Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1875 — THE NEW SPEAKER. [ARTICLE]

THE NEW SPEAKER.

At Sooth Bend on the Bth day of next February the surviving mem* bers of the gallant old 48th regiment Indiana infantry will celebrate the 14th anniversary, of the departure of that regiment for the front- You will be ou hand? The letter list Is no longer published by authority of the poetoffice department; at least that institution no longer pays for having it done. Thus in one way and another this government of ours cuts down its expenses. —Jasper Republican. Yes, yes; certainly! llow very economical we become on the eve of a presidential election! Save a dollar or two a year from some country newspaper office and add twenty-five thousand dollars a year to the president's salary. By the Girard Press published in Crawford counlv, Kansas, we learn l * that corn is now being shipped to eastern markets from that point in large quantities, several car loads leaving daily. The ruling price at Girard is 21 cents a bushel, at Osage Mission it is 20 cents. A private letter from that section reports the crop husking out from one-eighth to one-fourth better than wa& anticipated. ■ —r • One by one the roses fall. General Benjamin Harrison has caused an open letter to be published, *in which he peremptorily declines to be a candidate before the Indiana republican convention for nomination for governor. Not because be is “without a proper sense of public obligation, or devoid of interest in the success of the republican party.” Bui because bis personal affairs are not in a condition to make it wise lor him to neglect his profession and engage in such a canvass; or, in other words, “it won’t pay.”

interesting Grange news will be foUhd on the second page of this paper. On the sixth page is an abstract of the reports of the Post Master General, General Sheridan and Commissioner Smith; also, resolutions of the Woman’s National Temperance Convention. The second page contains four solid columns of news summary, pertaining to foreign, domestic, personal, poli ical and state affairs. Do not fail to read The Union through this week, and' having done so say a good for it to your neighbor, and if possible induce him to subscribe for it. It was announced last week that the Register and Herald at Crown Point had been consolidated and would henceforth appear as the Register enlarged and improved, under the management of Frank Bedell proprietor of the Register and Mr. G. W. Ainsworth, of Plainfield, whom Rensselaer people will recollect for his lecture in this place not long ago upon the subject of training up boys. Crown Point ihas business enough to comfortably support a good weekly newspaper, and the new combination have talent and means to conduct one. The Union extends congratulations to Messrs. Bedell & Ainsworth and wishes them complete success.

Upon the assemblage of the Ilonse of Representatives last Monday, Hon. Michael C. Kerr was elected Speaker by a vote of 173 to 106 for James G. Blaine and 4 scattering. This geutleman is a member of the Indiana delegation, having been elected to represent the third district. He was born in Titusville, Pa., March 15th, 1827, and moved to Indiana in 1847 when he engaged in teaching school and the study of law. After being admitted to the bar he settled at New Albany. In 1856 he was elected to the state legislature; in 1862 reporter of the supreme court; and in 1864 to congress where he has since served continuously with one interruption which occurred in 1872 when he was defeated in convention for the nomination. Of course Mr. Kerr is a democrat in politics; but he does not belong to the reckless, ultra, rampant school of Bourbons. In point of ability, if not particularly brilliant be is at

least respectable. His hatyts are industrious and persevering.. He bears the reputation of being well-balanced, cautious, safe; a reliable partisan, a good debater, a fair parliamentarian; and, above all other qualifications, he is strictly honest. A member of the congress which passed the sal-ary-grab act, He neither voted for that iniquity ifor accepted the bribe. II(Ms in favor of free trade, that is to say, of a tariff for revenue only, as against the present unjust and oppressive protective policy pf the governmfnt. Upon the currency problem lie stands opposed to increasing the public debt and in favor of a return to specie values as rapidly as commercial affairs will permit. The democratic members of congress exhibited rare good sense in the selection of Mr. Kerr as their leader. There is no dobbt hut that he will acquit himself honorably in the high position he has been called to fill, and reflect credit upon his nation, his supporters apd himself.