Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1894 — TOPICS OF THESE TIMES. [ARTICLE]

TOPICS OF THESE TIMES.

ANARCHY. The recent atrocious acts of Anarchists in Spain and France are known tn all reading people, That a human being of apparently average intelligence could commit such , wanton acts of cruelty as to throw’ and explode a dynamite bomb into the midst of a theater filled with happy, unoffending and unsuspecting people, whose only thought was of the pleasure of the hour, seems incredible. That a handsome- and rational man would endanger his awn life and liberty that he might Inflict injury in a similar manner upon a large number of legislators and innocent spectators, and glory in bis act, for no reason save his own fiendish malice, is equally surprising. But that these men are but representatives of a class of people who openly avow undying enmity to the human race and all existing governments, and conditions of peace, prosperity and happiness passes the bounds of human reason and verges upon the outskirts of Satan’s own domain. The lot of the eommon people in many European countries is doubtless hard, but that their condition can be in any degree bettered by an indiscriminate assault upon the presumably guilty authorities and the clearly Innocent pleasure seekers and chance spectators passing by is not apparent. Worse than this, we have this “same breed of dogs” at large in this free and enlightened country, 'where the condition of the common people is better than in any country on the face of the globe. Yet these red-mouthed villains would destroy every vestige of our government, heedless alike of their own welfare and of the lives and property of all mankind. They "make-war upon existing conditions, no matter what they arc, good or bad. It is not creditable to the progress of the age that these men have been allowed so much liberty as to make the horrible outrages they have already committed a possibility. By their own avowal they place themselves beyond the pale of humanity, and the only proper treatment for them is such as would be dealt out to the denizens of an African jungle, were they suddenly turned loose in the haunts of men. It is believed that these recent outrages will have the effect of bringing about concerted action against Anarchists, by all the powers of Europe, and that such action will also lesson the chances of a general European war. England, so long an asylum for all the malcontents of Europe, it is thought, will no longer permit the unquestioned sojourn of such characters within her borders. The effect of all this will be to drive these enemies of society to our shores. What will we do with them? THE STEHLIN CASE, Temperance agitators in this State are considerably elated over a recent decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Mary E. Haggart et al. vs. John H. Stehlin et ah Ordinarily Supreme Court decisions are very dry reading, and the average man after reading the legal verbiage in which they are generally hidden catches his breath and wonders “where he is at.” This decision is not of this class, however, being sufficiently clear and pointed for the comprehension of all. The original case sprang from the establishment of a vpry disreputable appearing saloon by John H. Stehlin on a lot immediately adjoining the elegant residenceof Mrs. Haggart on College avenue, in the city of Indianapolis—this being one of the most desirable residence districts in the capital. There is no other saloon nearer than seven squares, and the people in. the neighborhood were naturally indignant, having purchased and improved their lots with the expectation of being free from the annoyance, to say nothing of the demoralizing tendencies of saloons. After Stehlin had obtained his license, over the almost unanimous protest of the people in the neighborhood of his place, suit was brought by Mrs. Haggart and others. The damagers were apparent to all conversant with the situation. and the case was suffered to go bydefaulton the part of the plaintiffs in the'Marion Circuit in order that an appeal might be taken to the Supreme Court. The decision rendered holds that the license law is constitutional; that a nuisance may be both public and private, but that an individual may in such cases be damaged more than the public and can maintain an action for the abatement of the nuisance. Where a saloon is maintained within ten feet of a dwelling house in a quiet neighborhood, thereby reducing the rental or selling value of property, the owner of such dwelling may enjoin the saloon keeper and his landlord. A license is no defense to such action. Temperance workers regard the decision as a great victory, not only in this particular case, but because it

applies to similar cases throughout the State. It gives protection to residence districts in ill large towns and will have tr.e effect of driving the saloon business into certain prescribed districts, The reversal of ly sends the case back to the Judge with the law. and it will now be his duty to assess the damages. This is one case, at least, where law and justice seem to have joined hands to the satisfaction of almost every one, except, possibly, the unfortanate Stehlin, who will probably have to seek for fairer fields and" pastures THE F. F. V. The F. F. V. seem to have “lost their grip” upon the offices in the grand old commonwealth. “The Mother of Presidents” in by gone days gave to the country her most distinguished sons, and the pages of history are resonant with the names of a Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Lee. True, when the great struggle for human freedom, and the perpetuity of the institutions that these illustrious patriots bequeathed to their descendants came, many degenerate and unworthy sons of noble sires joined hands with the ignoble vandals that dared to trample in the dust the flag that sheltered them in youth and madly fought to destroy the temple bought with blood and tears. Yet when the tempest past and the blessed calm of an enduring peace had settled upon the smiling vales and hazy heights of their storied State, those illstarred sons with noble names and famous lineage came to the front again and served the Old Dominion loyally and well. The F. F. V. we all have heard about, and many of' us have known their merits and peculiarities. They were as near an established aristocracy as this country has ever produced, and all in all, though often misguided, they were a class to be proud of. Viewed from this standpoint, many wilTregret, and some rejoice, that Ex-Governor Lee —who depended on the historic name and heroic fame of his noble house —on “Light-horse Harry" and the fallen chieftain of Appomattox — to give him the office of United States Senator without any special effort on his part has been beaten by plain Mr. Martin, a man of the common people. Gen. Lee would have been a notable figure in the National but Northern people of all parties will have little sympathy with the abuse heaped upon Mr. Martin by Virginia Democrats whose only offense seems to have been his success, by the usual tactics, in defeating one of the “anointed" and “getting there” in good shape in spite of his plebeian antecedents. THE OYSTER. The future of the oyster is viewed with more or less apprehension. Dwellers on' our eastern seaboard enjoy a monopoly of the trade, but many causes have occurred to lessen their profits of late years. Gov. McKinney, of Virginia, has attracted the interest of the coast region of his State by recommending that the oyster lands be rented to all comers, resident or non-resident. Under the present statutes a residence of twelve months is necessary, after which during nine months of the year, oysters may be taken without payment,from natural beds. Since 1879 the use of the dredge has been prohibited on natural beds, and its use on private oyster beds has been watched with jealousy by dwellers on the coast. The Governor takes the gronnd that oyster beds are, or should be, the property of the State, and that the expense of protecting the oyster beds has much of the time exceeded the rentals received from parties operating private beds. He estimates that there are 650,000 acres of land in Virginia's part of Chesapeake Bay suitable for oyster planting,besides 150,000 acres of “natural rock,” all of which, he thinks, should produce a revenue of $1 per acre for the State treasury. The question is not a new one in the Old Dominion. The comparatively . sparse population along the coast have always regarded the oyster beds as peculiarly their own, and and have always resisted the proposition to treat them as the property of the whole people. The oyster navy of Virginia is in need of new vessels and an increased force of police in order to guard against encroachments from citizens of Maryland, and this will also call for an increased expenditure. It has been hard for the present force to protect private oyster beds in this region, and if the proposed measure of renting the privileges shall become a law the navy will of necessity have to be largely increased, to protect the rights that may be granted and guaranteed by State authority. In no part of the world are so many mushrooms raised for the market as in the vicinity of Paris, where they are cultivated in the long sub terraoean quarries which produce the stone of which the better houses in Paris are built, and probably nowhere else is so much, skill and intelligence.,shown in the management of the mushroom beds.