Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-05-25

Positive and Negative en--Personal
Conduct Of Leading Men in Grant
County--Dewey--Ro Robbins Railroads.

Conduct Of Leading Men in Grant
County-Dewey--R Robbins Railroads.
Mr.. CovER,:--Late editorials OF
yours on railroads, in which you at
tempted to awake the slum bering to
action in favor of building q railroad
through Grant County and ia which
you invited others to join you in a |
free discussion through your paper,
induce me to offer one or more arti-
cles. Your hard hit by announ cing
that we in Grant County are twenty
years behind the times upon public
prompts meito search
for the cause which l have examined
into with pains. But in my consid-
GRAFTON of the cause of the backward
ness | must be allowed to use plain
and severe words towards our lead.
ing men and their conduct. And
must also be permitted TO avow SEM
timents which you and many more
will oppose and denounce. The ed
itor of the Herald will be personated
and his conduct as leader and ex-
ponent of policies and principles will
be discussed with due censure and
praise. As a journalist, you are
bold and independent man, Mr.. CO.
YER, and an original thinker. In con-
ception, style, and method of treat.
ing subjects you are master. That
you are therefore sometimes wrong
is nothing to your discredit, as the
bold, adventurous, and even methodi-
cal rambler must very often lose his
way. But without such men the
RICH: could never be discovered, as
We should all be obliged to travel the
old roads aud avoid the new. This
generation and their habits and opin.
ions would have TO be reproduced
from the fathers as theirs were from
the grandfathers, and so on back 10
the dark ages. The fact, therefore,
that you are an original thinker, nec-
essarily an errorist, master journal-
list and leader of public opinion,
makes it necessary that some one in
our large and populous county shall
be your critic, part which / now
purpose to fill. And as you are a
liberal man, quite indifferent to either
censure or praise, and without aspi-
rations for public favor, doubt not
you will allow me to share with your>
self the privileges of that unique pub
lie organ, the Herald, which you have
made an institution second to none in
the State.
Our public men who now lead the
people and have long been autocrats
over those who would but dared not
originate and lead in the great con-
ceived enterprises will be severe,
ly handled. Passive men, who new
err originate enterprises nor perform
active public service, but are always
the receivers of what 10 in the mar
ket, and which they pocket with the
dexterity the cat gobbies rat, will
be asked to give way to men Of ac>
ton and forethought. | cannot en-
dure the passive or negative NAM
and believe the Almighty never de-
signed the negative Or passive
man should rule the active or posi-.
tive man. Had it been SO designed
the women must have been set apart
to govern the men. In Grant Coun.
ty the neuters or negatives are the
governing class, while the positive
or progressive men are ruled to stand
aside. The custom has been, when-
ever it was attempted to reverse the
old order and throw off passive or
virtual petticoat government, there
was o howl raised.
Lancaster influence has usually led
in this strange practice of placing
negative men at the head where pos
tive men were needed for active SER
vice. | mean that generally Lam
caster influence is on the side of weak
men and negative service but ex-
ceptions will be noticed in due time.
The general truth of my idea will APP
pear in this charge, that Lancaster,
though supporting more men Of good
ability than any town in the county,
yet leads in no public enterprise.
Not voice is raised there for any
enterprise that promises the good of
the people in neighboring parts. Is
there railroad meeting to be held
at Fennimore or Platteville, Fourth
of July celebration In distant spir-
tied town, public lecture, a Sunday
School celebration or meeting of the
people for promoting education, POI
litical canvass and public speaking
the order, or any demonstration of the
people for moral, religious or indus
trial effort, is q Lancaster man ever
known TO be there with bis words of
cheer or his dime? Exceptions are
in mind, but not among the negative
men who have never distinguished
themselves except when we'll paid for
any service. l honor the few who
would be public spirited but Mr..
Cover, they are not dearly honored
at home by the petticoated party of
neutrals who stand in the way to
choke the growth of every enterpris.
ing seed sown in the public mind.
By this time the shadow Of my
work is reflected from lighted fore.
ground. You can but just see what
is in the way of Grant County pro.
crossing at leap and standing
abreast along side of the foremost
western counties. The obstacle is
these negative dunderheads, who,
Bourbon like, see nothing, forget |
nothing, learn nothing, and who
preach and practice the same code
Of economy and stupidity their fath>
ers taught them thirty years ago. !,
Leading men of other towns have |
caught the same spirit of Lancaster. |
being influenced by their shire town
more than by all other towns, until |
1t last all questions Of Improvement
and oil incipient enterprise arc choked
out either by our leading men dis
;ouraging them Or by their cutlery
against the taxation required to put
hem through.
Can these negative or petticoatsd
be dethroned and men of
more positive spirit be installed az
uhlio aaJaru .