The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-03-20
The Great State Tax QuestiOn-.-Smo
king the Railroad Gophers Out!


action of the sirty friends Of the loa" OIL,
whose names are appended to the singular
address, which we publish in another column
at the request of these mad-men, aud to
which We call the attention of "the public.
These friends Of the loan BILL" are the
gentlemen, who forced that measure through
the House of Representatives, under a call
of the "preriOus question. thus cutting OH
the debates, which they were afraid to let go
10 the people!
These are the men, in part, who formed
iisgraceful leagues and combinations to pre-
vent the circulation of the MINNESorIAN
among the people, because it opposed, this
most unholy and damnable fraud upon the
right of the people
These are the men, in part, who, by threats
of their high dSpleasure, attempted to intim-
idate the Press, and brighten from their true
and unbought allegiance, the friends of the
State, in their opposition to this most disas-
trous scheme
These are the men, in part, who at first
denounced this loan project as one Of the
most corrupt and Infamous scheme of villainy
and fraud, that ever was introduced into
legislative body, and yet who, few days
later, not only voted for the bill, but voted
to sustain the previous question and prevent
debate
These are the men, in part, who smothered
Investigation into the frauds and bibries q
these Rairrad Companies at the Ertra SeSsto"
of the Territorial Legislature, lest 1t might
establish for some of them, an unfortunate
precedent
These are the men whose votes passed the
bill, loaning the credit of the State to the
amount of Fire Million Of Dollars-pledging
the FAITH and CREDIT Of the STATE
and of the people Of tie State for the PAY
MENT of the interest and principal Of this
Immense loan!
Such are the men who sign this singular
address, Such are the men who now urge
the people to adopt and approve this unholy
scheme
DuL Nudt ufSuh thSy U1 thio oiiO"ie"'
pedge-the pledge contained in this most
singular paper?
Fellow citizens of Minnesota, what think
You of the Representatives of the people, in
this mock Legislature, who will by their
votes to-day pass bill, pledging the firth
and credit of the State for the payment of in
terest and principal on loan Of Flee Millions
Of Dollars to these preferred companies
who. tomorrow, in an Address to the Peo-
pie, will probably urge that people to APP
prove what they have recommended and
vet. in the same breath PLEDGE them
selves, in the most solemn manner, that they
will resist, as one man, any proposition to
provide the means to save the State from
JankruDtcy and ruia-its name from DIS
HONOR and its people from shame and hu-
initiation
Yes, these men, have in one breath pleolged
the faith aud credit of the State for the pay
ment of principal and interest on loan of
Fire Millions, and in the next, repuaiated all
obligations le-al or moral.
Miserable tricksters What do they
mean, by pledging the fa1h and credit OF the
State to-day and repudiating it tomorrow
and thus uniting and banding themselves to-
gether for the purpose Of bringing disgrace
and dishonor on the noae fair name and unsul-
lied fame of our promising Territory, and its
enterprising people! May the people forgive
them, for Mey kaop not aclat they do! They
surely cannot be sane, and we have no dispo-
sition to use unnecessary severity, with men
in their unfortunate condition
We cannot think that these men seriously
intend to bring the State and her people into
disgrace and dishonor; and yet should this
scheme be approved by the people, what else
can result from this strange combination !!
Nothing but disgrace and dishonor to both
the State and its people
Are they willing to give out to the world
that the State is pledged for the punctual pay
ment of the interest and principal of this
debt just long enough to enable their co-ad
tutors to negotiate the State bonds and then
repudiate them! This is certainly what
they pledge themselves to do by this paper.
But what faith could be placed in such a
pledge, even if it were fair and honest to-
wards the State and its creditors ? None,
absolutely none By their strange conduct,
they have placed themselves beyond the pale
of common respect. We have no faith in
men who will vote to day to pledge the faith
and credit of the State for the payment of in
terest and principal of loan, and to-mor-
row pledge themselves to oppose the only
plan on earth by which they can fulfil that
pl-dgel
But there is another question involved in
this pledge address. In the first bill intro
duced in the Senate by Mr.. SrREErER, as
also in the one introduced by Mr.. VAN ETTEN
from the Select Committee, the proposition
was to amend Sec 5, of Art. 9 of the Con-
stitution. That section was not embraced in
the bill which finally passed both Houses, and
therefore stands unamended in the Consti'
tuition. We here copy that section:
ARTICLE 9. SEC. 5. For the purpose of defraying
extraordinary expenditures the State may contract
public debts. Every such debt shall
be authorized by law for single object be dis
tinctly specified therein. And every
such law shall levy tax annually sufficient pay the
nnlaL interest of such debt and also tar sufficient
10 Dav the principal OF such debt aoithn ten gears
IRON. the fndL passage 81 such tdp ard shall specially
nnronriae the proceeds of such taxes the payment
OF such principal and interest," and such apprOpra ion
and shall be repealed, postponed diminished
mill the principal and interest Of such debt shall have
been wholly paid.
twill be seen, the pledge of the stxt,
friends of the loan bill' to the contrary
notwithstanding, that this clause of the Con
stitution is imperative in requiring A TAX
to be assessed to meet the interest and provide
;,.;,,, find for the principal, This is alb