Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1903 — The Evangelists Are Here. [ARTICLE]

The Evangelists Are Here.

The evangelists who are to continue the revival at the Christian church arrived Saturday evening and began their labors Sunday: Rev. Shearer is a powerful and interesting preacher and Mr. Harrold correspond!? gifted as a singer. The meetings promise to be an important evedt in the religious work of our city. The attendance at both Sunday services was very large, that at the evening service being much beyond the seating capacity of the church. Meetings will be held every afternoon and evening

Of course, as was to be expected, the Brook Reporter counts to the defense of Congressman Crumpackenand in the only method of newspaper controversey it is cap able of blackgaurdism and falsehood. The congressman will gain nothing in the opinions of any decent people by such a defense from such a source. We shall waste no time answering the Reporter, except just enough to say that it repeals tb«same silly falsehood which the two Crumpacker organs here the Democrat and the Journal, have also circulated, knowing it to be false, that the editor of thitpaper has been an applicant for some position in Crumpacker's control, and been turned down. There is not one word of truth in this statement, from whatever source and in whatever shape it may come. In no way, shape nor form, directly or indirectly has the editor of this paper or anyone in any way connected with it, ever been an applicant for any office since Mr. Orumpaokor has been in Congress.

Representative Sidney Cantwell, of Hartford City, introduced a bill in the Indiana house, Friday increasing the amount City Councils may levy’for public libraries, from six-tenths of a mill to one mill; on the dollar. Thia bill, although not introduced with any reference to the library situation in Rensselaer, is just what would put us in shape to secure the Carnegie offer; and we hope the bill will be pushed by Representative Wilson and Senator Wolcott. We may add here that people need have no alarm about a great increase in taxation if thia bill passes. Even if the council here were to go to the limit and levy a library tax of one mill on the dollar, it only means a payment of 10 cents a year by each tax-pay er on each SIOO of assessed valuation. And really the tax would not need to be more than about 1 tenths of a mile now, and as our town increased in wealth the rate of the library tax would diminish.

The Indiana house has passed the bill whioh legalizes Sunday base ball in cities of over 100,000 populations, which lets in only Indianapolis. The contest over the bill brought oat a very unusual combination. The, saloon keepers and ministers or Indianapolis worked hand in band against the bill. The saloon keepers opposed it because they wanted the young fellows who otherwise Wuu’d go out and play or watob base boil Bunday afternoons to 'oaf around their places and spend «h*ir moasy-for beer. Why the ministers opposed it, we are not clear. Probablythrough the mistaken ideas that some place in the scripture" non Id- be found a passage whioa. oouhb be construed to make a little healthful base ball on Sunday afternoon a sinful amusement, while driving around for pleasure, making social visits and eating big dinners day is doing the work of the Lord. And that the cause of religion will be benefitted by forcing, by laws, a Puritanic observance of the day upon unwilling people Petitionsfagainst the Luhring bill, whioh repeals the blanket Jremons trance feature of the Nicholson law, were opened in the Methodist, Christian and F. W. Baptist churches Sunday and

about 100 nntnwe were attached. This paper has always been in favor of local option and as this blanket remonstrance feature is only' local option, and in an awkward and disadvantageous form at that, we are opposed to its repeal now. Moreover, it is well k.TOwn that there was a wed understood, though tacit arrangement, that there would be no organized attempt made to change the temperance laws this winter; by eitner the liquor tn-tri or the temperance people; and this springing of this Lniihng bill pow looks very much like a piece of sharp practice and an act of bad faith. We believe this repeal bill onght to be defeated, and believe-fem her. that it is not. it will creat such a strong feeling among temperance people that the ultimate result will be worse for the liquor interests than the presentTaw is. When Tom Reed died a month or two ago it Was too good a chance to he interviewed for Congressman Crumpacker to miss, so he told a newspaper man how he came to be such a blooming ‘Tndependeul” in Congress, He says that Reed called him one day and said, in effect these words: ‘‘Young feller, there is no use in being a feller unless you’r a deuce of a feller, and the way to be that is to kick up your heels at your party and your constituent's, and do as you please on every occasion,” “That is the rule 1 have always followed and my district likes me all the better for it, and continues to re-elect me term after term.”

Crumpacker says he took Reed’s advice, and the fact thak daring his terms in Congress he has voted oftener with the Democrats than with the Republicans, on important party and administration measures, is proof that he speaks truly. But what a supremely great man like Reed could do in the line of party treachery and yet keep his position, is no certain indication that a man of ordinary abilities like Crumpacker could do the same thing. And even Tom Reed saw his finish after a while and when he dropped he dropped awful hard finish came when Reed entered the race for the Republican nomination for president against that always true and faithful Republican, Wm. McKinley. When Reed did that he learned just how strong a hold his boasted independence had given him on the people. He was beaten so badly that people hardly knew that he was running at all. And soon after that he retired from public life, a beaten, bitter, disappointed man, knowing that his dearest ambition, that to be president, was forever doomed to disappointment.

Persistent political treachery generally meets its Nemesis, sooner or latter. It did in Reed’s case, and, in spite of snap conventions, patronage-bought newspapers, and professional political heelers it will some day, in Crumpacker’s case.