The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-10-05
Repuaiat;on and Minnesota,

To the Editors of the Evening Post.
see it stated in the columns of the
Evening Post that the Republican State
Convention Of Minnesota, IN its plat
form, "deEounces reputation and asks
governmental aid in the construction of
the Northern Pacific Railroad"
Now ! am somewhat curious to know
what "repudiatlon' it is that is thus "de-
nounced." l have heard before this, of
people who were so greatly concerned
about the sins of the Old Testament
Jews as to he quite oblivious of their
own triiing peccadilloes.
The State OF Minnesota has for many
years been persistendy guilty of repu-
diation more fragrant, scandalous and
wicked than that of any other civilized
state within my knowledge. That Of
Mississippi is honor itselfin comparison.
And it is the republican party Of Min
nesota which tathered and has fostered
and defended this Reputation from the
beginning
They have not only suffered their
bonds, authorized by a special amend
ment to their Constitution, adopted by
an overwhelming majority Of the pop
ular vote, and finally issued under the
sanction Of their own Supreme Court,
to be dishonored by failure to pay the
interest; but they have seized and sold
the property specially pledged for the
payment of these very bonds; they re-
fuse to account for the funds thus re-
ceived in trust, and have adopted a fur
ther constitutional amendment actually
forbidding the legislature making any
provision whatever for payment of prin-
cipal or interest without submitting their
action to q vote Of the people.
Their legislature has been petitioned
by unfortunate holders Of the bonds to
grant them the poor privilege of ap-
pearing in the Courts of Minnesota. and
testing there the legality and equity of
their claims; but even this is denied,
end contemptuous refusal meets every
appeal.
And the most painful feature of the
whole business Is, that no one living in
the state appears to feel the slightest
shame. Citizens of Minnesota, well ac-
quainted with all these facts, actually
travel in other states and meet citizens
of honest communities without blush
ing So utterly dead to decency has
this familiarity with rascality made them,
that in state conventions the Republican
party, which came into power in Min
nesota as the advocate Of the most bare
faced reputation ever known in history,
and whose record for nine years has
been one of consistent dishonesty and
robbery this party, whose very name
in that state is synonym for broken
faith, now, forsootl, "denounces repu-
diation"
But, alack- k-a-day it isn't their repudi-
alton they have in mind. Not a bit Of
it. Here is their precious resolution:
~. Resolved, That we denounce all
forms of reputation of the national
debt as national crime, and that the
national honor demands the payment of
that Indebtedness in accordance with the
letter and spirit of the laws under WHICH
it was contracted"
Don't you fancy, Mr.. Editor, that Mr.
Pendleton and his friends will shake in
their shoes as they read this sounding
manifesto Of these honest Minnesota
Republicans?
But they ask for government aid in
the construction of one of their rail
roads.
The government has more than once
given lands to Minnesota in aud of her
railroads. One such grant was for these
very roads in whose aid these repudia-
ted bonds were issued, and whose prop
erty, pledged to the state to secure the
payment of tie bonds, ard ample for
principal and interest, if prudently ad-
ministered, has been diverted by the
state from its trust, and recklessly vast
ed.
will Congress 90 too far if it shall
say to the demands of Minnesota for
more aid: Account first for the man.
ner in which you have improved the do
nations already made you''? Or shall
we make haste to give her million or
two more acres, that she may entice 9TH
er unwary and ignorant souls to trust in
her good faith and uprightness?
A REPUBLICAN WHO "DENoyNCEs"
STATE AS WELL. AS NATIONAL
trrN mo-