Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-23
WASHBURN,S TREACHERY TO HIN
NEIPOLIS.

NEAPOLIS.
By the aid of Charley johnson Washburn
has managed to interview himself relative
to his notorious betrayal of Minneapolis
and her interests, by the sale of THE Min
neapolis & st. Louis railroad. His argu-
ment is about the same as that which he
used when he settled with his creditors
some years ago, and had remaining, as
his assignee officially announced, three
hundred thousand dollars. He explained
at that time that it was better for the
creditors to accept such cats and dogs as
he chose to turn over, at valuation five
hundred per cent. above the worth of the
property, rather than have nothing.
By this model plan of fnanclering
he was enabled to claim that he had paid
his creditors par and rendered them a
great service. 1t must be admitted that
he has some grounds for his claim, as it
was probably better for them to receive
even pittance rather than have the kid
gloved candidate absorb everything. and
leave only worthless husks to the men
whose money he had obtained.
In the interview with Charley johnson
the kid-gloved candidate argues that he
has acted in the interest of the city in SELL
ing out the road. He seeks to create the
impression that he has acted fairly by
stating that the Rock Island road
''as company has not purchased
any Minneapolis & st. Louis stock.
No one has assumed that the rail
road company had bought the stock. 1t is
not usual for railroads ''as company" to
buy stock, butitis quite common for the men
who own the controlling stock in one rail-
road to buy the controlling interest in
another. His denial is simply in
tended to deceive. His second point
is that the Rock Islaud company
has nothing to do with the local
business of the Minneapolis & st. Louis
road from. Minneapolis to Albert Lea, but
only regulates the through business
Exactly. That is the very thing the peo-
pie of Minneapolis desired to control or
have in their own hands. The immense
shipment Of -four from Minneapolis is all
through business and it was to have an in
dependent line, one not in the pool, that
the business men fOstered their own road.
But, shouts Mr.. Washburn's ST. Paul or
gan, he sold his own property and had q
right to do SO. That statement is false
hood. He induced the people of Mime
apolis to- give him a bonus of a
quarter Of a million dollars upon
the ground that they were to
secure an independent outlet and one
within their control. Minneapolis
already had two routes east available, but
they were pooled, giving her substantially
but one and she desired one outside route,
to be absolutely controlled by herself.
With the quarter of million from Mime
apolis, Washburn went along down the line
and secured other bonuses which enabled
him to build the road. In addition to
this he asked and obtained from the city
council of Minneapolis the right of way
through the streets, giving him terminal
facilities superior to any other road in the
city. The bonus and the terminal privi-
liges which were given him; made it dis
honorable for him to sell the road. It was
not his property. as his organ claims, but
he was in reality the trustee for the prop
erty of others, and while in that position
he sold has trust, receiving therefor check
for million and quarter dollars. He
never could have. made such a sale
except for the terminal facilities that were
given him. It was as.dishonorable a trans
action and as much a robbery of the city
as if he had put his hand into the treasury
and stolen the money on deposit like a
common thief.
He explains in his cut and dried inter
view that the Rock Island company de-
sired "a traffic arrangement" And it was
to prevent having any such strafic
arrangement" that the people of Mime
apolis paid their quarter of million bo-
nus and gave million more in the shape
of right or way. It is not surprising that
he should now endeavor to explain, his in
famous treachery to his city.