Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1878 — A REPREHENSIBLE PRACTICE. [ARTICLE]

A REPREHENSIBLE PRACTICE.

Minister* of the gospel and school teachers have the same right under the constitutions and laws of the nation and state to think about and discuss political questions that other people have who engage in the newspaper profession, the law, mercantile pursuits, agriculture, or any other avocation in* life; yet they are too often assailed by the press, and the speakers who are paid to harangue public meetings, with a violence which indicates that they would have the mass of people look upon the exercise of this common right, by men in those two professions, as highly reprehensible, if not really criminal. In its attacks upon Rev. Mr. De la Matyr, the national candidate for con- ' gress in the sixth district, who has also been endorsed by the democracy, the Indianapolis Journal and other republican newspapers are pursuing an unwise policy whenever they assail that gentleman for engaging in political discussions. It is perfectly legitimate for them to attack the doctrines he has espoused and of which he is now the recognized representative, but these attacks must be confined within the proper limits of fair discussion and not bo extended into the domains of persona) detraction, defumatiou of character, or the villification of his private calling. While few would be likely to advocate a union of the interests of church and state, and I'm: Union would certainly not be of that number, it Ib not impossible that a larger proportion of the teachers of religion and morality among those who are chosen to make and execute laws might be beneficial to the public. Whatever may be the individual belief of Robert Ingersoll or any other intldel in the republican party upon the proposition here submitted, The Union does not think that harm would result from the Infhsion into partisan potties of a little more of those priueiples of honor and charity and justice which have elevated to tlte highest known standard of civilization the peoples Who are called Christian*. Last week a cowardly anonymous scribbler.mad<ta low, vulgar, personal attack upon one of tho teachers in the public schools of Kcusselaer. because, as alUfgcd, bo is a republican. The, proprietor of the titmocratio Senllnel, who cherishes a petty feeling of spite for the school board, gave publicity to

the article. Deltaocrata aa party men are inatloctlvely opposed to publlo schools. To antagonize and cripple the free school system is among those ‘‘time-honored” characteristics that democrats delfgfi't to boast over. Besides being instinctively an enemy to progress, universal education and enterprise, the proprietor of the .Democratic Sentinel Is also prompted so the course began In his paper lost week by two personal considerations. The first arises from bh'agrin at the failure of his children to pass the requisite examination for desired promotion, and th 6 second springs out of his failure to bid low enough to secure the contract to print the school catalogues of last year and' this. It is a flagrant outrage, that cannot be condemned In too strong terms, for the press to make war upon the whether public or private, and attempt to destroy tWf confidence and harmony that should exist between teacher and patron, no matter what the alleged provocation may be. So long as teachers are qualified, competent, and are fulfilling their duties to pupils and patrons, just so long are they entitled to the sympathy and encouragement of the public. Theirs is a calling of grave responsibility; theirs au arduous task. As members of a profession they are entitled to the foremost seats of honor; and a libertyloving people should cherish for them sentiments of warmest gratitude. The subject of partisan politics and the subject of sectarian religion should be barred out of the school room. Those who attempt to drag them in are enemies of society < and society should treat them as sucln But this does not interfere with the rights of preachers and teachers, who, at all proper times and in all proper places, are entitled to the same freedom of thought and the same freedom of speech that other people find such great privileges to enjoy. That the school board of Rensselaer has never taken into consideration the political or religious bias of those api plying to them tot employment as ; teachers there fs abundant evidence to establish. What eviry patron and every tax-payer should now demand is, that a democratic newspaper cease attempting to disturb the pleasant relations of our common schools.

A democratic exchange in a neighboring county insists that there are not less than three hundred national greenback party adherents in Jasper county; and the Democratic Sentinel tries to confirm that impression by saying that they exceed that number. So far as the local paper is concerned, it speaks recklessly and at random, or else is deliberately practicing decdpftion. From the best information that can be obtained—with more than ten years intimate acquaintance with the politics of the county, and twenty-five years acquaintance with the people—witli the facilities afforded by the chairmanship of a county political organization to keep informed—we are of the belief that there aro less than one hundred. In Jasper county the nationals and the democrats pooled their local issues and have but one ticked. For policy the democrats call themselves nationals or green backers, aud say they will vote the ticket of that party; but they talk thus without any intention of voting that way farther than their coalition extends. If it were asked the writer how many votes the national county ticket would receive his answer would be: From eight hundred to a thousand. If asked bow many votes the democratic local ticket will command ids reply would be the same. But this does net mean that the republican opposition here is sixteen hundred to two thousaud strong. If our democratic contemporary has any actual knowledge—if he climbs down from the pinuacle of desire aud imagination, and grapples with truth a few minutes —he must admit that the national state ticket aud the national candidate for congress are not likely to receive one hundred votes iu Jasper county —probably considerable less. If this is a mistaken estimate, if it is too small, the additional number, whatever that may be, is something that gives positive help to the republicans, because it is all from the" democratic roster. And we strongly suspect there may be something of the kind glowing, for the democracy are badly demoralized throughout Indiaua as well as in Maine, while the republicans ate harmonious, well organized, aud cuufldent of victory.

'James Nlckell, flat-commune candidate for shertflT, is pooling his issues as recommended by Kearney. He sent a memorial to the flat-commune nominating convention that met in Starr’s Hall, in the early part of summer, Which contained this phdge: To tht Chairman and Delegate* ofth* Xatlonal Greenback county convention, Mumbled in Sent-' eelaer, Indiana, Juno 5M.1878: Sth.—Should 1, or should I not, be tho choice of your convention for theoAeeof county »hcr--1 (T, I pledge niyaelt to work icnlouoly not only for my own election but for the success of tlie entire tioket. This is a fair, square, written promise, bio ding upon an honorable man, to labor zealously for the success of the national greenback state tioket of Indiana anti for the electibh of Mr. Skluner to congress. Since that ebuveutioa-, Mr. H fckelf has written at

least one letter In yvhicb ho repeated the pledge. But Mr. Htakell hmd also made other statements. He Iran assured old fashioned democrats fit ; various parts of the eouhty that {hew} written pledges are if mere decoy; fji'at he did not go. into the flat oonyenttoa, that he is as mech a democrats* ever, and wltt vote the democratic state amt ! congressional ticket. 8b mufch’ for flfform and honesty? „ Several weeks dgo Mr. Earn C. Nowels, fiat candidate for auditor of, Jasper county, visited this-office a»*H’ desired The Uniom (o' announce that, he was not a democrat; that for a number of years he has been in tbrf habit of voting against democrats for public office; that uptmore than one fourth of the solmera who enlisted in. the Union army were from’ the "lower, and uneducated olasses of But Mr. Nowels omitted to explain why his name appeared attached as chairman to a call fbV a democratic township convention, this last nor would he explain Why lie bitterly opposed the War, nor what made hinf so conspicuously hostile and offensft* to the soldier boys in the war times. There are scores of living witnesses who have personal knowledge that' Mr. Nowels was one of the most violent and bitter young Copperheads tn Jasper county. There was no abuse too mean and no slanders too crpel for him to heap upon the gallant men who enlisted iu defence of the Union. The democracy of White county claim to have tiiat Mr. Major and Mr. Brown, if elected to the legislature, will support the democratic caucus nominee for United' States senator. - —fl-vp... , I Iriftll •‘Pool your isstfee,” said Kearned,' and the democracy of acting on that advice lost over 25,000 votes.