure for freckles, hair vigor, and a genuine whisker dye should be added to the stock of cosmetics constantly kept on hand at public expense at the court house.

An inspection of the bills allowed by the county commissioners will satisfy any one that there are altogether too many and too large leaks about the court house. They should be stopped, but there is little hope for anything of the kind under the present regime.

The idea of a republican legislature enacting laws to keep the republican township and county officers straight! Well, well, who would have supposed for a moment that a republican could do anything wrong, or, if so, that the rest of the republicans would have found it out?

William J. Bryan advises democrats to earnestly support their county weeklies because they are nearer the people, and further away from the corrupting influence of plutocracy than are the metropolitan dailies. Only one or two of the large city dailies were on the side of the people in 1896. A tremendous effort will be made to swing them all into line for the trusts in 1900.

There is something alarming in the increase of insanity in Indiana. Only a few years ago one institution was sufficient to accommodate our insane patients, but, although that institution has been much enlarged, and three large new institutions have been established besides a special home for the feebleminded, there is still a call for more room. At the same time the poor houses of the state are re- , ported to be overcrowded with the incurably insane.

The Starke county court house was accepted by the county commissioners of that county last week. T 1 le original contract was $58,980, | but extras were added until its cost has run up to sl3 28c 18. not including 1 ' ’ll Democrat oi that i..ut the republican board e mniissioners have been in conuul since the building was started and are responsible for its tremendous cost. Will Bro. Marshall please copy, and admit that he “storied” just previous to the election when he stated that the democratic officials of Starke county were responsible for this expensive structure, and that he well knew he was making a f Ise statement of the facts when he penned the article referred toy

In addition to the charges of official corruption against ex-audi-tor T. 8. Getzandanner, of Corydon, it is claimed by those who are making an investigation of ’the books that the County Commissioners have made illegal allowances of thousands of dollars to “pets” during the past four years. The money cannot be recovered by the county for the reason that, under the laws of Indiana, the Commissioners are not required to give bond.

“Honest Abe” says: “I changed the figures on the commissioners’ docket with my little pencil, on Wednesday,” and yet according to Marshall’s apologist “Honest Abe” and Commissioner Waymire were up inspecting Abe’s Keener tp. gravel road on that day, and he was not in town to have made the change had he so desired. It is nothing new, however, for this interesting individual, this pillar of knowledge, truth, and morality, to make statements not altogether in keepingwith the’eounty records, or to be a little forgetful where his own personal interests are concerned.

One of the republican county commissioners of Kosciusko county has been indicted by the grand jury on a charge of defrauding the county. He is charged with purchasing a tank for the county infirmary for $177 and securing from the treasurer S2BO on a bill which was presented for the tank and which he indorsed as being justly due. The real amount was then given in payment for the tank and he pocketed the difference. He is also charged with numerous other crooked transactions. As usual, the republican organ there says there is nothing in the charges and that they are the work of democrats, in the face of the fact that the grand jury which returned the indictment was composed of two democrats and four republicans.

A few days before election Bro. Marshall stated through the Apologist, that our remarks about county stationery supplies was false in every particular, that the Board had not purchased any stationery from any one else during the terra of the contract with Wilson Humpherys & Co., ending in Sept. ’9B, etc. As usual, we proved Marshall’s statements false, and now’ the W. B. Burford Co. have filed a bill for $615 for books and stationery from Dec. 1897 to Dec. '9B, and the bill has been continued. If the county purchased nothing from this firm, and they furnished nothing, why do they file this bill? Why is it continued? Remember, a contract was made with the former firm for furnishing ALL these county supplies and they have been paid for same in full. Perhaps a majority of the people will get their eyes opened at last to the fact that every statement made by The Democrat is correct, and that an awful rotten state of affairs exists in our county government.

The published allowances of the board of commissioners of Jasper county is often extremely vague and misleading. For example, an allowance of $6.87 to J._C. Thrawls reads on the record “work on ditches,” while his sworn bill states that $3 of this was work on court house yard. Allowances reading “merchandise for court house ” or “county” may mean anvthing from a keg of nails to a bo. -<>f bon-bons. An inspection of ti e bill of T. J. Joiner’s of $5.62, p.ibli.ili-d by us last week, shows tn i, ’ i is. 'a ns for laundrying 79 t* V' cents jeach, and 12 o’ i toilet soap. Another bill entered on the record as “merchandise for court house” $14.75, $9.50 of this is for “100 rolls of silk toilet paper” for the water closets. Another allowance of $2.75 to J. E. Alter, field work on Coates ditch, the bill purports that John Jessen, (which presumably refers to John H. Jessen of this city) did the work, although Mr. Jessen denies it and says he never did any field work on Coates ditch nor any other service for the coun-

ty, except for which he had already been paid. The bill, is sworn to by Mr. Alter, yet Mr. Jessen claims he knew nothing about it until we called his attention to the matter. It is not just apparent why, if the county really owed Mr. Jessen this amount, as the bill claimed, it should not have been so entered upon both the docket and record of the commissioners, instead of in the name of J. E. Alter, as was done, unless it was thought to cover up the matter in such away that Mr. Jessen would never know that an allowance for service purporting to have been performed by him had been made to Mr. Alter, nor whyjthe latter should file a sworn statement for another party for services which said second party never performed and therefore had no claim whatever against the county therefor. So we might go on, taking up each bill separately and dissecting it had we space, but we do not marvel at high taxes in Jasper county.

The Democratic County Committee met last Saturday afternoon pursuant to call and selected a new county chairman in the person of N. S. Bates of Rensselaer, to succeed D. W. Shields, who soon leaves for his new home in Tennes- . see. Expressions of sincere thanks were personally tendered Mr. Shields for the able manner in which he had performed the ornerous duties of democratic chairman in the rock-ribbqd republican county of Jasper during the time he had held the office, and hope was expressed that due honor would be accorded him and his ability be recognized in his new home. Each one present felt that > the outlook for future success of the democratic party in Jasper county was very flattering; that the party should use great care in selecting none but the best of men on its ticket , and that each and every member of the party should use every honorable means to bring about the reforms which nearly all people admit exist. In the selection of N. S. Bates as a successor to Mr. Shields no mistake was made. Mr. Bates has heretofore served in this capacity and made an excellent chairman. Let every democrat in the county aid him to the extent of their ability in organizing and working for democratic success in 1900.