The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-05-02
is no spot where force is not perpetu.
ally existing and exercised.

ally existing and exercised.
Hon. Ignatius Donnelly says he is
4 refOrmer, and against some errors
he strikes vigorous blows. Once he
defended the people of Minnesota
against the unjust, unlawful and i'm.
moral claims of the holders of the old
bogus state-credit-loan railroad bonds,
but now he supports these claims.
Once he was an earnest granger and
opposed all monopolies. Now he op-
poses some monopolies and supports
others. The Merrill school book no.
nOpoly Mr.. Donnelly fathers and de-
fends at the expense of education and
the sacred rights of the people. This
is lamentable. 1t is sad to see intel
lect and manhood prOstrate before
speculation and avarice. We had
hoped better things Of The ANTI-Mo-
NoPOLIsT, which is only half right.
On the financial question it is aggres.
sively right, but upon matters per-
tanning exclusively to Minnesota it
vascilate. We should like to see the
weak place in Mr.. Donnelly's spinal
column strengthened so that the peo-
pie can rely upon him in their fight
with the sharks. What will do it.
brother Donnelly Mower Co. Re
publican.
We shall try to answer Major
HOtchkiss'S unjust criticisms with pa
tience and good temper:
l. We defended the people of
Minnesota from former proposed
plans of settlement Of the old railroad
bonds because those propositions
were, in every case. cunningly devils
ed, so that, las we showed, at the
time,) Under them the taxpayers
would have had to pay the whole
debt principal and interest, in money.
We approved of the propositissIApade
by the Legislature of 1870 because it
cut the debt down one-h0y and set
aside the proceeds Of the internal
improvement lands to pay it. With
the present lald-fever those lands
would have more than paid the bonds.
II. Our-position has always been,
that the state was deceived and de-
frauded into voting to issue those old
bonds, but she did so vote, by an
overwhelming majority; she made a
fool Of herself with her eyes open and
ought to pay something for her folly.
She owes to herself to scale the dnbt
if possible. to plead her equities md
make the best bargain she can; but
she also owes it to her chapcter as
an honorable community to wipe out
those bonds. The people will proba-
bly, adopt the pending proposition to
pay the bonds with the 100000 acres
of land; and this will substantially
amount to the same thing as the prop.
osition of 1877.
III. We leave it to the people to
say whether or not we were right in
resisting the aggressions of the School
Book Ring and their annual robbery
of the people to the extent of $50, 600
or $500, 900. If we have committed a
crime in giving the people chance
to buy school book for ten cents for
which heretofore they paid twenty
cents; or one for forty cents which
hitherto cost them eighty cents, or
one for sixty cents which prior to this
time had cost them Sl.75, then indeed
is white black and black white. II
such contract as the state has made
with Mr.. Merrill is q monopoly then
is public education itself q monopoly,
for the cheap free schools prevent
private parties from opening high
priced schools; then indeed is the
mail service of the United States .
for it prevents Tom-Dick-
and Harry from carrying our CORES.
pondence at express rates; then in
deed is the Erie Canal or the Great
Lakes monopoly for without them
railroads would carry our grain at
double prices.
We cannot understand how . gen.
tleman Of Major Hotchkin's fairness
and good sense can defend the abomi-
nable School Book Ring Of the United
States: II has plundered the people
Of millions Of dollars annually; it has
kept the children Of the poor out Of
The school houses through their ina.
bi1ity = buy the high-priced school
loG1xit has corrupted school boards,
omcers, teachers and legisla-
has marched from Maine to
mia with rottenness in one
~ robbery il the other, with
N Of Boycers, Cheneys, TukeysI
~ following IN fts 6lthy foot
Ne rejoice to think thst it ri
- and palveGfssd q 1lInnesoea
- - hsvs hslDed = - Il.