The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-10-10
THE A1sHGSOTA 5OSD oUE1T10u,

From a< Ca;eego Repr6Ieer.
The bond question, which is exer.
cising an important influence in Min
nesota politics this year, may be thus
stated: In 1858, when Minnesota was
ao.." admitted into the Union, the Demo.
crats we're fraudulently and for the last
.ao only time in power: To favor
their leading partisans, if not to create
90 influence whereby they might ner-
manently control the State. the Demo.
cratic legislature incorporated a num-
Der Of Iailroad companies composed
Wholly Of Democrats, and gave to them
ali the States endowment Of lands be.
sides large subsidies of State bonds
Not mile Of railroad was constructed,
and yet, upon the pominal grading Of
f'at prairie, at = cost nowhere exceed
ing $500 to $500 per mile, bonds were
Issued 70 the amount Of 82,275,OOO.
With these bonds, and the state lands
In their possession, the swindling CON-
panies confessed bankruptcy, no one
Of them having laid arod OF iron. The
fraud was SO fragrant aud so immense
that IN the election of 1859 the Demo-
Gratis were swept out OF power; and in
obedience to the popular command, and
with the popular ratification, that por-
tloo Of the State constitution under
which the bonds had been issued was
ezpsnged, and the power taken out Of
the Legislature to pay any part of the
swindling debt. This was a repudia-
ton OF the vhole debt, aud it is diff
cult to imagine how reputation could
have been made more complete. For
seven years no interest has been paid
upon those bonds, aud no effort made
6y the legislature to pay such interest.
Inc question now is, therefore, not to
repudiate, but to revive. For be it
known that tho State, despoiled as it
has been, is still entitled to five hun.
dred thousand acres of the public land.
under an act of Congress passed in
!@1, 'feaid lands to be applied faith
fully to objects of internal improve
ment, such rs roads, railways, bridges,
canals, water I-courses," etc. The Demo.
cratic bondholders-what horrid fel-
lows, by the way, the federal bond
holders are-have their evil eye upon
these five hundred thousand acres. and
BY some means they have secured
passage Of an act submitting to the
people, in November, a plausible
scheme for selling the FIVE hundred
acres in partial redemption of
The bonds. The bonds, With accumu-
!ated interest, now represent some
=, 100000. Doubtless, if the bond
holders would. take the lands and cancel
the debt, the people Of Minnesota
would willingly agree, for they would
oe spared both tho apprehension and
ianger Of purchased Legislation and
perverted politics inlons years to come.
But the proposition is that the State
hall itself sell the lands, and, so often
. fluid Of $4,000 is created, the
Governor shalt advertise for PROPOSALS
# the bonds in final redemption. Of
course the inference is that the four
Millions will be rushed in upon his
'xcellency At almost any price. The
'ait is adroitly laid, and money Is being
droiay expended upon venal editors
Q Coax and deceive the people. Let
his submitted proposition be adopted
q November, and the whole debt is not
My received, but the state debars itself
rom further reputation.