Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1883 — A Darkened Mind. [ARTICLE]

A Darkened Mind.

A “Bad Boy” article and a selection from Mark Twain, both too funny for any use, will be found on our inside pages this week. This year of disasters has produced nothing more terrible than the panic among the children at Sunderland England, last Saturday evening. Full particulars of the catastrophe will be found on our inside pages. We believe that the state of Illinois has now the most effective temperance laws of any in the Lnion. The Harper high license bill, Which has just become a law, together with the local option features of previous legislation, will do more, in our opinion, towards overcoming the injurious results of the liquor traffic than almost any system of restriction or prohibition which could be devised. The laws are prohibitive in communities which favor prohibition, and rightly restrictive in all others.

The Democratic Sentinel has devoted considerable space lately to the abuse of the Rensselaer correspondent of The Remington News. We do not consider it necessary to give any extended notice to The Sentinel’s articles, nor indeed to take up the quarrel in any manner further than to state that we know, of our own positive knowledge, that the correspondent) above referred to, is one of the most prominent and highly respected citizens of Rensselaer. , A man who occupies high positions of trust and honor in this community, a successful professional man, and an upright) Christian gentleman. The old proverb says we should give the devil his due and the same priciple should restrain us from disparaging Nubbin Ridge. This reflection has been suggested by the fact that since out last issue we have learned that the num* ber of “Ridgers” who have served the commonwealth in Michigan City during the last four or five years is ten instead of six, as we stated last week. In another and quite different sense we will do justice to Nubbin Ridge by saying that many of the residents of that neck of timber are as respectable and well conducted people as can be found anywhere, end we only wish that the numbers of that class were greater.

After one of the most gigantic trials, in the history of American jurisprudence, the Star route cases have ended in acquittal. The conspirators have, indeed, escaped conviction, but have they wholly escaped punishment? We think not: At the bar of public opinion they were long since tried and irrevocably condemned. By the great majority of their countrymen-their names are held in lasting execration. Reputation, official position, political in* fluence are lost to them forever. Such of .their ill-gotten gains as were not wasted in the delusive j pleasures of dissap&tion have been ' . up by the enormous ex-1 penses of their two great trials. Verily they have been punished, l nnd greatly, though still inadequately, punished-. “The way of Uie tram«i essor is hard.”

William Price, * well known citizen <rf Bartley township. Was brought to Rensselaer, Monday, and an Inquisition held upon him, to decide the question of his sanity. Justices AH. Wood, of Rensselaer, and Clark McColly, of Unkm conducted the inquiry, with Drs. Loughridge and Bitten as counseling physicians. There is no doubt whatever of the unfortunate num’s inability, and in the opinion of Dr. Loughridge, his case is almost hopeless; the chances teing that he will become constantly wane instead of better. His disease, at present, assumes the form ot melancholia, with hallucinations, but will, probably, soon develope into confirmed dementia. As yet he is usually mild, with many gleams of reason still lighting up the growing darkness of his dying mind; but he will probably become violent and raving, with suicidal tendencies as time progresses. Insanity, or the tendencies which result in insanity, seems to be hereditary in Mr. Price’s family, as two of bis brothers are in the asylum at this time.