The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-09

But he undertakes to say the one couldbe
set off against the other and the State. re-
lieved from the stigma of reputation.
The State has never committed itsclf:t
a denial of:these bonds. !:
Exercising it's right. of sovereignty for
the people it may bring these bonds un-:
der that they may all be retired. He;
believed they might he retired without
ever mourning the charge of doing more
than to pleadfor time under the spur of
necessity. He was aware Of the unpopu.
larity Of the subject; but the time will
come when it must be considered !; though
it may be put off until the State can only
depend on what is nominated in the bond
when the evidences of which it can now
avail itself will be gone. While the
facts are obtainable, measures should be
taken to ascertain the equitable consid-
GRAFTON the State received on account III
its liability on those bonds. lie should
! vote against the resolution. he would
not, except to preserve means Tor the
State to protect itself.
SENATOR >cooaswEIL.
Mr.. Goggswell, after replying to other
arguments, said he admired the beldness
of the Senator fron Winona, but dis
trusted those who meant the same as he
but said they wanted to keep the lands to
build bridges. The drift OF the argu-
ment Of that Senator was that some part
at least Of those old bonds must be paid
and his logic was good. If once these
lands are added to the school lands, the
people will never take them out to p&y
those old bonds. He tells US truly the
people will not tax themselves to pay
those bonds, but in the same breath tells.
US they are the legal, equitable debt oil
the State. If he lCeggswel) so believed
he would say take these lands and apply
their proceeds to pay that debt, as far as
they will 20. He didn't believe in repu-
dating an honost debt. But among indi-
viduals there were frequent instances of
justifable resistance Of attempts to collect
fraudulent debts. The same right of re.
sistance should attach to the State; and
here he differed from the Senator from
Winona. He held, with every dis.
interested old settler, that these bonds are
dishonest Indebtedness of which the
State should never pay cent.
The defense that at the time of
their issuance this was not State
is unmanly the people will never
ct up that defense. That they were
improperly issued is not good defense
III his judgment that made no difference.
But the formation Of his defense was that
it was not the intention at the time that
ever the State should be called upon to
pay one dollar of interest or principle,
because the constitutional amendment
which authorized their issuance said the
companies should make provision for
their payment. Because when that
amendment was pending it was put be-
fore the people in express terms that
under no circumstances would they ever
be called upon to paw dollar of either
principal or interest. 1t was the under
standing Of the people that they
should never be taxed to pay either
principal or interest. He recollccted
the meetings held and the speeches made
by Moses NJ. Strong Of Wisconsin and W.
A. Balcom and others, in all Of which
| care was taken to say the people would
never be taxed on acccu Of the bonds.
He believed he knew as we'll as he ssuld
know any fact occurring in 1880, that
instead Of the bonds being appropriated
to the purpose of their issuance they
| were devoted to other purposes. For in
for the Winona & St. Peter or Transit
company did not 60 to the construction
of the road. 1t was charged, at
| the time, that Ethey were
''gobbled'' by Balloon and others. Here
( the Senator had read from the desk an
article from the Winona Republican in
! 1850, purporting to give list Of recip.
tents of those bonds. In the list was in
cluded c. H. Berry, as receiving $4,000
Of the bonds.
! Mr.. Berry had two remarks to max e.
He never was an officer Of the company.
He never received from the company a
dime, in bonds or anything else. [Sub-
! sequunt'y Mr.. B. explained to the re-
| porter that he intended but omitted to
say that the firm Of Berry T. Waterman
| were for several months attorneys for Col.
| De Graft and in that way, in pay for their
| professional services for Col. De Graft,
/ did receive bonds from him. He berry,
had no official connection with the com.
pany.
MIR. Coggswell, continuing, SAID, $685.
| 600 of the half million are here stated to
have gene to Col. De Graft for getting the
grant and these other sums to others.
| leaving less than 800, 900 of the $500 600
Of bonds to be applied to building the
roads. These were the, directions these
bonds took, according to the general un-
Outstanding of the people at that time.
If it had not been for such misappropria.
ton of the bonds the roads would have
been earlier built and larger amount of
grading would have been done at that
I time.
For the reason, as the Senator from
Winona said, that the truth may be made: