Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1875 — Headed Him Off. [ARTICLE]

Headed Him Off.

The Commercial Bulletin tells this story: An insurance agent who had expended fifteen minutes of eloquent argument with a well-known Boston business man was brought to a temporary pauso by the latter’s quietly opening a drawer of his desk and taking therefrom a skull upon which was inscribed, “ All that’s left of the last drummer that called,” and placing it before him. r! “ A capital idea,” remarked the drummer. “Yes,” said the merchant, “ and we propose to add to our collection.” “ Very good,” was the reply- “J shall be happy to aid you,* and in case you take a ride in our offica .will agree to furnish you an inscription for the second skull.” “ And what will that be?” inquired the merchant. . b ■- ’ “ All that was left of the man that was called on, except his insurance in the Bonanza Life Insurance Company.” 1 —: ; ’ —The Board of Hebrew Ministers of Philadelphia have sent a Communication to the Board of Education ih that cityasking that the use of Dp Wayland's " Elements of Moral Sclehcd” be discontinued in the public schools, on the ground thut its teachings are objectionable to | Jewish parents. —The fifty-second Baptist State Convention ot Connecticut embraces 128 churches, 19,068 comimiuicauts, 137 Sundayschools and 17,152 pupils. The sum of $12,442 was raised during the year to aid jveak churches, and thirty-four of them, deceived assistance.

Prof. A.' C. Shortridge, president of Purdue University at Lafayette, has tendered his resignation. The 'reported cause of this action is the opposition that has long been manifested towards his administration. 'i , ~~ ' = We want to inform the Rbnsselabu Umiom that the Record is so far superior to De Forest’s Remington Journal that there is no comparison —Reminffton Record. Palsied be the tongue that intijnates any thing to the contrary; but what baa that to do with the price of corn, or St. Louis whiskey? In connection with other compli' men tar y allusions, the Laporte Her•ld in a recent issue say*, The Uniom ’’lost all ‘true inwardness’ politically two or three years- ago.” Thia is greater praise than Thb Umion would have dared to hope had it ever been guilty as accused. "Death from intoxication and exposure to cold” was the verdict a Pulaski county coroner’s jury returned after sitting upon the corpse of Jared Tunis, which was recently found by the roadside between Winamac and his home. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. * Harry Wolcott, agent of the Toledo, Wabash <fc Western railroad at Logansport, and son of Hod. Anson Wolcott, of White county, was recently shot twice in the forehead — though not fatally—for declining to drink with a ruffian named Bearss. The latter was held to bail in bonds of SI,OOO to await the action of the grand jury. It will be remembered that one Bam. Wilkinson deprecated any public 'exposure of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, “because,” said he, “it would knock the Life of Christ higher than a kite.” The Life of Christ alluded to was a book by that title on which Mr. Beecher was then engaged. Recent developments prove that Mr. Wilkinson’s fears were well grounded, for the publishers of said book, Messrs. J. B. Ford & Co., are bankrupts with liabilities amounting to $225,000. Few kites ever reach that altitude. More new subscriptions have been received at this office during the past week than at any previous period of the same length, except, perhaps, during the heat of a political campaign. Thankful to a generous public for these substantial tokens* of appreciation, the manager of Thb Union will endeavor to conduct his paper in such manner as to make it worthy of the liberal patronage it already enjoys. With very little effort each friend might secure one .or more subscribers and thereby assist oar effort to make Thb Union one of the best local papers published. Tuesday’s papers contained the report of testimony elicited at the trial of chief clerk Avery, for complicity in the whiskey frauds, now in progress at St Louis, that implicates General Babcock, of President Grant’s household, in the nefarious transactions. The charge is specific and direct, that be kept the ring posted by telegrams of the movement of Washington officials while they were attempting to ferret out the rascality Of the ring; and apperances seem very strong that others ocupying even higher positions under the government and who hold closer relatidns to the President, will be implicated in the criminal business, if an honest and thorough investigation is made. Bishop D wenger, of the Fort Wayne diocese, in whose jurisdiction U the Roman Catholic church at Rensselaer, has engaged to erect a college at Fowler, m Benton county. The building will have a frontage of 700 feet. The Catholic TAftaph says that Moses Fowler, Rsq,,ef Lafayette, though not a Catholic, has donated for the institution 320 acres of the finest land adjoining the town, for a Benedictine convent and college; the lands are valued st $20,000. The Abbey of St. Boniface of Munich in Bavaria, Europe, and St Meinrad, Indiana, will unite in the establishment of this institution. By the conditions of the donation, $75,000 will be expended on the proposed structure next year.

® * I So it seems a Rensselaer man has been cultivating a small libel suit way off in tue southern part of the State, and/roe season being unfavorable it did not yield a very large crop. The Connersville Examiner, of November 16th, publishes this in relation to the aforesaid speculation: “t The libel suit instituted by A. H. Woods against’D. W. Andre for five thousand dollars damage, came oft’ last week, and resulted in a verdict for the defendant. Woods has returned to his home in Rensselaer, a “wiser, if not a sadder man.” So much for a “blarsted” character. Ttfo theories may be advanced in regard to decisions of this kind: First, that the plaintiff has no character to damage; second, that it is so good* and well established as to be beyond the power of the defendant to tarnish. From our acquaintance with plaintiff we incline to the latter view of tfre subject. As was intimated in these columns last week, investigation developer that the murder of Rev. Mr. Tolby in New Mexico was not instigated by religious fanaticism; but, the papers say, has been traced directly to a ring of land speculators at Santa Fe, and was in retaliation for letters written by Mr. Tolby to papers in the east, which contained serious charges of swindling. Judge Longwell, or Longwill, and one Mills are accused of being privy to the murder, from the fact of their supposed connection with the Santa Fe ring. Mr. Tolby and W. D. Lee, Esq., formerly an attorney of Rensselaer, now residing in Lafayette, it is reported, were some way connected as partners in land speculations in the Teritory; and the former was acting in the capacity of resident agent. It may be reasonably expected that investigations now going on will result in still further light on this subject before a very great length of time shall have elapsed.

The independents seems to be leaning toward the third term. — South Bend Tribune. What is the use of lying about a silly thing like that? So far the only ones who openly declare in favor of this dangerous heresy are Col. McDonald, who was recently convicted of complicity in the St Louis whiskey frauds and is now in prison awaiting the sentence of court, and the Washington Chronicle, generally known as the President’s kitchen organ, edited by young Forney. However, to ascertain the strength of the movement it is only necessary to count the newspapers and people who advocate and vote the unscratched republican ticket under all conditions and all circumstances. If danger of a third term is to be feared at all, it is from bigots who discover nothing evil in their party organization, and nothing good outside of it, and not from those who dare and are honest enough to think, to act, and to vote independent of party dictation. It has been decided by the republican central committee of Indiana to hold a State delegate convention at Ihdianapohs, on the 22d day of February, next, to adopt a platform for the campaign of 1876, and nominate candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorntyueneral, four judges of the supreme court, clerk of the supreme court, reporter of the supreme court, and superintendent of public instruction. The vote of October, 1872, (not that of last election) is made the basis of representation, which is fixed at one delegate for every one hundred votes, and one for each fraction over fifty cast for Mr. Curry. Whether it is anticipated that all who voted for that gentleman then will participate in the primaries to appoint delegates to this state convention, or whether it is even desired that they should, is not yet authoritatively announced. Upon the basis adopted, Jasper county is entitled to ten delegates in the slate convention. *lt is presumed that a call will be issued for a county convention's! Rensselaer to appoint these delegated, but just when this will be held is not yet announced. It has long been intimated, or guessed at, and it is not improbable, that Jasper county contains one or more aspirants for positions upon the Indiana republican state ticket. Let them no. up and be successful. P

An Uncompromising republican paper is the Girard (Kansas) Preee. In a late number it quotes The Union as an independent paper of the better class. This may be con-* sidered the superlative degree ofi praise. Independent newspapersarc the best; and to be in the best class of the best is about as lofty rank as a limoble country journal need ever aspire to, or expect to attain. The Indiana Farmer has become one of the leading agricultural journals of the West. It is a large eight page weekly, (same size as The Union), is specially devoted to the agricultural interests of Indiana, and for that reason is the best agricultural paper Indiana farmers can take. Published at Indianapolis, it reaches all points of the State on the week of publication. Before making up their lists of papers for 1876, farmers who are not acquainted with the Indiana Farmer should send for sample copies, or call at this office and examine it on our exchange table. The Farmer offers a remarkably attractive premium list this year, headed with an eighty acre tract of choice land situated in the famous great ’Arkansas river valley in Kansas, followed by numerous other valuable articles. Agents will find it, one of the best paper to solicit for. A gentleman of this county recently informed us that he was so well pleased with the Farmer that he had promised to> make up a club of at least twenty subscribers in his own neighborhood, and would have little difficulty in doing so. The subscription price of the Farmer is $2. per annum; it is clubbed with The Union (both together) for $3.50.

Col. J. F. Hoy delivered two temperance lectures in Rensselaer, this week, which were well attended; but somehow they fell below the expectations that newspaper reports had inspired. Especially is this true of the first one, which was prosy, illogical, and fanatical. It is not exactly in the best of taste to recount the follies and misdeeds of one's life before an audience of strangers; it smacks largely of egotism, and then as a rule people do net care to be bored with a recital of such things any more than they would by an exhibition of physical deformities, chronic ulcers, aud the like. That intemperance is a blighting evil, and a prolific parent of crime, has not been disputed for ages; but it does not follow, nor is it true, that all who manufacture or sell liquor are criminals, or even bad men. - That wines, ales, beers and liquids which contain a larger per centage of alcohol are valuable adjuncts to the economy of life is incontestably proven by the ho&rly experience of physicians, artists, mechanics,,manufacturers, chemists, and the researches of science. Alcohol, which is the active principle of these a poison. So is arsenic, mercury, strychnine, lead, and each of the thousand mineral aud botanical agents of materia medica. Nearly every article in use by dyers, painters, chemists and physicians of all the schools is a poison deleterious to man. Yet they who extract them, compound them, or sell them, may be good or bad without reference in any manner to their occupation. That many who are engaged in the manufacture and traffic of liquor are bad people is proven by the reports of the trials in progress at St. Louis; that some who deal in liquor, and who desire to do so, are neither villains nor the dregs of society, is as well proven by an acquaintance with the proprietors of drug stores throughout the land, and some who apply for license. It is not the one that distils whiskey, brews beer, or ferments wine, nor him that sells it under the restrictions of law, who is the criminal; but it is the person that makes improper use of it, to the injury of himself, his family, and society. The law* nor public opinion does ffijtt hold him guilty as an accessory who makes or sells the daggeF or pistol with which an assassin kills his victim, or a suicide destroys himself; then why should public sentiment change positions with relation to tradesmen that supply a different kind-of weapon for the same purposes? Temperance advoeates

have erred in their plan of attack. They weaken tjieir efforts every day by enlisting for the drunkard and real offender a mawkish senti•mentalism in community—a sympathy. that he does not deserve. Drunkenness, if a crime, should be treated as such; and those who are guilty of it ought to be punished like other offenders. Turkey recently settled a troublesome financial problem in an expeditious manner. The government owed Roman capitalists $5,000,000 and by one act canceled her obligation, that act was repudiation. If, as it is sometimes stated, there is no such word as failin the bright lexicon of youth, it is high time that a revised and corrected edition was published, which will contain all the words in common use in the language; for it is a shame that young people of this advanced nineteenth century pre being brought up in gross ignorance of the name of one of the most frequent occurrences in modern business lifer 2 -” ■ In the Remington Record of November 26th, iris published that oats were selling for 25 cents a bushel, potatoes 40 cents, lard 15 cents a pound, butter 25 cents, eggs 20 cents a dozen, flour $4.20 per hundredweight. Stores were closed Thanksgiving day from 9 o’clock a. in. to 4 o’clock p. m. Typhoid and lung fever this season are fatal in nearly every case. N. C. Pettit has opened a new bakery, and baked his first batch of bread last Saturday. Col. J. F. Hoy lectured Monday night upon the “Mistakes and blunders of life.” Agooddeal of prejudice is manifested by citizens towards Joy’s dancing school. Calvine E. Nutt, 15 years old, died in Remington on the 22nd of November. A “grand” ball is announced for Christmas eve. The semiannual meeting of the Jasper County Sabbath School Union will be held in the Presbyterian church at Remington, on the 16th, 17th and 18th davs of December. ... 'F/ ‘ -I •

Boys from eight to fifteen years old amuse themselves at Remington by placing the muzzle of loaded shot guns at one anothers ears and pull back the hammer to‘ knocking thunder’ out ofold oyster cans.” A Remington dealer advertises “cramberries” for sale. Messrs. Charles Hathaway, G. B. Chappell, W. H. Shaw, W. H. Price, Dr. Landon and W. W. Foster were appointed at a repent public meeting to consider the advisability of calling a temperance mass meeting in one of the churches at an early day. e » » The Indianapolis Sun has taken high rank among the political newspapers of the country, aud is edited with marked ability. It is fearless and candid in the discussion of leading questions of reform, especially in currency and finance, and its general appearance presents attractions equal to any weekly in the country. For terms, see advertisement elsewhere. Dr. Hitchcock suggests a new raid on the liquor dealers, for causes which will add a novel argument to those already urged by total abstinence advocates. The vital statistics of the United States, he says, show a’mortality of from 7 to 16 per cent, traceable to the use of alcoholic drinks. In New York, $56 a year for each inhabitant is spent for such beverages, by which life is shortened 28 per cent. Each State should ascertain, by a commission, how much loss it suffers from the tragic in liquor, and should .assess that loss on. the dealers equitably according to their sales.— American. We are informed that the question for debate at the literary society tomorrow evening, is: “Have our county commissioners the moral right to grant license to sell intoxicating liquors?” To our way of thinking there is but one side to the above question—the affirmative. If our commissioners are legally bound to grant a license under certain circumstances (and they are) then they are morally bound to sustain the law, and any actions to the contrary would only brand them as peijurers. The law says if “such and such be proven, said applicant shall be granted a license,” and when our commissioners assumed the duties of their office, they obligated themselves tobeguided by that law. Then could this law be ignored; a contrary course be taken, and yet they be doing morally right? We think not, and that such questions as the above would only be an impeachment of the honor, and integrity of meifif w’ho, much their persofiM feelings may conflict with their decisions, are bound to be ruled by the law' of our land. There is a wrougin selling this vile and accursed poison, and there is a great wrong done to the people bv protecting with the law that which has proved to them naught blit a curse; but to our legislatures we must lay the blame, and not to our county commissioners. —Remington Record.