The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-10-01
Correspondence.
A LETTER FROM THE FRONTIER,
A Redwood County Farmer ON Nc
nrath.-An Old Republican Dis
gusted..H0w the People Feel.
In My LOG CABIN, }
September 10Th, 1874. :

l have just finished reading the re-
port Of the McIlrath investigating COM
mittee, and all the testimony published,
and ! wonder to myself whether the
people Of Minnesota fully realize the
enormity of the ofense which the COM
mittee have unearthed, and the terrible
corruption which it reveals. As I sit
in my humble abode tonight, and think
of the struggle which I have made to
build up home for my little ones, and
what an effort it cost me many times
to raise the money to pay my taxes, |
ask myself: ''Can it be possible that
for years not only Mr.. McIlrath, but
every member Of the State Administra-
ten chats what Seeger swears,) has
been using and specializing with our
hard-earned money!" The idea that
our magnificent school fund.- as
these same dishonest officials
have termed it, secured to my children
and those that were to follow them. an
education, no matter what might be
their means, has been to me, as with
many others, solace in our darkest
hours, when grim poverty and high
taxes put our courage to the severest
test; and now to learn that that heri-
tage has been robbed Of the Lord only
knows how much-$lO0,OO0 that we
know of-and by HIM to whom we have
been taught by our party leaders, and
especially the Press, to look. upon as
the embodiment Of honesty, is sur
prise that benumbs me. In the name
Of common honesty, when are these
disclosures to come to an end!
By the Seeger investigation we barely
escaped loss Of $4,000 in the treas
ury; and now, by the McIlrath investi-
cation, we discover that we have been
robbed of at least quarter of mill
lion, with virtually no redress-no
bonds or other indemnity. And,
strange to say, this last development,
which should have shaken the
State from center to its utmost
limit, has hardly created a :ipple upon
the political surface. | wonder if it is
not discussed in every Grange in the
State, and some action taken upon it !;
if not, then the organization Dug ht to
disband at once.
| fear that our efforts at reform have
not been general enough. While
we have been devoting
all our energies to solution of the
railroad question, and watching ex-
Gov. Austin and his fellow partisans
shake them over HE'LL they have
been more than shaking our money over
hell. My opinion is that Governor,
who put on as many airs as he did about
an honest administration of the gov
eminent, and took no bond from the
State Auditor, and used State funds,
ought not only to be shook over hell
but dropp3d in.
The question is, what is to De done!
The Press tells US that McIlraath may
explain it all way. This is adding in
suit to injury. How long are we to
wait! Until after election? Very likely.
We want no such clap-trap and subter-
fuge. Does not McIlrath,in his own tes-
timony, admit he kept no account OF
transactions amounting to thousands of
dollars worth Of stumpage, and thous-
ands Of dollars worth Of grass. solda
Did he rot admit in his testimony that
he was secret partner in the firm Of
TAYLOR, Warren & Co., and that he
used other State fundsl Do not the
committee say they have credited him
with every dollar paid into the treasury
and itemize all the charges
agsinst him as money paid
10 him ! Certainly. Then how much
time does he want to look over that list
and point out the items of money that
were never paid over to him! II he is
an honest man he would have done it
before this. No, Mr.. Editor, that hind
of soothing syrup" is rendered to US
once to often. We had enough of it in
connection with Mr.. SeegGr's investiga-
ton, and it has become nauseating.
The only remedy is change Of admin
istration and parties. That is the only
way that the old nests can be broken
up. All political parties are apt, when
in power too long, to become corrupt,
and we knou now, to our sorrow, that
the party we have sustained so
long, has become not only
corrupt but rotten. The dark and
damning revelations Of these two in
vestigations leave no longer any doubt
upon this point.
But must close. l can only say in
conclusion that if the people do not
rise in their might, and elect State and
county officers and members of the lep'
islature who have not been, and are not
now, connected with the party in power