To extend such aid would require $104,000.00, and it was proposed to
raise this sum by issuing county bonds. A petition was circulated,
asking for an election, at which the voters should decide whether or not
such bonds should be issued. In a very short time sufficient signatures
were procured to justify the call for an election, and it was almost a
foregone conclusion that the bonds would be voted. The proposition of
the company looked fair enough, the railroad would without doubt prove
of great benefit to the county, and there had so far been very little
opposition. Everyone in town seemed confident and jubilant.
The proclamation calling for the election was issued the very day our
store was closed.
“Very well,” thought we, “you’ve had your innings; now we will try and
have ours.” We immediately started in to defeat the bonds.
Did we succeed in doing it? Well, let the sequel tell.
During the week we traveled through the country—and didn’t we speak to
every man we met? We drummed up audiences for evening meetings in the
most convenient school house, where we showed up Logwater, its
authorities and citizens in the clearest light.
On Saturdays we were in Logwater, and talking all day to the farmers who
gathered around.
Curbstone oratory? Well, I should smile. We told them the railroad had
offered to build to Logwater in consideration of city bonds alone (which
was a fact), but that the citizens of that cut-throat place wanted to
saddle the whole thing on the poor farmers, saving expense to
themselves, though, in fact, the townspeople were the only ones who
would be really benefitted.
To make a long story short, we exposed the whole thing from beginning to
end, making it out as one of the most rotten and bare-faced efforts at
robbery that had ever been conceived of or perpetrated on an intelligent
community. We convinced the people of the rural districts that the
scheme was not only a disgrace to the county, but a burning insult to
each and every one of them, which could only be resented by voting on
election day against the bonds.
As a side issue, we rang in how the merchants were robbing them, and as
a convincing argument reminded them of our own experience. Because we
were willing to give the people good goods at living prices, and for so
much less than the monopolists at Logwater were in the habit of
charging, they had forced us out of town by special license laws which
were simply prohibitive.
We worked like troopers, day and night, until election day came. Then we
had our revenge to its fullest extent. The bonds were defeated by a
small majority.
The campaign cost us over a hundred dollars, but the satisfaction of
getting even with those fellows was worth five times as much. Other
companies have their lines running through the county, but Logwater has
no railroad to this day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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