The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-12-04
The Last OF Lorenzo, the Bombas,ic.

cal canvass just ended, made a charge
against us of having used certain Ian
guage in connection with the flag pre-
sented to the Democrats by the Demo
cratic ladies of this place, We had not
only never used such language, but had
never heard it used by any one previous
to its publication by Mr.. MOORE, and 50
informed that person. lie chose to doubt
our word, and sought to fasten a lie upon
us by declaring that he had proof against
us in the testimony of certain ladies'.
Thus question OF veracity sprang up,
and though the original charge was of
no particular consequence, yet after the
issue became one of yeracily, we confess
that we were entirely disincined to let
the charge so uninvestigated. We knew
that Mr., MOORE might re-iterate his
charge week after week, and we as often
deny it, and the matter still not be
brought TO test; and therefore, to bring
the question to an issue as soon as possible,
we offered. not to bet, but to forfeit to
some society the sum of $40, if Mr..
MOORE could get any ladies to testify
that they ever heard us use the language
attributed to US, providing he would for
felt like sum if he could not produce
such testimony. Thereupon Mr.. MOORE
swells up, and with great pretensions to a
/ plethorio pocket book, offers to bet $500
upon certain propositions not at all to the
point in issue. He finally consented to
modify the language SO that it would
meet the point, but chung to his bets of
500 each.
On Friday last we sent our friends, w.
G. DOMAIN and ALFRED INGALLS,, to Mr..
MOORE, to arrange some way by which
this matter might be brought to an issue.
Mr.. MOORE refused to treat with them
We, therefore, in company with them,
went to Mr.. MooRE's Office, and present
ed him with the following proposition:
Lorenzo Moore hereby agrees to produce GER
! tain ladies who will testify by affidavit that
| they heard Jacob Rich make the assertion quo
ted by said Lorenzo Moore in his article in the
Independence Cciiidn of Oct. 18th, namely,
that said Rich said % that the Democratic ladies
desired the Republican flag to pattern after, but
that he'd be damned if they should have it."
If said Moore does produce said ladies, and
they testify that said Rich did, in their pres
ence, use said language, then said Rich forteits
the sum of dollars, to be paid to the Bell
Committee Of Independence.
If said Moore does not produce the said Ia
dies, or when produced they do not testify that
the said Rich used, in their presence, the Ian.
guage quoted, then said Moore forfeits the sum
Of dollars, to be paid to said Bell Commit
tee
Said money to be deposited in the Bank of 7
c. Barte d Co
Mr.. MOORE objected in toto to having
the money paid to any society, but said
that if he won it he wanted it to 90 into
his own pocket. We assured him that
we should not be strenuous upon that
point. We then proposed to FIJI up the
blank with the amount of our original
proposition, the sum of SO, and make
the money payable TO himself or ourself,
according as the issue was decided. He
declined making the bet less than 500.
He was urged for a long time upon this
point, but would not yield. We assured
him that we could not, without much in
convenience to ourself, raise the sum he
proposed, and as that WAS not necessary
in order to test the matter in c0ntroyer-
sy-Which was what both professed to
desire-we should not make the attempt
Mr.. MOORE was immoyable. We finally
sat down and filed up the blank III the
proposition with the sum Of twenty FIVE
dollars, and offered to bet him that sum.
He would not listen to 1t, hut got Mr..
LEAvIrr to write proposition, in sub
stance as follows:
He would bet 800, that certain ladies
would testify to having heard US use the
language attributed 10 us, or similar Tan
gaage. If he did produce such testimo-
ny, he was to have the money, and we
were to be branded as liar through the
columns Of the two papers; and if the
testimony was not produced we were to
have the money and he be 50 branded.
We declined to increase tie sum over
S25, and he poremptoriy TO depart from
his proposition. We finally offered to
gioe him SO for the names of the ladies'
by whom he expected to prove his asser-
ton, an offer which he declined.
We hardly think it necessary to com
ment upon this. Lacking, as we deem.
ed Mr.. Moore in every essential Of man
hood, we did hardly think that he would
be despicable enough to sneak behind
such proposition as the above to avoid
testing the truth Of his own assertions.
If it is the truth Of the charge he isafer
why is 1t necessary 10 have a stake of so
considerable a sum before he can move
in the matter? He processes to have
merely desire to test the question of We
racity. Why cannot that as well be done
on wager Of ten, or twenty-five dol
lars, rs on a bet Of one hundred dollars
The only reason possible is because twen
/ ~ fire dollars uW not coyer tie eapense of
procuring tie testimony Let our readers
notice lha proposition. We do not re-
serve tie right TO impeach the testimony,
to offset it by other testimony. Mr.
Moore is not required oprore the charge
We give up every right to prove our IN
nocence, and risk the S25 on The ability
of SO base man as LORENZO Mo,RE 10
find tools for his purpose. 1t is true We