Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1902 — INCREASE OF THE TEMPERANCE SENTIMENT. [ARTICLE]

INCREASE OF THE TEMPERANCE SENTIMENT.

And the public funds still flow to spite Abe’s enemies and please his friends. Tax-payers of Jasper county, what do you think of being investigated by the ex-auditor of Owen county? The Thompson injunction case did one good thing at least —it showed the sort of a hold-up game this tax investigation of Abe’s is.

If Tax-ferret Workman, “Honest Abe,” et al. were put into a sack and shaken up, we wonder which would come to the top first? And the complaint says that Workman “grafted’’ about SI,OOO per year in addition to his salary of $1,900 per year! Not so bad, if true, for a “democrat,” was it? Any one of our abstracters could do all the tax-ferrets have done for S4OO, and the ex-auditor of Owen county gets ten times as much for the same work. Is this economy? The 'cow-puncher ate so much liver Thanksgiving that he did not issue the Barnacle last week. Perhaps, though, the absence of any legals from “Honest Abe” or republican attorneys had something to do with it. We understand that “Honest Abe” has sold the remainder of his telephone lines and won’t work the telephone scheme any longer. A three years renewal of his lease to “work” the tax-payers of Jasper Count/ is no doubt more to his liking. That prayer is answered has been demonstrated.- On.the morning before the- Bingley tariff bill was passed the congressional chaplain said in his prayer: “O Lord, make us considerate of the trusts committed to our care.” There is no question now but that the chaplain fooled the Lord, in that the word “trusts” carried with it a double meaning.

Our readers will understand in our reference to the court commonly called commissioners’ court, I that we refer to it as “Honest Abe’s” court because it is to nil intents and purposes a one-man court. If the other fellows who were elected on this' board ever have an opinion they are mighty careful to keep it to themselves when Abe is about. The Republican speaks of our county treasurer ns the tax-ferrets, in Thompson’s suit. “Honest Abe” directs' the ferrets, and Joe Workman is their man Friday; he leadeth the county assessor, auditor and treasurer by the nose. Joe’s experience in Owen county fits him for general manager of our county, so as to [feather his nest by plucking the tax-payers. Four hundred townships in this state have ruled against the issuance of liquor licenses. It is expected that a conference will be held in Indianapolis, in December, of representatives [of the temperance committees of churches throughout the state, to confer on the question of asking additional legislation of the next legislature. The conference has been called by state synod.

Is there an understanding or conspiracy existing between Taxferret Workman, “Honest Abe,” and Deputy Auditor Murray in the tax “investigations?” . Judge Thompson wanted to protest against any more allowances on account of omitted taxes to the tax-ferrets, and to this end he frequently consulted the commissioners’ docket in the auditor’s office to see if any claim had been presented by them for for action this term of Commissioners’ court. Saturday he found an item entered by number only, the name of the claimant and the amount being left blank. He called Deputy Auditor Murray’s attention to the entry and asked why it had been left blank. Murray finally said the claim was one of the tax-ferrets,’ and he “had forgotten” to enter the name on the docket. A thorough investigation of the auditor’s office during the time Mr. Murray has held down a chair therein might reveal more startling things than have thus far been disclosed by the taxferret investigation. But we protest against the ex-auditor of Owen county making the investigation.

Lafayette Democrat: No one watching the trend of events can doubt for a moment that there is a distinct advance in the progress of temperance people. The effort to inculcate a sentiment against the sale and use of intoxicating liquor has never seemed in so fair a way to win its way as now. Probably one reason for this is the fact that a more reasonable effort is making. There is not so much agitation along the lines of stringent regulation by law, as an effort to enforce the laws now on the statue books. There is not so much effort made to stigmatize the seller of intoxicants as to convince the reason of men that drinking is a waste. And the temperance people are right, ’('here is a general concession that the drinking of liquor, certainly to the extent of even the rarest inebriety, is harmful to health, morals, and estate. “Drinking,” said a wise man who had tried till he was satisfactorily convinced, “drinking makes a man cheap.” There could be no better statement of the case. Railroad companies have adopted a rule not only that their employers shall not be under the influence of intoxicants while on duty, but that they shall not use intoxicants at all. And the men, observing the effect of the rule, see very quickly that the men who do not drink at all are better fitted for the duties railroad men have to face than those who drink even so little.

There was a day when a lawyer was scarcely expected to make an argument until he had steeped hie frame in liquor, and strung his nervous system to an artificial tension. At such times a remarkable exhibition of eloquence was often realized. How much better argument he might have made without the stimulant at all, no one has ever had the opportunity to ascertain; but it is certain that in the present lawyers are making excellent speeches, and winning cases, without the use of a drop of alcohol. There was a time when physicians were commonly drinking mon. Journeymen at all trades were expected to be drunk once a week—and they not often disappointed the expectation. Business men waxed rich while in the habitual state of half inebriety. Saturday afternoons in towns were dates on which fights were to be expected. It was a sight certain to be afforded. The drinking by man was common, in almost every sphere of life. The time has changed. ProsesIsional men rarely drink. There is not a drunkard in successful I practice in one county ssat out of I fifty. The sober men in that and all other profession:- get the business. and take care of it so well that they grow successful—and rich. It isn’t noble or commendable any more to be known as a ! gentleman who can curry a gallon [of, liquor under the belt. The custom has grown unfashionable, And because the verdict of society is against it, the practice is discontinuing. The effort of . the temperance people simply seconds what all men now concede. And it is likely that the struggle against the evil will succeed, because reason and experience and right are all on the side of the reformers.