VOL. XXX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., JAN. 26,1895.
NO. 4.
'.. ■■^tc&t& %tgteMiou.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
As to legislation my advlvce to the Legislators this session is to act conservetively.
I pay no attention to oranks, who -will
venture where angels would hesitate ti
look. As to compulsory education it will
surely be instrumental in accomplishing
unsatisfactorily what onght to and will be
done by persuasion instead of arbitrary
force. Also a local option liquor law
would be more neighborhood distrurblng,
with less good resulting than the present
law, where sentiment favors morality.
Bat tell them to strengthen the present
law, so that it can be enforced.  R. A. L.
Georgetown.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
There is certainly no other subject of
such vital importance calling for legislation, as that for the protection of our
health and life. The general Gov-
ernment is derelict in not having
established years ago, competent
analytical chemical bnreaus in sufficient number, to compel "purity"
in all manufactured articles of both
food and medicine.
Commercial vinegars, centrifugal
syurps, ginger, including all spices
for culinary purposes, as well as
the milk furnished the public, are
nearly all so "impure," as to be detrimental to health, but are sold as
pure, and strange to say, the people
quietly and willingly submit!
Turning from food to medicine,
the picture—no, the realities are no
better. If the late Doctor Holmes
oould say 40 years ago, "If all the
medicine in the world was cast into
the sea it would be far better fo*
the human family, though bad on
the fish," what may we not say
now, when in the TJni'ed Sta'.e*
alone, several hundred millions
annually are expanded for patent
medicines and nearly all is sold by
fraudulent and persistent representation?
Here in the north and west we claim
the southern people are very slow going,
yet the State of Alabama has come to the
front with a law compelling the formula
of all proprietary medicines to accompany
eaoh package. This is a step in the right
direction, yet no amount of Legislature
would be of any value, unless public opinion would enforce it. But as you desire
brevity I dare not enlarge. In conclusion,
Is it not a strange thing that we tamely
submit; no one going forward?
Twelve specimens of milk out of 17 last
week in Cincinnati were indictable; one
being 92 8 per cent Impure! Whoever will
lead in obtaining protection, coming generations will rise up and call him
"blessed." W. W. Sullivan.
Liberty.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
I see oar legislators are working to get a
law passed to make each county pay for
the Keeley cure for those who are addicted
to drink.
Now, while, this may be right in one
sense, will it not be too great a burden on
the tax payers, while the business of making drunkards is allowed to go on. I think
lt will be a double burden on the honest
people of the State. Bat if those law makers will only wake up to their whole duty
and pass a law to prohibit the manufacture
and Bale of intoxicants, except for medicinal and mechanical purposes, so as to
eease making drunkards, then I think the
people can well afford to pay for the cure
of those already made so by the law.
If the law is passed as suggested it will
not only encourage drunkenness but continually fill the pockets of the Keeley cure
companies with money that ought to go
for other purposes. Wm. C. Hill.
Editors Indiana Fabmeb:
I read with much interest the columns
of the Fabmeb devoted to needed legislation, I heartily endorse this method of
making known to our legislature what
we desire in the way of laws.
I will venture to add one suggestion in
regard to the game law. lt seems to me
that the law as it relates to the shooting of
the prairie chicken is somewhat lame,
owing to the fact tbat it does not give these
birds suffilcent protection. The law allows ns to begin killing them Sept. 1st.
At this time tbe young birds are about
two thirds grown, and instead of Hying
when approaohed by the hunter, they remain in the grass until they, are kicked
out and shot down. An ordinary marksman, when aided by a dog, experiences
little difficulty in getting almost everyone
of any flock he may find. It occurs to me
that in a State  of  this  latitude the law
work his men in April, May, and June,
when men are in a stampede farming,
teams worked down and roads not favorable for hauling. Grading should be done
In the above named months, but that calls
for men with teams. Now what is the
supervisor to do with a lot of men that
have no teams—out-side of a little bridge
or sewer work. He must place them ln
the slde-dltch with spade and shovel, or
some other place to kill time. That Is
about like tbe old reapicg hook compared
with the ' self binder. Many good men
shun Ihe office of supervision from the
fact the law gives him no chance to work
successfully. Why not extend the time—
say from April to De-ember, eight months?
Then men and teams can be worked under
favorable circumstances, and men that
have no teams can work in gravel pits to
good advantage. I would favor the Trus
tee placing the road tax to the extent of
OUB PREMIUM CARRIAGE TO BB GIVEN AW AT APBIL 1, 1895.     PUBCHASED FBOM THE PABBY MFG. CO,
should not be out before the first of November. If this were the case there would
doubtless, within a few years, be an increase in the number of these birds,
whereas under the present law they are
becoming more scarce each year
I have never known such an unmerciful
slaughter of game birds as there has been
this season, and unless something is done
to restrain the hunter, the ultimate result
must be the total extermination of the
prairie chicken, a fact that would be
greatly deplored by all that enjoy an occasional outing with the gun.
I say give them better protection.
