Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-10-22

the amount OF 81 100000, which are out
standing and worthless, and subiccling the
holder, under tie net of last winter to inn
prisonment in the pentenliary.
II. That by transferring the notes
fraudulcntly obtained 10 SO called inno-
cent holders, the derrau led farmers
were deprived of all rights OF defense.
10. That notes Of this character were
purchns d in the law firm of Kennedy &
Stccn. of Bellefontuine.
~. That certain banks held and dis
counted suspiciously large amounts of
these notes.
II. That various other parties are large
holders OF these notes.
1s. That swmdlers have made immense
sums Of money.
10. That the swndled farmers are ap.
parently without money.
20. That the charter hns not been re-
vokcd, and some of the agents are
swindling their victims out of their
grain as they swindled them out of their
notes.
81. That it is the duty of the Secretary
of State to revoke the corporate charter
of any incorporation engaged in the oc-
cupati II and business of swindling.
90. That it has long been known that
"The Kenton Bohemian Oat and Cereal
Company" was engaged in the business
of swindling. and n prompt revocation
of its charter would have saved tens of
thousands of dollars.
90. That when said company was or.
ganized it was known to business men
and men in public life generally in this
part Of the State that these Bohemian
gangs were swindlers,
"a. That the company ought not have
been incorporated at all.
25. That If incorporated under mis-.
apprehension, its charter should have
been promptly revoked when shortly
thereafter its true character became
known.
90. Tint in the most liberal fair and
candid view OF the matter Secretary of
State Robinson was derelict in his duty
in not revoking the company's charter
long ago, and that this dereliction has
cost the farmers of Hardin and adjoin-
ing counties vast sums of money.
With all these points already shown,
a later defense OF General Robinson
makes the case worse for him. This de-
fense, which was evidently prepared in
the office of the Secretary of State, while
it does not undertake to dispute or deny
a single one of the foregoing twenty-six
propositions, admits that General Robin
son knew from the first that the Bohe-
mian Company was swindle, and that
he not only chartered it, but permitted
it to go on swiudling after thousands of
victims had made complaint to him,
and then finally says that the act of last
winter was prepared i'll the Secretary of
States office.
That will be very important informa-
ton to the farmers in this part of the
State. They have been eXtreemly anx-
ious to know for some time who drew
the bill that makes them liable to go to
the penitentury if they attempt TO en-
force the bonds of the Kenton Bohe-
mian Oat and Cereal Company. Now
they know it was James 5. Robinson,
and they will not be unmindful of the
fact the officers and directors of the
company are the intimate friends OF
j. S. RCbnson, the acknowledged au-
thor of the bill.
Now, what does this bill provide ? II
provides first that hereafter it shall be
unlawful for this Bohemian Company
to do business-after it had swindled
the farmers out of a million in money
and then it provides
That whoever demands "as the
whole or part consideration for any
bond contract or promise given the
vendee of any grain, seed or cereals
binding the vender or any other person
corporation, company, association, oil
the agent thereof, to sell for such vendet
any grain, seed or cereals at fictitious
price, or at a price equal to or more thar
twice the market price of such grain
seed or cereals, shall be imprisoned il
the penitentiary not more than thre'
: years nor less than one year, or be finet
in the sum of not more than $500 no
less than $l00, or both, at the discretion
of the court"
That is what catches the farmers ant
leaves them without any remedy what
ever. The swindlers have already go
, the notes of the farmers and put then
in the hands of "nnocent" holders. Th
notes must be paid The swindlers car
not be touched, punished or interferet
, with because the law can not retroact
e This law invalidates the bond whicl
was the farmers only chance to get bacl
the money out of which he was swindled
! but does not invalidate the note givel
= in exchange for the bond
IL IOJ OILY IHNdlludteh Tile DOIlu nell
hy the farmer but sends him to the pen
itetinry, because when he makes de
mand that the bond be inforced he i
acting in the present and comes unde
, the law. The "dcmand" that the bont
, be redeemed according to its terms con
stitutes the crime, and the possession o
the bond furnishes the evidence to sem
= the farmer to the penitentiary
AnI I,p,ao Doh;psnp l,a,, ,,,, L.;
bill ! He has authorized this statemen
himself | This is important news t.
every farmer in this and adjoining coun
: ties. They arc deeply Interested il
knowing who framed law that vii
p send them to the penitenliary for insist
ing that the Kenton Bohemirn Oat ant
Cereal Company shall make good thei
, bonds on the strength of which the
\ pocketed $l25 COO Of The farmers har,
, earned mo e. in Hardin county alone.
The scope and effect of the law az
plain enough. The Bohemian swindler
were already loaded down with swaj
and the farmers had something like
million dollars of their bonds. The bi
Z: drawn by General Robinson was passed
II said that it should be unlawful to sci
any more Bohemian oats and Red Lin
wheat at speculative prices to tn
farmers.
I Then il provides That any attempt on Il,
part Of the farmers To enforce the bond
, they hold against the Bohemian swimllrr
should land them ~ The penitenliary. Til
law as il stood before denied them a de
, fensc to their notes bccHu-e they were il
the hands Of "innOcen" holders, TIL
Robinson law denied them the right To Ell
| lurCe lleir clnnlS ngainst the cO,ulisuy
When the Kerton Bohemian Oit M,
Cereal Company had beaten the farmer
I out Of S2j00O0 in notes, aud made Ties
notes good by pl'cing them in HE hand
Of "innoccnls," and had placed 81 900 ON
in bonds with their victims, all that The,
needed was 10 he relieved from all labllli,
for and all responsibility On these bonds.
The Robinson act did this. 1t relieve,
the Bohemian pirates from all liability
civil and criminal, and destroyed ever,