Pike County Democrat, Volume 24, Number 31, Petersburg, Pike County, 15 December 1893 — Page 1

“Uncle Si” €omes to the Front With Another Epistle. From His Writing He Insures Several Candidates Before the Coming Republican Primary Election. Plenty at 1'uu and llreaXers Abend far Nome One. Tr Home,. Dec. 9, 93. Kdytur Demikkat—Seines tu me a very loam time sines I writ one of uii epistles on the polytix of Pike (county, and az tilings in ghieral are warming up it struck me that az how it wuz mi dooty to announce to mi trends thet I wud not be a kandydate before the coming repnblikan prijnary election for an oflis—1 wuz a stoker after plums ouet, and kutn purty nigh “eeltin' that-/’ There seemed to be sumtiling the matter with the harness that I wuz hitched in at that time and the bntchen bothered sum of the boys tearfully. But thet is neather here nor thar. What I wanted tu say is thet thar is goiu’ tu be fun when the time emus to 'nominate kaudydates. The air is lull lof rumors thet so-and-so is a goin’ to fiie out forsich an offis, and tother (viler shud be sat to one side for a more opportune time. h‘

UUiii uiiiu nim.c V-. a mm; quiet confab in ihe bounty building, which is heat up with stoves and sets in the middle of the square, in which wttz explained meny things thet took place during the last kauipaue; and jist how the next wun shud be wurked. It is uot surprising thet sunt fellers want oftis and want it bad. Sum of my frends look at the last eleckshiut returns as a “sure cure” for the primary race, and are going to put lots of “stuff” out in pulling for the iiominashun. Mi opinion in the premises is thet next fall it will be anybody’s race until the votes are all kounted. , The “big 4” and the “little 3”.are gojng tu hav sum tun during the kanvass. The “big 4” kinder L.ed things there own way before, but the “little 3” have taken in a few sidepardners,_and in this way kouclude thet they are “in it tu a finish.” I liev knocluded not to jiue either wun of these kliques and keep strictly on the outside of all differences, so thet

I may keep the boys posted on the movements of the uther crowd. A job is being set up to have certain men sprung jist before the iioiuinashuu and by a flank- movement kut oil’sura of the boys wfu^hav duu the work tor yeresjest to give sum favorjte the renominashun. Thet is : a purty slick thing tu do, but these fellers are slick, ahd dbu’t you forg»t it. 1 hev red sum of Cleveland’s epistles to congress, and thet part about the tariff is what hits me all o. k. The tariff shod be reduced bout half what it now is, so thet us farmers wud hav as much perfection as the rich inauufactuerin the east. The mauufactuer went before kongress and sed “we must hav a big dooty put on so-and-so thereby allowing us to pay our hands more tnuuey.” McKinley Bill he slashed ’er on heavy—piled it way up—and the furat thing the kountry herd of was strikes. These strikes were no two-fers, but of the jeuu\ne old kind, and there still are and will be till sumthing is dun with McKinley Bill. Sum of mi trends—republikans of kourse—blame all these hard times on the democratic party. Now, I pertess to be a fair-minded man as looks at things in the right light, and I hev konkluded that sum very unwise legislation wuz Indulged iu during the last administration. There is an old saying “give every devil his dues," aiut I think that our party her. tied a grate-deal tu do with the present crisis. Believing this tu be true, I hev not paraded round like a brass band blowing mi horn. But I must konklude, and will say to the readers ot your valuable publieashun that I will be on hands sum more when things get tu warming up and the fat begins, tu .bile. You res iu haste, Si Slocum.

The Peusiou Question. In commenting upon the president’s message the Indianapolis News, oue ot the leading republican papers of the country makes the tel lowing remarks ou the pension sys'em : How any honest men, who lay aside prejudice. can object to the President’s discussion of the pension Question we do not see. He shows, in the tirst place, that on the 3Uth day of June there were Stiti,012 names ou the rolls, an increase of S9.914 in the year ending with that day. These figures do not suggest parsimony. The dependent peusiou act is responsible for 409,155 of the number now on the rolls. The President, in speaking of this law. says that it was not at first executed iu such a way as to accord with its true intention; but, he deiares, ‘toward the close of the last administration an authorative construction was given to the statute, and siuce that time tills construction has been followed. This has had the effect of limiting the operation of the law to its intended purpose.” Anyone who knows how the pension agents try to “work” the old soldier will agree with wiiat the President says iu regard to the “gigantic frauds" which have characterized the l>ensiou business. Nor wtil any oue criticise the administration very severely for “following the practice which has for a long time prevailed in the Pension Bureau’' in stopping fraudulent pensions. But hereafter no suspensions'are to be made, unless ou the face of the records the pension is absolutely void, until after investlon. There has been a vast deal of hypocritical howling over the attempt to reform our pension syetem. For our part

