Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-07-13
History of the Iowa County Bonds
BY MOSES NJ. STRONG.

Mineral Point Railroad Company
we're formally and authoritativel
repudiated by the County Board o
Supervisors; by a resolution, declar
ING among other things, that the PEG
pie never would consent to the pay
ment Of one dollar OF them. Thi
cry Of repudiation,and determinatioi
pay nothing, was taken up by man,
and found utterance in various forms
Tie newspapers Of the County dur
inc all this time have been the chan
mel through which articles, some
times editorial and sometimes anony.
nous communications, have 3ustain
ed and Joined in this cry, seeking &c
rive it responsibility, and succeeding
at least, in giving it a home popular
ity.
To excuse and justify, and if pos
sible to give credit and respectability
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 sob
tanned by fraud, issued against the
wish Of the people, and first offered
in market against the published pro
test Of a majority of the County Su-
pervi5ors."
The following is a copy of the res
olutions adopted by the County Board
at its annual meeting, November II,
1855:
RESOLVED, That the iowa County Railroad
Bonds We're obtained by fraud, 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 viii con-
sent to the payment of one dollar OF them.
" RESOLVED, That in view Of suit now COM
mrnced, or to commence, against Iowa County
for some portion of said bonds, it is ordered that
a defense he made to such and all suits for any
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 diret ted to employ the best legal talent
N the State, at a cost, ii necessary, OF any
amount not exceeding FIVE THOUSAND dollars
per year, TO assist in conducting the defense.
REsoL FED, That One thousand dollars be
appropriated out of any money in the treasury,
Tor present use, and the Chairman OF the Board
BE instructed to draw orders for the sum, as need
ed 10 carry out the objects of the foregoing reso-
lutionsn
CHARGES or FRAUD.
The epithets applied to these bonds
in the newspaper articles are gunner
Gus and various, and nearly exhaust
the BiIlingsgate vocabulary. | select
4 few, the most common. and which
are sufficiently generic to embrace
most Of the varieties, which are, that
the bonds were procured by the officers
Of the Railroad Company by fraud
and misrepresentation" " Some of the
specifications Of this general denun-
citation are expressed by such terms
rs generous" "uniust," ''rascally,"
"swindling," infamous ''iniqpit-
ous, 'robbing," etc, etc.
The most elaborate article, which
| have noticed, Is an anonymous COM
munication Of about eight columns,
which appeared in the NATIONAL
Democrat of the 29th Of March and
9Th of April, 1871, purporting to give
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, and it 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
were bald statements. disconnected
with the other portions of the article,
the truth Of which are well 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 "rascallv," infamous,
ubiquitous" and robbery
| submit the following quotations
from this QUASI official article, for a
purpose which will presently appear:
II is nearly new people who have to NEE, this
cRtraGS EH3 3itlSE claim
the holder Of his r,scally claim. etc
those In its favor promised that he railroad shou j
De extended through the County TO the valley OF the Wis
cousn river, that should never the County cent
beat the others At their game by polling most
fraudulent votes. and carried the day that there
la> Jority In favor Of issuing the bonds
% No either side has seriously pretended
that the election either fair legal the opposition
the issue Of the bonds continued the eee
iion carried Into the Co. Board and great endeavo
made prevent the Chairman Of the County Beard
the County CLERK fra executing the bonds, but th0
the head OF affairs the Other SIDE again
much for che people, aud SO handled sRd nanipuste
the Chairman and Clerk tthe aecepsions and influence
used themselves infamous msory to obtain thei
signatures and the niy Bonds were issued
Opnosition to the bonds did not here the
were followed all Street, snd In Sli prn cip
PAPERS Of York City sill persons were notified
over The Signatures Of majority CT the County Bear
81 their fraudulent character and thai the County
never pay lheus,
..when Mr. Eeechar took the boads, he Shex We
their trsn3uert character. that they ohsiuea
m}sreprs seatatien ard hand, issued contrary
wishes 81 the people, snd e1cIed in New Nerk sgaia
the published protest % majority Of the beard II
p.rStsors
at Is honorable and conmendshete defeat the cnfag
Eaens CT claim FisczJiy ard sSts ttSs a. this
they tthe people wiz eat the last dog, boz
and hide, before submitting - abe Whole - iEs NsSc
!s.yal robbery
A communication dated May 2ot
1871, addressed ~ Hon. ] 7. Nil