People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1893 — AN OUTRAGE [ARTICLE]

AN OUTRAGE

Tabor, Faris and Martindalethe Guilty Ones. A Dastardly Outrage Universally Condemned. Overriding the Law to Persecute the Pilot aud a Private Citizen. By the course pursued by the board of commissioners Tuesday, they have proven themselves to be as dastardly a set as ever disgraced the fair name of Jasper county, and have brought a blush of shame to the face of every member of the Republican party, who has any self respect, and indignation is expressed on every hand that public officers should override the law and attempt to financially injure private citizens and a company organized to do business in Jasper county under the laws of the state of Indiana. As the commissioners and every other public official knows the Pilot is largely circulated <jnd has a larger bonifule circulation than any other paper in the county. By threats, the commissioners, lead by the bald headed statesman Tabor, have induced county officials to withhold their patronage from this paper. Their meanness culminated Tuesday when the case of Chas. A. Gundy, of Fair Oaks, for liquor license, came before them. As his petition was being read to them, Tabor’s hair was seen to bristle and upon the conclusion of the reading, white with rage, he got up and said that inasmuch as the liquor license had been published in the Pilot they refused to hear the case. “/ and Mr. said the bald headed boss, “have concluded that the Pilot is not a paper of general circulation, as prescribed by* law, and refuse to hear the case. We are satisfied of this and the board is unanimous on the question.” R. W. Marshall, the attorney for Mr. Gundy remonstrated with the board and asked to be allowed to introduce evidence that the Pilot was a paper of general circulation. “A r o, sir I" thundered Tabor, the board refuses, absolutely refuses, to hear the case. Nbtico of appeal to the circuit court was given, and for the time, these three men, who have overridden the law, were victorious. Mr. Gundy will be compelled to carry his case to the circuit court, be out of business for a number of weeks and will also be caused considerable expense by this tyrannical course of the commissioners. The case will be decided in short order against the board when it is called up in court, the county will have to pity, the court expenses, but Mr. Gundy will be at a loss of S2OO or S3OO through the board’s personal spite at the Pilot. The Pilot will be damaged several hundreds of dollars by the commissioners’ action, and it is doubtful if any damages can be collected from the bondsmen of the board. Another license was also published in the Pilot, but the case was not called. From the very beginning of this paper applications for licenses have been published, and never a question was raised by the commissioners, but as they began to see the influence which the Pilot is wedding among the citizens of the county and see week after week, how the Pilot exposes their dirty deeds they grow desperate and attempt deeds that would bring the blush of shame to satan himself. On every hand, irrespective of party, indignation is expressed and their act condemned. Only two persons have we yet found who upheld them in their course. One of these is an ex-boss, who has always had complete control of the board, and the other is rather small fish to notice. He has been receiving the Pilot, at his request, for alleged services rendered this office, but as a person who upholds such law-

less proceedings can render this office no service, the Pilot will visit him no longer unless he planks down his dollar. As to circulation: In the number of copies printed the Pilot stands second of any paper county, and in the number of bonifide subscribers it leads and is the most widely read paper and has the best paying subscription list in the county. It carries no deadheads, if it knows it, and charges everybody the same price. All its subscriptions are voluntary, being secured without solicitation. In pounds, the organ to which the commissioners hope to drive all patronage, prints from five to ten pounds more blank paper per week than the Pilot, and a pound in weight equals about ten papers. At this rate anyone can see where we stand in regard to circulation with the Republican. Taking from the Republican list the deadheads the Pilot list will be found much the largest. Our books are open for inspection any time and a comparison of the two lists are courted. If this action of the commissioners is legal, which it is not, all legal printing will necessar•ily have to be inserted in the Republican, as the Pilot has a larger circulation than any of the other papers in the county. How do you like this, brethren of the press. But for the benefit of these brilliant (?) members of the board who held that the Pilot was not a paper of goneral circulation, we will just call their attention to the law on the subject, copied from the Revised Statutes of Indiana of 1881, Sec. 5314, aud which shows clearly that a paper does not have to be of general circulation. Here it is: “Any male inhabitant over the age of 21 years, desiring to obtain license to sell intoxicating liquors shall give notice to the citizens of the township, town, city, or ward in which he desires to sell, by publishing, in a weekly newspaper in the county, a notice, stating the precise iocation of the premises in which he desires to sell, and the kinds of liquor, whether vinous and malt liquors, or malt liquor only, or vinous liquor only, at leafct 20 days before the meeting of the board at which the applicant intends to apply for a license; or, if there is no such paper published in the coupty, then by pasting up printed or written notices in three of the most pub- 1 lie places in the township in which he desires to sell at least 20 days before the meeting of such board.” , Bo you see you hfiVe your foet in it, Mr. Tabor, et al, and before the week is over yon will give the case a rohearing and be glad of the ohance to crawl out of your scrape. But for the Pilot, please don't do it, as your humiliation will be greater in a few weeks when the circuit court meets. It will bo seep by the law that any weekly paper published in the county is sufficient to fulfill the law. and had the Pilot not a dozen subscribers you would be forced to grant the license, it will also be noticed that in case no paper is published in the county that pasting three notices of the same in three prominent places will fill the bill.

