Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-09-11
100 pounds Blanke & Bros. Choicest Can
dies 81 Newmau's. Cheapest in Ironton.
Mr.. Benson Again.

ANNAPOLIS, No, Sept. 9th, 1890.
Ed. RegiSter-The controversy now pend
ing between the Annapolis Tariff Reform
Club and myself has been carried beyond the
pale Of decency.
II | were so inclined, and if the A. T. &
c. was responsible, financially, morally, o.
otherwise, conld make them uncomfortably
warm.
But further than TO publicly xendicate my.
self and brand the miserable bathrooms who
resort to such despicable subtertuges, such
outrageous lies as were published in youl
paper last week, over the name Of the Sec.
retary Of the Reform Club, as the towards
they are, will DO nothing.
These seif-styled seformers charge me, by
implication, with a most grieyous offence
an inhuman act. In truth, L have never
directly or Indirectly, referred TO the matters
of the coffin mentioned by the Reformers in
s1ch soul-stirring words. | challenge any
man TO say that have.
Far from being prosecutor and an op-
pTesor Of the poor. have been ever friend
TO the needy. There are men on the rolls Of
the 4. T. L. c. to- day who have carried
provisions from my store when they were
hungry, and were without money Or credit
elsewhere: and / am sorry TO say their
names are not only on the books Of the 4.
T. Z. G, but they are on my books to-day.
These men cry ''gnoul"to me. Why, have
kept Them from starving, and save only in q
few cases j; Is little thanks | got for it. In
all three Of nv letters in the REGISTER /
no iaa 4a- !
which I cannot prove, and sign my name 10
the facts. This ought not to drive any hon.
est man to madness. We have IN this com
mUnity large number Of young men who
are growing up, and, from the tradition and
habit Of their parents, many Of them will
regret that they did not study more in the
public schools and less politics and devote
the rest OF their time to Home Economy.
was not Intending to answer aay of the
yilided lies of last.week in the REGISTER
from the 4. t. +. c. to me. But in answer
ing the first charge in regards TO grave dig
ging, | will say few words in answer to the
rest q the equal lies, and leave the balance
for the honest and decent people TO answer,
who have known me for the last sixteen
years.
That kitchen safe my clerk says he knows
nothing Of, and even If it was so, any man is
liable TO make a mistake, and there is no
man more willing to correct mistake than
/ am. Now. that COW. 1 bought two cows
from one of the members of the A. L. 7. c.
have never received either Of them yet;
one Of them he or his father is still using for
milk, and | have never to my knowledge
seen that cow yel: and the other cow he sold
me fairly and squarely, and got part Of the
pay. But month or two after selling to me
he sold the same cow to Mr.. kitchell in pay
ment IF digging a well for him, without ask
would have me TO credit his account with
one OF TWO cows.
They say. for one, owe you nothing.
You are very careful 20 say IL" But you
say sou DO not owe me good viii. II you
think back year. and study your circum-
stance, and The fayors you asked. every
month, and got them. for almost year, you
are very kind now to show your good raising.
You have not got lease on the firm you are
working for, and n y need favor again,
the same a. you obtained before.
Now As TO compelling men to trade in my
store J. As big lie a. any. l have employed
men when il was more of favor to them, SO
Is to get something TO eat, than a profit to
myself, aud many times resulted in 4 loss TO
me. l can say TO you kickers that l always
had more APPLICANTS to do my work than /
could furnish employment TO, and | believe
| have given work to more men since / lived
here, than any other one man Of my means,
and have never had a man working for me
We. that did not get his pay according to con-
tract.
In the sixteen years | have lived in this
locality and town, the doctors and merchants
have lost, 10 my personal knowledge, more
than forty thousand dollars in this little town
Of Annapolis, which is not worth to day the
paper il was charged on. Now, when come
out and say, educate yourselves to be honest
and seifsupporting citizens. You howl and
Willy me as one who robbed you in disguise.
II you ever bought anything in my store and
paid too much for it, why did you buy il: It
takes two ID make a bargain. Some Of MY
good Democratic friends come to me now,
and say should not put these facts in print;
that | will lose trade and be viiIfed in their
letters back. Now, gentlemen, l do not
want such trsde, and as far a the abuse
get through the a. t. Z. c., am not losing
any sleep, as consider the source, and will
LEI the decent people be the judges as to who
is wrong.
/ did not say / was betting 500 that could
prove what l said in regard TO buying votes,
but said / had a hundred dollars TO say it
was so, aud will give il if can not prove il
was told by responsible man and an ex-
candidate in primary election. The offer
is still open. You say / owed man 500
when we settled mp. That is one more lie.
You had better ask that nan again, and /
think he vii reduce il 500.
That beautiful poetry was very appropri-
ate, and when you were boarding st my house
four months on credit, you surely found