Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1912 — We Enter a Plea Of Not Guilty. [ARTICLE]

We Enter a Plea Of Not Guilty.

The Jasper County Democrat is opposed to carnivals and does not mince words in pointing out their evils. A visit to the “Empire,” at Indianapolis, while attending a state cc-ntehiion is all O. K, as long as the folks back home don’t hear about it. Yes, Brother Babcock our sentiments on the show question run in the same channel.—Remington Press... : The uninitiated would infer from the above, no doubt, that the “Empire" i s a terribly immoral place. We presume the Empire theatre in Indianapolis is meant, but as the writer does not remember having attended, at any time, while at a state convention any theatre we must plead not guilty, and infer that as Remington is talking of having another carnival, the attempt at impeachment is inspired by some Remington doctor who thinks The Democrat man in opposing carnivals is “knocking” his business. The "Empire” is a theatre of the medium class in Indianapolis, and the only time we ever, recall having ' isited it was some sixteen or seventeen years ago when' in company with C. E. Harlacher of Remington, now of Monticello, we were on our way to southeastern Indiana on a business trip and stopped over night in Indianapolis. It was our first visit to tile state capitol. and after supper at our hotel, with Mr. Harlacher, we went out on the street. There we met J. F. Warren, then superintendent of schools of Jasper county and an uncle of one of the editors of the Rensselaer Republican which copied the above "item” from the Press with great gusto, and several of the township trustees of this county, including John Lamborn of Carpenter tp., since deceased, there being a state meeting of trustees there, we believe, and after a few moments chat Mr. Warren said t|iey were all on their way to the theatre, and invited Mr. Harlacher and the writer to go along. We did so, and they went to the “Empire.”

It was our first and only visit to that theatre that we recall, and we did not think we were in very disreputable company in going there nor was the show in any ways bad or demoralizing. In fact Indianapolis does not permit anything very “rocky” in the show line, and the Empire is a theatre that is advertised right along in those great moral agencies, the Indianapolis News and Star. While not laying any claims, to being so much better than the average citizen, we do say thht we have not done anything or been at any place while away from ' home that we have any objections to “the folks back home” knowing of. The Democrat opposes carnivals, not so for the legitimate shows that some of them have, but for the all manner of crooks and people of loose morals that follow them or are attracted to places where they show, where, as a general thing, free license is granted for all manner of law violations during the carnival.