Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1896 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

* INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY ;|told. Democrats Gain an Apparent A - vsntQge ill the Apportionment Matter—Wabash County Wheat and Rye Have a New and Woolly Enemy. Upholds the Apportionment. The Supreme Courf has decided that the legislative apportionment act of 1885 cannot be set aside, and that it is the only act under which Senators and Representatives can be elected this fall. The majority opinion was written by Judge McCabe. Judge ! Monks filed a dissenting opinion. The effect of the decision is to eleqt members oUthe Legislature under an act that" the Democrats passed when they had a majority in the Legislature, and which, if there is any advantage in it, Ts in their favor. When the court set aside the laws 0fT893 and 1895, and thus brought the law of 1885 into effect, the Democrats proposed that no further questions should be raised, and that the two parties should acquiesce in th<s decision. The Republicans, however, attacked “the law of 1885 on the ground of unconstitutionality, and this decision sets the matter at rest, although there are suits pending to set aside all apportionment laws under the present constitution, which was adopted in 1851. The couft enters upon the discussion of the points involved by declaring that the law of 1885 is the only net now upon the statute books under which an election of members of the Legislature can legally he held. Priifrr to 1879 the franchise was limited in this State to the white male population above the age of, 21 years, and nil apportionments made before that time excluded the negroes from voting. If a law, argues the court, were revived trader which this-class of citizens could not vote, it would be in conflict with both the State and Federal constitutions, nnd no election held under it now would be legal.

Additional Pest in Indiana. In addition to the rust and the Hessian fly, which have been destroying the wheat and rye in Wabash County, the farmers of that locality have a new enemy to contend—with. Ex-County Commissioner J. I y. Starbuek, of Largo township, has found thousands of woolly worms about an inch and a half in length' and totally unlike any other pest he has eyer seen destroying his corn crop. They nppeared to come from a strip of woods and, invading a fine field of corn, ate four acres of the grain off just above the ground. Mr. Starbuek says they are Hi—evidence in countless numbers on his place and farms adjacent, nnd his neighbors are much alarmed by their appearance. k—l— Over the State. Henry Stefke, aged 40 years, was found dead in Bloomington, the presumption being that he met death in a runaway. William Coglin,- who was killed by a Big Four train at Muncie, did not live in Cumberland, Md,, as he said just before lie died. He had been working at the Union steel works in Alexandria, Ind., and leaves a widow there, to whom he was married only three weeks ago. He came to Muncie on business and was killed an hour after his arrival. The State Superintendent of Public Insi root ion announces that the i numeration of persons of school age, taken tinder tin 1 -law of 1895, shows a total falling off of (55,000 persons. This is taken ns proof Hint much dishonesty was practiced under . the old law. The falling off is till in the cities, so that the country districts will have longer school terms than heretofore. The Terre Haute Council has passed an ordinance fixing the maximum bicycle speed on 'the business streets at six miles and on’all other streets at eight miles an hour. „ Children under 12 years are not allowed to ride on Main street. Lights are to be carried and' warning bells sound- > Ft! nvt crossings. An unsue-eossfu! effort was made to include a section prohibiting the carrying of infants on wheels. The Indianapolis sanitarium has addressed a note to the superintendent of the city schools, and among other things suggested that kissing ns practiced by women school teachers among their pupils lie interdicted, because disease is thereby llif to be crmimniricatcd. He—also-eon — Semned the habit of pupils of drinking from a common vessel and of using tin) fame lead pencils. The superintendent has promised compliance with those suggestions. An official sensation was caused at ATkierson by Judge Divun, of the Superior Court, appointing Attorneys Foster and Walker and instructing them to at once prepare and fib* cases against Prosecutor ttcaWou and ex-Proseeufor Doss to disbar them. Doss brought suit against Prosecutor Seanlan severnl weeks ago asking fur an accounting of fees, claiming the "official' tlie'iff'. '-'TfH’Tflvt •judgment for $230. In the trial he endeavored brshow Scanlon was conducting ttie office on a boodle plan and . was. accepting bribes. Evidence was alary introduced to show that Doss, the Elwood deputy, was accepting bribes. Judge Diven proposes to sift the matter to the bottom. It is claimed criminal prosecution will follow.

All day Tuesday a gang of tramps, com,H)sed of about twenty-five of the worst looking specimens in the country, hovered almut Decatur. At nigKt they made their headquarters near the Chicago and Erie Railroad and kept up their' carousing until a crowd of citizens, accompanied by the entire police fyee, moved on thorn. When the .officers attempted to mnke the arrests the tramps, who were armed, opened fire. Daniel Haley, a citizen, was" shot down probably fatally injured. The tramps were finally run down ami eight of them placed in jail. Several of the tramps were shot', but were helped away by their companions. Great excitement prevailed on the streets, and lynching was strongly talked of and is a possibility if Haley should die. At Warsaw, fire destroyi-d the lurge furniture factory of Robert 11. Hitzler, causing a loss of about $15,000. There is $3,500 insurance, SI,OOO on the building in the Concordia, and $2,500 on the contents in the Milwaukee Mechanics’ and German of Freeport. ■ John Abnet, a very wealthy farmer living a few miles south of Decatur, attend-, ed a circus at Portland on Tuesday snd while there he was robbed of $4,100. He' did not believe in banks and w is afraid to leave his money at homo because‘he lost a large amount that way by. tire i few years ago. John Baum, aged 90, and Emeline Hendrick, aged 00, were married at Valparaiso. The bride Was given the deed to a farm worth SB,OOO before the nuptial knot was tied. , On account of the prospects of a mammoth fruit crop Ball Brothers, of Mancie, the largest fruit jnr munufneturem in the world, have decided to run all summer. Heretofore all the glass factories In the world have shut down 4 n the summer on account of the excessive heat. The blowers at Ball Brothers only consented to work when they were offered wages of $l5O per week from now until Sept. 1. Ball Brothers average 172,800 jars, or 1,200 grow ■ day. —‘—— ——S — —