Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1874 — THE REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION. [ARTICLE]

THE REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION.

Jadge Talcott has enlarged the Valparaiso VidtUe one column to tlia page, and asea a Chicago cooperating, ready printed ontaide. Th« paper is undergoing rapid improvement in his hand*. ___. A conference caucus of the Republican Congressional Committee of this district, held at Laporte Tuesday ot last week, arranged to hold the convention for nominating a candidate at Valparaiso, on the Cth day of August. Last week the Monticello ConstiMiomalist said “The taxes in South Carolina are General Jackson.”— It is, perhaps, superfluous to add that its editor is a Democrat and opposed to Grangers acting independently in political matters. Ia a letter to the editors of this paper, a gentleman writing from Logansport under date of June 20th, says: “I had a talk this morning withjndge Biddle; he will remain on the track. Independent political action is his political religion, as far as the judiciary are concerned particularly.” Mr. Seth Green, the noted pisciculturist, says that the'death of gold fish is Attributable, as a rule, to one of these causes—handling, starvation, or bad water. Never take a gold fish in yonr hand. If the aquarium needs cleaning, mate a net of mosquito netting and take the fiih out in it There are mang gold fish killed by handling. Keep your aquarium clean, so that the water looks as clear as crystal.— Watch the fish a little and yon will find out when they are all right— Feed them all, and anything they will eat —worms, meat, fish wafer, or fish spawn. Take great care to remove all they do not eat from the aquarium ; any decayed meat or vegetable in water has the same smell to fish in water, that it has to you in air. “The busy season,” “want of sufficient notice,” “general apathy” and several other diseases, seem to afflict the Republican parly to an alarming extent this season. Over in Cass connty recently , “a largo and enthusiastic mass convention” numbered just sixteen souls of the tried and true. In Jasper county this spring after three weeks publication, and the circulation of posters in every school district, one office holder and three disinterested spectators assembled one afternoon and waited in vain several hours, to witness the collection of amighty multitude. But a People’s primary election, held a few weeks later in the midst of the busy season, was participated in by more than half the voting population of the county.

The Republicans in Fultou county recently adopted a platform in which was included verbatim the platform of the People’s party of Jasper county. In addition to the first resolution condemning as “unnecessary, unjust and demoralizing the action of those members of Congress who voted to increase the salaries of Government officers and took back pay,” they “repudiate and condemn the action of the members of the last legislature who voted lor,or accepted the increase of pay of its members from five to eight dollars per ''day, believing the game was a violation, of the spirit of the constitution, and was a betrayal of the rights and confidence of the people ot the State; and as an earnest of our condemnation of the acts of said members, we will withhold from them our support for a similar trust in future; and we will not support anyone for the legislature from this county ordistrict, who will not pledge himself for the repeal of the same.” They adopted tlie third and fourth resolutions of onr county platform entire, without alteration.. To the fifth resolution they added: “We especially recognize the good accomplished by the Baxter Bill, and fasror auoh amendments to said Bill as may render the same more efficient without destroying its main features, as necessity may require from time to time.” Just exactly how those good and progressive Republicans in Fulton county will harmonize their denunciation of the thieves in Congress with that portion of the tenth resolution in the Republican State platform which returns thfnks to the seal with which Republksan Representatives in Congress have represented the principles of the Republican party, has not yet been demonstrated.

