The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-12-15
A REPLY.

the county commissioners that Dan.
P. Davis had utlished last week IN
the Repaew. He says that sixty other
Taxpayers of the town of Cambria
signed it. OF my own knowledge OF
the people of Cambria, | venture the
assertion that he cannot get more
than twentieth that number Lei
him produce the names if he can.
But to the charge that Robert 5.
Hughes urged the county commission
ers TO build a bridge at the lower
crossing, over the Cottonwood river,
in the town of Cambria, to pay ante
election promises. The county COM
misSioners sent the engineer to draw
plans and specifications, and estimate
the cost of bridge at the lower
crossing instead of the upper one.
The third charge is that the be ard
refused to give the amount OF money
that the bridge would cost to the town
of CORTLAND, in Nicollet county, TO
build bridge over the Minnesota
river: and the fourth charge Is thaG
the board is building bridge where
it is perfectly useless, and not wanted
by anybody except Il. 5. Hughes to
paw ante-election promises and spend
the peoples money in senatorial cour-
teSies. And these are the four counts
.ho hin Of ind
In the irst count Dan. p. Davis
charges r. S. Hughes with using the
taxpayers money to pay bribery. Let
him give proof of his assertion II he
can Surely, he did not have word
of proof ia the Reuieao. We Will wait
for the proof, and 90 TO the second
charge and see what that is.
Mr.. Davis keeps from the taxpayers
the fact that he is leader of one
faction, and had petition before the
board to build bridge at the upper
crossing, while Snother man had pc
tition for bridge at the lower cross
ing, and wants taxpayers to under
stand that r. S. Hughes was doing
this on his own hook, without the
knowledge of the town. Now | know
better than that; and let taxpayers
underestimate that this is DO under-hand
game, but a fight between two fac
tions, and the whole town Of Cambria
was on one side or the Otner, except
myself and possibly one or two Others.
About year ago some of my neigh
bors requested me to make petition
to the board for such bridge, and L
did, not specifying any of the cross
ings, and signed it, with few others,
and left it in Mr.. Bowen's store In
CORTLAND, where most Cambria peO-
pie get their MALL to get signatures to
it. No sooner did Davis see it than
he was out with petition to have the
bridge built at the upper crossing, and
another man with a petition for the
lower crossing. 1hey said the first
was too indefinite, and both sides
wanted signers. | suppose there was
not man in town who was not asked
to sign one or both, and each side
presented its petition to the board,
saying the thild was coming, but it
did not appear. Mr., Davis was leader
of the upper crossing faction. and be-
fore the board took any action on
these petitions, Dan. P DAVIS, r. S.
Hughes, and A. j. Doty, of CORTLAND,
came before the board with their at
torney to plead their case, and the
board decided for the lower crossing,
although Davis and Hughes gave their
word of honor that Cambria would
take care of the Cottonwood bridge
1t is too bad, Messrs. Commissioners,
that you did not take the word of
these big men who had the town of
Cambria in their pants pockets, and
would not be whipped in like spaniels.
Upon the third charge, that they re-
fused to give the amount of money to
the town Of CORTLAND, in Nicollet
county. Or, what impudence the
county board has to throw the bridge
the state Of Minnesota one year and
half ago appropriated $500 to build,
and Cambria and CORTLAND 5000 each
to complete, and which is in good or
der order today, and which the law
says Nicollet and Blue Earth counties
must keep in repair. Shame on you,
Messrs. Commissioners, if you have
any brains Of your own, that you de-
eide to do and not to do what these
naughty men tel: you.
The fourth count is spending tax
payers money to pay ante-election
promises, and hence perfectly useless
Now let us see what is in that charge.
1t is heavy, and broad to look at, but
ct US test it by facts for they are
stubborn things. 70 go to Courtland
from Cambria there are two crossings,
and in an emergency, when you can
not cross at either of the two, you
can cross over on The bridge at Shaw's
and 60 around through Gilley's and
my own land over a private track that