Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-11-11
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
THE LATE RAILWAY MEETING.

EDITOR HERALD - ne article III
the last number Of your paper under
the head, 'The abuse Of lawyers"
does me gross injustice, and | claim
the right of your columns for reply.
Why did you not give at least an
outline OF my observations and those
Of other persons at that meeting, be-
fore attacking me, as you have done,
on a single suggestion | made to it ?
You state that / doubtless expect
candid Interpretation of my views. /
did not expect any thing of the kind
from the firm of lawyers alluded to,
but have right to claim it from
you.
AS to the status or standing in the
world of lawyers generally, it needs
neither talk nor writing of mine to
make it known. The "morbid senti.
ment," as you call it, respecting them,
is universal throughout the civalized
world, and, of course, all lawyers ac-
cept it; but it does not follow that
they like to hear of it from others
| probably should not have alluded to
it, if Mr.. Bushnell had not attempted
to snub me about waiting until every
thing was clear, &c, and if Colonel
Clark had not misrepresented me by
stating that | had found fault with
the school management here; for on
that head said nothing, but / did
say that Lancaster had been unfor-
tunate in the expenditure of public
money, and | instanced the two brick
school houses that had tumbled
down. l also clearly stated to the
meeting that | was not there to OPP
pose a railroad to Lancaster, only to
advocate what | and many others
think the right route for one, viz:
from Dunleith TO here-that railroad
from that place to here would meet
with the approval of nearly every
person in these two townships, and
also in the township Of Potosi-that
the l. G. r. company would doubtless
favor the enterprise, perhaps help it
along, as the c., ID. & NJ. line on the
other side Of the river is a competing
line with them; that the railroad
route to Platteville, as surveyed last,
is to a point nearly three miles north
east of Lancaster, and If built, it
might from that point go on and leave
us with only branch.
For expressing these views as |
did, and some others about unequal
taxation, &c, l have received the
thanks of many persons, some of whom,
in case a railroad is built to here, will
have to pay much more in taxes than
Mr.. Bushnell.
1t appears to be audacious, and as
though no one, especially farmer,
dare say word against member of
the "Lancaster ring" for besides the
ill will of the lawyers alluded to, both
of whom belong to the "assume all
party" | was sneered at by certain
old office holders, members of the
same ring, some of whom have sucked
the public teat for many long years,
and very often to the detriment Of the
public good
That the meeting was not like the
Quakers often hold, silent one, was
due almost entirely to me; and if, as
your article states, that 5000 has
to be paid for the last survey to
Platteville, the views which | gave
about not knowing the cost, &C., are
already verified.
The long account you gave about
the generosity OF persons mostly
greatly interested in the railroad en-
terprise, weighs but little True gen
crosby never seeks publicity, and |
am sure that most of the parties did
not wish it. Colonel Clark, if mis-
take not, received over 5000 for the
first slight survey for the narrow
gage, and of course the legal advice
of "Clark 81 Bushnell will have to
be paid for, Notwithstanding your
assertions to the contrary. think it
quite right that they should be paid
for it, only | have no hesitation to
advise them to be careful of their
promises, for the tax payers of the
town at their last town meeting did
not like the flavor of them, and are
averse to after-claps.
That part of the article relating to
the superiority of Lancaster lawyers
is enough to provoke a smile from a
marble statue.
Now, sir, believe | have put a
little life into our railroad affairs, and
wishing no offense to any one, as l
have only defended myself and crit
cised those who are either acting or
putting themselves forward in pub
lie capacity, and hoping that we will
have a railroad to the right place,
even if we have to wait awhile, | am,
Yours respectfully,
HENRY AUSTIN.