The Indiana School Journal advocates holding teachers’ institutes late in the season, especially in counties where schools begin late. It argues that if the institutes arc held early, and the schools begin }ate, many teachei's not being engaged will not attend the institutes; and those who do attend will lose many of the good points and suggestions made, and much of the enthusiasm awakened, before entering the school room. A gentleman in Washington City gives the following method for destroying moles where they are troublesome : Make a stiff dough of corn meal, mixing with it a small quantity of arsenic (strychnine would probably answer as well,) make a hole with a stick or finger in the runways, drop in a lump of dough about the size of a marble, and then cover over with a lump of earth to exclude the light. After the first rain, go over the fields again and deposit in all freshly made roads. A few doses this wav will eradicate all theso vermin from the grounds. On the 13th instant the Grangers had a picnic in Laporte county at which, it is estimated by the local papets, SJOOO persons were present. One ot the speakers, Mr. S. M. Smith, is reported to have said: Through the machinery of party nominations, Congress has been filled up with bankers, manufacturers, merchants, politicians and lawyers, almost to the exclusion of farmers, who have scarcely any representation at all in that body. When a man is nominated, the party must elect him. For his part, he was a partisan no longer ; he had been a Republican, but was a Republican no more. Has no faith in either of the existing organizations, and does not believe that true reform can be achieved inside of either of them. It is all very fine to talk about Grangers holding the balance of power between the Democrats and Republicans, and thus be masters of the situation ; but will they use their power? When a party is deeply tainted it is unable, of itself, to throw off the corruption in its blood and vitals. The farmers can have their way if they so will and are true to themselve —brave and persistent.— They are numerically larger than any other class—-almost out numbering all other classes combined. Professor Lewis Smith, of Rochester N. Y., says that a new comet is approaching the earth and sun, with a constantly accelerated velocity. It may already be seen by the naked eye at one o’clock in the morning, directly beneath the polar star, and about twentyfive degrees from it. With an opera glass it can be easily seen as a hazy nebulous mass, with a bright point a little to one side. It is now visible all night, but will soon be so only in the early hours of evening, setting in the northwest.— So directly towards us is it moving, as to seem almost to stand still. * —- t ■ The comet will be brightest on the evening of August 3d ; and as the moon will be absent, it will be subjected to spectroscopic analysis under circumstances more favorable than has occurred in many years. Just at present a spy glass or an opera glass is needed to assist the vision; but in a few days the comet’s tail will stand out clearly, and a special search will be unnecessary. Look for it in the north, carrying an imaginary line down to three small stars below the Dipper, thence obliquely to the right.

The Rensselaer Union takes exception to Mr. Colfax opposing the strewing of flowers on the graves of the Confederate dead, and quotes the passage that we are to forgive men their trespasses if we expect to be forgiven. We don’t know that the Good Book teaches that a horse thief should be rewarded the same as the faithful officer who caught the thief. Horace, you can’t dead beat your way into heaven by any such twaddle.— The American people can forgive, but they won’t forget; and if they are damned for this the regions assigned to them will be pretty well populated and be composed of some very excellent men.—Winamac Republican. For some unknown reason the Christian gentleman employed by the United Statis Government.to distribute mails at Winamac, who seems to prefer damnation with Mr. Colfax to salvation without, has a spite at one of the humble editors of this excellent rural newspaper—(which is not an organ of any clique, ring, cabal, of trammeled by reward possessed or anticipated; is perfectly free to advocate measures that will best advance the welfare of the greatest number—the industrial classes—and the subscription price of which is |2 a year, $1 for six mouths, 50 cents for three month?, invariably in advance;) —and seldom neglects an opportunity to misrepresent this humble editor and place him in a false position before those people with whom said Christian mail diapenser has communication. Conscious of never having done a wrong to said Christian Government officer, neither directly nor indirectly, by implication or otherwise, to his person, his property, his reputation or his family; we magnanimously

forgive his falsehoods, his misrepresentations. and his unprovoked attacks of any and all descriptions, trusting he will practice the advice of Him who said Go sin no more ; and may God have mercy on his poor, malignant soul!

