Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1893 — The Thompson and Gifford Controversy. [ARTICLE]

The Thompson and Gifford Controversy.

The return of the Democracy to power has brought some very peculiar names into prominence, among the hungry horde of office hunters. Such ns... Soke Smith, Dink Botts, Pod Dismuke and Potsdam Sams, of Georgia, and Joshua Jump, of Indiana. There is nothing peculiar about the names of Rensselaer’s contingent of hungry ones but wait until you see a collection of their photographs. Ha! Ha! Ha! *•

The Inter Ocean thus raps President Cleveland over the knuckles: There are 13,077 persons on the pension list who receive f>§ cents a day. The president in his Inaugural calls it a “wild and reckless pension 'expenditure, which overleaps the bounds of grateful recognition of patriotic services.’’ As the president receives from the public treasury §137 a day, 6-| cents doesn’t look large and “reckless” for “patriotic services” of veterans. To speak more plainly, Mr. Cleveland, who sent a substitute into the.war, receives from the government 2,149 times as much as the man who served four years, in the army and left his blood and strength on the battle-field.

The Indianapolis Journal is saying-some pretty plain things about Judge Gresham. According to this journal Gov. Morton gave the Judge his military position and did much to befriend and help him, and yet he turned against Morton and fought him most bitterly. After he (Gresham) was defeated for congress in 1868, President Grant appointed him to Judgeship, and yet when Bristow, Grant's political enemy, sought the presidential domination in 1876, Gresham went to Cincinnati and worked zealously for Bristow against Senator Morton of his own state. The Journal says that he contributed $250 to the Democratic campaign fund in this state in 1888. ~

The Republican State Editorial Association, at their meeting in Indianapolis, accepted the invi-_ tatiou of the World’s Press Congress and resolved to attend in' a body; The National Editorial Association meets in Chicago, May 16th. This meeting will be followed by the World’s Press Congress, which convenes in Chicago, May 22nd. It, is desired that all Republican editors who will attend the Congress write to J . A. Kemp, Secretary, Salem, Ind., at an early date, secure the membership certificate of the State Association and express their attention, thus they may secure benefits and favors during their stay in Chicago and their visit to the World’s Fair. The annual njembership dues in the Association is one dollar, and if this has not been paid for 1893, should accompany request for certificate of membership. Further notices will be given by circulars.

DUMej por present law, compelling the national government to purchase 4,500,000 ounces of silver bullion per month, this bullion has been accumulating very rapidly. According to the New York Press, the bar silver now stored in the United States mint at Philadelphia alone amounts to 110,000,000 ounces, the largest quantity ever deposited in one place in this country. This quantity is equal to 6,250,000 pounds avoirdupois or 3,125 tons. Leaded upon wagons carrying one ton each, and allow-

ing forty feet for each team and vehicle, this mass of metal would make a procession over twenty miles long. The quantity is so great that a new steel-lined vault, 35 feet long, 8 feet wide and TO feet deep, has been built to accomodate a portion of it. Piled full from floor to ceiling, however, this new addition holds only 20,000,000 ounces. As silver bullion is being poured into the Philadelphia mint at the rate of 3,800,000 ounces a' month, it will be only five or six months when another new vault must be built unless thepurchase of the white metal is stopped.

The many friends of both of these gentlemen would be very glad if they could compromise and work in harmpny for the drainage of Jasper county. Both are very active and very earnest men, strong in their convictions, and are both engaged in drainage enterprises second to none in the United States. Mr. Thompson is interested in the Wakarusa enterprise, the Wheatfield ditch and the Iroquois River i mprovement. Mr-. Gifford has on his hands the drainage of the Haddock Marsh, including Stump Slough and Copperas Creek. Mr. Gifford has about 20 miles of dredge ditch constructed and is progressing at the rate of about four miles per month. Mr. Thompson’s River Improvement as contemplated embraces a portion of these ditches already built by Gifford and which involves a change in the organic plan of the financial department. Mr. Gifford aud all or-very nearly all resident land owners whose water drain through his ditch object to this change, but are willing to contribute to the work below. These men have been great friends heretofore and 'both regret any clashing of interest. There is little doubt but that they will upon a satisfactory basis and Jasper County will be speedily drained and the value of her farm laud very much enhanced. Several conferences over the matter have been held and a satisfactory basis of compromise has been practically agreed upon.