Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1899 — AN OUNCE A PREVENTIVE [ARTICLE]

AN OUNCE A PREVENTIVE

Rochester Republican: The Kewanna Herald says the “Rochester Bridge company has closed down its works, its manager asserting that it cannot successfully compete with the bridge trust recently formed.” If that is so then all the cry about trusts robbing the people is dead wrong. If the bridge factories not in the trust cannot compete in prices with the trust then it is evident that trusts are cheapening prices instead of becoming robber monopolies, as the Democrats are telling us. The facts are that the counties in Indiana are well supplied with iron bridges and the demand is becoming quite limited, Add this to the fact that about other county in northern Indiana has a bridge factory of its own and you have the secret of the whole matter. With the present competition in price, and facilities for making bridges a factory shoutd build at least one bridge per week to make a paying profit. ' ■/

The editor of the Democrat asserts that the present prosecution of himself and of Mr. Jesson for criminal libel is the only instance that ever came to his notice of one editor prosecuting another for libel. But did he ever know before of one editor publishing against another such a false, scurrilous, outrageous, and wholly unjustifiable an article as the one he has jnst published against the editor of this paper, and which has resulted most justly and righteously in prosecution. The prosecution of one editor by another for slander is not an onboard of thing by any means, and if the deoent and self respecting members of the profession were to adopt that method more frequently it would be much better for the credit of tbe newspaper profession and much to the advantage of society in general. The law and the courts are indeed, the proper agencies to employ against professional sjwiderers, both for private indiWduals and for the decent newspapers. Tbe decent newspaper editor who tries to answer slanderers after their own methods, simply brings himself into the same disrepute with them. And the private citizen who takes into his own hands the task of punishing the slanderers by personal castigation, thereby not only subjects himself to prosecution, but gives to the slanderers the opportunity they usually covet, of posing as martyrs.

A recent decision of the U. S. Supreme coart, in a case from Ohio,' has attracted a good deal of attention in this state, as it is thought by many to practically invalidate what is known as the Barrett law. The decision, so far as we can learn, i<s to the purport that public improvements, like street paving, side-walks, sewers etc., when the cost is charged to adjoining property owners, should not be charged on the basis of frontage, but assessed in proportion to the benefits received. We have heard of some places in this state where contracts fpr street improvements under the Barrett law, already under way have been abandoned by the contractors, for fear of the effects of this decision, Kokomo being specially affected. Other cities and towns which had improvements iu contemplation have SMpended action, awaiting develonements, our neighboring town M /laa/lloh/I Kp j ff rtna f\f 11l ASP _ # AI j « mil taro from too papers tn©re.

I have private funds to loan on ,rsal estate at low rates for any, length of time. Funds are always on hands and there is no delay—no examination of land, no sending papers east—absolutely no red tape Why do you wait on insurance companies for 6 months for your money? I also loan money for short times at current bank rates. Funds always on hand.

W. B. AUSTIN.

Is worth a pound of cure. Try a bottle of Dr. Caldwell’s Syrup Pep-' sin and, if properly taken, it will positively • prevent rheumatism or any other kindred trouble arising from a torpid condition of the bowels, liver and kidneys. Trial sizes 10c, other size 50c and $1 of A. F. Long.