People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1896 — Open Letter to the Commissioners. [ARTICLE]

Open Letter to the Commissioners.

Editor of the People’s Pilot. I desire through your columns to address the following to the acting members of Jasper county's Honorable Board of Commissioners: It is an indisputable fact that partisan workers often receive recognition first from those who are successful in the rice for office. When a citizen is elected to office he takes an oath’to administer the same with equal justice to all, and this should prevent himjfrom administering itfor his own aggrandisement or political followers as a reward for their support. When we gained our independ ence from Great Britain our battle cry was, "taxation without representation is tyranny,” and on that is sue the bloody revolution was fought; and if Mr. Taber of Remington is a fair criterion to judge by, we are in the same predicament now, without just representation, but to be taxed without limit In Mr. Taber’s opinion our commissioners are only fit to represent that semi-Var-barian, half civilized nation in Europe, known as ‘‘the sick man of the east.” We believe the people will willingly allow themselves to be taxed for all legitimate ard worthy purposes, but-we think it is an unwarranted usurpation of authority to tax the peoplejit thi»time to build a new court house that will probably cost $200,000, when nine tenths of the tax-payers are opposed to it. We think tkfc commissioners should, show some respect for the rights and wishes of their constituents. The right of petition and protest must be respected by our representatives in office. We hold those rights by evdry consideration of justice and equity and no power, not eyen the power of political corruption and fraud, can deprive us of them. Therefore we petition and protest against such methods as are being’transacted now at Rensselaer by our political bosses and the c ninty officers who would further their own party’s interest, in building a $200,000 court building without their cwnstit-

ue its consent.

FRANK J. Gant.

Kniman, Ind., January, 27 1896.