The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-03-16
UNNATURAL GASS.
Some Argum ents (?) Pro.
duced by "Back Soon"
"The Boys on the other Paper" Treat
ed TO q Feast of Learning.

We notice piece in the Weekly
Sentinel signed "Back Soon" tha
the Author calls argument" tha
is very amusing to the boys in oul
back room. He piles up about
10000 dollars worth of offs" on q
ten year platform, and holding II
up says "There, now, look at that
Now, will you be good" and calls
it, argument" He forgets the big.
gest "if" in the whole question
that "if' that smothers all others
into impossibilities; that is the "IF
NATURE WILL. GIVE US THE GAS"
He asks, 'if gas plant is good
thing for private company, why
not good for municipality?"
Once upon time councilman
of a village was standing at race
course, and the anxious steeds were
prancing on the stretch waiting the
tap of the bell to go. A gentleman
at his side put down $4,000 that a
certain horse would win, which
wager was soon covered by the
crowding sports. The race was on,
the wire reached, and the nervy
fellow won the $4,000. The mar
veled councilman was all excite
ment, at the next meeting of the
city dads, and introduced an ordi-
nance to bond the village for $lO,.
600 to bet on the next race. When
"sat down" upon he blurted out,
why, saw man win $4,000 at
the races last week, and If IT IS A
GOOD THING FOR A PRIVATE INDI-
NIDUAL, WHY NOT GOOD FOR THE
MUNICIPALITY" The gentleman |
was excited because he saw man
take desperate chances invest a
goodly amount and win. Now, this is
the weakness of our friend, "Back
Soon" He sees visions Of a gas
company, who are reaping the re-
ward of their awful chances, and
like the good councilman, anxious
for his little village to do well, he
says, "mercy, look at those fellows,
why not us bore hole, too"
This good friend, "Back Soon,
censures us for trying to mould
public opinion and very kindly
heads his own article, Gan argu.
ment on the affirmative side"
Would it not seem that he is thus
trying little to mould public op-
inion, or why did he thus waste his
pencil. We do not deny that we {
have, ain our boyish way" been !
trying to mould public opinion. {
We surely forget our calling if this 7
is not the mission of journalism. q
The good friend might be jealous {
of our advantage, and want the C
public to edit our journal for us, or '
perhaps it might be that his elabor- S
ate arguments (?) have been re- 4
jected some place, and his hair a y
little singed. In the important /
question at hand our good friend d
will see when the votes are counted Il
out, that we not only have moulded
a few opinions, but have reflected g
the vast majority of public opinion d
in this city. 4
The gentleman asserts that the .
owner of this paper has been heard b
TO say that he is in favor of bond u
ing the town for natural gas pur- b
poses. This is not altogether true.
The senior partnerin this company d
may have such opinions and ex- G.
pressed them, but it is left to the II
unior partner to mould the policy So
If this paper, and it has been ID
moulded In opposition to bonding "
he town to purchase will-o'-the- "
visp. Here we might say that the
brilliant writer of the "Back Soon" III
lrticle made the assertion to us y
hat he is opposed to bonds, lest az
he proposed companies give us a y
,ood and sufficient surity that they q
will furnish us gas, natural or arti. VI
icial, for en:years for 400 dollars "
'er year, and under this proposition cr
We were with him. Now, alas, he
as changed his base. We know ou
lot why, Perhaps to hold up a Pl
weak cause. Sc
He wants us to produce "argu- an
lents." We would gently take In
i'm by the hand as a child and br
cad him to the race track and bo
how him the fellow that didn't de
lin. We need no argument. We sii
nbmit the question to an intelli- M
ent public who laugh at the weak tn
tempt on the other side. You di'
ave the burden of proof upon you, wi
nd lest you make case for hear fol
lg, we will submit the question to
10 public jury without argument. Is
auntlet still down. tn,