The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-04-07
Base Engratitusie.

Base Engratitutie.
The one thing which occasioned the
most surprise, and we may add indig-
nation among the business men and
the better class of our citizens in the
late election was the attitude assumed
by the Paige-Sexsmith mill men. 1t
is understood by our readers already
that this finn is in great financial dis
tress, and that if they escape going
into bankruptcy it will only be
through the leniency of their creditors,
and that the business men of Superior
as well rs of Duluth and other points
have stood by them from the first and
rendered them service that cannot be
computed by dollars and cents. The
heads of the firm, their chief assist
ants and even their day workmen,
well know that many of our business
men and the respectable portion Of the
community have not only stood by
the firm. in their EN- barrassments but
in many cases were ready to aid them
by the loan of money to help them
through; and that our bank is now
carrying their paper to large amount,
and further, that the banks cashier,
Mr.. Alexander, was sent to Oshkosh
to attend a meeting of the creditors
with instructions to extend their pa
per as they might want it, and to rem
der the company any other assistance
III his power to save it from making
an assignment.
Yet in face of all this we find the
full mill force of this company, about
eighty men in all with perhaps a
half-dozen honorable exceptlons--fur-
nished with tickets and led by one or
two Of their principal subordinates to
the polls and solidly voting with the
rabblc against the best interests Of the
town and against the men who were
doing most for them; not only this,
but making it a special peint to defeat
Mr.. Bardon, the vice-president of the
bank which is carrying their paper
and extending it for them, and doing
all he could to save them from fnan-
cial ruin, for the position Of Chairman
of the Board Of Supervisors.
We, like the rest of the people, are
at loss for a reason for this display
Of the basest kind Of ingratitude on
the part Of those voters. We cannot
yet believe it was done with the consent
or even the knowledge Of the heads Of
the firm, and we doubt not that had
any Of them been on the ground the
result, would have been far different.
Neither do we desire to censure the
mass Of the men, for we doubt not
they were misled and unduly infu-
enced in the matter by their immedi-
ate superiors, and here is where they
made their mistake, for every man
ought to- think and act for himself
when he assumes the responsibility Of
casting 4 ballot.
We respectfully call the attention
of the firm to the matter, and we
think it is due to that large majority
of our people who have the best inter
ests of the town at heart that the
Messrs. Sexsmith publically endorse
or condemn this action of their sub
ordinates. The people have a right to
know whether they are assisting a
friend or an enemy Of the town-those
who are trying to build it up or tear
it down. And it would be strange
indeed if those gentlemen should pre-
fer to see the control, for purposes of
assessment and taxation, of their large
and valuable mill and lumber bust
ness, pass out Of the hands of those
who have the best interests of the town
at heart, and into those Of the element
which so vigorously sought to attain
the ascendency on Tuesday.