The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-06-04
md. 4tH- g, ,ss. BE-" .s-'
'Esac Bridge Contracts.

10 the Editors Of tae Portage Sentinel: .
GEKTLI MEN--I notice in your paper Of the
2lst Of May, some editorial remarks in re-.
ference 10 Mr.. Robinson's complaining
about the awarding of the Bridge Contracts.
Tn The same number of your paper, you in
serted statement mad, by my associates
Commissioners andmyself, which statement
fortified as i. was by fccts and figures, ought.
| think, to have been. satisfactory. You
charye among other things thut in tn t state.
ment tke onimiss!otiess failed to allude to
unsuccessful bidders besile Mr.. Robinson.
In reply to this, win only say that the
Commits >i,ners were replying to the specific
charges of Mr. Robinson, and therefore con.
iined themselves particularly to those char
ges, NOT ciiosing to travel out of the record
to cxculpate themselves for charges which
might possibly be made; but which as far as
, it is known have not ever been made by
other unsuccessful bidders. IN regard to all
the other bidders, / will only say that the
! Commissioners endeavored to act as Impair
TALLY as they did inthe case Of Mr.. Robinson,
and can as triumphantly vindicate them
selves. But in the editorial remarks which
YOU have seen fit to make, you seem to turn
aside from the official action of the Board,
\ and single me out for special censure, and
ts yor have kindly granted me the use OF
your columns to set myself right, avail
myself OF MY earliest convenience to accept
your courtesy. 4 q 4 an a,
The chafges whitt yoit make against me.
| presume are made on information derived
from MIR Robinson; and the remarks which
I make shall consider as hiuch in reply to
him as to you. You say that "Mt. Davis
himselftold Mr.. Robinson expressly that
nothing need be said in his bid about the
foundation" To this / reply thst Mr. Rob
inson being townsman Of mine, did, sew
eral weeks Before the lettings5 Have somt
casual conversation with him about the
bridges, in regard to, the details Of which
conversations, my recollections are indis
tinct, but am quite sure he must have this
, understood me if he supposed me to intimate
, the opinion that it was not necessary in ma
king a bid, to take into account so importan
matter as the foundation of bridge.
do however distinctly recollect that me
/ Mr.. Robinson In, Rayenna, the mornin;
of the day. on which the proposals wer
d opened and the bids decided, and he aske
me, before he put in his bid, about the foun
= dation Of the bridge, and replied to hin
! that there must be some understanding in re
/. gard to the foundation. I, therefore, could no
9 have nislead him, fer this last conversation
y was in time for him to have embraced tn
|. foundation in his bid, had he so desired. Il
! regard 70 the charge Of "favoritisrn," aid il
y regard to the charge that had determine
before hand that the contracts should b
}, given to Hughes g. Elliott, l totally an
positively deny the one and the other. f.'
made no such, determination; | tried t
!. exert no such influence. Iffayoritism ha
d Influenced me 7 should have favored Ml
Il Robinson; he is townsman OF mines ft
e whom have entertained Kind feelings on
high respect, and personally Y shosld hag
been gtatified to have been able to award
n him the contracts sand my associates kho'
n that Iscannea his bid with peculiar care.man
! tested to them desire to award the contrat
to him, il 1t could fairly be done. But 9
!. personal feelings and personal favor coul
! ! not come into competition with the dischare
Of a responsible public duty. and as M
! Robinson had proposed .only'to DO The maso
D work, leaFing out entirely all reference
~ the wood work Of the foundation, Il wasd