Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-10-13
JUDGE WILSON At PRESTON.

AAVoeOn- Ou 4AuISua1. las II was the Sec
ond day of the county fair, there was
large attendance of farmers and others
from all over the county. The Judge
addressed a large audience, including
many Republicans, and was frequently
interrupted by enthusiastic and repeated
applause. At the close of his speech,
many Republican farmers crowded
around him and shook hands, pledging
their earnest support. Milo Whites
friends very generally will support Judge
Wilson, and there seems little doubt that
he will carry Fillmore county, so strong
and widespread is the feeling for him
among the farmers. Judge Wilson, spoke
as follows:
Having discovered that my friends in
the district would perhaps urge my can
didature, a few weeks before the nomina-
ton I wrote and published q letter for
the purpose of letting it. be known not
only that l was not a candidate, but also
that certain potent influences in the dis
trict would be opposed to me and there
fore that my nomination would be unwise.
In that letter l said: "
Consulting my own feelings and interests
mie9el Won l WOULD + as1,, dsSIin ne to q, accept q nomina-
nizing, however, my obligations to my friends,
and desiring to oblige them, l might, perhaps,
EEL constrained to accede to their wishes In
this case If felt any reasonable assurance
That my. nomination would increase the
chances OF success. But I do not feel such as
g 1 tp;nS no On ! the he, contrary, as I stated to yeu,
which would be cast for some other candidate
II nominated on our ticket. And it is to be
borne In mind that while happily party ties
feel more and more inclined to vote according
to their convictions, uninfiuenCed by marty
tbat %e b or party IT ya Names aSysn it y hardly e fhyy probable probable
of independent political action that any one
con be elecetd in this district this year who is
called Republican ;" # any influential class
Republican party opposed him.. I believe I
would be opposed by some who could influ-
ence q great many votes. l have never been
legislature land out OF i) has by no means
been always acceptable: o n the contrary, 1t.
has at times been deemed very. Objectionable
to the granting of n or other subsidy, or to
the reviving Of any Ian grant to any railroad
com p Y. ana r my course ~ in favor Of the <
position to the right of power of foreign cor
porations to transfer causes from the state
courts TO the federal courts, and my opposition
porations would place in opposition to me
nearly every railroad company and corpora
ton IN the state; while on the other hand, the
quently as the attorney of some railroad COM
pantes and other corporations wOuld enable
certain persons to m"isrepresent me n my
views and perhaps to prejudice me in the esti-
the views l entertain, or wha I have
advocated or done. Under the circumstances,
1 wish to have 1t clearly understood
that l am not q candidate. 5
Unless information coming from diff
ferent quarters is wholly unreliable, the
opposition which 1 predicted from certain
corporations is already manifest, and the
reason of it is not far to seek. NV con-
duct in Office and out of Office has been
a legislator. They know me to he un-
sides and bonuses, either by way of orig
favor or privileges to them at the expense
of the people. [ have always by word
and act opposed the expansion of power
OF corporations and any and all special:
immunities to them. A few examples.
will illustrate my principles and actions
In such cases, and at the same time the
ground OF, the opposition of these corpo.5
rations to my election.
THE RAILWAY LAND GRANTS. ~
In 1857 as those whose memories reach
back so far will recollect, the United
States made q grant of several millions of
acres of land to, Minnesota to aid in the
building of a number of lines of railroad.
The lands were by the legislature trans
ferred to certain railroad companies
which agreed to build the roads. The
companies agreed to pay in lieu of all
other taxes three per centum of their
gross earnings and the lands were on that
consideration exempted from taxation
until they should be sold OF contracted to
he sold by the companies. This immun-
lty from taxation was only of the prop.
erty of the companies paying the three
per centum of their earnings. The
property of no one else was exempted.
The Immigrant railroad companies in
1858 applied for a loan of state credit to
the amount of $5,0oO,0 600. This could
not be granted but by an. amendment of
the constitution which required a vote of
the people. One of the roads whose
eastern terminus was ct Winona, was to
have 81, 25O, 900 of the loan. The direct
ors Of the company lived at Winona and
they by the loan expected to be enriched,
and the people of the city expected that
it would be greatly benefited blythe build
ing of the road. l saw, or supposed /
saw, that the scheme wa one intended
and whose effect would be, to plumber the
state, as it in fact proved to be. l there
fore opposed it: for though the officers Of
the railroad company who asked for
bonds claimed that the state would never
be called on to pay q dollar-I was not
satisfied with the honesty or truth of the
statement. All the companies stood to-
gether in the Jealous scramble for plum
der. Al the election in Winona On that
measure there were cast 1882 votes-(we
had honestly six or even hundred) and
Of these 1881 were for the loan, and one
against 1t. I was the one. They tried to
create such q feeling in our town that no
one would dare to vote against II. Though
they could not deter me, they caricatured
and, SO far as they dared, insulted and
abused me for my colIr3e. After the
work had advanced so far that . few
hundred thousand dollars had been ex-
pended on each of the roads, the com.
panies and the governor disagreed o. TO
the security to be given by the companies
as 4 condition precedent to the issue Of
the bonds. The governor claimed that
the state should have q first lien ON the
property Of the company, which they re-
fused, claiming that the law did not re-
quire this. Some OF the companies ap-
piled for 8 mandamus to compel the
issue Of the bonds on their terms. Such
writ was issued in at least Of the dis
EEtricts. An application VA made 70 me
by nj Of the companies in my district, !
then being Judge Of this district. re-
fused even 10 entertain Jurisdiction or
consider the question. After . consider
able amount Of bonds had been issued,
tho companies conceived the jdea Of using
them a. : banking basis and thus getting
the money into the hands Of the pe0ple-
undoubtedly well knowing that the cur
rencY 30 issued would be unsecured.
Against thus I also raised my voice. The
railroad companies succeeded In obtain
ing shout half OF the d 100000.
PROTECTING THE PAYERs.
Tn q 4 waa = mAnnhpr ~ the 1A1ia1A.