The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-11-12
SAM SHERMAN IS.
BOND issue FOE:.
MADATBLATTNER.
Fair Board Head Says he Re-
fused to Give Merchant
$3.50 and They Split.
SHERMAN THREATENED
TO HALT PARK SALE
Demanded Money to Help Boost
TOwn-"Go Plum to-"
Replied Blattner.

Charles Blattner, president of the
Fair & Park Assoc alton, yesterday
charged that Sam Sherman informed
him few weeks ago that he would de-
feat the bond issue unless the Fair
Board donated $3.50 to committee,
which Sherman represented.
President Blattner refused to make
the donation, and Sherman is now adj
vocating the defeat of the bond issue.
Mr.. Blattner yesterday gave The
Tribune the following account of Shcr-
mans threat:
sherman met me on the street one
day, few weeks ago, and told me he
wanted the Fair & Park Association
to give him $3.50, which, he said, would
be used in boosting the town.
81 told him the Fair Association was
not financially able to make this dona-
ton. we are in debt and arc unable
to pay our own obligations l told
him.
"He said: We'll, if you don't come
across with $3.50, I'm going to defeat
your plan to sell the Fairgrounds to
the city
81 told him that the Fair AssOcia-
tiOn had always tried to do what was
right and had done much for the city
at a loss to the association.
"He told me he didn't care anything
about what the Fair Association had
done, it would have to donate $3.50 to
him or it couldn't sell the park to the
city.
81 told him he ought to get behind
and work for a good cause, whether
we paid the money or not, but ne told
me he would see to it that we didn't
sell the park.
FINALLY told him he could just go
to 'Halifax'-but l didn't say Halifax
with his threats. You can't beat no
body l said to him. We can't afford
to give money to get the city to vote
for the Fairgrounds. If the city don't
want the park, the city don't have to
buy it.
81 told Sam had always thought he
was a fine gentleman but after what
he told me l came to the conclusion
that l was mistaken"
Mr.. BIattncr said yesterday that he
didn't care if Sherman did fight the
bond issue.
1t is understood that Sherman is not
only opposing the sale of the Fair
grShnds to punish Blattner, but he is
opposed to the proposition because it
has been Endorsed by Mayor Rage.
Sherman was an anti-Kage man last
spring. and was sorely disappointed
when the Mayor was reelected by such
a large majority Anything the Mayor
favors, Sherman is certain to oppose.
When asked yesterday if he had
been told of the threat made by Sher-
man, Mayor Rage said: "Yes, Blatt-
ner told me that Sherman said the city
could not buy the park, unless the Fair
Association donated $3.50 to Sherman's
committee. l told Blattncr that there
was but one Sam Sherman in the city
and l felt sure there would be other
votes cast"
Mr.. Blattner said last evening that
he expected to call on many of his
friends among the business men and
explain to them why Mr.. Sherman was
opposed to the city buying the Fair
grounds 81 don't believe Sherman will
do us much damage" said Blattner,
"but l am going to tell my friends why
he is fighting us. If he has no better
excuse to oppose the sale of the Fair
grounds than because we were too
poor to give big donation to his COM
mittee, his talk will not gain much
for him.
$50 far as l am concerned, / would
rather see the bond election fail than
to let anyone force me to donate
money. If l have to get support that
way, l don't want it. If the Fair
grounds is not worth as much as we
are asking for it, don't want the peo-
pie to buy it. That is my idea. l am
not giving anyone anything to work
for it and l am not going to give any
body anything to keep him from fight
ing it.
"There are members of the Fair &
Park Association who feel that we are
offering the grounds to the city too
cheap. l know it is worth more than
$4,000, but as we have offered it to
the city for that amount, the city
ought to have it, if the people want
it. But if they don't care to pay that
much, l will be satisfied"
CT Corb;o IF Zalr1a Yesterday was