The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-02-17
MANKATo FREE PRESS.
THE BOND SwINDLE,

THE BOND swINDLE.
If the receiving of the State rail-
road bonds by the old railroad com.
panies, without their rendering to the
State the consideration therefor
which the Constitution of the State
plainly says they shall render, con.
stitutes 4 fraud and swindle upon the
people of the State of Minnesota,
then the people will not he willing to
pay said bonds, even if the Judges
of the Supreme Court should decide
that the bonds were issued techni-
Cally under provisions of law.
And it would seem that if the
Supreme Court of the State are to
decide upon any of the questions
connected with this old bond trans
action, they should be required OF
give plain, unequivOcal decision
upon this point-as to whether the
getting possession ofthe bonds of the
State, without rendering to the State
the consideration which the ConSti-
tuition of the State says they shall
render Tor the bonds, does or does
not, constitute fraud and swindle
upon the people of the State. For it
depends upon the decision of this
very question, rs to whether or not
the people are justified in refusing
10 pay these old bonds.
The constitutional amendment au-
thorizing the issue of these bonds,
land every person in the State ought
to take the Statute and read it for
themselves) provides, that the rail.
road companies shall build $50 miles
of railroad, all completed, with the
cars running thereon, and they shall
receive from the State five million
dollars of its bonds for doing this
job. 1t also provides, that after 4
certain number of miles of road bed
had been graded (Which comparative
ly cost but small amount of money!.
the companies may receive two and
one-halt million dollars of said bonds
rs an advance payment, on this job.
of building the 80 miles of road.
and putting cars to running thereon.
BY carefully reading the said con.
stitutional amendment, it will be
noticed, that after reciting what
must be done before they can receive
this advance payment, &c, the fol-
lowing words occur: provided fur
Their, that in consideration OF the loan
of State credit herein provided, (apd
this refers back directly to the bonds
received as an advance payment) &c ,
the companies -four in number) shall,
as condition thereof, each complete
fifty miles of road before the end of
1861, &c"
Now, it is conceded by all that they
did get possession of this advance
payment of two and one.half million
dollars of bonds, and then run off
and abandoned the job, and never
built one mile of road. never laid
one lie or rail.
1t has been noticed that those who
advocate the payment of these bonds,
try by every device to avoid any
discussion or reference, to these
bottom facts, but spend their time
wholly in talking about various side
issues that have grown out of the
case. The people will have but little
respect for any decision made by the
Supreme Court. unless they ut the
same time decide rs 10 whether the
companies perpetuated a fraud and
swindle on the people when they got
the bonds, without rendering the
consideration for them as provided
in the Constitution of the State, and
not only decide this point, but for,ify
the decision with reasons SO strong,
full, and plain, as to be unassailable