Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1904 — FIFTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

FIFTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS

Ray Cummings, a promising young attorney of Kentland, will be a candidate for the republican nomination for prosecuting attorney of the Jasper-Newton judicial circuit. Indianapolis News: While Judge Rabb of Fowler, by intimating to a jury that “hop ale” is nothing more than plain beer, shows a suspicious disposition that is quite unusual for the unsoph istioated benoh, he is at the same time getting in line with the views of a very large number of admittedly sophisticated laymen. Republican United States Senator Lucie n Baker of Kansas, indicted a few dayß ago for using his official position —for the sum of $2,500—t0 intercede with the postal authorities iu behalf of a get-ricl»-quick firm of St. Louis, Mo., is an Indiana product, having been bom and reared in this 3tate. His early training in the ranks of the g. o. p’s. in “Old Indiana” seems to have followed him to the Sun Flower State. When it comes to “grafting” no Indiana republican office-holder will <take a back seat.

According to the Indianapolis fiftpers Harry Strohm of Kentland, engineered a resolution through endorsing “Teddy” for the presidency, at the meeting of the In- * diana republican editorial associariion in that city last week, but the editors were so hot at Harry for shoving in the Roosevelt resolution that they reconsidered the matter of electing him president of the association, which had been practically decided upon, and elected another man in his stead. Harry was on the resolutions •committee, it seems, and insisted on the Roosevelt endorsement goit* in, and after the committee rejxwted the meeting did not have the nerve to reject the rei>ort, though it did not want to endorse anyone. The first case under the state law which relieves the briber of a voter from penalty, gives a reward to the informer and punishes the bribe taker with disfranchisement, was decided in the Supreme Court Wednesday. Robert Davis of Clinton county, obtained the conviction of a number of persons for selling their votes and sued the county for rewards aggregating S I .K)O upon refusal of the county commissioners to pay rewards on the ground that Davis induced the' voters to sell their votes with the intention of prosecuting them and claiming the reward. The court held that the law does not permit a man to take advantage of hia own wrong doing or to found any claim upon Ipa own iniquity, and, though it is hot a legal wrong under the statute to purchase votes, such conduct is wrong in morals and affects the whole community. The decision declares that public ipolicy forbids one who has bought a vote and in that way to corrupt * voter, to recover for securing his dupe’s conviction.

- Edward Curry, keeper of a “Cream of Hops” joint in Oxford, was found guilty of selling intoxicants in the Benton circuit court last week and fined SBO and costs. Immediately after the finding against Carry several other saloonkeepers, against whom similar oases were pending, entered pleas of guilty, and the school fund was enriched $235. One of the men fined was Isaac Senesac, keeper of a “social club.” There are several other cases pending against Curry. The anti-saloon people regard the convictions as a great victory for them in Benton county.

The body of James Smithson, philanthropist, arrived in Washington Saturday from Genoa, Italy, where it was buried three-quarters of a century ago. He was an infidel and scientist, vice-president of the British Royal Academy, and he gave half a million dollars to the United States to build the Smithsonian Institution. He was a scion of the great hpuse of Northumberland but was on she side of the colonies daring the Revolution, and ridiculed his cousin, Lord Hugh Percy, who ran away during the battle of Bunker Hill. ,He was ambitious to be known as a benefactor of bis kind “after the Northumberlands are forgotten” and he chose the surest road to immorality. He will be temporarily reburied in West Washington, but will be transferred to the Smithsonian grounds when his statute is ready. Barney Comer of Union tp., is reported to have said that he couldn’t give his report to The Democrat for publication because it had exposed his official acts too much in the campaign of 1900, although he admitted that he was doing what he knew to be wrong and contrary to law in giving it to a republioan who avers, for revenue only, that he is publishing a “democratic paper.” Well, we can only say of Barney that after reading his official report for 1903 —the only report he has been required to publish in itimized form since our remarks of 1900 — The Democrat has nothing to take back that it said then. In fact this report only emphasizes the the truth of the remarks previously made in these columns. The Democrat’s silence is not to be bought by a little “official pap.”

“Pious” originally meant affectionate. Aeneas was called pious because he buried his father, and Antigone was called pious because she buried her brother. Congressmen seem to have a similar ambition. They buried one of their number last week with the usual extravagance; a committee of twelve or fifteen, a chartered Pullman to Illinois, a load of griefstricken junketers, and all they can eat and all they can drink at the expense of the government. These funerals cost from $5,000 to $25,000 each and sometimes degenerate into a mild form of spree. Often, indeed the official mourners drink altogether too much and there have been instances when they were disabled from performing their duty. Both parties are equally guilty of this abominable offense and it is high time it was reformed in the interest of ordinary decency.

Synopsis of the Proceedings of the National Lawmakers In and Honan, Washington, Jan. 26.—The senate heard further discussion on the question of appointments to office made during congressional recesses, .listened to a speech on the isthmian canal question by Morgan and passed a number of bills of a semi-public character, among them one authorizing the erection of a monument to the memory of John Paul Jones. An executive session was held. The house passed the army appropriation bill, carrying approximately $75,000,000. Sifter adopting a number of amendments. A resolution calling on the secretary of state for information ns to the number of carriages maintained by the government for the state department was adopted. Washington, Jan. 27.—The time of the senate was again divided between consideration of the Panama question and other subjects. There was only one speech on the canal and it was made by Stone of Missouri, who charged complicity of the United States In the Panama secession. Some bills were passed, including one for a emorlal bridge across the Potomac river at Washington. An executive session was held. Boutell addressed the house for nearly two hoars in a reply to statements made by Williams of Mississippi, the minority leader, in a speech of a few days ago. Williams in turn replied to Boutell. The bouse had under consideration at the time the urgent deficiency bill, which was not completed. A resolution calling on the postmaster general for Information relative to the number of carriages maintained by the government for the postoffice department was passed after a spirited debate. Washington, Jan. 28. The senate proceedings included a speech by Simmons of North Carolina in support of the Panama canal treaty and the passage of a number of bills and resolutions. Simmons wag the first Democratic senator to favor the measure on the floor of the senate. A resolution authorizing the investigation of the charges against Smoot was passed and an executive session was held. General debate in the bouse on the urgent deficiency bill digressed to a discussion of political topics, the race qaestion and aerial navigation, and everything before the people was considered except the bill.