New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-01-14
MINNESOTA'S SHAME.
New York Independent.

Governor Pillsbury, of Minnesota,
in a recent address to the students of
the State University, called their at.
tention to the action Of that State,
now some twenty years ago, by
which bonds issued in aid of rail-
road were repudiated. The obliga-
ton of the State to pay these bonds
was and is absolute and complete;
and yet the State repudiated them;
and has not since paid a dollar on
them. Governor Pillsbury spoke
right out on the subject, like an hon.
est man, and eXhorted the students
to exert all their inhu ence to bring
the people to repentance, and induce
them to wipe out this long standing
disgrace upon the State. The St.
Paul Pioneer Press followed soon af-
ter with long editorial detailing
the well-known facts in the case,
and closing with the following tre-
mendous but just philippe against
Minnesota:
''Ihe South has reason to be
proud of its high standard of tinan-
cial and honesty in comparison with
the shameless reputation, without
shadow of excuse, by this prosper
Gus Northern State of a debt which
it is amply able to pay. And this is
the plain truth, too. The worst re.
pudiating Southern State is a para
gon Of commercial honesty when
measured by the example of Mime
sofa. Is it any wonder that the
North is heartily ashamed of Mime
sofa! Is 1t not time that Minneso-
ia was heartily ashamed of itself!
The Tribune, of this city, a few
months since, published a series of
articles which drew terrible pict.
ure of reputation by the Southern
States, aud traced the iniquity for
the most part to the the Democratic
party Of the South. Nothing was
said about reputation in Indiana,
and nothing about it in Minnesota.
And yet The Pioneer Press, the lead
ing newspaper in the Northwest,
now confesses that even the worst
form Of Southern repudiation-as,
for example, that of Mississippi years
ago, or that of of Tennessee is a
''paragon Of commercial honesty
when measured by the example of
Minnesota - Southern reputation
is surely bad enough; but, according
to this statement, which our knowl.
edge of the facts confirms, that of
Minnesota is a great deal worse.
Minnesota is Republican State
and has been for years. In 1870 the
population was 457,055, and it's
wealth was estimated at 1923, 909,-
$50. Since thatperiod it has grown
very rapidly in population and in
wealth. 1t is one of the largest
wheat. growing states in the whole
country. 1t has before it splendid
future in the way Of agricultural and
commercial progress. There is not
a particle of doubt that Minnesota
has the most abundant ability to
pay that part Of it's debt which was
repudiated some twenty years since
and for this whole period has been
the standing shame and disgrace of
the State. For these twenty years
the owners of this debt have been
despoiled and robbed, and Minneso.
ia has been the nnrepentant robber.
For them there is no remedy, unless
the State supplies it.
The question, then, is this: Will
Republican Minnesota perpetuate
this robbery, and thereby perpetuate
It's own dishonesty and disgrace? 1t
is well to remember that just debt,
in the moral obligation to pay it,
never lapses by time, so long as there
is creditor to whom it is due. There
may be no law to enforce the pay.
ment; but there is a law of Justice
and honor that always remains, and
is, indeed, as fixed and permanent
as the throne of God. Will Mime
sofa respect this law: or will she con.
tlnue to trample it under her feet,
and thus give perpetuity to her own
lniquity? This is the question raised
by the remarks of Governor Pills.
bury and the sharp but just CON-
ment of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
1t ought to be agitated throughout
that state until the people, from
sense of shame, if for no higher reas-
on, will feel themselves compelled to
wipe out the black record of the past