Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1899 — Page 1 Advertisements Column 3 [ADVERTISEMENT]

A bill exempting of mortgage indebtedness on real estate has passed both branches of the legislature and will become a law unless vetoed by the governor. The bill placing county commissioners on salary was advanced to third reading in the state senate Thursday. Among the amendments adopted changing the salary as first proposed, is raising Benton and Warren from S2OO per annum to $250; Jasper remains the same, $225. This bill is quite likely to I become a law. ___ One of those warts on the body politic, commonly known as township supply men, was in the city Thursday. He was cussing the guardian bills, as he termed them, meaning the township and county reform bills. If one thing more than another will convince the people that these bills possess some merit, it will be the abase heaped upon them by just such parasites as this, and the sooner their occupation is gone the better. Judge Beeman came home from Winamac last evening, having finished the work and adjourned for the term. The big Monon ditch, the largest in northern Indiana, was established, the assessments modified by the court until there was general satisfaction among those effected, and John Fish appointed construction commissioner. The ditch starts in the Blue Sea district, south of San Pierre, and empties into the Tippecanoe river in White county. The assessment for its construction amounts to $57,500. —Starke County Democrat.

The township and eounly reform lit UP Wer© amended somewhat in th& Souse, the principal amendments being in the number of the township advisory board, which is now placed at three, instead of five, and the county council, which shall consist „of seven members, instead of one from each township. The number of the latter at large remains as before, three, and the first set of officers are to be appointed by the circuit judge at the next term of court. Not more than a majority can be appointed from the dominant political party. As soon as we can secure a copy of the bills as amended a complete synopsis will be published in The Democrat.

The more we hear about the corn husking machine fake, the bigger it seems to grow. As near as we have been able to learn, the company secured notes for $2,150 for machines and county rights, in this neighborhood; or rather in the county; as almost all the work was done hereabouts. Here is about the way the list rims, as near as we can learn. Six machines at SIOO each. Then comes those who purchased the county rights. All of which we suppose gave notes: some we know did. This is about the way they run, Newton $350; Jasper county $300; Benton county $440; Irqouois county, 11.!., $450; Total $2,150. And there uiay be others that we have heard nothing about. The purchasers of machines and county rights now have five machines that would bring about sls for old iron and wood to show for their notes. — Brook Re porter.

The Republican in commenting on the county council bill, says that the county officers “beyond question” were “agin” it because of the attitude assumed by certain Indianapolis papers. This sounds very “fishy” in the light of history. Can the Republican name a single law enacted since 1868 affecting county officers in any way that that body of “honest” men has not overturned heaven and earth to defeat? They may be honest men —many of them undoubtedly are — but they have acted very queer for some 35 years, when any law was proposed that would curtail their chances in the least to “get at” the public crib. “Reform,” Bro. Marshall, means lessening the chances to steal, and in 1898 the republican party said it was in favor of reform. and thereby publicly endorsed the fact that county and township officers needed “watching,” to put it mildly. .*