The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-02-05

missioner, if so be that he came legally by the
Office Next it is said that he sold goods to
the poor, on poor orders, to the amount of
five thousand dollars, (the sum was first
statsd in the Tribune ever seven thousand,
but the libel has been lessened over two
thousand.) Well, supposing he did sell
five thousand dollars worth of goods-al-
though the figures do not show within sew
eral hundred dollars of that amounts that
an offence? If so, since hCw long has it
been an offence? Was it an offence when
HENRY HoEs was Poor Commissioner,
and sold goods to the poor on poor orders in
the store Of j. E. PLATr 4 Co., without
anybody being able to sec the impropriety
of it? Have the other merchants named
in the report oe the Poor Commissioners
published in the Tribune of the 2lst inst,
as having sold goods on poor orders been
guilty of an offence? 4? If so, why not name
them?
But it is charged that Mr.. MAHoNEY
| charged more for the goods that he sold to
the poor than they were worth, more than
he did for goods sold TO others. Does that
constitute a crime and make man thief?
Is a man reasonably to be expected TO sell
goods on poor orders, wait six, eight or ten
months for his orders, that he may have to
sell at eighty cents on the dollar, for the
same price he sells for cash Reasonable
people will answer that for themselves. |
only remark that every man has right to
put his own price upon lis own goods;
aud say, if the bare fact, that man
sells his goods for more than reasonable
percentage, is sufficient to brand him
criminal then | say that the Manitowoc
dealers in school books, prominent among
whom the Tribune folks stand, are in great
danger Of Indictment; for it is safe to af
firm that no article ever went out of the
store Of Mr.. MAHoNEY On q poor order
even, that bore a more exhorbitant per-
centage than is charged on the text books,
daily sold for use in our common schools, by
the booksellers. No further comment, it
seems to me, is necessary on this charge,
except, perhaps, the double motive appar.
ent in it, viz: first, to make party capital,
and second, to ipjure Mr.. MAHoNEY S bus
mess for the benefit of somebody else.
The next charge that is Indignantly in
sinuatcd against Mr.. NJ, by inuendo, is
that in the large amount of outside relief
granted by the Poor Commissioners Mr.
MAHoNEY, it is said, may have supplied
fictitious names, and charged for goods
which he never delivered.
The distribution of goods, as l am in
formed, for outside relief throughout the
county was divided into three districts, the
southern towns being given to Mr.. SCHMIDT,
the western towns to Mr.. KIRBY and the
northern towns, comprising Manitowoc,
Two Rivers, Two Creeks, Mishicott and
Gibson, to Mr.. MAnoNEY. 1t will be
seen that the towns given in charge Of the
latter contain much the larger popula-
ton, having an aggregate Of not less than
sixteen thousand, equal to about one halt
the population Of the county. The amount
of outside relief given in Mr.. MAHoNEY' 5
district is about S3,240.00, 81, $50. 90 Of
which went out of his own store and the
remainder given by other merchants in
town on poor orders, all given to appli-
cants whose names can be furnished to a
proper person when a proper application is
made for them However | do not think
that Mr.. MAHoNEY will be dragooned and
libeed in to giving them by black guards
and sandcrers. Now whether the amount
given by Mr.. MAuoNEY is mere than
ought to have been given in his district will
be easier determined a year hence, after
the town and village system has had fair
trial, and after comparing their several ex>
pendi.ures for the poor with Mr.. MA
HONEY S aggregate. But suppose that Mr.
MAHoNEY has been imposed upon by lying
applicants for outside relief, and HIS erred
in his judgment in giving relief to those
who ought not to have had it? Is he to
be denounced as a scoun1rel and cheat
for that? Would not you, sir, or any
other man, with a christian soul within
him, rather be found fault with for Civ
ing, unwittingly, to the unworthy, than be
charged with turning your back to the poor,
and sending the breadless away hungry ?
Surely it is always right to think the best
We can of human kind, and men and wo
men asking for bread are not 10 be left TO
starve until the resources ard condition of
every applicant can be examined into and
if man errs on the side of humanity and
manliness, the very. error itself may be evi-
dence Of virtue that the stony faced and
hard hearted would do well to cultivate.
! 1t is also charged that Mr.. MaHoNEY
gave the poor provisions of bad quality
| am informed that the articles furnished
were OF the same quality that has been fur
nshed by other merchants, and were
wholesome and substantial; and in regard
to the KELLY coffin libel | am told that
Miss KELLY was dead and buried year
and half before Mr. MAHoNEY became a