The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-04-03
From the Mnnesotian Extra.
The Warnings OF Experience !-Read !
Read!

once the leader OF the Democratic party
of that State, weote its history, to be pub
lished after his death.
We make the following extracts from
that work, which if the people ratifying
the $5,OOO,OOO Loan Bill will soon be
realized as graphic history Of our own
State.
We conjure every citizen to read and
ponder on the following, that Minnesota
may avoid the ruin which overwhelmed
Illinois, SO long as that State made public
debts for public improvements.
The Reason efMe No-party Plea for Public Plumber.
HoscM People are Humdugged.
"The vote in the Legislature was no
a party vote; the banks were advocated
and supported upon grounds of public
utility and expediency and like upon the
internal improvement system, which fol-
lowed at the next session, both Wings
and Democrats were earnestly united to
lay party feelings aside, and all 20, at
least once, for the good of the country.
Whenever | have heard this cry since,
have always suspected that some great
mischief mas to be done, for which no party
desired to be responsible to the people.
AS majorities have the power, SO it is
their duty to carry on the government.
The majority, as long as parties are ne
cessary in free government, ought never
to divide, and a portion Of it Join tempo
rarily with the minority. It should al
ways have the wisdom and courage to
adopt all the measures necessary for good
government.-Page l72.
Ho,c the People Gre NuAtugged.
Speculation was the order of the dav,
and every possible means was hastily and
greedily adopted to give an artificial value
to property. In accomplishing this object
as to the m inner and means, our people
surrendered their Judgments to the die
tates of Q wild imagination. No scheme
was SO extravagant as not to appear plau-
sible to some. The most wild calculation
was made Of the advantages of a system
Of internal Improvement of the resour-
ces of the State to meet all expenditures;
and of our final ability to pay all indebt-
edness without taxation. Mere possibili-
ties appeared highly probable and proba-
bility wore the livery Of certainty it.
self.-Page 1872.
Hoao they get up the Phrensy
With view to such consumation, a
system Of internal improvements began
to be agitated in the summer and fall of
1886. 1t was argued that Illinois had all
the natural advantages which constitute a
great State; a rich soil, variety of climate,
and great extent Of territory. 1t only
wanted inhabitants and enterprise. These
would be invited by system Of improve
ments timber would be carried by rail-
road to fence the prairies, and the pro-
ducts of the preiries, by the same means,
would be brought to market. the peo-
pie began to hold public meetings and pass
resolutions on the subject. Thus the
general desire of sudden and unwarran-
table gain /; dissatisfaction with the slow
but sure profits industry and lawful COM
merce, produced a general phrenzy-page
81.
What zoe nOao See an Minnesota.
1t had been too much the case, in the
Illinois Legislature, that when majority
were set upon accomplishing their pur-
pose, no constitutional barriers were suf-
ficient to restrain them. Ingenious rea-
sons were never wanting to satisfy the
consciences of the more timid so that
many regretted that there was any consti-
tuition at all, by the violation Of which,
members were forced to commit perjury
to accomplish their utilitarian views
Page 1875.
Just the Same Here.
No previous survey or estimate had
been made, either of the routes, the cost
Of the works, or the amount of business
TO be done on them. The arguments in
favor Of the system were Of character
most difficult to refute, composed as they
were partly Of fact, but mostly of predic-
tion.-Page 1856.
Hoao they Log-Rou
Roads and improvements were propos-
ed everywhere, to enlist every section of
the State. Three or four efforts were
made TO pass smaller system, and when
defeated, the bill would be amended by
the addition of other roads, until major
ity was obtained for it.-Page 1885,"
Hoa0 the Demagogues De1ude the People.
"The examples of Pennsylvania and
Indiana in adopting a similar system were
powerfully urged by the deluded dema-
gogues Of this legislature, to delude their
fellow members, and to quiet the fears of
the people.-p. 49,"
The Best Of Experience.
''Not solitary one Of these propositions
has borne the test of experiment; but all
have resulted just contrary to mhat was
predicted.
mention these calculations all Of which
SO signally failed; all of which were so
confidently believed, but which now APP
pear SO absurd and ridiculous, as warn
ing to all theatrical visionary schemers in
public affairs; and against the course of
all impracticable, dreaming politicians. -
Page 1889.
The State Brought to Ruin
"Thus was presented the spectacle of
the whole people becoming infatuated,
adopting most ruinous policy, and con-
tinuing it for three years in fact, until
the whole scheme tumbled about their
ears, and brought down the State to that
ruin which all cool, rejecting men, said
from the first was inevitable. '-P. 1872.
The System Stopped.
cat the special session in 1889 the
legislature was compelled by inevitable
necessity to stop the system. Page 1913.
The People Astoni@aed at their Oacm Folly.
''The people looked one way and anoth-
err with surprise. and were astonished at
their own folly. They looked about for
some one to blame, but there was no one.
All were to be equally condemned" -
Page 1913.
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