Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-08-14
C o Nm u NIC A Z E D
MORE GU THE BRIBERY QUESTION

MORE CT THE BRIBERY QUESTION.
Mr. EDIToR:-It seems, that the bri-
berry Of l856,is still fresh before the minds
of the people, and is receiving fresh i'm
petns, now andathen, to hasten ii on to the
accomplishment Of its destined object. |
beg permission in your columns, to cast in
in my mite with those who have molly de-
Tended the cause of right, and protested
against the evil report of the Investigating
Committee. | say evil report because
can call it no other. The very report it.
self portrays an act of injustice. And any
person with the organs Of Casualty" and
Comparison" average, and "a thimbleful
of common sense" knows that, to condemn
a man without evidence, is aatagonistic to
the principles ofjustice, and shows lack
of good common sense. This is certainly
the case in regard to the Honorable J. I.
Brown and others. And I defy any per-
son to prove, by the report, that there
was '.jot or TITLE Of evidence brought d.
rectly against him. An intimation by Mr..
Klbourn, that it was well known by the
Legislature that, those, who assisted in
securing the Land Grant to the La Crosse
and Milwaukee railroad company, would
be remunerated, does not prove after all,
that they did all know it. And there
may have been certain persons appoint
led to il form the Legislature that they
would be liberelly rewarded, (Which, from
certain evidence seems to be the case
does not prove that these men did their
duties in this respect. 1t seems very prob
able that they ascertained who were gong
to vote for the bill, and finding that quite
a number were going to vote right, who
knew nothing Of the donations beng made,
kept the thing to themselves. Neither
does Mr.. Strongs evidence, that nearly all
Iof those who had bonds assigned to them,
received them, from his Office, prove any
/ thing definite. For it is positively certain,
that there were quite number, who had
bonds assigned to them, that never reeely-
ed one cent. And it is plain to all per
sons who are c0mpos naeratis, that quite
| number were cheated out of their just
dues. say Just dues, because any person
lis perfectly justiiable in accepting grata-
Iity. for any good deed he may have done
Now, it is plain, that quite a number OF
1.-The Legislature voted for the Land Grant
| Bill in its last form, who had previously
voted against It, because they saw that II
was the best disposition they could make
lof it. And did It too, ignorant Of any gra-
ltuity whateyet--nerely from a sense OF
right. I suppose, from the report, that
the Committee passed judgment upon all,
and plunged them in the whirlpool Of cor
ruption, merely because they besleped them
to be guilty. And when the report was
circulated among the people, probably one
18th. or one-tenth, had the. privilege OF
readin. it. And one half Of those who
| did read it, could not see the thing IN It's
true light, for the co1oriag that was plac-
ed upon it. And thus the thing goes,
leaving the impression upon the pubic
that these men were "bribed to the tune
oe five and ten thousand dollars,in railroad
bonds, when they are perfectly innocent
and never knew that there were any do
nations made to them, until the tornado Q
blow and thunder, reached them in then
peaceful homes, long after the 'fortJ
thieves" had run away with the prize.
J. a. BRowN.
Clifton .Tnlv 10th. 1853.