Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1903 — Real Estate Transfers. [ARTICLE]

Real Estate Transfers.

With 14 applicants for a S6OO political job—and a most undesirable one at that—it is quite apparent that the patriotism of Jaspercounty republicans is not waning to any appreciable extent. White county Democrat: The Rensselaer Republican takes another fling at Congressman Grumpacker in this week’s issue, and incidentally calls the postmaster editors in this district “Crump’s patient plodding asses of all work.” Of course this is “a little family affair” inside the Republican party with which democrats have nothing to do, but we can not help wondering if Bro. Marshall’s ears would not be patiently flapping in the same herd if he had succeeded in landing the Rensselaer postoffice plum. A bill to be presented to the legislature requires railroads and other corporations to pay into the county treasuries road taxes instead of having them worked out by grafters. This is one of the best bills that will likely come up before the session. Just now a few men in Indiana are growing rich at the expense of the highways, and something should be done to stop this skinning. No doubt it will be fought by railroads, but the papers of the state should be a unit for it. It will not be a heavier burden for the corporations but it will stop the the skinning by the contractors, and be of great benefit to the roads.—Bedford Democrat. With a view to further complicating the anti-trust situation the members of the Senate are now preparing a number of antitrust bills which it is well understood are intended to head off the administration measure just reported to the House and likely to pass with the help of democratic votes at an early date. When it gets to the Senate, however, it will be met with the argument that one clause has been covered in the Elkins bill, another in some other and so on, antMi is the hope of the republican ItuWrrs to in this way prevent all effective anti-trust legislation even supposing their fight on the Statehood bill should not prove sufficient to do so. The people of Indiana will not make the welkin ring with their plaudits if the legislature is hypnotized into legalizing the prosecutors’ graft. The graft consists in doubling the salaries of the prosecutors in addition to the fees they already receive. There would be more in the argument for higher salaries for the prosecutors if there were not always an irruption of lawyers whenever a nomination for the office is hung up. There is no difficulty in blithe office of prosecutor, or any other office, for that matter, under present salaries. Therefore, let the official salaries remain where they are. This thing of rooting for office and then rooting in the legislature for more salary after the office is secured savors too much of the bunco game. —Hartford City News. In the selection of Mr. Blue for superintendent of the poor farm ♦he commissioners did almost pre- < ely what The Democrat anticipated 'hev would do. Had fitness instead of political pulls been considered, it is practically the unanimous opinion that Green 1 hornton should have been given the place. He is a good and successful farmer, not afraid nor too lazy to pull off his coat and perform manual labor, and would without doubt have made an excellent man for the place. Mr. Thornton however, is not a politician, and therefore stood no show. Of course no one but a republican could be thought of or was a candidate. Of Mr. Blue's fitness for the place we know very little. Some people say he is not able to perforin manual labor, while others say that he is constitutionally tired and the poorest fitted of any the applicants. Be this as it may, perhaps the worst that can be said of' him is, to use a slang

political phrase that he “always has his hooks out for some political job,” and has had something of the sort for a great many years. Too close application to the public teat has a tendency to promote that tired feeling until it becomes chronic. However, he is, we believe, a moral man, and his wife, while quite well advanced in years, is a good housekeeper, an industrious woman, and will, we think, make a good matron. The farm is now in excellent condition, is well stocked and there is nothing to prevent a good record being made in the management taken up at this time. It is “results” The Democrat wants to see, and if Mr. Blue’s superintendency, as evidenced by his quarterly reports, demonstrates that he is striving to run the place in the best interests to the taxpayers of the county, he will have no more enthusiastic supporter than The Democrat. The nine juror bill has been killed in the state senate, while The House has passed the bill legalizing Sunday base ball in Indianapolis, and the amended “ripper” or reformatory bill has passed both houses and been signed by the govenor, A bill has been introduced in the legislature to compel township trustees to publish an itemized statement of each transaction for which money was paid out of the public funds, the printer to receive five cents for each item. There is nothing wrong about this. All officials who have the power to levy taxes, collect and pay out public money should be compelled to publish a report. City school boards and city treas-

