Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-12-17
Mr. Dixon and the Tenn
Derance standard. l.,

NAA7. A~AAoA NhA THO - AshA-
perance Standard. Il
~. M. Dixon, the blind editor, pub
fishes card in the Marshall Times
explaining his connection with the
lately dsfunct Temperance Standard.
The, statement fully exonerates Mr..
Dixon from alleyii intent, and shows
him to be the victim of the designs
or misfortunes of those with whom
he was connected. He says:
In September last, the Grand
Lodge of Good Templers resolved Ia
retain me in my editorial relations to
the Standard, at an annual salary OF
five hundred dollars. Early in No,
vember last | stopped at Marshall-
town for few days to TO mature IA
plan for n series OF lectures In differ.
ent parts of the State. Willie here,
| was informed by Mr.. Holt that the
Standard was not selfsustaining,
and that IL was necessary, III order to
continue its publication, to change
the ownership and management.
FROM causes unnecessary to men
ton the financial management of
the paper had created distrust at
home, aud threatened its early dis
continuance. ~ H 4 W
/ was told that Rounds & James,
OF Chicago, held mortgage on the
Office, but was assured that this lien
would not disturb me until the sum
mer OF 1870, at which time the pay.
inent would become due. On the
strength of this assurances, stimulated
by desire 10 save my salary from
the Grand Lodge, and also in the
hope OF sustaining the paper i'm the
interest of Temperance, | boughtth
good will OF the Standard, and inn
nediately went to work to, establish
my family In my home at Marshall-
town. During my long sojourn at
Cincinnati, under medical treatment,
] sold out all my furniture, making
IL necessary to Incur heavy expense
in starting my family in a new home.
Two weeks afterwards I assumed
the management of the Standard /
went TO Illinois for nay little son
who had been absent from us for
some months, and on my return
was shocked ard humiliyted to learn
that the office had been closed by
Rounds d James, on the mortgage
which had been unfortunately in
dueed to believe would not EN- bar
rass the paper, for many months to
come, Myself and wife had travelled
four days and nights on the cars and
we arrived in Marshalltown lust i'm
time TO hear that all the expenses W i
had incurred to organize u business
and establish permanent home, had
produced harvest of disnppoint.
ment aud ruin, one element OF which
was the loss of the salary from the
Grand Lodge, which assured me du-
RUG its continuance, against the
worst contingencies of poverty. Nor
was this all. By no acknowledgement
of my own the paper went down
with my Eamt at its masthead,
crushed out of life by the act of other
parties-for deot contracted before
my connection with it. a7 nE -Efa
In the face of sickness and blind
ness, / have struggled for the past
year TO support my family by my
own independent efforts, sacredly
applying every dollar which came
from the sale of my book, to the
payment of claims on my little
Homestead. Every cent which has
thus far been paid OH these claims
has come from that source. / have
suffered from every Inconvenience,
and made every possible sacrifice to
give the fund thus arising an oppor.
tunity to liguidate the debt on my
house, so that my wife aud children
should have the comforts Of au un
disturbed home, when death slialI
have compelled me to forego all la.
bor In their interest.
The facts here stated should exon.
crate me from all blame In my con.
nection with the Standard. / was
grossly misled as to the true condi
tion of the paper. / went into the
enterprise, desiring To do good to my
fellow men and TO acquire an honor
able livelihood. Misfortune has fol-
lowed me again, and this time IL has
assalied me Sd unexpectedly and sc
relehtlessly that / am greatly dis,
outraged. There Is point, beyond
which, III man be driven, he loses
all the inspirations of hope, and
sometimes feel that am verging up
on that point.
| deem ii unnecessary to enter
more fully into details, and would
gladly avoid any reflections upon the
motives cf Others. / only wish tc
vindicate myself so far as the circum,
stances seem to require.
1t will he taken as great favor
IL the Press of Iowa will give thin
statement, or "a synopsis of il to the
public through their Columns.
Very respectfully, H
j. M. DIXON,
Ma,sIdiitotOn, Dec. 6th, 1869.