Knox Co. F. T B.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
Let me say a few words on the road
question. I am not favorable to taxing a
man sn extra day on the road for each
horse. Some are horse poor now,
and that combined with the low price
would send some of ns the poor-house.
The present road law was gocd enough
away, back in pioneer times, when
men worked the roads by placing poles
and rails over the worst places, and covering them by diging on either side, between
stumps and trees. That was called corduroy, and ODe driving over such road could
truly say there are many ups and downs
In life. The above kind of road work
oould bs done in April, May, and June, as
the law now demands it to be But times
have changed and the present road law is
a very poor thing for this day and age.
My reason is this: Oar work now is large
ly gravel hauling, and any man of ordinary
judgment knows that kind of work can
be done best after harvest, when roads are
good and men and teams are at leisure.
Bat the law compels the Supervisor to
25 cents on the dollar, and the man that
refuses to work the roads deprive him of
his vote, and let the community know
that he is no part of a man.
lf our law makers had to serve a term as
supervisor they would know more about
road work than they do at present. I hope
to hear from other supervisors.
James H. Jonfs Randolph Co.
or twice a year. They should be compelled to go over the roads at least once a
month with two or three hands to make all
needed repairs at once. Any one can see
the necessity of this. The township trustee should appoint all the supervisors in
tils township and shonld have power tb
compel them to go over the roads and repair the same at the proper time. As our
law now stands,entirely too muoh is left to
the option of supervisors and hands. They
may do this, that or tho other in the.Imat-
ter, but they generally choose not to. If
we ever have good roads they will come as
a growth. City lawyer, country or town
dudes never can or will make a practical
road low, or one for the people who are
most interested In the paying of taxes and
working the roads.
Pay the trustees and supervisors a reasonable per diem, so they can afford  to  do
ork and the tax payers will not ob-
 jeci to the amount of tax if they
can see the results ot better roads
from year to year. Also compel
the trustees and supervisors to keep
up, at all road crossings, legible
guide boards for the information of
all travelers. Again, the city and
country should be taxed to support
of highways. Lastly we would say
to the gentlemen of the present
■ Legislature, go slow; do not try to
do tx> much, but amend the road
law In a few places as above indicated and i i a very few years cur
mud reads will be almost a thing
of the past.
There tre other matters that
should receive attention. For instance the free railroad pais system
for all our publia offlolals, State,
county and township, while the
farmer has to pay full fare to the
utmost, the paid official, do not.
To say the least, there Is always
an odor of bribery about the free
pass system. If all officers paid
full fare, the railroads could sell
tickets at two cents per mile to all
and get as much money as now.
Pekin. T. H. B.
Editobs India*a Fabmeb:
I think we are in much need of a revision in our dog laws of Indiana. I am a
farmer and love to have a nice flock of
sheep, but found lt unprofitable last year,
on account of the worthless dogs that roam
the country. Last summer I lost five
choice sheep by dogs, and was obliged to
watch my fl >ck by night, and at last compelled to sell the whole flock to save them
from total destruction. I would favor the
revival of the old "tag law," requiring
the owner of every male dog to pay two
dollars for his tag, and the owner of every
female dog to pay five dollars for a tag, to
be worn on a strap around the neck, and
every dog fonnd without such tag should
be killed by some officer, so authorized. I
think this would thin out some of the
worthless curs. I wonder if any one else
Is bothered with dogs? I. A. F.
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
I will give some of the views of myself
and many of my neighbors as to the road
law. There is great danger of doing too
much and going too far in this matter.
The present road law is as good as we need,
with a few amendments to make it more
effective. It gives aU power to supervisors
and township trustees to make good roads
if they will, but it does not compel them
to do anything but walk over the road once
Editobs Indiana Fabmeb:
I heartily endorse ths views of each
writer on this subject of needed legislation, with but few exceptions. My friend
S. L. C, of Henry county, however,
olaims it is not the hunter that is exterminating the quail. I say the hunter Is the
chief destruction, and therefore prohibit
the killing of quail for all time to come.
Abolish at least three of our county officers, namely: County superintendent,
assessor and coroner. Reducs the salary
of the remainder to from $500 to $1,000.
Compel a voter to show his tax receipt
when challenged, and give us a dog law in
the form of the tab law. Many farmers
are now strongly in favor of it.
Jackson Co. W. D. Bohall.
The temperance bills by Representatives Hunter and Nicholson are exciting
much interest in the legislature. They
are radical and mean business, and will
be vigorously opposed by the saloon lobby.
We earnestly recommend the passage of
the bill entitled, "An act concerning libel
in civil and criminal cases." Our friends
in the legislature will please give it their
careful attention.
We'll Do So.
Onr agent at Columbia, Fayette county,
in sending a club for the Fabmeb, says:
"I hope to send you more subscribers soon.
The Indiana Fabmer Is giving the greatest of satisfaction in this section. We hope
you will be able to give weekly the acts of
the General Assembly. They will be of
interest to the farmers, as they will be able
to understand whom to send to make laws
for the farmer's benefit."