Justice loving people, do you uphold the commissioners in their shameful persecutions? Will you permit them to dictate to whom you shall bestow your patronage. Don’t you love freedom and justice? If you do give us your support and thereby help us rout this rotten gang. Public printing is carried to the “official organ” without knowing or caring what shall be paid for it. The eommissiobers allow the bills. Taxpayers are systematically robbed for the benefit of the “official organ.” The most common business principles are entirely ignored in this matter. Competition is entirely smothered. How long will you consent to pay this “official organ” a third to a half more for public printing than it can be had for elsewhere? Subscribers of this paper are entitled to some consideration in this matter. You have a right to demand a a part of this work as it is vour taxes that pays for it. Under present cu-cumstances things will not change. This thing has been going on for years and there will be no change until

this rotten gang is routed and retired to obscurity. Taxpayers, demand your rights, and when you have a chance elect a set of men to office who will reform the many evils existing in our county government. An Alliance meeting for the purpose of reorganizing will be held at the Wild Lily school house, in Union township, on Thursday evening, March 10th. J. W. Noland, county organizer, will be present, and also a German speaker. Marshall devotes nearly two columns of his paper to the Pilot this week. Please accept our thanks for the free advertising and keep quiet hereafter until you can give some more “valid reasons” why it is thusly. Do you own a horse? If so, is he healtyh, does his feed do him the proper amount of g,A/d? Does his teeth need attention? Is he lame, sick or sore? If -so it will pay you to call on a practical man. Examination free, charges reasonable, work guaranteed.

T. 11. GeUgr, D. V. S. Gallagher Barker, the wolf hunter, and Jim Harrison loft, for Wyoming Tuesday. With them they took five of the woif hounds. They have secured a position on a cattle ranch as cow boys and wolf exterminators. They also expect to preempt a claim. The Northern Indiana Teachers’ Association will hold its meeting this year at Lafayette, in the Secoud Presbyterian church on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 80, 81 and April Ist. A number of teachers from this county are expected to be present. The Mon on will give a one and one-third rate for the round trip.

Horsnten, the season is ap pro aching when you will wish to adveftiio your horses. We wish, to call your attention to the Pilot as an excellent mod in ni to make known the excellent qualities oi your horses. This paper reaches nearly every farmer in the county, the class of people whom you wish to reach. Wu are also prepared to print your horse bills on short notice and at reasonable prices. A full line of horse cuts. The Pilot wishes it understood that it is not lighting the battles of the liquor dealers, as far as their business is concerned. As citizens they have the same rights as other people and the law does not recognize any distinction. But when a dastardly gang like the board of commissioners of Jasper county takes the law in their own hands, which they are under oath to obey, and begin *u system of persecution against a rn.iu for no other reason than that he patronizes the Pilot, then it is high time that overy paper and pot son fight the battles *of wronged person, whether he be a minister or a saloon keeper. We understand that MV. Gundy, of Fair Oaks, has been in the saloon business for a number of years and has always conducted a very orderly place, is very much respected in that village and as far as we have learned no. one has a hard word to say against him. But he patronized the Pilot, and is now forced to an expense pf several hundred dollars for so doing, simply because the commissioners are down on the Pilot for showing the way the affairs of Jasper cou oty are cond ucied. People, do you approve of such c.yzarismt'' We think not. Mr. Gundy should be awarded heavy damages against the commissioners and doubtless will be should he take the matter to the courts.