The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-07-15
THE BOND COMMISSION.

'eeded In organizing the court to ar
bitrate upon the old railroad bond
act in accordance with the law passed
ut the last session Of the Legislature. |
The board is reported to comprise
Judge Crosby of the First District,
Judge Brill of the Second, Judge
Young of the Fourth, Judge Sever
ance of the Sixth, and Judge Brown
of the Twelfth. II it is tho opinion
of u majority of this tribunal that it
is unnecessary to submit the question
OF payment to the people, then we
suspect that they must he settled in
accordance with the aforesaid act
That 1t has always been the impress.
sion of the people of tho State that
the constitutional provision requiring
such submission to the legal voters
was binding and necessary prelimi'
nary to final adjustment, is certainly
a fact, and that u majority regard
this new way Il stretch of authority,
must also be conceded and rs u con.
sequence they do not look with favor
upon the tribunal.
Whatever may be the diversity of
opinion in regard to the particular
proposition now pending, it must he
admitted that the time has come
when this bond business must he
looked ut and investigated in the light
that the unfortunate situation EN-
phatically demands. To read the st
Paul and Minneapolis papers and tn,
extracts from Eastern publications
that those papers make haste To copy
4 stranger naturally infers that tn,
people Of Minnesota are regulator.
and scoundrels and the whole popul:,
ton should he i'm the penitentiary
Their columns abound in abusiv,
editorials that serve TO disgust al
honest class of voters who would re
joice to vote for and aid in I'LL thei
power some measure looking to tn,
settlement of this veXed question
This class dislike to lie continual,
confronted with these insults an,
consequently weaken on the mail
question and may he led 10 oppos
measures that otherwise they NIGH
favor. On the other hand, there i
another class equally rampant in thei
opposition to every measure limited !.
for the payment of these obligations
1t is fact that these onds were is
sued by virtue of the voters of tn
State. 1t may have been Il short
sighted. even a foolish act. to inyes
this authority upon the Governor
but it was nevertheless done and s
loosely in business way, that tn
bondholderS have the State i'm Il yer
unpleasant predicament. The bond
were duly issued, they bear the sign;
ture of the proper authority. tn
Great Seal of the State confrOnts u
upon those duly issued obligation.
and it is time To inquire If they car
not he legally collected. and if som
reasonable and just proposition hi
upon for their settlement and thei
settlement for all time and eternit
and lift the cloud from our fair con
monwealth.
There is also class who woul
drag this question into politics IN
make political capital out of the sitl
alton and in the spirit OF demagogisI
, vehemently espouse one side or tn
! other in the cause of the dear peopl
5 or the dear bondholders and ila,u
the dear flag of purity "on this o,
casion." The fact is, men are nc
necessarily demons because they haI
pen To differ with the bondh0lders @
even with the anti.bOnd men. B,
cause he sympathizes with one sid
does not necessarily unfit him for I'll
ordinary duties of good either
This is a free country where men
private opinions are respected. an
Governors, Judges and Jurors are e,
pected to have opinions upon all sui
jects, and it is also natural that the
differ in great rs well Us minor que.
tions, and because of this differenc
it doesn't follow that they are di.
honest or would be unfair and unju.
. in their dealings or in their oflicia
, acts. Reason together, hot-heade
bond men and hot.headcd anti.bon
men. and not get excited until some
thing has developed more than ha
already TRANSFERRED.