Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1889 — REPUBLICAN MASS CONVENTION. [ARTICLE]

REPUBLICAN MASS CONVENTION.

To Republican Voters who are Patrons of the Rensselaer PostOffice. We, the undersigned, respectfully request that you assemble at the Court House in Rensselaer on Saiurday, April 6th 1889, at 2 o’clock P. M.,and there choose by a majority vote, from among us, nr awy others that may choose to be applicants, one whose name shall be presented as your choice, for the appointment as Postmaster at Reasselaer, when the time shall come for such appointment to be made. (SigueM Jambs A. Bumham. John W. Powell, - Wm. N. Jones, G. E. Marshall, E. D. Rhoades. Geo. P. Daughertv. The cyclone at Samoa was a terrible disaster, so far as the loss of life was concerned, but as for the obsolete old American war vessels that were wrecked, their destruction is no great loss. Next Saturday is the day appointed for the mass convention to settle the Rensselaer post-master-ship. All Republican voters who regularly get their mail at the Rensselaer office, are entitled to’ participate in the convention.

The election in Chicago Tuesday resulted in a big democratic victory. Cregier being elected mayor over Roche by about 10,000 majority. The remainder of the democratic ticket also was largely successful, but by much smaller majorities, v A bill has been introduced in the Illinois legislature making kidnapping of children a capital offense, punishable by hanging. If the bill put train wrecking in the same category and established the whipping post for wife beaters, it would fill several long-felt wants, of a verity. The rejection of Murat Halstead, as minister to Germany, was a flagrant outrage. His only offense was that he fearlessly gave voice to the universal feeling of the Republicans of Ohio, when'he condemned the action of the Senators who prevented the investigations of the methods by which Coal-Oil Payne obtained his seat > ** It Ja our opinion that the a^e " editorial brethren who are making snch an tremendous howl about the new law regulating teaming on gravel roads and turn-pikes, at certain seasons of the year, have not taken the trouble to obtain a rational understanding of what the law really is. If the published abstract of the law is correct, it

does not prohibit a i easonable use of the roads at any time, but it does forbid the having upon them of loads of more than 2,500 lbs., ■on narrow tired wagons, when the frost is coming through or when the roads are so wet as to be injured by such hauling. A very moderate and commendible law, in our estimation.

The politicians of Illinois were just getting their bazoos in tune for a general howl over the failure of that state to get its" full share* of the big plums, when the news came that Robert Lincoln had been made minister to England, the highest position in the diplomatic service, which really outranks most of the cabinet positions in honor and desirability. To say that the appointment gives universal satisfaction is putting it too mildly.x Everybody is simply delighted with it But the appointment was a thorough surprise everywhere, and it is only another evidence of Presieent Harrison’s great fitness for his office, that he is thus able to select the very best men for the places at his disposal, ever when no one but himself has thought of the men appointed in connection with the appointments.

An agricultural paper of a late date publishes a tabulated statement of the amount each state of the Union has appropriated in aid of the agricultural interests. The table, while showing that a larger per cent, of the population of Indiana are farmers than of the adjoining state of Illinois, shows also that Illinois appropriates sixty! thousand dollars for this purpose, while Indiana appropriates only five thousand. This uncomplimentary fact suggests several others, equally uncomplimentary : Indiana^!s six millions and more in debt Illinois has no state debt at alt Illinois has as good, dr better, public buildhjgs-aalndiana, and makes muqfafDetter pro Visions for the maintenance of its universities,, its insane and deaf and dumb asylums, and all other like public charities. The legislation in Illinois in most respects is far in advance of Indiana. The public offices, for instance, are reduced to a rational system, and their incumbents are paid in a rational and equitable method. In regard to the very important particular of laws in regard to the liquor traffic, If ' " ' o ~ Illinois is so far ahead as to be deaf out of sight, figuratively speaking. The cause for all these disadvantages under which Indiana labors, as compared to her more more fortunate neighbor on her western border, (and we might have made the comparison with Ohio instead of Illinois with no greater flattery to Indiana) is not far to seek. Illinois and Ohio are reliably Rep üblican states, and are thus enabled to keep right up to the front in the

great procession of national progress, while Indiana hobbles along with a mill-stone of Green-Smith-Gerrymander-Liquor-League Democracy hanging to her neck, and defeating or delaying her every attepapt at advancement r A few weeks ago the democratic papers were proclaiming that the new school-book law had “smashed the school-book trust” into smithereens; and at the same time they jumped rough-shod upon

those Republican senators and representatives who recognized the defects of the bill and refused to vote for it. Now these same editors are beginning to talk in a different strain. They say the bill is a good one in the main, but admit that it has some defects. If they told the truth they would say that while the bill is correct in principle, it wais gotten up by a lot of democratic Gerrypoliticians, rushed through as ’a party measure, under the gag rules, with little or no chance for debate or amendment, and the result is that it contains imperfections which will notonlycertainlyimpair its usefulness but, in all probability, render it altogether useless and in-

operative. There are several of these defects, but the one which will almost certainly prove fatal to the practical' operation of the bill is a failure to make the use of the text books, which it aims to provide, mandatory in the public schools of the state. No provision compels county boards of education to adopt the books, and in the absence of such provision, it is certain that many and probably most boards will feel like waiting until some other counties have tried the system. It needs no 1 prophet to foresee that such will ■ inevitably be the case; and in view ■ of such certainty, where is there a responsible publishing house who would be willing to enter into a contract with the state, under bonds of $50,000, to supply a series of good text books, of the size and i quality and for the prices! stipulated for in the law, 1 while such publishers could : have no certain assurance-that their books would be adopted by a single county in the state? Il is not reasonable to suppose that any • such house will be found, and the ■ probabilities are very strong that when the State Board of Education comes to open the bidsreceived in answer to the advertisements I the law requires them to publish, they will not find a single bid that: will be acceptable under the

Hon. W. D. Owen is parsing through a new and somewhat trying experience in bis political career, but, as always heretofore, he seenffs to be equal to the demands of the situation. His frank courtesy and straightforward dealing with every subject presented make a lasting favorable impression, and applicants feel assured that whatever the result of their quest may be, it will at least receive just and kindly consideration. The desire to serve honorably and faithfully in his high position, and in the discharge of its more delicate and difficult duties, is so manifestly uppermost in all he does and says that no hold is given for reasonable discontent or criticism. The friends of Mr. Owen need have no fears of the result of the ordeal through which he is passing. He can no| comply with the wishes and requests of all, but he makes it clear to all reasonable persqtas that he is earnestljrand sincerely, to know, and do what is right. More than that will not be expected from him--Logansport Journal.