Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 January 1891 — ADDITIONAL LOCALS. [ARTICLE]

ADDITIONAL LOCALS.

Reports received by the chief of the State Bureau of Statistics from seventy-seven counties, show 1,721 divorces granted in Indiana the past year. Estimating the entire State on this basis would give a total of 2,056, as against 1,623 for 18$9. Congress in 1887 made ah appropriation for the collection of divorce statistics in all the states of the Union. The records of Indiana for the past twenty-four years .show a total of 32,233 divorces. During the past five years the divorces have been over 10 per cent.' of the marriages. The report of the chief of the Statistical Bureau recommends legislation preventing criminals, paupers and feebleminded people from marrying, and urges that more stringent laws governing marriages and divorces are required in Indiana.

A printed copy of the annual report of the. -Board of Commissioners for the removal of the limestone ledge in the Kankakee river, at Momence, has been placed in our hands. It is evident from the report that the many and dilficult obstacles in the way of the Commission have not yet all been surmounted, although the prospects are still encouraging. No actual work has yet been done, nor will any be done before next summer, at the soonest, Mr. Sirois, the contractor, having been given until May 15 to fill out his bond for the faithful execution of his contract. The threatened litigation with the C. & E. I. Ry., it is thought has been obviated by deciding to deepen the channel along the north side of the island, at the summit of the ledge, instead of along its south side, as before intended.

The vote in the Methodist churches in the Northwestern Indiana conference, upon the question of admitting women to the general conference, shows that out of a membership of 31,092 only 5,400 votes were cast. Of the v• .u-.h cast, 4,037 favored the proposi on, and 1,003 were opposed, thus niching a majority of 2,074 in favor (a the question. The largest vote cn- r, was in the Gm nc istle district, 1.045; and the smallest vote was 76''', in the Valparaiso disliiet. It is the opinion of one of the presiding elders that as the vote cast is so small, when compared with the membership, it will indicate nothing as to the actual will of the church and that the general conference will hardly adopt the “new departure” upon the meager vote that has been cast throughout the church. The main'cause for the small vote seems to have been the fact that interest in in the question submitted was wanting. and therefore only one sixth of the members in the conference voted. —Lafayette Sunday Times.

The Rensselaer Sentinel has almost entirely abandoned all local news and set itself down to wail over the McKinley bill and with tear dimmed eyes shows how pin teeth have been raised from $17.50 to $52.50 per 1000. Also how cigars have been obliged to advance from S2O to S3O per million. Now Bro. McEwen don’t you think it would be better to try and convince the people that our home made goods are as good as those of John Bull’s and try to keep our money at home instead of pouring it in to the British treasury. Now Bro. McEwen how many of the poor laborers that you feel so deeply for, is there that ever saw one of those cigars much less enjoyed one, or that would have windows filled with imported glass, there is not one of them, the very items you* howl so much about are only luxuries enjoyed by the wealthy who have more money than they know what to do with. American goods made by American labor is as cheap us they ever were and those poor laborers can have their wants supplied as cheap as they ever did only those who consider American goods too common for them have to jiay the prices you make such a fuss about. Now brush the scales off your eyes and try to tell those poor laborers you feel so sorry for some--Ihirg that will do them some good and not try to excite them to do something that will benefit the wealthy and make them still worse off.— Mt Ayr News.