Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1873 — Rank Corruption. [ARTICLE]

Rank Corruption.

Th« inter-Of fan - thinks in a “rather singular fact that the erf for' an int-reare ftf Salary comes aliwoßt from those least known to the country for vniu--able services.” - 'Governor fifendrick* slipped upon -*u icy pavement one day last week and fell, with the hack of his head striding the corner ot a stone Mip. It was feared for a time that his injury would terminate fatally, but he rallied towards evening find is -now afemit recovered. . lift II .riTtoTiaiiT ■ ■ijaj.r'The biH creating new circuit icourt districts and abolishing common pleas courts has passed the Indiana legislature and only awaits the signature of Governor Hendricks to become a law. Pulaski, Jasper, Newtou and Benton counties compose a circuit, and it is probable that Geo. W. Biiison, Esq., of Win a mac, will be appointed judge to serve until bis successor is elected, which will be next October. Had Tom Browne been elected Governor and met with the mishap which befell Governor Hendricks last week there is scarcely a Demo cratic paper in Ibe StatP blit what would save charged it to drunkenness, and the changes would have been rung up and down about hie “eating meat.” Still the man who , would intimate such a thing about Governor Hendricks might reasonably be presumed to utter slander, yet he probably indulges in the use of ardent spirits to as gwent an extent as Ggnernl Browne. A Francesvillc, J tub. Acnhango refers to James and Healey us the “pretzel pointed cork-screws of the tnmUous Rensselaer Union.” This is horrible, if true—but what in the devil docs it mean? — Laporte Herald. G it only means that that Frances v ill j fellow is suffering from doggerel, superinduced by hetnicrania, hernia, herpes, hyd renterocel e, and hydrocephalus, and is rapidly developing into a hylteosahrus.— Though seriously afflicted, his friends hope that with tho advent of grass and sprouting of thistles, when he may return to his favorite diet, a change for the better will set in. —• = h The New York Sun has the fol-low-ing observation about the man who conducts the Concord, N. 11. Monitor : What do they keep a man on top of the White Mountains to take weather observations for when they might bitch a thermometer to the top of that fellow’s care and get a higher elevation? We had not heard of his leaving Remington, and supposed he was not going to do so until about -the lSth-of next July, but it must bo that he has gone and inflicted himself upon the unsuspecting people of New Hampshire, else how did the Sun know he was there? .f. —: —T—One oi the disadvantages of * having cue side of a newspaper printed abroad may he. seen in our issue this week. Oh the fourth page, which is printed at Chicago is the new- temperance law of Indiana, the full text of which appeared on the home side of the Union last week. Undoubtedly the law 4* interesting to many and is very good reading matter of its kind, but . after two or three perusals it becomes monotonous. In districts as sparsely settled ‘* as Jasper county, where the k inhabitants are people in moderate .circumstances struggling, scrimping, and economizing on every hand, in order to live and iay by a small surplus with which to make needed improve-

raents, a newspaper has at Lest but a precarious support, ami it becomes a matter of vital importance with the publishers to adopt such plans as promise to be most economical; hence the saving of *3OO or 1500 a year in the cost of typesetting and presswork by patronising a kind of co-operative plan of printing and purchasing their paper ready printed on one side* is an item that few can afford to loose. And w hen the quality and quantity . of reading matter country publishers ate enabled to furnish their patrons by adopting this system is taken into consideration, and it is also understood that it would require the undivided time of an additional editor at an additional expense of not less than SBOO to tl ,000 per year in order to get up j as good a ejection of matter as that furnished by the ready printed paper establishments, it will be apparent to even those not cmmi coted with newspaper business that, although sot altogether free of disadvantage; it is far better both to publishers and to patron* than the hpme printing system for country pfpers of limited local circulation.

