Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1878 — THE JASPER COUNTY GREENBACKERS. [ARTICLE]

THE JASPER COUNTY GREENBACKERS.

Elsewhere in The UNtoN to-day appears (lie call for an independent greenback convention at Rensselaer, on the 20th instant. We cheerfully give it a gratuitous publication, and spread wide open the columns of this paper to their occupation. It is true that the manager of Thk Union* has no sympathy at all with the chief doctrine of their creed; does not believe that the one-thouoandth part of one cent’s worth of paper and ink can he made to become of the intrinsic value of 25 grains of gold or4l2gßpins of silver by any act of the American congress, the British parliament, the French chamber of deputies, or the German reichstadt, either in separate capacity or combined as a world’s financial anchcoinmerchil convocation But these are the opinions of a single individual, who represents only himself, and speaks for nobody else. The republican party of Indiana at the last election were in close sympathy with the mischievous heresies of greenbackism. Every republican representative in congress from tills state was made to stand upon a platform of greenback principles and to advocate his faith in the forum. Every one of them lias since faithfully carried out these ante-election pledges from his seat in the house of representatives, so far as it lias been in his power to do. Tile greenback was of republican birtli and republicans will take good care of a child' that has been so serviceable. The republican newspapers throughout the state of Indiana, with possibly a few isolated exceptions, are advocates of the rankest kind of greenback principles —(he repeal of the resumption act, the reissue of the greenbacks withdrawn from circulation, the marketing of the §300,000,000 provided by the act of 1873, the expansion of the legal-tender attribute to cover duties and imposts and interest on the public debt except where there is no question of a fair and specific contract to the contrary, the indiscriminate taxation of'every representative of value of whatever nature that may be reached under the constitution. This faction is strong enough to control the republican state convention, and the most that the “honest money” fragment can hope to do is to prevent the public exhibition of wilder lunacy than that shown by the democracy. The Union* readies a friendly hand •Rythe greehbackcrs of Jasper county and the state. Why? Because it is independent enough to admire independence, pluck and fearlessness ns abstract qualifies. How can it do this and tie consistent with itself and the doctrines it advocates? Just this way: The money question will not, be the subject at issue in Indiana tills campaign. The independents, the democrats and the republicans will in their platforms advocate substantially the same doctrine on this subject. The context in Indiana* wtlhtletiHally torn upon three propositions: 1. The reduction of the salaries of state and county officers to correspond with the universal shrinkage of values. 2. The reapportionCaent yf the legislative purposes. 3. The election of a tinited States senator. Upon these three practical propositions there Is no issutTo? 6jnnTdn~wUli'lße republicans and independents, ut least to this extent: both parties are united upon the first proposition, and both oppose the democratic party on the second and third. In their silver meeting at Indianapolis }n January. J and James Buchanan, two old-titne republicans, carried things their own way, and to such utter disgusf. of the democracy J

that Gov. Hendricks strode majestically from the hall, a modern IjUcifer sweeping one-third of the assembled luminaries out into tin'darkness With him. The same meeting cheered vociferously whenever the name of John Hanna, the leading republican representative in congress from our stats, Was mentioned, and ns a part of their official proceedings adopted a flattering resolution approving Ills course. To retnlinto upon them, the democracy subsequently ignored them entirely in their state convention as they have studiously done everywhere in the state since the lust campaign. John' L. Miller, until very recently an active republican worker in Tippecanoe county, is chairman of the independent organization of the state, having been substituted for Judge Harrington uu old-time Uemocrat who wus kicked out by Uncle Charley Test. In this county, Mr. Brown who was elected to the lower branch of the legislature as an indej»endent four years ago, was “sat down” upon by the democracy of Jasper and White counties, in a mongrel convention at Brudford two years ago, whore the democratic auditor of this county and his cousin the editor of the democratic newspaper in Rensselaer Wore conspicuous figures. It was told in tliat convention and elsewhere, by his p«e~tcmled democratic friends, that Mr. Brown had taken sundry little tilings belonging to the state sos the use of himrelf and friends without giving an equivalent. The real cause of their enmity was the fact that he did not vote Tor Mr. McDonald lor United States senator, und they had found that they could not reduce him to a mere puppet. The democrat whom the independents elected auditor of this county four years ago, did not stop witli poisoning the miuds of iris tellow-democrats agaiust Hon. Geo. H. Brown, hut studiously and systematically ignored every independent of republican antecedents wherever lie has had occasion to make appointments to offices of political character, and even imported his deputy from another comity, in order to be sure of one having' a thorough-bred pedigree. There is no harmonizing the independents with the democracy any *more than the republicans and democrats can unite. The independents and the republicans are fighting a common enemy in this state, which enemy is the old copperhead democracy of 1861-4 with the same old “not-another-rnan, and not-another-dollar” Voorliees bearing their standard. The names of the most prominent gentlemen attached to the call for the convention on the 20th—of those who will manage it against democratic interests, or strangle it —the Hopkinses, Brown, Boroughs, Charley Price, Billy Pierce, Burr, Clinton, Tinkham and Wilcox—are republicans in faith. They can never become Pogue Run demwrats nor work under moss back dictation. Not one could the upheavers persuade to act witli them, although the democracy tried to press them into their service. They neither attended tliedeiuocratie convention nor will they have anything to do with democratic candidates. There was a clear republican majority of 350 last election over the democracy when the independents joined with them. This year, when they are to act independently of each other, every democrat who leaves his own party to vote Vith the greenbackers will virtually add to the republican strength. The call, it will he seen, contains the names of as many democrats as republicans. Should the proportion be the same when the votes are counted next October, and the independents poll 500, the democracy will he worse beaten in Jasper county than at any time In the last twenty years. Ira W. Yeoman, Barkley and others of the democratic county-seat ring who have been running the democracy for their own {lersonul benefit—the hacks that are always candidates for office at every recurring election—are said to be working industriously “on the sly” to keep away all of their party comrades except a few of the shrewder ones, like MolHtlre and Welsh “to draw in the republicans with.” Now The Union in all candor suggests Unit republicans give this convention all possible encouragement. It means to gobble up the democracy, and for this reason is a good thing. The progressive democrats who are tired and sick of the imbecility that managed the upheaval convention will attend this one. More democrats than were present at the simon-pure, standing-collar, Pogue-Run, Bourbon'straight cojiventinn have promised to come out on the 2t)th aud help set the megs for Charley Price, Thomas Boroughs and Col. Healey. They may possibly hear an interesting sermon preached from the text: “I would see *‘a democrat in hell farther than a “pigeon could fly in a week, before I “would vote him—and then I’d see “him damned first,” which text isn’t to be found in the Lamcutalions Of Jeremiah. Mr. Peter M. Ward of Kentlaud is mentioned in connection witli, the republican nominjation for state senator from the 24tli district. He is a lawyer by profession, a gentleman of sterling character, and the possessor of fine abilities which would make him a superior legislator- There is. no gentleman in the district to secure whoso election The Union could more couseieutiously Work. . A -4 ... —I ■—■ »■■■«*. m : —• ■ Ji.'W’iji