Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-07-10
Governor Washburn and the Land
Grant.
From the Milwaukee sontlnel.)

treatment OF the land grant after the
st Paul company refused it. A good
deal Of unjust criticism has been be-
slowed upon the Governor for his
action in the matter by newspapers
whose editors did not clearly UNDER
stand the case but that be has per-
formed his duty in the premises and
and rigidly guarded the rights of the
people, we have not particle OF
doubt. That the new company was
bogus, we have good reason to be-
lieve, and the thanks Of the people
are due TO the Governor for his
straightforward action in the matter,
in not allowing the grant to be tied
up or in any way embarrassed by
that sort of thimble-rigging. We
copy below the essential potion of
Governor Washburns statement TO
the editor of the Journal, and give it
as an authoritative and reliable histo-
ry OF the case. After explaining the
reason Of the personal hostility of
the editor of the Milwaukee Ne1S, he
goes on to say;
"To comprehend this matter fully,
l ought to recapitulate the history OF
this land grant. 1t was obtained by
me during my first session in Con-
gress in 1856 seventeen years ago.
then represented fully one-half the
territory Of the state, including the
counties Of Dane and Rock. With
the procuring of the grant, my duties
ceased. The state took the matter
In hand, and at session OF the Leg
islature held in the fall of 1856, the
grant was disposed Of to the La
Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Com
pany. That company, in order TO
secure the grant, purchased, like
sheep in the SHAMELESS, a maj ority Of
the members of both houses of the
Legislature, at prices varying from
$4,000 to $4,000 per head. But |
need not recall this dark chapter
in tho history Of Wisconsin, which
brought such humiliation and degra-
dation upon our state. | presume
that you were in the state as the time.
Well, this La Crosse and Milwaukee
Company built no road under the
grant, but went into bankruptcy in
consequence of having paid too high
price for the legislature.
So much Of this grant as was be-
tween Lake St. Croix and Lake Su-
peri0r was then transferred to the
ST. CroIx and Lake Superior Railroad
Company, which was chartered in
1854, This company had paper
capital of Sc, 100000, going$1, 0O0,0 600
better than this last named company.
The Legislature most insanoly trans
ferrod these lands to this company,
and withour ex2cting any security,
authorized them TO protect the lands
and collect stumpage and pay the
proceeds into the State Treasury.
While it has been estimated that 5 ;
600, 1000 worth Of timber was cut from
the land while thus protected, no dol
lar found It's way into the State
Treasury. The parties who first OBJ
tanned control made a good thing of
it by selling their franchise, and the
purchasers being New York adven-
turers, did a good business in stolen
timber. Iu 1869, tho Legislature be-
coming satisfied that nothing was to
be hoped from the old company,
jumped out Of the frying pan into
the fire, and chartered new COM
pany, and without requiring any Sc
curity, conveyed to it all tho right
the state had in the lands, and all
that it might at any time acquire
thereafter. This franchise fell into
the hands of a dead beat by the name
of Wintermute, who pretended to
represent men who had money by
the cord who were Just dying to put
it into this road. Wintermute had a
confederate ~ large means, and, as
the sequel proved, Of small honor, re-
siding in Chicago BY large prom
ises they got all they wanted OF the
Legislature. But as soon "a they had
secured what they wanted, they
turned around and sold out to Jay
Cook for large sum. Exit Winter
mute though it is said that he and
his confederate have had bitter
quarrel on the division Of the swag.
The object Of Cook in securing the
franchise, was to strangle the enter
prise altogether, as it would be COM
peting line with his road from st.
Paul to Superior This was the atti-
tude in which tho matter stood when
our last Legislature assembled.
Cooks charter was repealed, and a
Judge of the Supreme Court has de-
cided that the title to the lands was
in the State. Two rival companies
applied for the land grant, and there
was an unparalleled controversy over
it. Legislation was demoralized by
tbo combinations in the interest OF
the rival companies. | stood entire
ly aloof from the controversy, and
no member Of either House can say
that | ever intimated 2 desire one
way or the other. The truth was, |
had no wish upon the subject, except
that the road should be built, and the
State obtain as much advantage from
the grant as possible. Tho Milwau-
koe and St. Paul Company was sue
cessful, and their bill was promptly
approved by me. The report was
started that | intended to veto it.
Such an idea never entered my mind
There arc people in the State who
would be glad to make other people
believe that l am opposed to that
railroad company, right or wrong. l
am friendly to every railway epter-
prise in the State, but when the law
Of the State prescrbos duty, pro
pose to discharge il, though | should
make An enemy of every road in the
State.
Whilo the bills Of the two rival
companies were before the Legisla-
ture, was talked to by friends of
both in regard to tho security.
I Invariably said that | hoped the
Legislature would fix upon the kind