Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1875 — FOURTH OF JULY. [ARTICLE]

FOURTH OF JULY.

i-nTpct deer killed a lightning ml Roan in Southern Indiana the other day, by strikiue him in the forehead with Its hoofs while he snoozed on the grass.— lndianajHiUs Herald. It Harding can realise any profit out of #IOO he may buy that deer and ship it to this county. The Hraatrers have use for that kind of an animal'. The negro is now abundantly able to take care of himself, and should understand distinctly that the time has gone by for making his protectlou a specialty'with the Republican party. Warsaw Indtanian. Just recollect that statement next campaign when the bosses issue their proclamations ordering a general howl over intimidation, revolution and political outrages in the South. Through oversight we neglected to acknowledge a friendly visit last week from Mr. J. W. Sarjent, one of the editors of the News, a creditable local paper published at St- Anne, 111. Mr. Sarjent says: Rensselaer, the county seat of Jasfer, is situated in the woods ou the roquois, near the center of the county. The village is about as large as St. Anne, has si water mill, a large two-story school-house, a substantial brick court house, a photograph gallery, hotels, stores, shops of all kinds and two newspapers. And yet the town is 1,000 miles or less from auy railroad—about 087 miles less.

A Frenchman named La Bastile has discovered a process by which glass is rendered tough and measfurably clastic. His process consists in heating the common qualifies of.'grass’ to a red heat and while in this condition immerse it in a bath of fatty substances, the constituents of which he has not divulged. By his process the glass is made nearly as tough as tin, ami it also resists the action of heat in a large degree. Indeed it may be used for the purposes of beating wafer attfLeooking in without injury. A German experimenter has discovered another process by which glass is rendered not only stronger but also becomes very much harder. Indeed it is cl aimed that by being submitted to his process glass can be rendered hard enough to scratch the diamond or hardened steel. His process is to heat the glass to nearly melting and then suddenly plunge it into a mixture of intense cold, as pulverized ice and salt. By treating colored glass in this manner imitation gems may be produced equal in brilliancy to real stones, and superior in qualities of hardness and durability. Taken together these discoveries are likely to produce a revolution in glass manufacturing.

Now doth the Inter-Ocean condemn and lash Vice President Wilson because he advocates the reorganization of the Republican party for the presidential campaign of 1876 npon a platform that shall conciliate the disaffected and independent class who have thrown off party shackles and no longer vote for men simply because they are nominated in convention. The Inter Ocean appears to be opposed to any and all measures proposed to allay the rancor of party strife and obliterate sectional prejudice. It seems to favor only a roughshod policy that shall ride down all opposition, from whatever source or for whatever cause, to the standard which it has set up in the science of government. The influence and drift of its whole policy is to destroy freedom of discussion, crush out liberty of action, and establish thieves, scoundrels, and public spoilers in office after they once come into possession. This policy may be a vigorous one, but it is not a just one, nor will it long have favor with people who believe in a republican form of government. Under the law and the'eonstitution all male citizens over twenty-one years of age, who have not been convicted of crime, are recognized as having equal political rights. Every person of this class has a right to vote for such men and such measures as best please him; and it is far from being the soundest policy for a party to alienate any man or class of men by harsh and tyrannoos measures. From our standpoint, in the light of events which have transpired during the past three years, it seems

to us that Vico President Wilson is right, and that his pffty in order to be successful next year will he wise if it can invent some policy to win over friends from the opposition and disgust fewer meinbers of its own fold.

Two weeks from next Saturday comes the third day of July, which will be generally observed by patriotic Americans at home or in foreign lands as the 99th anniversary of our national birth. Would it not he well lor us of Rensselaer to celebrate the day with appropriate ceremonies? Last year everybody nearly was attacked with a strong fjesire for retrenchment and reform —reform in political matters and retrenchment in expenses. To such an extent did this feeling prevail among the inhabitants of this locality that even those usually patriotic people, the lemonade manufacturers, the peanut peddlers, the candy sellers, the ginger bread merchants and the juicinary proprietors thought it would not add to their wealth or enjoyment to get up a programme for the proper celebration of that anniversary which causes the hearts of all true Americans tojrwell with satisfaction and gladness. The result was that 4th of July found Rensselaer a deserted village, nearly all of its young and enterprising people having gone to visit places where the people displayed a larger amount of that noble spirit which prevailed twenty years ago. Suppose, now, for a change from the dull monotony of the times, that all the good people of Rensselaer assemble at the Court House next Saturday evening (June 19th) at 7 o’clock, or whenever the bell is rung, and take counsel together about what ought and can be dope in’ this matter. Rensselaer is a splendid place to have a celebration held; perhaps there is not a better in the State, naturally. The numerous groves about town where a healthy turf of grass forms a delightful carpet of freshest green, and the rich dark foliage of oak, and hickory, and wild vines interlace above to afford agreeable shade; the two flowing wells and numerous springs of cleare.st water, where human beings and domestic animals may refresh themselves without stint or price, are natural advantages not to be held in light esteem, and are unsurpassed of their by auy other locality in the State. The exercise of a little praiseworthy public spirit now, the exhibition tof a little energy, the presence of a little enterprise, the expenditure of a little money to engage an orator, and a small amount of light work to arrange the ground and complete a few preliminaries, are all that is necessary m order for us to have a celebration that shall be worthy of the people who participate in it, insure a good time to citizen and sojourner, and make the day one whose events shall be remembered with joy and pride for many years to follow. These Fourth of July celebrations are good things, and ought to be more generally encouraged. It is shameful to the people as a nation that in late years there prevails such a strong tendency to neglect the day and its memories. It does not speak- Well for our patriotism or our filial respect for those noble souls who staked their fortunes, their lives and their sabred honor to secure and perpetuate privileges, rights and advantages which have made this the great and prosperous nation that it is—privileges, rights and advantages which we now peacefully enjoy. A volume might be written tilled with reasons why it is proper and good for us to meet together and celebrate the anniversary of our nation's birth; but our space is limited, aud we trust that it may not be necessary to enumerate reasons to a people who are remarkable for their intelligence, sociability, enterprise and patriotism.. We therefore close this article with an invitation and appeal to all good people of Rensselaer, especially the and other business men and women, who can make it convenient to dp so, to _assemble at the Court House Saturday evening and make arrangements for a good, old fashioned, patriotic celebration of„ludcpendenee Day.