The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-03-27
Senator FOlsOm's Letter to his COnstit-
uents Oh the 100000 Loan.
SENATE CHAMBER,
St. Paul, March 10, 1858.

SENATE CHAMBER
St. Paul, March 10, 1858.
TO mn Constituents the People Of Chisago Pine and
lsanti counties, comprising the 25th Senatorial
| District Of Minnesota:
Having accepted the charge of represent
ing you in the Senate of Minnesota, think
it properly within my province in this manner
to especially direct your attention to most
important bill which has just been passed by
the Legislature, submitting for adoption by
the People, at special election on the 18th
of April next, an amendment to the State
Constitution which loans the credit of the
State to the amount of $5,000,OOO to the
four Railroad companies which obtained the
Congressional land grant. take this meth
cd of calling your attention to this, for the
reason, that the measure proposed for your
votes is most gravely and singularly import
ant-important far beyond the usual tenor of
legislative acts,-and because, moreover, it
affords me an opportunity to define my posi-
ton upon the question, which my unavoid-
able absence at the time the bill passed the
Senate, prevented me then doing.
Had been present / should most assuredly
By my voice and cote, hare opposed the passage
of the bill.
make this declaration thus emphatically
inasmuch as evil-minded persons have insin-
uated that my absence was occasioned by
wish not to commit myself on one side or
the other of the question. Sickness in my
family, and important business. both con-
joined to call me away from my post-not
fear to meet the issue, which is one no man
could avoid, if he would for think the
State will probably be agitated for years by
this momentous question.
But, the bill having finally passed, the
contest is transferred from the Capitol to the
ballot-box, and in urging my constituents in
Chisago Pine and Isanti counties to vote
down the proposed State debt l will give a
few reasons why advise them to do so.
First, 1 advise them to vote against the
project because it is legislation in the Con-
stitution, which is against the very idea of an
organic law, which should be only an enun-
citation of general principles, and contain
general grants or general prohibitions of
power; and in this case, the alteration pro-
posed is of a provision of the Constitution
which the whole people but very recently
almost unanimously adopted and which it
:, nv, ;,a,,lS To fbor ipfo1I;oopoo 70 ,,roroeo
thus hastily, and without time for deliberation
and discussion, to change. With one feeling
pervading the heart Of the whole people they
deposited their ballots in the box on the 18th
of October, in the full assurance that they
were embarking in the ship pof State, free from
pecuniary embarrassment with a model
Constitution in the respect of creating State
ndebtedness-which was limited by it to
the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, provision which has oft times been
rehearsed as one of the choicest features en-
bodied in the whole document. The propo-
stion now is, that the People should reverse
their overwhelming decision on this point
change the garment before it is worn, or even
tried on. Where is there another instance
on record when people have declared they
will live under certain form of Government,
and have framed its system-that change
has been dictated before it goes into opera
ton? Such fcke-mindedness is unworthy
of us as people, and entirely incompatible
with the conservative permanence which the
adoption of Constitution implies. l think
the very mooting of such proposition in the
dence, which under all the circumstances, is
quite unparalleled, as we'll as objectionable.
Look at it. The members of the Legislature,
the servants of the people, who have been
sent to the Capital to put into successful ope-
ration the machinery, to execute the require
ments demanded in the new Constitution
the Magma Charta under which nearly
10000 voters have so recently declared they
will live, and by the sentiments of which they
so universally said they were willing to be
governed - we, their servants, assembling
here under this injunction, instead of per-
forming the duties assigned US as instru-
ments to carry out the great charter just
adopted for our government, proceed, with
out petition or instruction from the people,
to remodel our organic law in one of its most
essential preservatives, before the operation
of this new form of government has extended
its genial rays over own new State-before
its influence is known or appreciated by the
mass of the people-and before we are &C
credited even as State in the Confederacy !!
hope the people will never sanction such
alteration of their organic law in hot haste
conceived. and with indecent haste hurried to
vote before time for deliberation and dis
cussion upon it can be had. 1t is a safe poll
cy at any rate to vote down all changes in
Constitution which are proposed in hurry
and without due consideration and even if
no other reason than this was presented, it is
sufficient cause for the rejection Of this pro-
posed amendment. But there are many 9th
er reasons why it should be opposed besides
this general ground of objection.
Second. l advise my Constituents to vote
against the amendment, because it proposes
to create State debt of $5,O0O,OOO of dol
lars, bearing per cent interest per annum !;
which amount, with only 10000 inhabitants,
and only $25OOO,OOO valuation of taxable
property in the whole State of Minnesota
must rest with burdensome weight upon the
permanent and settled people of the State
To pay the interest upon this sum of 5000,
900 will require the sum of 100000 dollars ;
which must be raised by tax upon the peo-
pie, and by Section 5, of Article 7 of the
Constitution, which the new amendment does
not alter, there must, be also another tax
levied annually, of ten per cent of tie debt