The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-11-29
An Interesting Letter on the
Bond Question from Fill
more County
SPRING VALLEY, Mimi, }
November 20. 1877. {


Editor inti-Monopolist:
You are for free speech and free
press, therefore. write this to you,
knowing that it will not be objection
able nor offensive, however widely
we may differ.
You say. in your issue of last week.
'The anti-bond Juror didn't amount to
much. 1t was two-edged sword and
cut both ways. We told you so. You
cant make a party out of temporary
issues, You must plant your foot on
great and enduring principles, or you
stand on sand.' We had an anti-bond
Juror in this state the 18th Of June.
We heard of none during the last can
vass for state officers; and don't see
how there could have been one. The
platforms of the Republican. Demo
cratic and Greenback parties, were
the same on the bond question. All
resolving that new bonds should not
be issued in place of the old ones, un-
til the people SO said at general
election. Now, with the platforms
the same, how could there be Juror
about the old bonds. There must be
a disagreement to have Juror.
A few anti-bond voters scattered
throughout the state, who were per-
sonally acquainted with Mr.. Banning,
and knew what his actions in relation
to the old bonds had been, were very
anxious for his election, but the great
mass of the anti-bond men examined
the platforms. The platforms agreed
on the bond question, and they could
see no reason for voting against their
party nominees. Had the convention
that nominated Banning, Meighen,
and others, resolved that the people
were under no moral or legal obliga-
ton to pay a dollar of the old state
railroad bonds, ard pledged opposi-
ton to their payment, and had the
candidates accepted, putting them
selves in full harmony with the plat
form; there would have been an anti
bond Juror in this county, at least,
and Banning would have gone out of
old Fillmore with 5000 majority over
Pillsbury. / think there would have
been an anti-bond Juror throughout
the state, and that Banning, Meighen,
Ayers, and their associates would
have been elected by 10000 majority
, frankly say, that never saw the
field in SO good shape for Water
loo to plunderers, as it was this fall
| the bond proposition had just beer
: voted down by 10000 majority; the
people knew their strength; the base
} means used to carry the bond propO-
sition had maddened them, they were
: still mad, and mad men can't b.
bought.
Q You truly say party can't be made
!, out of temporary issues. The OLE
I state railroad bond question dom
= seem to be very short lived, it wa
here when the state was born, TWEEN
n ty years ago, it is here yet, and unles
II it is met boldly and squarly and dis
posed of, it will be here long after a.
q the national financial issues, that ar
now agitating the country, are settle
forever.
, The anti-bond feeling in this state
q the last election. should have bee
n used Us sword, to have mortal
g wounded the plunderers of the people
as it was used--if it was a sword
- hurt no one, neither enemy nor frient
f it was more like sword without a
II edge, than one with two, sfor it Dire
/ no blood from foe. nor comrade.-
= was neutral, didn't help anybody, no
d hurt anybody.
l. You say, a party must plant itse
on great and enduring principles, {
- it stands on sand. So it must. An
the reform party in this state mus
ell stand by the people boldly and firml
!, in favor of protecting their propert
- from the grasp of Chamberlain & Co
lie by state legislation, as we'll as fro
ly the grasp of Rothchild,l Jay Goul
:. and Belmont, by national Legislation
otherwise it will never have the CO.
tidence and support of the peopl
That which is nearest is the easie
:. seen by most men. More voters ca
~ tell when their county affairs are g
- ing wrong. than can tell when IL
,el state affairs are going wrong; ar
more can tell when their state q
Sc fairs are going wrong than when n
al tional affairs are going wrong.
= Let the commissioners of this con
ty squander $4,000 and nearly eve,
mr. voter in the county will know it. a,
o." feel indignant. Let the legislatu
me of this state, this winter, suuand
tie s>Dll