River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-03-14
Letter From Judge Foster.
MADISON, March 9th, 1873.

has taken place here to-day. The
friends of each bill to secure the land
grant,are like shrewd jockeys, who, when
they cannot get the "start," withdraw
their ponies and go to rubbing down."
each set of jockeys leaving their pony in
the hands of its warmest friends.
/, with others here, have tried to find
out the real issues, and who the parties
to those issues are. There are on the
surface, four parties, three of which are
railroad corporations and are claiming
to actin the interest Of the state. | think
we shall find at last, that there are but
two, the head quarters of one in Chica-
90. and those of the other in Milwau-
kee,-the one foreign, the other a
home corporation. The Baldwin, or
"North Wisconsin" is all a blind, since
the foreign corporation dare not come
openly into the field and demand our
land grant The Chicago g. Northwes-
tern is the real party in interest, the
Air Line and North Wisconsin, being
only two divisions of the same army
When the real fight takes place they
viii unite. / do not think they will be
able to beat the other two interests, the
one being the Milwaukee & st. Paul,
and the other claiming to act in the in
terest Of the state, called the "Kelsey
Bill" ! fear that some claiming to be
the friends of the latter are holding the
bill merely as trading capital
This evening | entered the House
Committee room. Mr.. Fulton was
speaking before the committee against
giving the grant to the North Wis.
Col. Spooner and others, followed in its
favor. | was peculiarly struck with the
men in the room who favored the North
Wis. They were perfect band of Of
fee sharks, not Que Of whom had ever
soiled his hand in developing the re-
sources Of our valley.
Ny neighbors, you are aware, have
often heard me make the remark, that
the union of the black-leg in religion
with the blaek-leg in politics, was the
great cause of our National trouble; but
| never saw this union take place in the
flesh before this evening. 1t was on
Senator Irish's entering the committee
room, and taking his seat by the side of
Speaker Barron, to assist him in trans
ferring our land grant, worth its mil
lions, into the hands of a foreign mo-
nopoly, which has already overpowered
one of the most powerful states of the
Union, and thus enable it by the means
of our grant to fasten its shackles upon
the people of Wisconsin, and enslave
them financially and even politically, in
the eDl. They are beautiful (?) pair,
If / had to yoke and work them, l
should not know on which side to put
tie Senator.
You will recollect that when you,
Powell, Trumbull, and others went in
to nominate Mr.. Irish to beat Baldwin
and secure a line competing with the
West Wisconsin, ] thought he was an
unsafe man, and told Mr.. Powell So
He thought Mr.. Irish would not go
back on his friends. | gave Mr.. Pow
ell to understand that had little faith
in political preachers.
On returning to my hotel found a
Member of the Assembly who informed
me that Mr.. Speaker Barron told him
son his honor" that the northern tier
Of towns in Pierce county, aud all the
towns North Of them, were in favor Of
giving the land gran to the North
Wis. / told him the statement was
false.
And here let me add that this is q
fair sample ofthe untruthful statements,
which the Pierce county lobby are con.
startly called upon TO refute. The city
OF NJ, Olson is full Of hirelings, paid by
the North Wisconsin, who are continu.