Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1888 — TOPICS OF THE TIMES. [ARTICLE]

TOPICS OF THE TIMES.

Senator Kenna, chairman of the National Democrat'c congressional committee, is send iog out an order to postmasters, which reads as follows: “Dear Sir—lnclosed I send, a few blank sheets, on which I a ill be obliged if you will kindly make a list, ai far as convenient, of the names snd politics of the patrons of your office and forward to me. Yours trnly, "John E. Kenna.” If the Journal were a betting paper it would not hesitate to wager large sums that of the thousands of Democratic rent masters who receive this order not one will remember Grover Clevelard’s celebrated order to officeholders or the fact that tbe President is Mr. Kenna’s superior officer and refuses to send the desired list on these ground*. The Democratic machine works just as smoothly as ts no pretense of patting a civil service spoke in the wheel had ever been made.—lniii napo’ ; s Journal. The appearance of Senator Voorhees in the Supreme Court of the United States in defense of the convicted tallysheet forgers was an act of flagrant indecency. Mr. Voorhees is one of the Senators from Indiana, elected, it is true as a political partirau, but to represent the entire State. He is the servant of the people, not of a party, and for. his services, such as they are, he is paid out of the public treasury. The propriety of his practicing law during the {session of the Senate, under any circumstances, is very questionable, but his appearance in defense of Coy and Bemhamer was simply disgraceful, a degradation of his office and an insult to every honest man in the State. If he took a lee the money should burn the dishonored hand that received it. If he vo’uuteered his services from political motives it was a still more shameless act. A Senator of the United States from the great S ate of Indiana should have left to hired attorneys or personal sympathizers the defense in the great high court of the Nation of this infamous crime against the purity of the ballot and the laws of the land. Senator Voorhees has gone out cf his way to disgrace himself and to furnish another proof cf his own and his parly’s sympathy with fraud.

S. nitor Sherman delivered a peech, yestei day, on the bill to admit Dakota, in the course of which he took occasion to recall some interesting facts of history. Among other things, he reminded his hearers and the country that the electoral commission by which the presidential contest of 1876 was settled was not a Republican but a Democratic measure, twenty-six Democrats in the Senate having voted for it, and only twenty-one Republicans, while fourteen Republicans and only one Democrat voted against it. This fact has always appeared in the records, out it has not prevented Democratic papers and orators from denouncing the commission bill ss a Republican measure. Senator Sherman a’so took occasion to declare his conviction that Tilden’s inauguration as President would have been a triumph of fraud. Of this there is not a particle of doubt. The Tilden conspiracy was the beginning of the Democratic scheme to suppress the Republican vote in the Siuth. It came near succeeding in 1876, ani it has virtually succeeded in every election since. Cleveland owes his election to it, as do scores of Southern Congressmen. Mr. Sherman has been in public life a good while, and has a good memory. His habit of recalling facts is apt to prove embarrassing to Democratic statesmen whose fort is in ignoring them.—Journal. Features That Might Be Improved. Indianapolis Journal. The Sentinel declares the suit of the Attorney General for tbe removal of the “Dr.” Harrison Board of Trustees from the Insane Hospital control to be based upon mere partisan grounds, and not brought for the good of the public service. The Bentinel says: "If there are or have been abuses in the Insane Hospital under its present management the Sentinel would not, for a single moment, attempt to screen the - persons responsible therefor.” " The Bentinel farther says: “There are no doubt various features of the management which might be improved.”” Bat a few days ago the Sentinel said that Governor Gray ’a effort to remom Dr. Harrison and Mr. Gapen from the Ineane Hospital Board was proper, and in the interest of Reform, which the Sentinel would ever be found ready to ad vc cate and defend. If the Bentinel was honest in its declaration ten days ago, what has caused the sudden change in its opinions and utterances? The SaDtinel has already been compelled to defend tne Coy tallysheet forgery gang, and now the Coy-Sullivan-Harrison Ineane Hospital crowd have forced it to become their apologist and defender. As a “reform” organ the Sentinel may well exclaim: “If so soon I am done for. What was I ever begun for?” But the public has an interest in this matter. The Sentinel ,»ays there are “various features ol management which might be improved.” What are they? sfe —~ H Could there be an improvement in the matter of supplying maggoty butter for the use of the inmates? Could there be an improvement in l the matter of slaughtering cholera hogs

for the tables of the unfortunate patients? Could there be an improvement in the matter of supplying bad bread, decayed frnit and other sorts of on wholesome food? TjT~ % Could there bo an immevement in the method of whipping the patients with rnbber hose, knocking them down by brutal attendants, and scalding them to death in the bath tubs? Could there be an improvement in the method of furnishing and receiving supplies whereby black-mailing wonldnot be p iwerfal enough to force the acceptance of unwholesome gcoia? • Could there be an improvement in the method of appointing attendants and nurses, whereby party ward-* orkera and bummers might be displaced by competent assistants? Could there be an improvement in the methods of management,whereby a man who was cot present at a Board meeting for an entire yt&r would not be paid his salary in adrarc9? A number of other questions might be asked of a similar nature, but these will be enough for the present. The Sentinel has said that there are “vario us features which might be improved.” If the ones here specified are not proper ones for improvement, will the Sentinel be kind enough to say just what features could be improved? Would it not be au improvement to kick the whole Harrison-Coy-Sullivan gang ont of the control aud mantgoment of the chief benevolent institution of the State? If not, why not? The annual convention of the Slate Republican Leegue will meet in Indianapolis on the 2d of Ma 7. Erery Republican club is entitled to five delegates. Hon. J; N. Huston, chairman, requests chat meetings be held at once, if delegates have not been already appointed, to select delegates. Each county is entitled to five delegates. It is expected that this will be a very important meeting of representative Republicans from every county in the State, and from every Republican club. Delegates should be selected without delay.