The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-09-16
COMMUNICATION

Editor Conservative. Looking over the
Herald of September 9th, l founi and
read with much surprise the following
paragraph:
Mr.. SPRAGUE is not a Money broker,
he is not a Banker, he is not President
of a Bank, he Is not Land grabber, he
is not a 'bIoated Bond holder" he is
not a High Protective Tariff advocate.
What next?'
In this community, where the fnan
cial and political career of Mr. Sprague
is well kn"wn, there seems to be great
presumption and impudence manifest
ed in the publication of the al.ore par
sgraph, and the same deserves some
notice.
The paragraph states "Mr Sprague
is not a money broker" Not long
since, he loaned 10 one of our towns
men, whom he knew was in a pressing
emergency, and bese. with urgent de-
mands for money, the sum OF $500.
and too his note tor S4n,0o, payable in
81 days, with security If such does
not constitute brokerage, it is only be-
cause such transactions deserve the
harsher and truly odious appeIlation Of
swindling. This is only one of many
case of -pragues continued brokerage.
This We call brokerage at the IA e of
lI0 per cent per annum, charged too,
only for the temporary Inconvenience
he may have felt by the want of it,
there being no risk Of his losing it en-
tirely, he being put beyond that haz-
ard by good personal security; but the
paragraph continues, ale is not q bank
err" The Herald man, or bay, knows,
and We know, that Mr.. Sprague is &
stakeholder in the First National Bank
of AcCOnnelsVille, to the amount Of
5000 This makes him a banker OF
considerable influence. The Herald
proceeds, "i!e IS not President of Z
Bank" The doubtful Editor knows
Mr. Sprague was President of the First
National Bank of NcConnelsville. at its
organization, and so continued up to
the time when the stockholders put
him out for sufficient reasons not neces-
ssry to be given here. Again, the Her
AID says, He (~prsgue) is not & Land
grab6er." The man who makes a prac-
tice of defrauding others by imposition
the man of wealth who will take such
advantage of his unfortunate neighbor
as 10 charge him 10 per cent for the
use of money without hazard TO him>
self, but simply upon the principle of
temporary Inconvenience; the MAI
who will 20 50 far beyond tie appoint,
ed rules or established limits Of right
or propriety, as to compel, ask, or de.
msnd such illegal and excessive exact
ions from his neighbor in a pressing
emergency, will vote with a party
which in the last ten years has ''grabb-
ed from the Public Domain lG0,000,-
0ro acres, and granted it, for the most
part, to 4 few adventures, stock job
beers and spectators. Such a man the
i.eop'e of this District do not want.
But again, the Herald says, "!Ie is not
Il bloated Bond-hoider." No, not 'bloat-
ed we grant it; but egregiously puff
ed by the Herald. Mr.. Sprague holds
So, uUeN worth Of Dank-stock, which
stock consists in L. S. Bonds, on de-
posite at Washington, D. C.. drawing
SIX per cent. gold interest, realizing in
g~reenbacks about s per cent. The
Herald concluded by saying, "He is not
a High Protective Tariff Advocate"
Then he is not a RepubIi an, and if
not a Republican, why commend him
to the voters o your party You would
DO well to let him slide, the less you
puff him in this community, perhaps,
the better. VOX POPULI.