Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-01-08
The Conservative and the Gas Com
pany.

1t needs no demonstration to convince
any fair-minded citizen that any reputable
business enterprise coming amongst us,
which commences its career by the ex-
penditurc of 4 large amount of money!
and proposes to be carried on in legiti-
mate and business-like manner, and which,
moreover, furnishes all the guaranty re-.
quired of it by the city authorities, should
be met with a spirit of friendliness, and
| should not be subjected to hints, and in
nuendoes, aad sly insinuations by the
press that it is possible swindle. With
this idea, we criticised a squib in the Con-
serrdtace, last week, containing suggcs-
ton that the company which proposes to
supply our city with gas, and whose ex.
pertinent, if it is an experiment, is now
almost ready for demonstration, may
be after all swindle and delusion, Our
criticism of the Conservation assumed that
lack Of judgment and discretion, rather
than desire TO do injustice to the compa-
ny, was the occasion of its uncalled for
suggestions. Its answer in this weeks is
sue, however, compels us to conclude
that its animus was other than fair and
honest one. This motive it makes a
bungling attempt to conceal in the follow
ing paragraph:
"Wo are not aware that any injustice
has been done the company, out If there
has, our first duty is to the public-to
work for the interests of the community
at large and not for u corporation"
Hero is the plain admission that our
neighbor is indifferent whether or not it
does injustice to the Gas Company; and
that it is willing, on the sole authority Of
statements made by the Dubuque Herald
in the heat of bitter controversy, to give
currency to insinuations that the company
is preparing to swindlc the community.
and that it cannot fulfill the pledges named
in its charter. The only excuse the Con-
ssrratise has to offer for this unfair attack
is the threadbare plea that it is working
in the interest of the community rather
than in that of corporation The
question arises, does the interest of the
public require the reproduction, without
inquiry as to their authenticity, of every
bit of flying rumor affecting the good faith
OF the company, especially when these
stealthy stabs at the corporation" come
too late to save anybody from possible
imposition, and when few weeks, at
most, will demonstrate its ability to fulfill
its pledges. The propriety of this style
of suggestion and comment was the point
of our criticism of the Conservative, last
week, and as the same unfair and ungen-
erous reception may be extended to other
enterprises that may seek to take root in
our community, we thought it proper to
appeal to our cotemporary's sense of jus
tice and fair play, and to ask it, if it was
altogether wise under the circumstances.
1t seems that our appeal was of no avail,
and it looks as if the Conservative has
grievance of some kind that it is bound to
revenge at all hazards This presumption
is strengthened by the fact that while it
eagerly published the unsupported state
ments of the Herald against the Gas Com
pany, ii utterly ignores Mr. Robinson's
defense in our columns, last week.
The BULLETIN has not particle of in
terest in this or any other corporation,
save to accord them justice, and not to
condemn prcmaturely, or unheard. The
City Council, in its wisdom, provided
what it thinks is ample guarantees for the
fultilment by the Gas Company of its OBJ
legations, including the forfeiture OF its
charter in the event of its failure. II it
does not come up to the mark, We shall
demand the letter to the bond as stoutlv
as will our contemporary. Meanwhile the
company shall have fair play at our hands,
and no insinuations or suggestions of
failure