Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1871 — COMPILED FROM OUR EXCHANGES. [ARTICLE]

COMPILED FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

The democratic mewl era of the St Me StfUkto expelled Mr. Burson, of Delaware County, on Tuesday, because he Is a republican. The Government steamer Tennessee which took ont the San Domingo commission has been heard from. **tfls arttved safety at her destination and all were well. I.as| week the Legislature passed the Foe end Salary bill introduced in the,Senate by Mr. Henderson.— The bHI was rushed through the House, under the pressure of “retrenchment and reform” without examination. Not a dozen memI era knew anything about its provisions. The bell-weathers jumped that way and the rest of- the flock foltovfefl. Now they are trying to do what they should have done nt first, fix it np in shape to go on the statute books. It is to be hoped tlmt many years will pa?s before the State is again cursed with a Legislature as trifling, mean, and ignorant of its duties; it is cveu w orse than the one preceding and that was apologized for by its members.

It has frequently happened in this county that men have procured from our county commissioners a license to retail intoxicating liquor* by proving that they were of good character. They have then pnt clerks into their saloons who have not established a good character in accordance with the laws of the State, and in this way much evil has been done, and it has worked erent hardship. < The fact that an individual whose character had not been inspected and its quality labeled and recorded by the proper officer*, was employed in a respectable saloon to jerk beer, mop the fluor and rinse the glasses, has undoubtedly kept many respectable men and women from meeting behind the screen and enjoying a social nip and spending a pleasant hour together in the hallowed atmosphere of an establishment conducted on strictly moral principles! In this way much money has been lost to the saloon-keeper, who is the only person in the community known to the law as having a good character. This is wrong. People should be encouraged to cultivate good character. It is a tender vegetable, attacked by many enemies and requiring constant attention and high cultivation. When it is brought to market the possesor should obtain a good price for it.— We have the testimony of an old Hebrew connoisseur that in his time “its price is above rubies’’ and that it “is rather to be chosen than great riches.” On most commodities we fr.vor a tariff for revenue only, but this srticle should have the encouri; -i-cut of a high protective tariff. a > this end our present legislature cf reformers should amend the law Bo as to require that every man behind the bar of a saloon, whether proprietor, “partner,” cleik or substitute, shall have a good character; then the moral sense of community would no longer be shocked at having whiskey straights, gin cocktails, brandy smashes, rum punches, Tom and Jerry, and lager bier passed out uneanctified by hands of good lawful character. If liquor must be sold by the dram, let it come to us undefllcd by unregenerate hands, made holy through the- touch of moral, or better, religious, fingers. L t preachers of the gospel, deacons in the'church, Sabbath school superintendants, or other noble, high-minded and moral gentlemen monopolize the business, and then every patron of these establishments will be benefited by his associations, and may visit them in company with his wife, daughter**, and sons of tender years, with perfect propriety, and what is of greater importance to society, larger income to the saloon keeper. Such a step by the legislature Would be true philanthropy, and would largely and immediately' benefit the only class known to the law as having good characters.

The Rensselaer Union says “KMeiuskoians ride to market bull-. Lock.” The South Bend Register f>uts it in a milder form, something ike this: Gentlemen of Kosciusko tountv, who. follow agriculturifl pursuit*, are conveyed into Warsaw upon the spinal parte of bachelor oxen. But then Col. Healey and Mr. James, publishers of the Union wear ilteir pants inside of their stogas, while doubtless the edjtor of the Register wears his breeches tight doi-n over hia polished calf■kills.— Winamac Democrat. Wbft'J Doe* be go barefoot?

From tho Plymouth Drmaerat. Plymouth claims to bo one of tho best lumber markets in the State. Wm. Conner it now being tried for murder of Thornburg a year ago. Marshall county contains 20,000 inhabitant* and boasts there is not a colored person among them. A 485 pound pig was sold in Plymouth last week. Jake Kelvcr has recently fallen heir to $70,000 by tho demise of a relative in the Fatherland. The Jew* gave a masquerade ball last week, for the benefit of the poor, which netted $135. From the Mnhuwaka FnlrrprO*. One hundred loads of wood were in town Mbnday of last week. O. M. Eddy, of South Bend, has been appointed deputy Secretary of State. About l,00(j weekly and monthly periodic:.!® are delivered through the Mishawaka postoffice. Neighborhood quarrels are quite prevalent iu St. Joseph County, growing out of dissatisfaction in regard to their public schools, Either the inhabitants of that county are mighty mean jieople, or else they are cursed with inefficient school officers.

From the Vnlpa-aioo ViJrtte. An encampment of Odd Fellows was instituted at Valparaiso last week by Grand Secretary Barry. About 1,200 pounds of democratic printing office has arrived at the depot. Victims pay sl2 per ton for hay nnd are told that marsh hay is better for horses than Timothy. The Irishmen at Valparaiso are preparing to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day iu the good “ould slhyle.” A trunk factory has been started in Valparaiso. More than 180 persons have united with the M. E. church at Hebron this winter. The county Auditor has advertised to receive scaled proposals for building a jail. From the Winamac Democrat. Good cord wood sells for $2.50 per cord. A choir has been organized to sing in the M. E. church. The people ofWinamac detest one horse shows. The Damocrat man still growls about the festive one horse legislature, and says “they should either serve the people or resign and come home,” and thinks it is ridiculous, besides being a transaction of questionable honesty to be adjourning every Friday afternoon, until the next Monday afternoon and drawing five dollars per day during the intermission.

Freni the Loganrport Pharos. Judge Biddle decided in the Carrol Circuit Court, last Tuesday, Tn the case of Garrett vs. The Wabash and Erie Canal, that the State was liable to the holders of the Wabash and Erie Canal bonds for the principal and interest of all the bonds not embraced in the compromise under tbo Butler bill. Logansport just lost the location of a basket and wooden .ware factory because the more appreciative and enterprising people of Peru outbid them SI,OOO. Tho Pharos says “Peru has takengfrom Logansport in the past two years, a large woolen factory, wagon factory, Howe sewing machine factory, employing in the aggregate over four hundred men, and annually expending not less than $1,000,000 in raw materal, labor, etc., etc ” Logansport city orders are worth only eighty cents on the dollar. From lhe Kent laud GaztUe, In Kentland last week corn was quoted at 35 cents a bushel, butter 18 cents a pound, eggs 15 cents a dozen and wheat from $1.20 to $1.25 per bushel. New blinds have been put up at the Court-house windows. Oue or two “Heathen Chinee”pas*ed on the cars last week., A lively revival of religion is reported at Slronkwiler’s school bouse. About $75 was raised at a festival for purpose of improving the cemetery; The Gazette wants somebody to dqnate a lot of land for the purpose of starting a public park In the spring. The Masonic fraternity have been holding their communications in the Couft-honse since the fire destroyed their lodge room, last December. The north part of Newton county is being stripped of timber by thieves from liiinoia.' The whiskey ring is trying to break down the corporation to get rid of paying corporation license.

We find the following account of a terrible accident which befell two former residents of Rensselaer on the 11th, instant, in the Indianapolis Journal: “At Effingham, lil„ on Saturday morning, Minor Thompson and his wife were so terribly burned that no hope# are entertained of their recovery. Mr. Thompson was engaged in boiling a pot ct varnish, while his wife was preparing breakfast. when the varnish took fire and both were caught in flames. Their eyes were burned so as to destroy the sight, the hair of each burned off, and nro^t ; of their clothing.”