Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1902 — Jasper County [ARTICLE]

Jasper County

Jasper is the second largest county In Indiana, having an area of 570 square miles. Population of Jaaper C0unty,114,292; Population of Rensselaer, the County Seat, 3,255. Jasper county has gained 8,107 in population since 1800; Rensselaer gained 800. Fine farming and stock raising county. Corn, Oats, Wheat and Hay are principal crops. Onion. Sugar Beet and stock growing largely in Northern portion of County. Fine Lubricating Oil is also found in northern portion and hundreds of wells are now producing while others are being put down. Price of land ranges from $26 to SSO per 'acre in northern part of county, to SOS to SIOO per acre in central and southern portion. It strikes us that some of our American Colleges and universities are becoming the grandest institution in the world for promoting fighting, gambling, and to a considerable extent, drinking. We are certainly glad that they choose to be represeuted in their footbtill battles by two-legged fighters rather than by bulls or bulldogs, which would require the enforcement of our laws for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and might result in a $250 fine and a year’s imprisonment for each person found guilty. And we are also glad that our theological seminaries have not, thus far, undertaken to educate after 'this fashion the missionaries we are sending out to heathen nations to proclaim “Peace on earth, good will to men.” In outcollege days foot-ball was a game in which the whole college (hundreds of students) took part and enjoyed the exercise. Nobody bet his own money (or was tempted to bet anybody’s else,) and the game was kicking— not fighting or gambling. We think the oldfashioned game, in many (very many) respects better than the new.—Geo. T. Angell in Dumb Animals.

A few years ago, when democrats were at the head of the Jasper County Farmers’ Institute, the minor republican officers of the organization thought it would be a good plan to get bids from the three printing offices of Rensselaer for printing the institute programs, which was done, and The Democrat printed them two years in succession not because its editor was a democrat and there happened to be democrats at the hend of the organization, but for the sole reason that its bid was lowest. We made no protest against this plan except to state to the head officers that we thought it would give better satisfaction all around to give the work to one office one year and to another the next, and so on, turn about, but this suggestion was not noted upon and bids were asked for and submitted. Under the new regime, with B. D. Cornel, republican, for president, neither the Journal or The Democrat has even been asked to bid on this work, but for the past two years the Apologist has been given the work, and at what price only the president and the Apologist editor know. We would suggest that perhaps the institutes could be made more of a success in this county if a little less politics was injected into it. Last Saturday night, before the Lincoln Club of Chicago, Congressman Boutelle urged .the repeal of the war tax. The republican pnrty hnd agreed to do so, as soon as the war was over; what would republicans say when confronted by democrats this fall, with $150,000,000 surplus and the war tax still in existence? They will say what they have always said when'enught red-handed in a lie—they will tell some moro. The war tax should not be repealed, but should be extended and clapped on to corporate wealth in such a manner that it could not be evaded. Corporate wealth in Indiana—and the snme is true of every other state in the Union—has evaded taxation for Btate, county and municipal purposes so long and so successfuly, that when a little tax was levied in 1898 for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the great war

with Spain, they all raised a howl that could be heard around the world. It was heard at Washington and heeded, so that the worst of these offendors went scot free. The railroads still pay, as they have for some years, and so do the banks. But the vast bulk of all taxes for national purposes is now, and will in future be paid by the plain people. And this policy of evasion, and shirking its share of the burden of taxation will remain as long as the Boutelleß have their way. Corporate wealth having and exercising more rights and privileges than private wealth and exacting more protection from government, should at least pay as much to bear the burden as does private wealth. Extend the special taxes and repeal the protective taxes, is the right way to reduce the surplus.

Twol- years ago The Democrat did not bid on the local class of the county stationery, as we felt that if we secured the contract the “honorable” board of commissioners would force us to go into court to get our pay for the work, which would cost about all the contract would amount to. As a result the contract was let to the party ogans for $395. Last year we determined to enter the list of bidders, anyway, and as a result the county was saved nearly S3OO, the contract being let for slOl and for practically the same value of material that $395 was paid the year previous. The action of the bankrupt financiers who compose a majority of the board of commissioners, in cutting some of our bills—every one of which was not only just but also much less than either of the republican papers would have charged had they had no opposition, as in the days gone by— and forcing us to go into court to collect our honest dues, shows conclusively that our fears were well grounded, and the aforesaid gang propose to keep everything from The Democrat they possibly can and make us go into court to get our dues on what can’t be kept from us. While we have saved the taxpayers of the county thousands of dollars each year and still intend to watchafter their interests wherever we can do so, yet we do not feel that we can afford to invest our money in stationery for the use of the county and then be compelled to wait months for our pay and take the matter into court to get it—which would be the result were we to get the contract—hence this year we decided not to put in a bid. As a consequence the taxpayers must pay s3fiß for this class of stationery this year. If the people will elect decent men for commissioners, men who will accord us any sort of fair treatment at nil, we will enter the contest for the stationery contract and save the county big money each year, but with the present gang—well, their actions speak for themselves.