Yh% Remington Journal must be a delightful sheet for its readers to pe’liiSe, If the extracts published in flic last week’s Rknsskpakk Union arc a specimen of its literary merit.— Lowell St.r. _ T __ ..-jftioaA extract sw cr e “the hesl.be i had in his shop.” Fifty members of the immortal Cook lamily recently held a mass convention in Kosciusko county in commemoration of the event which iimipjirtddized one of their ancestors a few years since on un_e of the j Cannibal Islands —that is, we pre-' mine they met for this or some other equally commendable purpose. The S r orthcrnlndianian is ygrovpkingly silent as to whether new King Bill sent any delegates to the convention or not. After a spirited discussion the National House of Representatives lias tin-ally passed a hill increasing the salaries of the President, Vice President, Cabinet officers and Supreme Judges, and fixing their own pay at (t 5,500 a year, dating back two years. Their present pay is $6,000 a year; this increase, therefore, of $1,500 a year, dating back two years, would give each member the nice little nlnm. of $3,000. It was passed ostensibly as an equivalent for mileage, the franking privilege, etc., and if it were made to apply to the future only, it would not be much amiss, but there is absolutely no justification for making it run back two years. The following Indiana members voted for it, viz:— Packard, Shanks, Voorliees and Williams. The measure nitty not pass the Senate < — lndianapolis, Journal., The increase in the salaries of Members of Congress was finally fixed at $2,500 per annum, and has become a law. The bill was inade to have retrtfsjs«£tivc action and each member who took his allowance absolutely robbed the people’s treasury of $5,000 apiece. The Inter-Ocean of yesterday says “It ever a country was weary of Congressional ‘sound and fury, signify-, mg nothing,’ it is that Which yesterday beheld one hundred and fifty ex-Senators and Representatives trudging down the marble steps oT the. Capitol, carrying a million of dollars, unearned, undeserved, and captured from the Treasury by a piece of legislation that is unparalleled ill effrontery.”

All the signs of the times indicate that the people are thoroughly aroused about the prevalent corruption of the dav. Whatever course other Republican papers may take, the Journal piOposes to look the situation, squarely in the face, and tell, the truth, There is nothing to lie made jjy concealment or false dealing in the matter, and the developments of the past few months show that there is wickedness in high places, and that it has eaten its way into the Republican party. No part of Mr. Beecher’s address on Monday night attracted more marked attention than that in which he depicted with a masterly hand the universal corruption that seems to be attacking our State and National Legislatures. Happily our own Legislature Is not involved, but those of other States are, and Congress is to a lamentable extent. Even the judiciary lias not escaped, for we have tiie spectacle of a United States Judge in Ohio first engaging in a dirty lobbying scheme, for which lie claimed a $10,1(00 lee, and then attempting Jo levy a, species of black mail on Id's employers by threatening to go to Washington and implicate them In the Credit Mobilier business. It is us plain as noon-day that two men now in the United States Senate have purchased their places by the most open and flagitious bribery, and that members of Congress heretofore trusted and honored have prostituted therr positions to make money, thereby earning tlie condemnation of all. honest men. These’a re facts, and the Republican nress might as well admit them, for the people see it plainly enough. The party must purge itself of these men. The knife must be applied promptly and fearlessly. The time bus come for bold surgery ami political purification. Our institutions apd. our liberties are in danger if this hydra*headed monster of corruption is not met and strangled, and it is the first duty of tiie Republican press toe.ssist in attacking ana killing it.— lndianapolis Jourml.

The Journal is right as far as it goes and every upright Republican who cares more for principle than for men will approve every word it says; but it should not ‘stop short will) insinuations against Judge Sherman, of Ohio, and Senators Pomeroy and Caldwell, -of Kansas. In addition to these names ou the roll of corruptionists and liars, testimony no stronger than that which has sent men to the penitentiary, from Jasper county, adds such prominent ones as Patterson, Harlan, Colfax, Kelley, Garfield, Dawes, Bingham, Schofield and Ames. Whajiwtlie use of being tender mouthed about these things? It has been a favorite pastime with

all Republican journals to ring the charges of corruption against the Tweeds, aud Halls, aud Garveys—and all that ilk—of the Democratic party and it would be rankest hypocrisy and demagogism should they hesitate to mete out the same measure to those who bear our name unworthily. To excuse or whitewash these guilty men is to become accessories in their offences after the fact, which, besides being criminal, would also be folly with- j out excuse because they, wall never; pur atay dividend*.