Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-06-16
For the Tribune.
The Mineral Point and Portage City Z. q.

Mr.. EDITOR Whatever may he the .
merits or dement's Of the action of the last /
Legislature, it seems 10 have had one
good elfect,-in that it has excited an in
terest such as could not have been antici- /
pated, by any other means. And it is to
be hoped that persons feeling so great an /
anxiety On this subject, will not, when.
called upon to afford a little material aid
to the the project, suffer a reaction to !
take place, and thus deprive it of the i'm .
mense weight of influence and capital it
might otherwise expect.
Respect to myself, after reading the
harmless, though Intentionally insulting
charge in the last weeks Democrat, for
bids my holding any communication with
that sheet, even could ! expect my Ian
guage to be made ineligible through the
confused mass Of typographical blunders
Incidental upon such an attempt through
their columns, and wish merelya small
space in your columns to expose some Of
the utterly groundIess assertions of the
Democrat, then leave the matter in the
hands Of the parties most interested in the
result.
| may say for the information of It's
numerous proprietors, that it was not to
be supposed that a Republican Member
of the Legislature should base his action
upon the wishes of d small Barstow clique,
or that any course he might take would
meet their appreciation. And it certainly
is a strong consideration in favor Of the
measure under discussion, that it meets
the condemnation Of this class of poliG-
clans. For although this is not political
measure, the Democrat would fain make
It appear such; and the exhibition of an
lily concealed desire to make political
capital cut Of this matter, viii assist in ez-
planning It's present couse. As | do not
expect to satisfy any person who has made
up his mind not to be satisfied, | shall not
argue the question ; leaving the present
situation Of affairs to work out its own
justification. Yet, I should like to know,
if, as is insinuated, the Act is of no bind
ing force, what Is to prevent the old cor
poration from organizing and completing
the road 2 Or what is to prevent Eastern
Capitalists from taking as much interest in
the project now as they did last year?
The statement of the Democrat that a
''petition to the Legislature asking the
passage Of a memorial to Congress for a
grant Of lands was suppressed, is simply
false: as such petition was presented
by me to the Legislature aud referred to
special Committ5e, who had the matter
under consideration, and would have re- /
ported in favor Of the petition, had not
Congress just at that time granted away
all the lands for Railroad purposes which
could he expected; and it was considered
only waste Of the time Of the Legisla-
ture to take any action upon it.
The further charge that the whole mat
ter was a secret transaction, because An
drew Dunn did not know any thing about
it, is ridiculously false Andrew Dunn
was not a Member of the Legislature,
and it is quite possible that that body did
not consult with him On the subject The
amendment, however, was referred to the
Railroad Committee ia both Houses, and
it is well known to most that III. NJ. /
Strong was prominent Member Of the /
House Committee. Moreover, at least
two prominent Democrats OF Mineral !
Point were consulted III the matter.
The statement that Gen. W. R. Smith /
was informed that the amendment related
only 10 some connection in the line is false, /
that he was told this. was one of the
amendments in the bill is true.
As to the charge that any vested rights /
was interfered with, the writer himself
knows that no action had been taken which
could vest any exclusive rights in any
person or persons, and the question comes
down simply 10 one of public policy
That the interest of the public, and of
Mineral Point in particular, will not suf- /
fer from lack of the kind guardianship of
which they are sounforunately bereft, is
as certain as that the State Of Wisconsin
did not sink at the expulsion OF the /.
" Forty from the control of her affairs.
All the personal interest have in the !
transaction, | will assign over to the
Democrat writer, whoever he may be. for
very small consideration, merely saving .
that 1t might have been larger, could | I
nave overcome my native modesty so .
much as to have inserted my own name .
IN the list of corporators as there was
good and ample precedent for doing
7. S. ALLEN. (