Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-09-10
Greats Earnest and Stirring Meeting 9
=. - Shakopee.

On Monday night, the 9th, the largest meet
ing ever held in Shakopee, assembled in the
large hall near the levee,
The assemblage was addressed, in the first
place, by S. P. Jennison, Esq, mainly on the
Democratic shin-plaster currency. Mr.. J..
was quite happy in his hits, and proved to
the satisfaction of the whole meeting the com
plicity of the Democratic administration in
conspiracy with Railroad companies to
defraud the community by putting out cur
rency which they knew was Unsecured. He
exhibited Mr.. Sibley's draft of the contract
with R. M. S. Pease, for the issue particularly
of Owatonna and Chisago.
The next speaker was VIM. L. Banning,
Esq, of st. Paul, who entered into calm,
thorough and searching analysis of the res.
pective State Policy of the two parties and
showed that the honest and only safe course
for the people and for all hands was to hold
the companies to their engagements to build
the roads, and pay the interest without tax
ing the people; or else forfeit their property
to the State. That this was the position Of
the Republicans. But that the Democrats
proposed policy that would stop the roads
would tax the people; and would let the
Railroad companies free from their obligations,
yet retain the lands, franchises and road beds;
which should be forfeited to the State, to help,
by resale to other parties, to lift the Loan
debt from off the people of Minnesota. The
whole loan measure all admitted to have been
a mistake on the part of the people, and an
intended swindle upon the part of many Of
those who had people into its adoption.
Mr.. Banning's speech was listened to with
evident great satisfaction by the audience
His thorough knowledge of all the facts, and
the candid manner in which he gave them,
greatly impressed his hearers. He disclaimed
being animated by partizanship on this ques-
tion-it was one men should consider without
reference to their partizan views on other ques-
tons; for this was question upon whose
right solution depended our veal or woe as a
State and to great extent as individuals.
The Hon. Thomas j. Galbraith was then
called out by the people, whom he addressed
at length, on general politics and State Policy.
He referred to the hard times Men were sui.
fering. They had not market money for their
daily subsistence. 1t was therefore idle to
talk of further taxing them. For the Loan
Policy he had voted, believing in the promises
made by those companies believing that we
were not to be taxed for either interest or
principal on those bonds. That he, in COM
mon with the citizens at large, had been be-
trayed and deceived-and that the companies
were now bankrupt, hopelessly insolvent, and
it was merely question with them how much
they should make out of the bonds already
received for the grading of the roads. The
only salvation for the State was to take back
the land grant, and hand it over to parties
able to build the roads and pay the interest,"
that was the only way to get our roads built.
He was Director of the Southern Minnesota
Road and had gone into it trusting to the
pIOHIScS VI IlIOSc WIN CldllucO 10 De able to
build the roads; but he had been disappointed
and deceived-they had no money-no means
of getting any-and the only remedy for the
people now was that proposed in the Repub-
lican Platform. That of the Democrats was
a bid for the support Of the Railroad interest
To keep in power, the Democracy would sacri-
fee the interests of the State without hesita-
ton. The times demand change of rulers.
The Democracy had been tried, and the peo-
pie saw where they had landed them. They
must drive out the present party from the
offices of the State, and put in new men, with
a new policy, if they would see better times;
less taxation; more economy; and revive
confidence at home and abroad. -i-.-
Mr.. Galbraith was cheered throughout in
the most marked manner. AID &.
The meeting was held on with undated in
terest until quarter to IL o'clock.
Scott county will give terrible reckoning
for the Democracy in October Mark i'll