Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1898 — ESTRAYED. [ARTICLE]

ESTRAYED.

If a man will deliberately perjure himself for $2.50, what would ho do where there was more at ■stake ? How about that notoriously bad three miles of range line road in Jordan tp? Will not the Rensselaer business men take a hand in bringing about its improvement? The robbing of the taxpayers goes merrily on at the court house. But, then we believe a majority of the people voted for a continuation of this thing very recently, did they not? If the people sit supinely by and make no effort to put a stop to the court house robberies, which are so brazen that n blind man can see them, we shall lose faith in popular government. We have seen about once a day in the Indianapolis News, for two years, that “Free Silver was dead,” but we have seen no notice of the funeral. We want to ’tend the funeral.—Fowler Leader (rep.) The estimated cost of n standing army of 100,000 and the present $145,000,000 for pensions, is about $310,000,000 per year. This does not include the naval establishment, which would bring the total up many millions more. We see little use of the commissioners making contracts for books and stationery for county use when no attention is apparently paid to said contract and the county pays to ouside firms as much more than the amount of the contract.

The court house, jail and boiler house are each supplied with electric, lights. Why should it take five dollars worth of coal oil at the 'boiler house from April to December? Is this oil furnished by the county for private use? We are glad to note that Bro. Marshall has nothing more to say about reform in county and township government. With the record behind him as a reformer (?) iis silence at this time is much nore becoming than his advocacy >i' retrenchment measures. We see no reason why some men should charge the county more for goods and merchandise than they charge private parties? The county is certainly good pay, and certainly ought to be able to get its purchases at the very lowest figures. No commission, rake-offs or rebates should be allowed any one by a merchant to secure a little of the county “pap,”

We see that a county warrant has been issued to J. E. Alter for held work on the Coates ditch, which he, (Alter) made oath was done by John Jessen, but which Mr. Jessen says he knows nothing about. If Jessen did the work, as claimed by Alter, why was not he given the pay for it. Oh, but there is rottennoss at your county court housed taxpayers. You are bein - op ily robbed on all sides. In Newton county the commissioners allowed members of election boards pay but for two days services at the late election. Our own board allowed pay for three days. But Newton county taxpayers don’t enjoy only about onehalf as heavy county taxes as Jasper. If there is any one thing a dasperite enjoys more than anything else it is high taxes.. There’s nothing small about Jasper.

Another birth is reported at the poor form, a weak-minded inmate having given birth to a boy. Such things have occurred heretofor at the Jasper county poor farm, however, and occasion but little comment from the ring organs. The republican press has given warning that county and township reforms will receive bitter opposition from county officers. There certainly is no occasion for any such opposition from any official unless he wants something other than an honest and an economical administration of local government and if he does he is in opposition to the interests of the people.—lndianapolis Sentinel. Neither the self-alleged democrat nor the Apologist attempts to deny the fact that “it,” the self-alleged democrat, pulled the county for $8.25 for a little notice of teachers’ graduation last spring for which the other papers got only $1.50. That’s the kind of a “patriot” this antiquated individual is, and his support for years has come from republicans, who were afraid of a true blue democratic newspaper in Jasper county.

The Journal would treat the court house soap deal as a joke. Had the Pilot management furnished its office with a good quality of antiseptic soap at one time in its history it is rumored that the “editor” might have been saved quite a doctor bill. We don’t imagine, however, thftt the court house soap is used for this purpose. We will tell our readers next week how to get a brasstrimmed bed-stead as a premium with a box of soap paid for by the county. These court house steals must be stopped, and it is the duty of Judge Thompson and Prosecuting Attorney Chizum to see that they are stopped. If they will call the grand jury together to investigate matters we will guarantee to furnish information that will, if pushed through by the officers of the law, result in a great deal of money which has been illegally paid to county officers being returned to the county, and present other information that should send a few people to the penitentiary. Will they do their duty and see that these robberies are put a stop to?

Hon. John C. New, editor of the Indianapolis Journal, thus sizes up the Indiana senatorial situation: “There are several candidates, but my opinion is that the fight will narrow down to a struggle between Judge Robert S. Taylor, of Ft. Wayne, and Congressman George W. Steele. I think it can be safely said that one of these gentlemen will succeed Mr. Turpie after March 4th, 1899. The other aspirants are hardly iu the race. Judge Taylor is a man of profound learning, a lawyer of the highest ability, but not well versed in the arts of the politician. Major Steele’s good qualities are too'well known to require any particularization at my hands.”

We have been informed by both republicans and democrats that Commissioner Waymire was a man whom they thought meant to do the right thing and would countenance no county steals if he knew it. If this is the case Mr. Waymire owes it to himself and to his friends to investigate matters pertaining to county expenditures, and we would respectfully refer him to the decision of the Supreme court on the fee and salary law, in the ! 147th, Indiana, pages 1M to 185 i the rtatio., * s' jai; tl» ;\u ei\jhm»idise” deals; the outiw eou* ills o: some of the officers not on tegular salary, and numerous other irregularities. After he satisfies himself in those things we will point out to him a number of other matters in which he can save the taxpayers of Jasper county thousands of dollars every year, or at least raise his voice in protest and place him himself on record before the people as an officer who wishes to save the people from I being robbed right and deft.

Nowlitbiteti rtiair fcr democratic la •*•••» «• ftafOle opposed twite usmilhmi ife« 9us; Do the commismas*ers at Jasper county ever advertise for bids for bridges? The law eipready requires it, but “Honest Abo'” is a law all unto himself, mud snefc a little matter as the indium statates cuts no figure in his cowl In reply to the question “Are the Cubans capable of self-govern-ment," Gen. Shatter, m few days ago said: “Self-government, why, those people are no more fit for self-government than gunpowder is for h—l.” Shafoer ought tekaaow what he is talking about

The county is paying SSU9O per hundred rolls for toilet paper for use in the court house closets. We will furnish equally as good a grade of toilet paper for $4 per hundred rolls, or u a much better grade for $6 per hundred rails and then make a fair profit on it These figures do not include any aommission or rebate to the punch-us-ing agent. Not a word from “Honest Abe” nor the Apologist in regard to that W. B. Burford bill far books and stationery for 1898, -Come, come, Bro. Marshall, be a man for once, and repent of your sins. Admit the truth; that you were “mistaken” about all the naughty things you said of The Democrat; that you now know—and dM at the time you wrote them—that every statement of county affairs made by The semocsat was and is true; that you're sony such a state of affairs exists in Jasper county, but it is a deplorable fact nevertheless; that henceforth, instead of standing for every steal and advocating every measure diametrically opposed to the beet interests of -the taxpayers of tine county generally, you will use your best and most earnest efforts to bring about an honest and economical county and township government in Jasper county. Do this, Bro. Marshall, and St. Peter —if he corrects his record in that way —will pull out his pocket knife and slash of one-third the pages from his big record book—four pages wouldn’t hardly make a beginning cm your bad record—and will open a new account with yon, and let us hope it will be of a different character than that which he destroys. Think of these things Bro. Marshall, and repent ere it m too late, that when you knock aft the golden gate of St Peter’s domain he may not say to thee:” Depart, thou accursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Repeat, repent, Bro. Marshall, while there is yet time for you to make a few truthful statements ere yon are before the great judgment thmmii. where bearing false witness and bribery are an unknown quantify.

Try The Democrat for ltioft style calling cards, either phm or {Minted in handsome plate script.

The undersigned purchased a Jersey oow about 4 years old aft Dl H. Yeoman’s sale. She has strayed forming me of her whereabouts will be suitably rewarded. Gaou Ooqcteldz,