Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-07-14
@4' = So
VOL. TX :.
History of the Iowa County Bonds
RY MOSES NJ. STRONG.

TWELVE years ago last November,
the Iowa County Bonds, issued to the
Mineral Point Railroad Company,
were formally and authoritatively
repudiated by the County Board OF
Supervisors; by a resolution, declar-
ing among other things, that the peo-
pie never would consent to the pay
ment of one dollar of them. This
cry of reputation and determination
to pay nothing, was taken up by many
and found utterance in various forms.
The newspapers of the County dur
ing all this time have been the chan
mel through which articles, some
times editorial and sometimes anony-
nous communications, have sustain
ed and joined in this cry, seeking to
give it responsibility, and succeeding
at least, in giving it home popular
ity.
To excuse and justify, and if pos
sible to give credit and responsibility
to this idea Of reputation, which has
never been resorted to by any COM
munity without involving it IN deep
disgrace, the County Board, who sug-
gested 1t, placed its justification upon
the grounds that the bonds were cob.
tanned by fraud, issued against the
wish of the people, and first offered
in market against the published pro
fest of a majority of the County Su-
pervisors."
The following is a copy Of the res
olutions adopted by the County Board
at its annual meeting, November l. J,
1855: r .nlgf 3 uo o95EI5u1 U9 7
RESOLVED, That the Iowa County Railroad
Bonds were obtained by frand, issued against the
wish of the people, first offered in market against
the published protest of a majority of the County
Supervisors, and that the people never will con-
sent to the payment of one dollar of them
RESOLVED, That in view of a suit now com
menced, or to commence, against Iowa County
for some portion of said bonds it is ordered that
defense be made to such and all suits Tor amy
of said bonds, to the utmost extent OF law.
"REsoLvED, That the Chairman of the Board
be associated with the District Attorney, and that
they be directed to employ the best legal talent
of the State, at cost, if necessary, OF any
amount not exceeding FIVE THOUSAND dollars
s.per year, to assist in conducting the defense. "
~ RESOLVED, That One Thousand dollars be
appropriated out Of any money in the treasury,
for present use, and the Chairman Of the Board
be instructed to draw orders for the sum, as need
ed to carry out the objects of the foregoing reso-
lutons.n l-s#-at r. :. &. .,7.f.a -.s...- "a -
CHARGES OF FRAUD. IL
The epithets applied to these bonds
in the newspaper articles are numer-
GUS and various, and nearly exhaust
the Billingsgate vocabulary. | select
few, the most common, and which
are sufficiently generic to embrace
most of the varieties, which are, that
thebonds were procured blythe officers
of the Railroad Company by "fraud
and misrepresentation Some Of the
specifications of this general denun-
citation are expressed by such terms
as generous" "unjust," "rascally,"
aswindling,'' "infamous, !" ''iniqait-
ous," "robbing," ETC., etc. tsrfeaa Do
The most elaborate article, which
| have noticed, is an anonymous COM
munication of about eight columns,
which appeared in the NATIONAL
Democrat of the goth Of March and
5th Of April, 1871, purporting to give
q a $ history of these bonds. This
article, whoever the author is, fur
nishes intrinsic evidence that he pos
sesses a good degree Of information
on the subject, audit contains large
amount Of truthful statement, into
which, however, some errors have
found their way, which will be less.
likely to be detected, than if they
We're bald statements disconnected
with the other portions of the article,
the truth3o which are we'll known. +.
The author Of this article in speak
ing of the County Bonds, and. the
manner in which they were obtained,
makes free use of the expressions,
"unjust,' 'rascally," Infamous"
f. g iniquitons,' and robbery.'Yon g.
u.s.. I submit the. following Quotations
from this QUASI official article, for a
% purpose which will presently appear:
SIT is. nearly people who have to meet this
oaaro@saad @njust c5dtan:P2a .slE0@nHH -a1
.s-the holder of this Tasca1ty clain,," etc. 90
othose Units favor promised railroad should
be extended through the County to the valley the Wis
consn rivers that should never cost the County cent
beat the others at their game by polling the most
fraudulent votes and carried the day. that there
a15s majority in favor of issuing the bonds, vi
mo enc on either side has ever seriously pretended
that the election either fair legal the opposition
the issue the bonds continued after the cleo
tion carried into the Go. Board and great endeayor
made prevent the Chairman of the County Board and
the County Clerk from executing the bonds but those
at the head Of affairs the other side again too
much for the people, and handled and manipulated
the chairman and Clerk, he receptions and influences
used themselves Infamous history obtain their
signatures, and the County Bonds were Issued g5
Opposition to the bonds did not cease here but they
y were followed into Wall Street. and in all the principal
papers Of New York City all persons were notified,
over the signatures of majority the County Board
of their fraudulent character and thatthe County would
5s& ssWhn Mr. sBeeeher took the bonds he knew well
their fraudulent character that they were obtained by
MISREPRESENTATION and faud Issued contrary to the
wishes of the people, and Offered in New York against
the published protest Of majority of the board Of SUI
pervisors" 20
Itis honorable and eommendableto defeat the enforce
ment Of claim so aasedlly and iaaiQuitoas as this
cs '-they (the people, win eat the last dog, hors
and hide before submitting to the whole oil this 'dscatt
. 81 legal ro56eag.m 9EB 81
A communication dated May 10Th
1871. addressed to Hon. j. r. Mills