Pursuant to notice the office Holders of Indiana met in convention at Indianapolis bn the 17th instant, for the purpose of renominating the present State officers, and to publish a platform. Many counties, probably Half in the State, were represented by self constituted delegates, who went down, as the gentlemen from Jasper did, without consulting with the people as to whom they pould prefer nominated or what measures should be advocated by the platform. The convention was preeminently a convention of office holders, in which the people in general had nothing to say. It was an aristocratic assemblage, where tall hats, fine clothing, large rings, costly shirt studs and the evidences of wealth were prevalent. The convention ’ was remarkable for little or nothing. — All the principal work had been cooked jup aud salted away for days before hand by the Ring at the Capital, and was only waiting the formality of an endorsement by their personal friends, to be introduced to the world as a wonderful production of harmony. and intelligence.—All the labors of the convention—organization f appoiiltment of committees, speech making, manufacture of a long, wordy platform, and the nominating of a ticket—did not exceed three hours. The Inter Ocean says : “The convention was not called to order until after 10 o’clock, and was adjourned before 1.” The platiorm appeals with pride and confidence to the past history of the Republican party, in proof of fidelity to principles, and its constant discharge of duties to the country. It declares there is no taint of suspicion now resting upon its honor as a party. It claims that the party has shown' itself ready and competent to resist all wrong and oppression; to restrain injustice; to remove public ills when they are known to exist; to condemn the conduct of faith less and dishonest public agents, and to detect and expose abuses in the administration of government, even' when practiced by professional supporters. It lias never failed in .the work of reform when shown to be necessary. The first*resolution expresses an unchangeable determination to adhere to all the fundemental principles ol the Republican party; favoring such measures as shall develop the material prospects ot every portion of it; secure to all of every class and condition full protection in all the just rights of person and property ; remove all the prejudices of the past, and perpetuate the nation. The second resolution is a wordy affair setting forth their love lor the agricultural aud other industrial classes —a good deal of fol-de-rol, we-love-you-if-you-will-vote-for-us kind of talk. The third resolution touches upon the currency question, advocating free national banking, and expansion to meet the wants of trade. The fourth resolution favors revision of the patent laws. The fifth expresses Ilepublican gratitude for soldiers and sailors of the late civil war. The sixth resolution favors legislation that “will give a majority of the people the right to determine for-them-selves, in their respective towns, townships, or wards, whether the the sale of intoxicating liquors for use as a beverage shall be permitted therein, and such legislation as shall hold the vendor responsible for all damage resulting from such sales.” The seventh plank is very fierce against township trustees, county commissioners, and municipal authorities for levying taxes to increase township, county ' and municipal indebtedness ; * hut- it neglected to object to trebling taxeis for State purposes, as was done by the last Legislature.— Resolution eight wants to cut down the fees and salaries; but of what offices, whether judicial, county, township, legislative or State; or whether the fees of lawyers, doctors, printers,' or the salaries of ministers of the gospel or school teachers, it remains judiciously silent Resolution eight is an unmeaning vagary. The ninth declaration threatens ceaseless, unrelenting opposition to whoever shall seek to strike down or impure the usefulness of “onr common school system;” but it does not attempt to explain why it is that a State

which boasts $10,000,000 of a peri manen t school fund is compelled to make its taxes for educational purposes excessive to support a system tliat is satisfactory, and well managed ; neither does it tell whatbecomes of the tlnee-fourths of that revenue lost between the pockets of the tax payers and the school room. Of course these office holders would be mad if* anybody attempted to cut off this prolific supply of plunder, and will wage, ceaseless and unrelenting opposiTicnrto all who advocate reforms in the system calculated to divert the flow of money from their pockets into its legitimate channel.— Resolution tenth and iast is a fitting conclusion to a document that was made for the sole purpose of catching votes, and to curry favor as much as possible with all sac-. lions. It flatters President Grant and thanks “our Senators anti Republican Representatives in Congress for the zeal with which they have represented the principles of the Republican party,” all in one sentence, without stopping to take breath. All you who agree with the President upon the financial problem, and all who think as Mr. Morton does, are jolly good fellows -and both sides are right, if you will only vote for us and let us suck the public teat a little while longer, is the interpretation of the last resolution, and what the office holders mean by their platform. There is not a sentence in the whole document, -condemning —the increase of the President’s salary -to its extravagant proportions; not a word denouncing the Congressional salary grab; no rebuke to the members of our State Legislature for increasing their, own pay in violation of faith and evasion of the constitution; not a word promising to decrease State taxation ; nothing at all recommending economy in the administration of State or National affairs ; not a reform proposed for the abuses of power, patronage, or legislation eoinp!ained of by the industrial classes-. Nothing definite whatever in the long, dreary instrument is proposed upon these matters which directly effect the working man, but everything.is left open and unsettled in an incoherent jumble of wordy generalities and eontradlcTory sentences. The IruTTfs trial classes need never look to the Republican party ot Indiana for sympathy, or succor from the oppressions of capital, so long as the machinery of that party is controlled, as its State convention was controlled last week, by the aristocratic professions, railroad agents, bankers and professional politicians. Let up laboring man be longer deceived by their cunningly devised platforms. The names of the nominees of this convention will be found in the news summary on the page of this paper. AH, except the Superintendent of Public Instruction, are present incumbents.