Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1900 — TAX IS DEFEATED. [ARTICLE]

TAX IS DEFEATED.

Railroad Subsidy Carries in Marlon But Ls Defeated in Barkley, Jordan and Carpenter. MAJORITIES. Marion, for 278 Barkley, against 22 Jordan, “ 69 Carpenter, “ 14 1 The railroad election in the above townships passed off Tuesday with about the result anticipated by The Democrat. It had been conceded all along that the floating vote in Rensselaer added to those taxpayers who were working for the road would give a comfortable majority in Marion township. No organized work was done here by the opposition to the tax, and but little work of any kind, those .who opposed it generally contenting themselves with going to the polls and voting their sentiments, while those who favored the tax worked unceasingly and Used any kind of argument to secure votes, button-holing every doubtful man who approached the polls. The total vote polled was but 716, or about 200 short of the vote of two years ago. The workers for the tax had about every man out who was favorable to voting the same, therefore it is safe to say that had a full vote been polled the majority in favor thereof would have not been much above 100.

Following is the vote by precincts in Marion tp.: For. Against. Precinct No. I 123 57 Precinct No. 2 172 St — Precinct No. 3 /.. 66 Precinct No. 4 104 34 497 221 In Barkley tp., almost all the resident land-owners were against the tax, but opposed to this was an almost solid front of Gifford’s tenants and employes. It is said that coercion was freely used to bring unruly tenants to time and money was also used where needed. But, notwithstanding all this, Barkley defeated the tax by a majority of 22. The vote by piecincts was as follows: For. Against. East Precinct 117 69 West Precinct 4S 117 Totals... 165 177 The total vote in Barkley was 106 more than that of two years ago, when it reached 236. Jordan township gave the proposition a hard blow, out of a total of 149 votes cast but 40 favored the tax. Jordan’s vote was but 7 behind the vote of two years ago, but she cast a light vote at that time. The stay-at-homers there were also against the tax. Carpenter completely upset the advocates of the tax and while some grieved others cussed when the vote was announced, and the extremists were for seceding from Carpenter tp., and signified their iutention of soliciting Gifford to run his road from Rensselaer to Goodland, leaving Carpenter to her fate. Cooler council prevailed, however, and at this writing they are talking of calling another election and sending missionaries over to the Carpenter “heathen” in such numbers as to make success sure next time. The vote in Carpenter by precincts was as follows: For. Atm i nst. South Precinct ... 55 65 East Precinct 59 * 94 West Precinct,...; 24 120 T0ta15...... 136 279 The vote in Carpenter was about 100 short of that of two years ago, and a light vote was polled at that time. Nearly every vote cast for the road came from Remington, while the fanners, who would "have had to pay the tax, were practically a unit against it.