we agree with the President when he says: “I auf unable to understand why frauds In the pension rolls should not be exposed and corrected with thoroughness and vigor. Every name fraudiently put upon these rolls is a wicked imposition upon the kindly sentimeut In which pensions have their origin; every fraudulent pensioner has become a bad citizen: every false oath in support of a pension has' made perjury more common, and false and undeserving pensioners rob the people not ouly of their money but of the patriotic sentiment which the survivors of the war fought for the preservation of the Union ought to luspire.” Those words are great worsts, and we beiive will find an eebo iu the hearts of the people. The money questiou is important and our pension bill is a targe one. amounting for the coming year to $165,000,000. But infinitely more important is It that the people should 1 not be corrupted or their patriotic feelings blunted. These results will both follow if they are taught to believe that the public treasury Is a fair prey for any one who c^ju get his hands into it, and that their government exists in order to support the citizeu. ■ '■The Press of this city which has taken a special pride during the past tew mouths in tuakitig a big hoodoo vkipeoftrer some pension is suspended pending a new hearing or investigation, should read up on the reports for its own special benefit. Whenever a new pension is granted in this district it has never a word to say. During the past nine months there has been over 200 pensions grafted in this district aud probably six or seven suspensions. Our friends do themselves a.great injustice in their many false statements to the general reading public who are not aware of just what is going on. The Press should tell the soldiers that the republican party when iu power repealed the arrearage law, as well as failed to keep their pledges on all pension questions. The party and its managers were in power too long not to do these things promised. The howl now comes with very poor grace. Since March 4, down to October 31, the Pension Bureau under Judge Lochren’s administration issued 65,704 pension certificates of all kinds. That certainly does not look as though this administration had quit granting pensions. In the same time the bureau expended $97,049.41 ot the peusion appropriation. That certainly does not look like iUiberttlity to the veterans ot the lale war. Mr. Loch re u has instituted reforms in every branch of his bureau, lie runs It on business principles and according to business methods. His poliey may be summed up in a word : To administer honestly the great trust confided to him, to deal fairly by those who have just claims before the bureau and to maintaiu tlie pension roll as a roll of honor. He regards the pension system as a wise, just and beneficient provision for the uatiou’s defender's.

Major McKinley in a speech recently before an eastern club remarked: I sound the note of warning here to-night, I wish it would reaeh every corner of the country—that every reduction ot the taritf will be followed by a reduction of wages; that every cut in the tariff rates will be followed by a cut in the wage of rates. \ Is that not a pretty sweeping framing? For example: the tariff on steel rails is, $13.44 a ton. Steel rails

are worth in England about $19. They are selling here for $24. The difference in selling price between steel rails at Pittsburg and Liverpool is about $5. Bo suppose the tariff on steel rails were reduced to $8, or even $5 a ton. "Whyjfshould that involve a lowering of wages? American steel rails could be sold at the same price they are fetching now. In other words,.if at the present rate ot wages Mr. Carnegie can sell rails at $24 a ton, why would he be forced to reduce wages iu order to sell rails ai the same price in case the tarlfl should be reduced? Congressman Taylor made a call on Secretary Smith last week to secure action on several Indiana appointments which have been promised ! him. Several of Mr. Taylor’s constituents are on the auxious seat. He expects to secure the appoiutmeut of a commissioner to Alaska, an assistant surgeon of Freedman’s hospital from the department of the Interior, aud has hopes, also, that an assistant attorney-generalship will be conferred ou a citizen of bis district. The Torrey bankruptcy bill was killed in the house Tuesday by a vote of 142 to 111. Au analysis show that 115 democrats, eighteen republicans and nine populists voted to strike out the enacting clause, aud that fiftyfour republican and forty-seven democrats voted against it. Of the Indiana Congressmen Messrs. Bretz, Brookshire, Brown, Bvnum, Cooper, Holman, Johusou, Martin, Taylor voted aye. It is coming near the time for all persons to think about closing their year’s busiuess. January first is a good time to have a settlement all round and all persons who owe small debts should try and arrange to meet them. Aud iu this couuecUou allow us to say that if you think you owe this office a small account that it would come very handy to us about that time.

