Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1889 — CHAPLAIN LOZIER’S OPINION. [ARTICLE]

CHAPLAIN LOZIER’S OPINION.

The governor of Louisiana has issued a proclamation forbidding the Sullivau-Kilrain prize fight wtthin the limits of the state. Ee. calls upon the proper authorities, in the different parrishes of the state, to exert vigilance to prevent such a “disgraceful exhibition” taking place in Lousiana. For the governor of which maintains and is maintained by, that monumental swindle of the century, ihe Louisaina Lottery, - this horror lest--the- state - be disgraced by a priza fight is a decidedly refreshing exhibition. The crushing defeat that Prohibition underwent in Pennsylvania is only one of a long succession of disasters that the cause has met with, during tho last two years. Here is the roll of eight states that have refused during that time to adopt prohibition amendments, and the majorities against them: Michigan 5,645. Texas - 92,661. Tennessee 27,693. Oregon 7,985. "West Virginia. 35,574. New Hamp5hire............ 5,000. Massachusetts... 44,552. Pennsylvania... 186,000. Judge Johnson, of tho circuit composed of Porter and Lake counties, has just decided, in an able and exhaustive opinion, that the meat inspection bill, passed by the late fool Legislature for the purpose of breaking up the dressed beef trade, is unconstitutional. The Judge’s arguments and conelusions are so obviously sound and right, that there is scarcely room to donbt but that the Supreme Court will decide the same wav, when the question comes before it. The bill prohibiting the piping of natural gas out of the state is another piece of demagogic legislation that can not stand the test of its constitutionality.

The city of Chicago received a most notable increase of extent and population, last Saturday. All of its largest suburbs voted to be annexed to the big city. The territorial extent of the city is more than trebled by this result, and its population increased by about 200,000 people. —Chicago now covers an area of 174 square miles, or very near y live congressional townships. I'here are several counties in Indiana which dp not cover more territory than does now the city of Chicago, while one of them,' Ohio county, does not cover nearly so mucin The population of the' whole city is not less than a tnilliou. Its rank im population is third iu the nation, Now York being first and Philadelphia second. It will surpass Philadelphia iu a few years, and not unlikely by the time the census is taken next year. Last Monday the State Board of Education met to receive bida sos the second time, under the new school hook law. The only bid ■ —'4. - —*■ r 7' -r __ IL~. .

from responsible and reputable parties, that complied with the law, was from Bowen, Merrell & Co., for a series of writing books. A ring of Democratic politicians, the chief of whom is ex-marshal Hawkins and "Warden /Murdock, submitted a plan for an organized and protracted Demoorat-ie steal, under the guise of a bid. They rate publishing houses, the 'copy-, rights of some old series of discarded text-books and propose to put them in new covers and force them upon the schools of the state as something new and meritorious. The Readers they offer, for instance, are the old Bancroft series, first issued in California in 1874, and which tho schools of that state rejected after trying them fully and finding them worthless. The other books which they offer, it is fair to presume, are all of the same general character as the readers. This bid is, beyond a doubt, simply a liugh scheme to fasten a democratic school book ring on the people, with "the expectation that the: next Legislature will be another Gerrymauder band qf brigands which will sustain and perpetuate their robbery.

The County School Superintendents, at the their meeting in Indianapolis, last week, had an extensive discussion of the question whether there should uot be a change in the basis of apportionment of the.state’s school revenue. “A strenuous effort was made in the last State Legislature to enact a. law changing the basis, but the large ci! ies, especial ly Indianapolis, sent in a big lobby to work against a change, well provided with boodle, and the bulldozers were not able to withstand that method of argument. There is great need for a change, as the present method works great injustice to the country schools and small towns. The only true and just basis of apportionment should be the number that attend school rather than the number that are eligible to attend. Under the present system of apportionment all the large cities in the state are able to maintain schools about 200 days in the year, and to pay their teach ers about $3.50 per day,on an average, without levying any tuition tax; while the country schools levy large tuition taxes, and are able to have schools only from 70 to 160 days, and to pay their teachers about half what city teachers receive. Other facts show the injustice or the present method in a still stronger light: In Indianapolis for instance, the present method gave, last year, $7.13 for each pupil enrolled, while the ally was only $4.29 for each pupil. The city of Madison received $7.07 for each pupil enrolled, while in Jefferson county outside, the amouut was $4.92. lu LaPorte county the figures were $8.55 per pupil in the city and only $3.75 in the townships. Crawford county received $12,921 and Floyd $24,912, but the enrollment m Crawford lacked only a couple hundred of being equal to that of Floyd. LaPovte county received $11,704 more than Henry and yet enrolled 672 less pupils. Posey county received more than 100 per cent, more than L&Grango and enrolled less than 20 per cent, more pupils. And this enumeration of facts might be indefinitely extended.

