The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-03-31
THE BONp BILL.

Auo "o"siue Aoc usIoS up tnc@ lanuS
without paying the bonds is meeting
With rough treatment at the hands Of the
press Of the State, and especially from
such papers as are published in the
localities where these lands lie. We
have given number OF extracts, aud
add few more this week: /
Says the Mortified En:yrprise: eve
arc satisfied that the State is not moral
y or legally bound to pay q dollar Of
thesebonds, for on taking the road Is it
partly finished and all tie land grants, !
they thus assumed the payment Of these
old bonds and three.fourths Of these |
bonds are now in the hands of these |
new companies. X II We havc
to pay this debt second time, We may |
as we'll pay it by giving to these rail-
road monopol'es 100000 acres Of land
as in any other way. Yet the whole
thing is magnificent fraud and SWIM
Ole on the people Of Minnesota, and the
ory Of reputation gotten up by the
bondholders and their hirelings is only
to rob the people and fill their Golfers
with i'll gotten gains"
The Lanesboro Herald is of the same
mind:
"ln accordance with the actions of
the Legislature the people will be
called upon, on the last Tuesday of May
next, to vote on the proposition of pay
ing the old railroad bond swindle With
the Internal Improvement Lands. The
people do not want to vote thsse lands
away, and if they have more time to
consider and understand the facts in
the case, they will defeat the measure.
The bondholders understand this we'll.
and hence their desire to get it before
tue people as soon as possible, before
they have time to give the matter .
thought. Through this misunderstand-
ing, by lies and brides they think to
carry this day."
| A correspondent Of the Winnebago
Free Homestead writes:
"These lands that are proposed to be
given to these -bondholders without
consideration are, or will be worth
in ten years, SIS per acre, or seven mil.
10" Jeoe hundred thousand d. rs! Ii
it not lsther cool to ask the people Of
Minnesota to give that vast sum as part
payment on claim which the State
does not now, nor never has, recognized
- q just and legal one ? IF the boudl
are Legal these lands are worth twic,
~ much rs they amount to, principa
; and interest, and If they are not legal
It Is throwing away seven millions 0
dollars worth Of land altogether! Eth
OF horn is a bad one for the State an,
; people,
! The LIE Sueur Courier thinks III
bill is faulty, especially in tho claus
exempting the lands from taxation ft
B ten and it may be for fifteen years.
: says: ..'
i "We are and always have been in f
:, vor ofgiving the lands for the bond
0 but doubt whether the trade conten
. plated by tho law will effect full, fin,
and complete settlement of the bon,
D holders claims"
Says the Hastings Gazette:
> ''The whole movement is meant -,
! transfer the settlement of the bono
from the people, where it has been wis
3 " placed, to the legislature, where Il
Il holders trust by bribery and corrupt.
to secure such legislation as they desir
)" Their experience in buying up thr
. legislatures is an earnest Of the succe
b expected IN this direction. The Sta
L having lost nothing by refusing to ,
. cognize the bonds, it is safe to 90
tinue the same policy in the futu
II which has prevailed in the past.
10 The Glencoe Register objects to, t
't time appointed for tho election, as
gives tho large towns aud cities an q
t. due advantage over farming localitie
l. also to the exemption from taxatic
10 which does not affect the cities, b
= does the farmers, who will have to .
+ the entire cost of schoolhouses, roa'
bridges, &c, which improve the
lands equally with their own. 1t &C
s. cludcs:
eve should he have no object
to an honest fair and square law to p
these bonds with said lapds, law Il
r. would have been equal for all conce,
h ed: But this law spreads it on o
~ side little too thick"
~ The Mankato Union enters a Wig
II Gus protest: 1852
=. "These lands are now worth, the b,
= Of them, S. an acre. Within Is yea
10 they will be worth SIS an acre, enou
O. 70 pay the bonds twice over. But
Of matter who owns them, they are exem
~ from taxation. Will the citizens Of
terror aud eastern Minnesota force Il
q great wrong upon the frontier settle
r who have eaough to bear at the be-
Heaven knows7 We do not believe
.; 10 will not believe it until We see t
!. outrage accomplished" ". /"
\. Says the Jackson Republic:
:, 'eThe lands are to be exempt from IA
:, alton for ten years. This is by far
= worst feature Of the bill. IF for no 0,
ct Or reason this would be. sufficient
ID the frontier to oppose it."
(. The Mortified Standard oonside
. the debt very dubious one, at Il
u best: .
i "The credit Of the State in the for
% Of those bonds given to build railroa
: Vas squandered, the roads were n
: built - agreed, the people on the lin
o were cheated out Of heavy sums vi,
which they trusted the contractors, Il
. bonds were shudled into other han,
!. Tor trif1e and there they are. TIT
now amount to four Or five million
and not yet due. If the State is /
:. ga]ly liable it should clearly DO mad
I morally if not legally certain, which h:
4 not been done" .-*< ;.