Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 April 1903 — MORE HOGS AND LESS HELL. [ARTICLE]

MORE HOGS AND LESS HELL.

The supreme court has held the act of 1899, known as the weekly wage law, unconstitutional. It required employers to pay their employes weekly. Governor Durbin has appointed Warren T. McCray of Kentland to succeed B. F. Keesling on the board, of trustees of the Northern hospital for the insane. The Standard Oil Co’s plant at Whiting will be enlarged three million dollars worth. This probably has something to do with the priceof gasoline jumping up to 18 cents per gallon recently. Printed copies of the acts of 1903 are now in the hands of the Secretary of State and distribution to the counties will begin at once. It is likely that the governor’s proclamation, declaring the laws in force which have no emergency clause, will bp issued previous to May 1. We are glad to see our republican contemporaries so deeply interested in the future of Grover Cleveland, but if they are so anxious to have him as a candidate for the presidency, the democrats have no protests to enter over his heading the republican ticket in 1904.

Hon. Frank B. Burke, the well known democratic lawyer and politician and candidate for the nomination for governor in 1900, died at St. Vincent’s hospital in Indianapolis last Monday, the result of tumor of the capsule of the kidney, for which he underwent two or three operations. Deceased was 47 years of age, and was one of the most popular democrats in in the state. News of his death will be received with deep regret all over the country.

The C. & E. I railroad, or “Frisco system,” as it is now called, recently advanced the pay of its section foremen frpm $1.15 to $1.25 per day. Perhaps the following item from the Brook Reporter will explain how the company was enabled to be so magnanimous:

The Frisco has reapportioned the sections on this division making them two and one-half miles longer thus catting off three section crews between Momence and Goodland. Jonn Mulverhill is one of the section bosses thrown out of a job.

At last Gov. Durbin has acted on the wholesale charges of corruption on the part of the Lafayette police commissioners, and Wm. C. Mitchell and John Q. Morgan have been retired to private life. Several, months ago the Lafayette Democrat got after these “gentlemen” and showed up their corrupt practices so thoroughly that the ministerial association of Lafayette took the matter up and asked Gov. Durbin to remove the commissioners. He took no action, however, until a few days ago, when he acted as above noted. Their removal is a victory for the Lafayette Democrat and proves conclusively that their charges against these officials was well founded.

Adjt. General Smock has been elected 'commandant at the soldiers’ home at Lafayette.

At the meeting of the oonnty council Tuesday, Councilman Jay W. Williams expressed himself very emphatically to the commissioners regarding the payment of the judgment of The Democrat man’s, and Mr. Pettit of Walker also had something to say. Both these gentlemen wanted the judgment paid and further useless litigation stopped. The _ other three oouncilmen were evidently of the same opinion in the matter, but Abe gave the council to understand that he was running Jasper county and intimated very strongly that he would keep us out or this money and would put the taxpayers to the expense of fightiqg it to the last ditch. For a cur with upwards of $20,000 in judgments hanging over him and who is not financially responsible for a nickle, Abe cuts a mighty wide swath with the public funds. Had the council any way of shutting him off in this matter, it was quite evident it would haves done so, but it seems previous appropriations will be used by Abe in carrying this case to the higher courts. Well, so be it.

Referring to the sermon recently preached by Rev. Father Henneberger of Fowler, the Fowler Republican says: Church-goers at the Sacred Heart Church in this city were treated to one of the most intense sermons on Sunday morning last, ever delivered from any pulpit in this town. Clothed in the sacred robe of his office, the eloquent Priest held forth in terms of bitterest censure and sarcasm on the folly of the liquor traffic, which he denounced as a business nefarious in the sight of God and man. In talking of screens erected in the entrance of saloons, he asked: ‘What are you doing there that you are ashamed oi it?” He said the business of the saloon-keeper was vicious because he dammed himself and those to whom he sold. The Priest condemned the practice, which he thought was at times resorted to, of getting men drunk at the bar then wringing their money out of them in a gambling den. The Father is thoroughly in earnest when he talks and those that heard him said he was very bitter and sarcastic at times. The sermon last Sunday was preceded the Sunday before by one from |he Rev. Father Miller and all doubt as to where the Catholic clergy here stand seems to be at an end. The sermon has led to no end of discussion and comment. Whether the Father means to come out in favor of a blanket remonstrance or not is not known, but that he said things which his congregation and the people of Fowler will long remember is undoubted. It may well be that the Catholic Priest will take a stand against the saloons if a blanket remonstrance be circulated. It is said that a letter has beeu issued by the Pope instructing the Bishops, and through them the Priests, to take a decided stand against the liquor business. In his sermon Sunday morning, Father Henneberger told of a meeting of some townspeople somewhere that had been recently held. They were "discussing the temperance question. One fellow said: “Why, if all the saloons go out, what will we do with the corn?" Another gentleman arose and said: “Why, we will raise more hogs and less hell."