The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-02-25
LETTER FROM BILL KING.
EHe Refuses to Resign, and Calls 'em
Names. etc.
To the LEGISLATURE of Minnesota {:

~e~0 ~~0---
GENTLEMEN SENATORS AND REPRESENTA-
r1vEs--It has been my good fortune T.
come into possession OF cory OF certain
"Joint Resolutions, relating to myself,
which resolutions are said to have been
passed by the House of Representatives
on the both day Of January last, and by
the Senate on the 5th day of February,
1875.
Aside from any bearing these joint
resolutions may have upon myself, they
are, as coming from your body, very ex'
traordinary in character. They are, gen.
tlemen, very extraordinary in so far as
they so correctly illustrate your lack OF
knowledge of the common proprieties
and decencies of official position, Of your
painful disregard of truth, in your Off
cial action, and Of your false and hypo-
critical pretences of virtuous regard tor
the s'honor Of the State Of Minnesota
In dealing with you and your joint reso-
luton, therefore, shall, gentlemen,
speak of you as know and understand
YOU, paying no regard whatever to that
official greatness you so pompously as
sumo, during the brief sixty days allotted
YOU wherein to fit and complete your
selves for that undying political fame and
immortality which each of you, no doubt,
supposes himself to have been born to.
As for your ONT resolution, gentlemen,
in which you SO Indirectly assume the
falsehood that accepted money as a
consideration for his (ms) services in aid
ing the passage Of the subsidy bill to the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company they
are, interpreted in other and more COM
mon language. Legislative Lies. They
are lies in double sense, inasmuch as
they not only charge me, by the broadcast
implication, with having accepted money
for nv services" ETC., but in asserting,
also, by that same broad implication, that
l have refused to appear before the COM
mittee of ways and means to testify as
to nv connection with and knowledge of
the passage of the Pacific Mail subsidy
bill. For now again assert, what two
years ago truthfully asserted under oath,
that never accepted or received one
dollar as s'considcration for my services
in aiding the passage Of that bill, while
I took great pleasure in appearing before
the committee, at the very opening OF
this investigation, and testifying fully as
to all knew concerning the matter.
Therefore it is, gentlemen Of the Legis.
lature. that thus distinctly charge you
with having spread upon the records OF
your respective Houses, fragrant and au-
dacious falsehoods concerning myself; an
act which, to use your own language, is
calculated to ''cast dishonor upon the es-
cutcheon of Minnesota" unless you shall
have the deccncy to 'at once rectify your
positions" by cxpunging these disgraceiul
falsehoods from your journals.
But, gentlemen, who are you, and what
are you, that you thus pompously set
yourselves up as my masters, and assume
to instruct me, a private citizen, (for am
only such, as yeti, in this or any other
matter! Who constituted you either my
masters or my judges, that you thus I'M
pudently presume to issue instructions to
me and impose penalties for non-compli
ance with your insolent demands! Make
hasty answer, pray you, tor almost De
e. fore this letter can reach you, you vii
have disappeared into that position 0
"nothingness" from which you were only
lifted by one Of those political accidents
of annual occurrence in our State. AM
the only reply / have to make to tn
impudent demands Of your joint resolu
ton is, that in this, as in all other mat
tiers. nv action will be governed by n,
own sense of duty, of right and Of pre-
priety.
Under what arrangement l did receiv
large sum of money about the time Q
the passage of the Pacific Mail subsid
bill. is matter which do not propos
to disclose to the world except in my ow
good time, nor until evidence which | al
unable to reach now can be secured. t
the end that the exact facts in the cas-
can be presented to the public, which vi
bring to me the fullest and most Con
plete vindication against the falsehooe
which you have spread upon your n
spective journals. Until that time, whic
trust is not far distant, l have only
say that not one dollar Of the money n
ceived by me, Of which so much has bee
talked and written. was ever intended 4
or applied to the influencing Of vo
upon the Pacific Mail subsidy, and r
word or line Of all the evidence that hi
been taken during this long and mo-
searching investigation even points
any such conclusion. And so, console,
of nv own rectitude in this matter. at
pausing here to tender to that one Re
resentative who was just enough towart
me to refuse his assent to your lyiI
declarations, my grateful thanks. pa
on to some other points which | propo
to present to your and the publics CO
sideration.
In perusing the proceedings OF yo'
very distinguished body land the farth
away from home its name goes the mo
Distinguished it becomes) upon II
matter, l notice that. in the presentatio
discussion and adoption Of these "joi
resolutions" very many OF you sPo
and voted rs my 'friends. Even {
gentlemen who introduced the resolutio
into the House and demanded such has
andimmediate action upon them, thou'
apolitical opponent professed to sPe
and act Tin no partisan spirit, but ~
personal friend" Let me not be 50
grateful rs to intimate that this stateme
was any more false or Crooked tn
are the resolutions themselves. For
sake Of the argument, will concede Z
il vas not. And 50 Of others; Ia