The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-23

of in section sixteen, for road to Superior
should induce the construction of one. But,
it will be observed that whilst section six
teen talks of q bonus for road to Superior,
whenever the people shall authorize the issue
of bonds, it provides no means for ascertain
ing whether the people are willing to author
ize bonus or not. What earthly use is
such section as this section sixteen, direct
ing that if the people should authorize
bonus, etc., unless you provide also, the
means of ascertaining whether the people
will authorize the bonus or not. Until this
is done, the bill is altogether imperative.
Now, Sir, the section which l offer as an
amendment in lieu of section sixteen accom-
plishes this very object. 1t provides not
only that if the people are willing to author,
ize bonus for road to Superior, it shall
be given, but it provides the means of as
pertaining this fact. 1t provides that the
Governor shall Immediately issue his proc
lamation calling upon the people to meet at
their usual places of holding elections, and
there, through the ballot box, so express
their will upon the subject. 1t goes on then,
to point out in the event of the people ex-
pressing themselves in favor of the project,
which, Mr.. President, neither you nor 1
doubt, it goes on then to direct fully and
particularly all the details and particulars of
the arrangement, winding up with declaring
that in the event of the people declaring
themselves in favor of the provisions of my
amendment, that it should form part of
the constitution. This last requirement is
necessary, as we all know, to give immedi-
o@o IN <In IN IN,
at once, the machinery of the railroad sys-
tenn, without the delay of waiting for an
other session of the Legislature. Now,
Sir, here seems to be the hitch. For want
OF better reason, rather than that it is
reson sufficient of ITSELF Senators make a
great bugbear of this, and they say, they will
not cumber and weigh down the constitu-
ton" with lengthy provisions for the con.
structi0n of railroads.
Sir, we are all ready to admit that as a
matter of taste, and even as a matter of
precedent and rule, the details of railroad
scheme would find more suitable place in
statute than in the Constitution. But,
sir, there are occasions when we cannot be
over nice. There are occasions when great
State necessities, land surely if ever State
was, we are in that position now,) demand
the overlooking of all such secondary con-
siderations and shall we, Senators, place
the seemliness-the rhetorical appearance
of the Constitution-its elegance as piece
of composition, its consistency with the Or
dinarily received opinions of proper length
shall we, say, place such considerations
as these over and above the real welfare of
the people-their prosperity and their hap
piness. And yet, sir, this is the very best
argument which the Republican opponents
of this and all other plans, calculated to put
in immediate operation our Railroad sys-
tenn, have been able to muster. This is
the burden of all their harangues. 1t
cumbers the Constitution! 1t makes the
Constitution of uagainly length So says
Mr.. Heaton, and so, following his cry, utter
ly unable to strike one single different note,
say Messrs. Bishop and Averill, and the
whole batch of Republican incompetents.
Did the people ever dream before the cleo
ton that these gentlemen, who promised so
would sacrifice their dearest interests, would
expose them and their families to poverty
and ruin for considerations like these? Did
they dream that these gentlemen, knowing
that the immediate recOmmencement of our
railroads would save from impending ruin
thousand of them, now struggling with the
desperate energies of drowning men, would
permit considerations, no stronger than
those of literary dandyism, to outweigh
those of their anguish and their most heart
rending distress? Yes, sir, most truly has
my noble hearted friend from Superior (Mr.
Clark who now sits by my side, ready
even at this last moment, even when
most of our political associates, despairing
of your doing anything, have left this hall
most truly did he say that, that moment
when the news should reach thousands of
struggling men, that the Republican Legis-
ture which had promised so much, and to
whose action they had sanguinely looked
forward to repair those evils which former
legislation had entailed upon them, had &C.
knowledged themselves unequal to the task
they had taken in hand, and adjourned
without action on this most vital subject
the last lingering hope would wing its sad
way from their Observation-Disclosures and de-
spair would settle themselves upon them,
forever shutting out the light of hope, never
AuOlC III tuiS WOIlu W CuCCI luCM Will lCS
rays
Mr.. President, I had thought I knew
something of human nature-of the feelings,
motives and influences which swayed it
but the conduct of this Republican Legisla-
ture utterly confounds and perplexes me.
1 have witnessed the most powerful infu-
ences outweighed by the most trifing. 1
have seen considerations of the most vital
consequence give way to those which in
comparison we're utterly insignificant.
Their vacillating, timid and most imbecile
course, is utterly unintelligible by any of
the ordinary rules by which the action of
men is ordinarily judged. To stop to dis
cuss the ware from which the food should
be eaten, or the order of the courses in
which it should be served, when men are
starving, would be as sensible as their action,
or as the arguments by which they defend
it. At such period as this, to object to
measures, otherwise acknowledged good,
that they would not look well in the con.
stitution, to my mind appears as absurd, as
to object to our making good laws here,
unless we took our seats dressed in suits of
fine broadcloth, rufled shirts and shining
boots, or, as is the case in some of the aris-