Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-03-02

ant began to yield TO atmospheric
influences and frost" before the rest
of the building was completed, 80
that artificial means had to be resort.
ed to to preserve them from total
ruin, that alf the stone Of that class
in Henry county was also worthless.
Does not the editor of the Journal
know that year by year stone quar-.
RED in and near Mt. Pleasant have
had to be removed from the walls of
that expensive aud beautiful struc-
ture, and others substituted in their
places? Would it be fair to judge
of the usefulness of the stone from
Winters & Co.'s quarry, two miles
south of Mt. Pleasant, by such shall.
low reasoning as this! Draw forth
that mystic pencil" and tel. US, reas-
on,ng from such premises as these, in
what class ought your Mt. Pleasant
quarries to be ranked? Was Prof
Hinrichs right, or rather was he not
entirely wrong when, OF the thirty
six quarries represented in his labra-
tory, coming from all parts Of the
State, that Of Winters & Co. was
placed in the second class only?
But time and space admonish me
that / must be brief in any further
comments / may have to make. 1t
is charged that certain stone cnti.
tied 10 be considered were never sub
mitted." by whom? I know Of
none. Every safnpls offered in time
was fairly and uniformly tested "That
the pubic had no information show.
ing that the report attached to GER
tain stone, was the test of that stone"
Possess yourself with patience; the
full report will soon be out Of the
printers hands, whom the public will
have all the information that the
Committee, or Commissioners have
or ever had on this subject. That
the whole knowledge Of the exam
nation "was confined to one man
who prepared the samples and kept
the records as . private memoran.
dunn" This lone man" was the chair
man Of the building stone committee,
and the information was sought and
obtained exclusively for the use of
the Commissioners, that they might
the better be able to intelligently
discharge their dut, in selecting suita-
ble stone for the foundations. The
samples and record were open to the
inspection Of any member of the
Board who felt any interest IN the
matter. So too the examination OF
Prot. Hinrichs was open to the Board,
or any member thereof, who could
be induced to visit the University
during its progress. Beyond that,
for obvious reasons, such as would
suggest themselves to the mind OF
any ordinary business man. this
knowledge was withheld until the in
yestigations were closed and the re.
suits reported to the Commissioners.
II any interested party doubts that
their stone was fairly submitted,
thoroughly examined. aud honestly
reported" let them frankly say SO
and these doubts shall be solved,
unless altogether unreasonable.
Would it not be. we'll TO await the
publication Of the report alluded to
before assuming, in utter ignorance OF
its contents, what it does, or does not
say? As to the proposal made to
certain parties to the effect "that they
could have the contract if they would
agree 10 furnish the stone at S12 per
yard" land the statement made by
certain parties bidding, which has the
look OF COLLISION or unfairness,' there.
by implying fraud on the part Of the
Board or some member or members
thereof, can only say that have no
knowledge whatever on the subject,
ana il the gentleman SO writing has
any he had better disclose it. For
one I should certainly like to zee the
man in or out of that Board who
thinks he can run it for any such pur-
poses. This charge, originating in
base insinuations with the Mt. Pleas
ant Journal, has travelled long enough
to be made explicit if true, or retract-
ed il false. As It stsnds it is men,
dacious libel upon body OF men
whose integrity, singly, has hitherto
been above reproach. Give to the
pubic the name or names OF the par
ties you seek to implicate in these
dishonest transactions. and not try 10
hide yourself behind the school. boys,
excuse as you did in your replies to
Governor Merrill and Hon. James
+. Wilson, that John Winters and
Joshua Satterthwaite told you so.
You are the party who published
these libels to the world and are
legally as well as morally RESPONSE
BILE for them; disclose or retracl.
Few words more to the people of
the State on the subject At tho head
OF this communication, and we close.
Much excitement, unnecessarily as
we think, has sprung up on this sub
ject. Although subsequently rein
forced by certain so called scientific
gentlemen attached TO the State Uni
versity. the assault was commenced
in the first instance, without reason
by the attacks OF a few disappointed
bidders for the contract, upon the
Board of Commissioners, composed,
oi Gov. Merrill, Hon. James +. Will
son, Gen. q. M. Dodge, Hons. Chas.
Dudley, James Dawson, s. G. Stem,
J. @. Crosby, w. l.. Joy, and the
undersigned. These names are not
new to you. Every one of them
have hitherto enjoyed your conf
dence to greater or less extent-a
confidence never betrayed. They
have in common with all others, au
equal interest in the proper disburse-
ment Of the funds to 10 used in the
construction OF the new Capitol. But
greater, and beyond al this, lies the