The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-03-24
A CARD,
To my Isllo,c- Citizens.

l have read with regret, the Card Of the
Hon. o. III. Smith, declining to discuss the
merits of his Straight Line Railroad Admin
istration with me, before the people. | have
also regretted to see that Mr. Carpenter, has
to 60 to the country on business Of the road.
| made this challenge, to these gentlemen,
in no Boosting or vain glorious spirit, but
simply to elicit the truth before the people,
can set the proper estimate on their reasons
for declining so reasonable request and so
can the citizens Of Evansville and Lamasco.
Mr.. Smiths Card, in the true style Of the
Carpenter & Co., letters, charges me with
libel and SANDER, for doing public duty
which felt imperative upon me, for per-
forming that which it was his official duty to
do annually, to wit: giving to the public
a true statement Of the affairs of his road
Had he done his duty, l should have been
saved the trouble Of mine, which | can assure
the public has been an unwelcomc one; but,
| trust shall never shrink from duty, be.
cause it is unpleasant. l now notify those
gentlemen, that if | before needed anything to
perfect my case against their administration
the necessity has been supplied by the un-
pardonably mad and foolish letters Of Messrs.
Carpenter e Co. That in connexion with the
argument, there set up to show the contract
right and fair, I shall, whether they Messrs.
Smith Il Carpenter, meet me or not, prove
before the people at the proper time that the
same work which Carpenter & Co., have I'M
dertaken to do for their road for $4,000
mile, chiefly in real estate, city, and road
bonds, cost the T.. & G. II. r. less than $4,000
a mile in cash including many thousands of
stock taken at par by contractors ard also COW
ering many more thousands spent in Engin
eering blunders on the Evansville & Vim.
cennes division. And that the greater part
Of the rails Of the 4. & G. r. r. are of Go
pounds to the yard, and were purchased about
the date of this contract of Carpenter & Co,
and at rates as high if not higher than the
present rates. That shall prove that their
course is destructive Of the credit of the city
of Evansville as well as of the enterprise,
whose affairs they have so fatally managed.
That the question at issue is not, whether a
certain hundred thousand dollars of city
bonds, say the price Of three and n third
miles of road uuder the contract, shall be de-
livered now to be Incorporated, or whether
the whole l55 miles of road must stop for
the want of this price Of three and third
miles. No, the question at issue is infinitely
. more serious than this. 1t involves the very
existence of the enterprise which cannot go
on under this contract. Ii involves the good
government and future credit Of the city,
which will be jeopardized if the same counsels
which prevail in the management OF the road
shall prevail in the city government,
And, let it be remembered that whilst
have called in question the quality of the
acts of these gentlemen. in thier railroad man.
agement, that l have not said whether
thought these errors were errors Of the head
or Of the heart. That l have not attacked
their motives, but have treated them res
pec'fully, whilst have received little else
than abuse and detraction in return. 1t is
due to Mr. Smith, in reference to an article
in the Journal, that should say, have never
intimated or believed that he has any per.
sonal interest in that contract with Carpenter
e Co. And let me add, that though in the
discharge Of an unpleasant duty, against mer
who were my friends, | feel that my fee
stand firmly on the rock Of truth, and thai
| have the strong consolation Of feeling tha
| am in the right.
JOHN INGLE, in.
EVANSVILLE, March Odd 1859.