Not a voico is raised there for any
enterprise that promises the good of
the people in neighboring parts. Is
there a railroad meeting to be held
at Fenuimore or PlatteviJle, a Fourth
of July celebration in a distant spir
ited town, a public lecture, a Sunday
School celebration or meeting of the
people for promoting education, a po
litical canvaßS aud public speaking
the order, or any demonstration of the
people for moral, religious or indus
trial effort, is a Lancaster mau ever
known to bo there with his words of
cheer or his dime ? Exceptions are
in miud, but not among the negative
men who have never distinguished
themselves except when well paid for
any service. I honor the few who
would be public spirited ; but Mr.
Cover, they are not dearly honored
at home by the petticoated party of
neutrals who stand in the way to
cnoko the growth of every enterpris
ing seed sown in the public mind.
By this time the shadow of my
work is reflected from a lighted fore-
ground. You can but just see what
is iu the way of Grant County pro*
greasing at a leap and standing
abreast along side of the foremost
western counties. The obstacle is
these uegativo dunderheads, who,
Bourbon like, see nothing, forget
nothing, learn nothing, aud who
preach and practice the same code
of economy and stupidity t heir fath
ers taught them thirty rears ago.
Leading men of other towns have
caught the same spirit of Lancaster,
being influenced by their shire town
more than by all other towns, until
at last all questions of improvement
aud all incipiententerprisearcchoked
out either by our leading meu dis
couraging them or by their outcry
against the taxatioa required to put
them through.