Of The Causes of the Defeat of Prohibi - bition in Pennsylvania. "W hat’s the use of mincing matters in d use ussi n g tM canses of the defeat of the prohibitory amendment in Pennsylvania? Good Dr. Kynett, of Philadelphia, in a letter to the North Western phvjsiirfn Adrnrulc, enumerates half a dozen of the contributory causes, off which this defeat is the culmination. Most potentof these as the Doctor seems to view it, was the “boodle” of the whisky ring, styled by the doctor “the sinew* of war.” Lastly, he mentions “the strange apathy of temperance people of all classes who stayed away from the polls.” Now, I wish to 6ay something about this “strange apathy,” and ldo it more

readily because ! have reason to believe that Dr. Eynett' has no sympathy with the ' movement wtiich has occasioned this “apathy.” This “strange apathy” is not so etrangeafterall. It is the effect of a iffearly defined cause, ard a very natural effect, too. To put it in short meter: The “whirlwind” of defeat which swept over Penn* sylvauia the other day was-the ‘harvest” legitimately resulting from the “wind” sown upon the soil of that state at the Pittsburg Third-party- Prohibition convention about five years ago. Then and there a crusade was eommenc-, ed ostensibly against “existing political parties,” but practically and really against the only party that had given prohibitory laws to any state within a quarter of a century. The war cry was: “Pulverize the Republican party.” So brayed John P. St. John, and so echoed the “Voice,” while the best paid and loudest-cheered stump speaker in the galaxy of third party ism was he or she who could utter the worst abuse against the Republicans.

=zThe theory upon which the astute politicans of that body proceeded was to create such defection from the He pub 1 ica ll party as to compass their defeat, whereupon (as they assured their hearers) the Republicans would disintegrate and then come to them, and thus build up a great Prohibit tion party. What political city! What an appeal for the enlargement of our asylums for the feeble minded! As much as to say: We’ll knock them down, kick in a few ribs, gouge out half their eyes and peal off their scalps and then say—Now dear “pulverized” Republican brethren, come to our arms, while Brother Colquitt and Sister Gougar lead Us in singing“Blest be the tie that binds.” Such was the theory. But it did not materialize. The Republicans wouldn’t “pulverize.” In fact they rat her went into the, pulven,iziug business themselves if we mistake not. But what of all this? How did this effect the recent prohibition campaigns? I will tell you. In the recent campaigns in these Republican States there was too much blowing and striking for prohibition by the same people who a few months previous were villifying Republicans and seeking to defeat and overthrow ly leaders Were put forward after the manner of Colquitt, of Georgia. There were many “voices” that, while pleading with Republican Pennsylvania to adopt prohibition. still shouted to the Nation, “Republicans are the enemies of temperance—pulverize the the Republican party!” That is why I say the apathy of so many temperance people is not “strange.” I don’t justify it, mind you. I remember that our Lord gave the werld better precepts and a better example; but 1 am reluctantly compelled to admit that, as a class voters are not all saints. They are human beings yet, even in the Republican party. And if thS Republicans were even all Christ-ians-all the Lord’s “sheep”— there is scriptural ground for a doubt if they would kick up their heels and go skipping away in obedience to the “voice” of a stranger.

But there is a brighter day before Pennsylvania. Its augury was pointed out by Dr. Kynett in that new and rapidly growing organization, the “Union Prohibitory League,” which, as the doeior says, “does not propose to interfere with the political affiliations of any of its members,” but will nevertheless vote to strike down the great curse that to-day rests upon our land. Such an organization won the fight in lowa, and we hope for such wisdom in Nebraska as shall lead to a similar organization and like success.

JOHN HOGARTH LOZIER.