, 1873-03-31
THE La CROSSE BRIDGE BILL N THE Wis.
C0NStN LEGISLATURE.

JAxEsv11lE, WIS.,, March 20, 1878.
70 the Editor of The Chicago Tribune: -..
SIN: Your correspondent, "plus," ut Madi-
son. Wis, states that there waro Offers Of bribes
to Senators to vote for the Lacrosse Bridge bill
over Coy. Waahburn's voto. That Htatemont
was pure coinage ont Of your correspondents
own brain. Ho is the only writer in tho whole
State who has oYer stated or iutmatod any such
thing. His assertion Is very complimentary to
thoHe Senators among tho "twelvo" who wero Of
ferod bribes and thon neglected to expose the Of
in tho Senate, on tho question whether tho bill
should paBs notwithstanding tho Governors veto.
As Plus is tho only ono who ia circulating
such charges, It may DO that you are willing to
| tho contest for tho st. Croix land-grant was bo-
| tweon the Chicago l. Northwestern Railway md
| tho milwaukee, j St. Paul Road, and from tlo
standpoint that looks upou tho former road as q
Chicago institution, willie OH tue latter as
Tho North Wisconsin Railway Company-.a
very ANAL and weak corporation had, for tho
solo purpose Of applying for the land-grant,'
ing the iron for part Of tho Is miles, and running
IN dcbt for a great part Of tho expense OF
its construction. With this beginning tho
masses Of this hantlin!g camo to Madison last
summer, and, with view to carry, tho Legisla-
mud enterprise E. ". Koyos, Chairman Of tho
State Republican Central Committee, tho lladl-
| son Slate Journal, and the whole Of the Madison
Regency; and, after their capturing tho whole
Of Tho Grant party at Madison, they then took
the Madison Democrat, and about one-half OF
tho leading Democrats ut Madison. Tho North
Wisconsin Road, i. its application for the grant,
WAS backed up by the West Wisconsin Road. oon-
supposed, BY tho Chicago & Northwestern Com
| pany. With tho abovo force, tho North WiBcon-
sin Company, at tho beginning Of tho recent
session, commenced an active canvass with the
Legislature for the lnnd~grant, aided also by all
tho Federal ofl1co-holdoss that "DiBmaiclt' y
could induce to come to Madison. And with
what fidelity did tho Jour7sd! and Democrat por-
form their part OF the contract! Thoy were not
about tho milwaukee, & st.. Paul Road, which
had aono twice aa muuh for their city
as any other railway company, but they
absolutely refused to publish anything in favor
Of tho Milwaukee l. st. paul Road, or ovon to
eiyo place to any communication favorable to
the Company. A CANVASS conducted on at1ch =
basis Of injustice, OF courso, could not succeed,
am sorry that those papers did not got any
Tic North Wisconsin proposed to do nothing
but build tho land:grant road about 2ao miles
Tho Chicago Northwestern Company was
not III applicant for the grant, probably for tue
reason that tho Company know that, II Il became
to outbiI the Milwaukee 4 St. Paul, which had
proposed to build about 100 miles OF roat! eddi.
tonel to the land:grant road o. condition l4,' q
obtaining tho grant. Tho Chicago q North
woatern may not hayo folt like taking upon itseli
such burden, and, therefore, Its friends have
no right to feel badly oyor tho victory OF tht
Milwaukee T. st. Paul noad.
Tho Chicago i North Pacific AIRLINE wantct
about ono-fourth Of tho grants but isa schomt
was generally regarded az d humbug and 1T
objoot in obtaining portion Of th'
grant to ho tho moro realily.. to dspoa'
Of Of aomo old Wisconsin Central Hallway bonds
Tho CONTEXT, therefore, came down sqllaraly t
tue North Wsoonain anl tho milwaukee, i St
panl Railway. Companies; tho former, wealt
onoos a :. Regency or ring, kid Of !" Crotli
! OlobilIor" or Construction Company,-wa
} tho whole grant for ITO other consldsration thu
building tho lana-grant foal i.ana tho latter,
poration, omphat tically o Wisconsin institution
and Its contract n.,ro to DO carried out.-oner
: road, but also a road from Chippewa iFali
! south to the hlasissippl River, uhoat seventy
five miles In longth thug giving ~ annual Quite
| section aud also to extend tlo road from Nor