Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1901 — IN THE PUBLIC EYE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Organized labor, particularly in New England, is greatly interested in the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the

connection of Geo. E. McNeill of Boston with the union labor movement. Fifty years ago Mr. McNeill began agitating in favor of the eight-hour work day, and ha has been active in that direction ever since. He was the first field agent of the Eight-Hour League, and has won the title of “Father of the Eight-Hour Day.” Beginning life as a bobbin boy in a woolen mill, he hag devoted half a century to forwarding

the cause of organized labor. He has written several books on labor subjects, and in 188 G was the labor candidate for Mayor of Boston. In 1885 he was chosen as arbitrator of the great Boston street car strike, and by his influence succeeded in settling it. He was born in Amesbury, Mass., in 1837.

This is the picture of Miss Addie Berry, the pretty young woman who la conducting a crusade against the saloons of

Carlyle, 111. Miss Berry, who Is only 22 years old and has been a school teacher since before she was 20, declares that she is not seeking for notoriety, and that her crusade bears no resemblance to that of Mrs. Nation. Instead of breaking the law.

she is only attempting to enforce the law by strictly legal method*. She personally visited a number of saloons which were open on Sunday, and personally secured the evidence on which the offending saloonkeepers were arrested. The title of “marrying parson” Is right fully bestowed upon Rev. William L. Meese, whose marriage association, ea-

titled the Meese Matrimonial Association, has just held its fifth annual reunion at Waterloo, Ind. Mr. Mees? is an historical character in his section of Indiana. Ever since his wife died, in 1894, he has lived alone, devoting all his time and ener-

gy to inducing people to marry. It is said that he has performed more marriage ceremonies than any other minister or squire in Indiana. Whatever of this, the number of people he has joined in wedlock exceeds 2,000 couples. It was In 1890 that Mr. Meese succeeded in getting the various people he had married to form an association, with the purpose of holding annual reunions, his idea being that this feature would encourage matrimony in general, and also tend to prevent marital disputes and divorces. Not one divorce has ever been asked for among his matrimonial proteges.

Theodore C. Search, the president of the National Association of Manufacturers, who is being pushed for the pos-

sible ninth piste in the President’s cabinet—that is, for Secretary of Commerce and Industry —is as scholarly a gentleman as one could find in a month's walk. He is thoroughly familiar with every fait of importance concerning the industrial growth of the

nation, present and past. He has strong views on national policy, and he shapes his opinions only after he has exhausted every means of widening his knowledge oh the subject in hand. The suggestion of giving him the new portfolio—in case It be created by Congress- is regarded as a peculiarly fortunate one. This entirely apart from the fact that Mr. Search is an Intimate and sympathetic friend of the President. Former Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar, who is causing no small agitation in the ranks of the opposition to the

French government, receives a pension of |&00 per month in lieu of her throne. She is now in Paris, and the slight restraint put upon her liberties has furnished • pretext for conaldersble royalist criticism of the government Count Castellano has volunteered to question

tb« government concerning ita restraint of the queen. Hanavalona aucceeded to the throne in 1883 and waa depoaed In 1897, when Madagaacar became a French colony.

GEO. E. M’NEILL.

MISS BERRY.

REV.L MEESE.

THEO. C. SEARCH.

KANAVALONA.