When the democrats get their new taritt'bitl in operation we confidently expect to see all the republicans oppose any further “tariff tinkering” from a fear that changes will unsettle business. About the only thing necessary for the democrats to say in advocacy of letting their tariff alone will be to quote the language of the republicans used at the present time. You can’t get an advocate of high tariff to attempt to explain why a tariff of twenty-five cents a bushel on wheat and ten cents a pound on wool has reduced the selling price of both wheat and wool. The farmers all know, however, that-the price of both has gone down largely since the McKinley increase in the tariff. Not one minute elapses between the taking of One Minute Cure and elief. "Why shouldn’t people taker One Minute Cough Cure? They should. They do. B. & O. Co. 34*

\\ ' * / Presents for Your Friends • We have just opened op our line of Holiday Goods. They consist of the latest noYelties in Plash, Celluloid, Leather and fancy Woods. They are simply beautiful. Books for aH. Elegant stock of Lamps. Call and see these goods before baying. Bergen, Oliphant & Co. /X >

Left • ; 1 i' AVe mean a few of those$1.25 Blankets for 85 cents a pair, $2.00 Blaukets for $1.25 a pair. , $4-00 Blankets tor $8.0$a pair. $4.50 Blankets for $3 50 a pair. 3 - $1.75'Com tortf iir $1.25 each. $1.40 Comforts for 05 cents each. $1.25 Comforts for 75 cents each. • A full liue of Rubber Boots and Shoes. Our Guaranteed Snag Proof Rubber Boots are tbe Best MaSel 12 eeut Cantou flannel for S^c; S,ls'e Canton Flannel for 5e. i ■ ' ' LOTS of THOSE PRETTY CAFES and CLOAKS At igreatlv reduced prices. Not on the pavement can you seo these goods, * but on our couuters. No trouble to show them to you. Gus. Franks Mammoth Store.

Changes in the weather are frequent ami so are golds. Riekrich has a fine assortment of ladie's and gent’s watches. 29t Prosecuting Attorney Huff, of Martin county, was in the city last Friday ou court busiuess. Mrs. Ida Cooney, of Terre Haute, visited friends here last week, the guest of Mrs. Frank Kime. It’s ail the same, a slight cold, congested lungs ot' severe cough. One Minute Cough Cure banishes them. Bergen, Oliphant & Co. 31* Take Notice.—All parties having accounts with us are requsted to call and settle the same at once. 30-4 Adams & Basisger. Dr. T. K. Rice was appointed secretary of the county board of health by the commissioners last week. Dr. Basiuger served in that capacity last year. You will want statements to close up the year’s business with. The Democrat office has a splendid stock of that class of goods; also letter, not Fa ml bill heads. Call aud see us. No better aid to digestion. No better cure for dysj>epsia. Nothing more reliable for biliousness aud constipation 'than De Witt’s Little Early Risers, the famous little pills. B. & O. Co. 34* The Seutiuel printing company of Indianapolis was awarded the contract to furnish stationary for the county by the board of commissioners last week. There were five bidders. Head Quarters—for real estate, farm and eitv property for sale on reasonable terms at the reliable realestate agency of W. H. H. Thomas, the leading realestate agency in the county. , 38-0 It’s just as easy to try One Minute Cough Cure as anything else. It’s easier to cure a severb cold or cough with it. Let your next purchase for a cough be One Miuute Cough Cure. Better medicine; better result; better try it. B. & O. Co. 34* Crawford county is now undergoing a great deal of fun in the changing of the county seat from Leavenworth to English. Excitement is worked up to fever heat, and bloodshed will probably result from it. The Leavenworth people are enraged over tlie matter and say that nothing but arms will remove the records.

THE MODEL Backes $ Berridge, Props. Wo have just opened up a Bakery and Restaurant iu the room formerly occupied by Frank Battles, on lower Main street, and where we invite all our friends to call and see us. We will bake M hi fe ud data ■i. Every day. Ve also serve Lunch and Warm Meals at all hours of the day. GANDIES AND ICE1 CREAM We will make a specialty of the ahoye this summer, llon't laid to call and see us. Backes & Berridge. FRED SMITH Dealer in ail kituis of » , . FURNITURE

Funeral Supplies A Specialty. We keep on hand at all times the finest line of Parlor anil Household Furniture to be ; found in the city. Bedroom and Parlor Suit* a Specialty. . . „ . . ■ i In funeral supplies we keep! Caskets, Shrouds, ne., of the best make.