Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-10-08
WEEKLY MINNESOTlAN.
VIM. l.. Banning, lssq...-The fAOneer
aud the s. Forty Thieves"

Amongst our best citizens all concede "m'
L. Banning to be. lie conducts all his busi-
ness affairs uprightly towards everybody
He steadily obeys the scriptural Injunction
to .'owe no man anything" lie is liberal 10
all pubic enterprises. A man OF educatoh
and talent, he devotes much OF his time TO
public affairs ,without having office or place IN
view. but solely to secure for the whole COM
munity the adoption Of those measures OF
public policy which will benefit all alike, and
save our State from ruin and disgrace. Had
Mr. Banning been listened to, the disastrous
five million loan policy would not have been
adopted. Had his warning voice been heed
ed, the Railroad currency would never have
been issued, nor any man have lost dollar
by it.
True,-the thieves and swindlers from
Wisconsin, who in alliance with others of like
kidney here in Minnesota, have sought to
fleece our people by Railroad and currency
schemes-this kind of people no not like him.
They are continually trying to excite ignorant
prejudice against him, by crying out that he
is "a banker" and loans money at the rates
of interest people agree to give him. For this,
he is daily denounced in the Pioneer, and on
this account almost daily held up to the pub
lie Scorn. How unfair, and how ridiculous
all this is.
But writer in that paper of Sunday last,
clinches Mr.. BIS ignominy, by alleging SUM-
dry lies for facts, for which no proof is offer
ed, and not one statement Of which is true,
and by claiming it as "a
Fact that Mr.. B had been posted in this
community as "baSe Slanderer and unmiti-
gated liar" and while the foul blot" was
mailed to his forehead" he failed to remove
It, but, on the contrary, his explanation rem
dered it more apparent"
This is indeed rich. The poster alluded
to, as our readers will remember, was Moses
kneeland, one of the chief amongst the Forty
Thieves of Wisconsin; who came to Minneso-
ia and VIGOROUSLY helped to bride our Terri
torial Legislature with $4,000 drafts, to Sc
cure the bestowal of the Congressional Land
Grants, so as to suit those sanity" indvid-
uals 1t will be remembered that Mr.. Ban
ming in reply, proved this man Kneeland to be
one of those very thieves; and that Moses
then threatened high about immediately insti-
tuting suit for libel before the Courts Has
anybody heard anything since about that libel
suit? No, indeed-the brand Mr.. Banning
burnt in upon his forehead, of both " liar and
public robber," remains indelllbly fixed there;
and the Pioneer writers will in vain seek 20
remove it by indulging in general charges,
without foundation and without proof against
VIM. L. Banning. Indeed, the idea Of such
a creature as the peculating KneelanI to be
quoted against man of Mr.. Banning's stand.
ing for upright citizenship, is little too gross.
1t is an impudent abuse Of press and types
only equalled by the primary impudence Of
the Wisconsin bandit himself, in seeking tc
cover up his own tracks as liar, &C., by
using them.
But we wish NOT to be misunderstood. The
Democracy of Minnesota are quite welcome t.
all the benefit to be derived from Kneeland'!
partizanship. They are welcome to the sym
pathy in this contest, of the whole of the Forty
Thieves of Wisconsin, who are doubtless al
now earnestly praying for the success of thu
Democratic ticket at the ensuing election
But though we read in scripture that 6 tn.
prayers..of the righteous availeth much,' no
where do we hear of the petitions of thieve!
and rascals prevailing with Deity!