The Fremont County record., 1881-10-08
CAPITAL.

myself personally before our reader
on the state capital question, but
feel that after the remarks made o,
Thursday night at the street meetin:
at which time not only were hint
thrown out concerning my motives
but my name mentioned and cal
made by one individual that / come
forward and explain my course, il
might be looked upon as unexpIain
able if still remain quiet and not de.
fcnd myself. Some weeks ago Mr.
ID. G. Peabody, the father of the Canon
City capital movement, told me thai
no was preparing an article on oul
town being a candidate for be state
capital and asked me if 1 would cal
tomorrow for it. AS it is not my
habit to drum up communications
any more than it is to bore my GUS
toners for advertising. job work OF
subscriptions, told sIr. p. 10 send
his article over when lie had COM
pleted it, put his signature to it and
L would publish it, Upon another
request OF ID. G.'s l agreed to send
after il, but failed until ii was too
late for publication in that weeks is
sue, SO d. G. gave 1t 10 the paper
called the Reporter. When ID. G.
first spoke on the subject told him
that l differed with him as to The
means 10 adopt to get our town nom
mated. Ny plan was, fret of all, for
our large property owners and bust
ness men who would be benefited
by the location of the capital, to put
their hands into their pockets and
raise fund large enough to give the
movement reasonable chance for
success. The money raised to be
used, not to bribc voters, dels :
gates or newspapers. but to issue
pamphlets telling of Canon's adyant-
ages, have clerks put them ia en-
velores and address them to every
voter in southern Colorado, and to
send at leas. two good speakers
all over the country TO talk the mat
ter over with the voters. When it was
decided to call a convention of dele
gates 10 meet in Canon | favored the
use of some of the money raised to
defray the railroad and travelling ex-
penses OF at least one of :he delegates
from each county so that they would
have no excuse for not coming to
ihe convention. Ny ide> sro,u the
keep quiet on the subject
rs | felt that the quiet work would
count before other towns, who were
also candidates, would know that we
were in earnest. The parties who
took charge of the movement went
their own way TO work and to-day
The position we occupy is just as it
was before either nominating conven-
ton was held. Instead of raising
money in large sums l understand
that $40 was the largest sum contrib
ntod in cash by our wealthy property
owners. Without knowing that the
sums contributed were so small sent
in $40 cash subscription and gave
the committee the use of Blake's hall
two nights free which was at least
$50 more. also notified them that
If our citizens who had over ten times
the property that | had would con-
tribute ST 900 | would put 500 more
in cash into the fund. But the COM
miitcc thought that because we all
knew that Canon was the best place
for The capital that it would require
very little money TO get the nomina-
ton. The gentlemen who undertook
10 canvass the country had not time
to visit but a small portion of south
ern Colorado, and although they talk
cd well and paid most of their own
brilliant as the over sanguine had
hoped for. II is not yet too late to
go to work and as our committee
have adopted my first suggestion and
now ask our citizens to come down
literally, still hold open my 800
offer. 1t seems strange that after a
man has lived in the town as long as
l have and has contributed from $5
to 800 to every enterprise, church
or public Improvement that has been
brought forward, has paid his debts
promptly, has treated every man hon
orably, has handled thousands of dol
lars of other peoples money while
engaged in banking and other kinds
of business and not dollar of it is
claimed, even by my worst enemy, TO
have ever stuck to my fin
gers, have never been charged d
with visiting dance houses, gambling
saloons or with being drunk, but be-
cause have differed with some over
sanguine capital cnthusiasts as to the
best means to secure the end which
every one of us would like 10 have
accomplished, l am charged with
being bought by Denver money.
There Is some satisfaction in know
ing that the few men who make such
charges need just such a capital cloud
10 cover their previous record. Had
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