Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-01

more fully insure to the State guarantee thai
the securities held by her from the railIoac
companies shall not be sacrificed and the roads
left IN the hands of purchasers discharged o.
all obligations for the loan of State credit, as
would inevitably be the result should the pro
gramme of the Republican party be fully car
ried out.
1 was in that year candidate on the Demo
cratic State ticket for attorney general, con-
fronted by Hon. Gordon E. Cole. The ISSUE
was upon the thirteenth Democratic
and fifth Republican resolutions.
The Republican ticket was, as the saying is
triumphantly elected, and that on the solitary
issue between Reputation and good faith a.
illustrated by the confronted resolutions. We
were supplanted. Default was forced and II
came like a corollary. Then came the foreclos.
supra, by ''the amendment itself provides
ETC." "We shall hold the railroad
companies to a strict compliance, etc"
The unerring logic of Reputation proceeds,
and the first Republican legislature enacts
March 10, 1860, by concurrent resolution OF
both houses, the expulsion of the "Loan
amendment" from the constitution, reversing
the rights and remedies of the
State. The Republican Legislature, at
the same session, submitted to the
people, and the Republican people
adopted the following amendment to the con-
stitution: Il give the substance) "A law
bearing taxes for the payment of the State
railroad bonds must be submitted to vote of
the people," So much for Buckingham.
This is the complete and rounded history of
Minnesota repudiation. Tt has been not mere
ly non-aotion. but affirmative, bare-faced and
defiant dishonesty. 1t has made itself perpet-
uslly infamous by attaining the organic law.
1t has made itself solemnly ridiculous BY pre-
suming that the obligation of contracts can be
impaired by constitutional enaotments.
By the foreclosure the State reoaptured both
the lands and franchises of the defaulting
companies and the graded roads-the work of
contractors and their coadjutors, who loaned
them money upon the so-called faith and
credit" of the State. The captive property was
then granted by Republican legislature,
warranted free and clear to other corpora
tions, which, induced by the Dagnifcence of
the bonus, have constructed the roads.
II is sha ameless to refer to the offers of COM
pr0n1ise which have been rendered to and gen.
orally rejected by this Republican State. The
census shows our population to be about
100000. We boast of having produced the
present year So 100000 bushels of wheat,
which, supplemented by other products, justi.
fies the vaunt that there Is no richer people on
this continent than the people of Minnesota.
Is it honest, this talk of compromise? A
plea of the "baby act" the statute of iimita.
tions to an unpaid debt for necessaries, may
have excuse, although not dignity, but for o
sovereign State to answer, 81 am the State"
l am not justiceable, and sneak behind it's
shield, has no parallel in. the records of in.
fanny. All of the possible legal questions con-
nected with the issue of these bonds have .bef n
disposed of in the case of Chamberlain vs.. the
St. p. & s. O. railroad company by the su-
pren,e court of the United States. The brains
are therefore dead and out, and therefore repu-
diation should be dead. 1t is proper to say
that the leading influences of both parties here
are qualifedly, or at least professingly opposed
to the dishonest conduct of the Republican
party in this State in connection with these
bonds, but they are powerless and will SO re-
main until powerful independent and vigor-
ous public opinion enforces justice.
This article is hurried and is too long. It is
possibly impertinent. Yours truly,
j. B. BRIsBIN