urers should also be compelled to publish annual statements. The people should know where every dollar of the public money goes. — Tipton Times. Now that the poor farm i/atter is up for discussion The Democrat wants to make a few pertinent remarks regarding the regulation of its management in the future. In the first place, experience has shown that there is altogether too much politics in the management of the penal and charitable institutions of the country, and in the more enlightened states laws have been enacted to take them, partially at least, out of politics. In our own state the board of directors of the state institutions are bi-partisan, composed of men of both parties, and much better results have been secured under this system than under the old partisan boards. Such being the case, why would it not be a good idea to eliminate our poor farm from politics to a certain extent. At the end of each year and whenever a change in superintendents takes place let the county commissioners appoint three good, disinterested and fair minded men, men who do not mingle in politics much, and who are appointed rather for their excellence and sound business ability than for favors done the party, to go out and make a thorough invoice of all personal property of every description belonging to the county, together with its value, and report the same to the commissioners. These men should be appointed from both parties and their invoice should be spread on the county records, where it cun be referred to from time to tn ' Then require the superinter .. nt to report in detail every d zcn of eggs, pound of butter and lurd, bushel of grain, etc., as well as all stock sold; to whom sold and at what price. If this were done we would hear no more of scandals there or of the poor farm not being self supporting. Of course, the grand jury is supposed to visit the poor farm once a year and report as to its condition, management, etc., but in many instances this “investigation’’ is a mere farce. The superintendent knows when the grand jury will visit the farm,

he has the place cleaned up, cooks up a big dinner for the jury, brings box of choice cigars for an after-dinner-smoke, and the jury go back and report the farm well cared for, the paupers cleanly and well taken care of and the superintendent a prince of good fellows. Even were the commissioners themselves to visit the farm and make an honest and earnest endeavor to see that it was properly farmed and conducted there would be much better results in the future than we have had in the past.

Wm. B. Austin to Tillie I*. Tanner, Jan. 10, Its 4,5, bl 0, DeMottOr s7l. David S. Alter to Tillie Tanner. Oct, 25. 1902. It 0, bl 0. DeMotte. $25, Felix French to Austin O. Moore et ux, Jan, 21, Its, 1,2, 3, bl 10, Rensselaer, $3,250. John Spies to Henry C. Harris, Jan. 17, e'4 ne 17-28-6, e'4 nw ne 17-28-6, Marion, SB,OOO. Henry Grow to David Grow, Jan. 3. It 10, bl 11, Rensselaer, Weston’s 2nd add, SBOO. Mary E. Grow to David E. Grow, Jan. 8, It 11, bl 11, Rensselaer, Weston's 2d add, SIOO. Nellie A. Saylor to Frank W. Sayler, Jan. 17, pt wK ne 26-29-7, 60 acres, pt se se 26-29-7,3 acres, Newton,s4,loo, Thomas J. Sayler to Frank W .’Sayler, Jan. 17, eH se 26-29-7, 40 acres, Newton , $2,600, Albert Rowpn to William B. Austin, Jan, 24, nw ne 26-31-7, Union, $1,200. Archibald Burns et ux to Thomas Burns, Jan, 23, pt nw sw 26-32-7,3 acres, Keener. SBOO. Samuel H. May to John D. Woods, Jan. 22, Its 7,8, bl 4, Remington, 13,000, Peter Kessinger to Robert A. Parkison, Jan. 5, pt se sw 2-30-5, 39 aares. Gillam, SBOO. Perpt. B. L, and S. Assn, to Rebecca Timmons. Dec. 4, Rensselaer, A. Sc S, P, Thompson's add, $350. Harvey R. Hartman to Howard B. Jones, Jan 27, ptsw 25-27-7, 146 acres, Carpenter, sl2, 475. Jesse J. Fry to Joseph Kallison, Jan. 8, eJ4 sw 6-81-9, 80 acres, Walker, SB,OOO.