Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1906 — POLITICAL BANKING. [ARTICLE]

POLITICAL BANKING.

The Landises are nil stand-pat-ters. They are naturally opposed to revision especially to revision of the office-holding list. One thing has been developed in the strenuous debate in the Senate on the railroad rate bill and that is that vice-president Fairbanks is a most incompetent presiding officer. No good job of state house-clean-ing can be done by using tlfe greasy old Republican mop. It has been trailed through so much scandal and official tilth that it doesnot clean. It only “smears it about.” The country has waited a good while to see President Roosevelt bust a trust, but something seems to be wrong with his machinery. As for the trusts, they continue to do business at the same old stand in the same old way.

If you are a Republican boss, look out for political squalls about November, is the way the prognostications in the political almanac are warning the G. O. P. The advice to Democrats io to get together on essentials and lay aside factional quarrels. The Democrat that for selfish reasons is trying to disrupt the party at this time should be warned to desist and be advised that only those who fight for the general good can expect consideration and reward hereafter.

The big list of men who will be candidates before the Democratic . state convention shows that there I will be “something doing” in Indianapolis on June 7. The Democratic party is out for victory this year, and it has the people with it.

Every one has heard of “your Uncle Dudley” formerly of Indiana, now of Washington, who a Republican Congress, probably to reward him for originating the “blocks of five” system of stealing elections, has increased his pension to SIOO a month.

The Prohibitionists have held their state convention, named their ticket and served notice that they will conduct a whirlwind campaign during the last sixty days of the fight. A whirlwind raises a pretty big dust when things are dry—as they usually are with the Prohibitionists.

It now appears that Senator Bulkelye of Connecticut, who defended his subscriptions from trust funds to the Republican campaign national fund, is not president of the Aetna Fire Insurance Company but of the Aetna Life Insurance Company. So it is the widows and orphans of the policy holders of the latter company who have been plundered by this stand pat Republican.

It is reported that the Republicans of Delaware are about to get together and elect Col. Henry A. Dupont to the United States Senate, Col. Dupont has several millions invested in the powder trust which has been recently subjected to a hot fire in the Senate by Mr. Bacon of Georgia for robbing the Government. Since Addicks has spent all of his surplus arising from the gas trust, no doubt Col. Dupont will be able to harmonize the party by the use of his barrel, and thus place himself in a position to protect the powder trust by his vote and influence against attacks of the Democrats.

One of the most remarkable things now observable is the character of the tremendous tide that has set in the country over in favor of Mr. Bryan. Men of all parties acclaim him as “a bulwark of the republic.” A Republican newspaper. 'The Chicago Post, says that “it is we, the people,, who have changed”. In other words, the people have grown up to Bryan.

The Republican frauds and scandals are being somewhat lost sight of in the excitement at Washington, but another batch of 21 indictments against men accused of timber stealing and a further postponement of the trial of some of those indicted for Post-Office frauds, not to mention the Consular scandals, reminds us that the past six years have produced more frauds, scandals and grafting than ever before.

The Republican state convention declared in “favor” of a 2cent per mile passenger rate on the railroads. If the Republicans really favor such a rate why have they not passed a law fixing it? They have had the legislature and the governor for ten years, and there was nothing in the way but the railroads. And, as it happens, the railroads are still in the way, just as the trusts have been in the way of anti-trust legislation

The democrats of Jasper county are not out simply for the offices, and the administration of Mr. Leatherman as county auditor seems to have given such general satisfaction that the convention Saturday voted to place no one on the ticket in opposition to him. Politics ought not cut much figure in local matters, and it is to be hoped that the taxpayers will come to a realization of tbe fact that their best interests are subserved in mixing up the offices a little and not continuing year after year in power those who are members of one particular party. Regarding the men nom-

inated at Saturday’s convention. The Democrat will have something to say later.

W. H. Blodgett’s daily reports of the McCoy trial at Monticello is a severe arraignment of their political banking methods, although not much of a new nature is being unfolded. The Democrat’s articles soon after the bank failed, showed up the political side of the failure practically the same as is now being written up by Blodgett, and the evidence in support of The Democrat’s remarks of two years ago is drawn out day by day. After showing up a long list of overdraftsand notes of republican politicians, that witnesses have testified were worthless, Blodgett says: •'These are but a few samples, but they tell the affiliation of the banker and the politician. If a chap was a good political hustler he could get money at McCoy’s bank, even if he could not get credit anywhere else.” Referring to the “Doc” Nichols indebtedness to the bank, he says: "At the time S, R. Nichols, the county treasurer and politician, got from the McCoy bank as an individual sis, 507 53, he was not worth that amount. At the time he gave the two notes dated January 25, 1904, for about $13,000, he gave as security a second mortgage on about 340 acres of land. The first mortgage was for $10,200, so the equity that could be realized for the McCoy trust was about SB,OOO. The land baa been valued at $65 or S7O an acre when the notes were given, but the trustee in bankruptcy put the value at from $55 to S6O an acre. In fact, the trustee thought the debt of Nichols to the bank was worth 50 cents on the dollar.” The compromise by which a setoff of county funds against this individual debt, in which the net loss on the was about 50 per cent, which was saddled on the bank creditors, is well kuown. Tax payers of Jasper county should compare the statements now being made under oath regarding this a matter and the false statements made for political purposes during the last county campaign. Was The Democrat right then, or were the politicians? In testifying regarding the depositing of county funds in this

sheepskin bank; Nichols swore that the agreement was that he should be paid 21 percent interest on said public funds. This, it is understood, was to be on daily balances, k, - All the new things in oxfords at the G. E. Murray Co. Every day is sale day at our store. Our regular prices are better than other peoples sale prices We give the people all that is possible for the money from the very beginning of the season.

DUVALL & LUNDY.