Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1899 — STATE CAPITAL CHAT. [ARTICLE]

STATE CAPITAL CHAT.

Indianapolis boasts of the finest ciimatitjj! in the United States in respect to political salubrity. A few years in Its atmosphere will convert a fanner boy into a President or Vice-President, while Its ■ output of ambassadors, consuls general, and the like is merely regarded as an incident to the more important work in hand of turning out national presiding officers. At present Indianapolitans hold many important European consular posts, v One is minister to Austria. Just now the postmasters at Havana, Ponce and San Juan, the three important cities of our new acquisitions, are all from Indianapolis. Bat the city has a more unique record than this. It has had represeatation on national tickets for the longest unbroken period of any city in the country. In a period of twenty years, beginning with 1872, there was not a national election when the city was without representation on one of the tickets. If Schuyler Colfax, whose home was at South Bend, but who spent much of his time in Indianapolis, is considered an Indianapoliton, this period is extended another four years; ami on top of this, an Indianapolitan was a national candidate for VicePresident in the days before the war. Th# unbroken stretch of twenty years, when bona fide residents of the city were on national tickets, is as follows: In 1872 five electoral votes were cast for George W. Julian for Vice-President and fortytwo votes for Thomas A. Hendricks for President: 1876, Hendricks was the Democratic nominee for Vice-President; 1880, William H. English was the Democratic nominee for Vice-President; 1884, Hendricks was the successful candidate for Vice-President; 1888, Benjamin Harrison was the successful nominee for President; 1892, Harrison was the defeated Republican nominee for President. In 1868 Colfax was elected Vice-President. In 1852 Julian was the nominee for VicePresident on the Free Soil Democratic ticket. - The commission in charge of the traveling library system, established by the last Legislature, has its machinery novr in complete working order, and shipped its first three libraries the other day. Many inquiries as to’the workings of the library and applications for books have been received. To every applicant is sent a pamphlet containing the library law in full and the rules governing the issue of books. These rules include the furnishing of a bond by the organization taking the books, with two free-bold sureties, for the proper use and care of the property. The regulations are very simple and only such as are necessary in successfully operating an institution of this kind. The club or association having furnished bond and notified the commission in care of the State Library of the list of books selected, it will be shipped to the librarian or other person designated in such club, who shall control and circulate the books among the members. Any traveling library must be returned within three months from the date of its loan unless special permission is secured for its longer retention. When returned another will be sent in its place, and these exchanges may continue as long as the rules of the public library commission are observed. At present there are thirty-four of these libraries, but more will be added as the demand increases and new books are purchased. Owing to the number of miscellaneous volumes on hand and tnrned over to the commission by the State Library the first twenty libraries are arranged for all classes of readers. They consist of forty volumes each and contain ten works of fiction, ten juveniles, six historical works, three biographies, two books on economics and civil government, two on science and nature, one book of humor, one agricultural work, one moral and religious work, two volumes of essays, two of poetry and drama.

Notice of the locations selected for Indiana’s statues in Statuary Hall, in the Capitol at Washington has been received by Senator Fairbanks from the custodian of the Capitol. The former House of Representatives is now used as Statuary Hall, and the allotments made to Indiana are on either side of the door leading to the document room, or the third and ~ fourth fourth places on the right, entering the hall from the rotunda. The locations are prominent and among the most desirable. The statue of Morton is ready to be placed in position, and it is probable that the other statue will be that of a Democrat, as it is the policy of the Government to have one representative from each party. J Indiana and Texas will soon be the principals i* an event showing what progress the friendly feeling between the North and South has made. This event is the return to Terry’s Texas Ranger* of the battle flag which was taken from them during the civil war. At the last session of the Indiana Legislature the request for the return of the flag was made by Texas, and it was complied with. The day of the return of the flag, which will be Friday, Oct. 0, is to be celebrated in Texas. Pictures of the flag have been sent there, and badges are now being made in large numbers. It has been decided to present two large silken banners to the Governors of Texas and Indians Quartermaster General Richardson has received a telegram from the chief of ordnance notifying him of the shipment of the four 3-inch rifles allotted to Indiana from the Watervliet arsenal, New York. These are the guns which will be used by the batteries of the National Guard and two of them are the guns used by Battery Ain Porto Rioo. It has not yet been decided hew to divide the guns among the batteries organized, as there are three batteries and four guns. Gov. Mount has completed his recoin-mendations-to the Secretary of War. The last-two urged for commissions are John 8. Johnson of South Bend, who was second lieutenant of Company F, and William E. Parsons of Angola. Both were with the 157th regiment. The Indiana State fair will include twe concert programs by Sousa'a bond for . Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Sept; 20 and 21. In addition, a children’s chorus of 500 voices will each evening