St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-21
The Senate Defeats the Du-
luth & Winnipeg Land
Grant Bill.
An All-Day Fight Was Made
Before Reaching a
Vote.
Senator Pope and Senator
Bowen Made Records on
Opposite Sides.
7 wenty-Eight Votes Served
to Nail the Coffin
Lid.

There was no mistaking the temper of
the senate yesterday. The Dulnth s.
Winnipeg land forfeiture bill had been
made special order for IL O'Clock. and
a majority of the senators were deter
mined that something definite should
be done in regard to this measure. The
supporters of the bill made good fight,
but. with the exception of Senator Good
rich, their OratOrical ability was below
that of the opponents of the bill. The
speeches of several of the latter were
studied utterances, and cram-full of in
tereSting data. Senator Goodrich alone
cOmbated this lack of information dis
played by the friends of the bill, who
largely dealt with insinuations and
vague generalities. The most elaborate
address was that delivered by Senator
Bowen, who vigorously denounced what
he termed 1.-The land steals" of the rail-
roads of the state, and brought out an
able indictment against the passage
of the bill. In this he was sup
ported by Senator Ives, who, by
few words,'' and proceeded to speak
these went to relieve the monotony of
the debate, for it did become monOtO-
nous, and towards the end would have
discredited Y. M. G. A. mutual inn
provement society. 1t was asserted that
the supporters of the bill desired to
carry over the discussion until to-day.
The inceSsant flow of Oratory-if such it
may be called-would lend color to this
assertion; but the opposing section
proved too strong, and break between
Senators Pope and Durant let in Sem
atOr NJ. johnson, who moved the pre-
viOus question, which at once shut on
the cloture, and talkative mem bers were
silenced. The bill was then killed. De-
tails:
The senate went into the committee of
whole, land Senator Pope moved that the
bill bL recommended to pass. II second
that notion" was the responsive refrain
made by the young senator from Du-
luth; and flood of Oratory at once burst
upon the devoted heads of the senators.
In the van came Senator Buckman in a
grandiloquent speech, worded strongly
in advocacy of the bill. He set out with
the assertion that the issue before them
was not of an ephemeral nature, but
went far back in the history of the state.
There were two issues before them:
First, as to the matter of pub
lie policy; second, as to the mat
ter of justice. Whence came the
opposition to this bill? Did it come
from the people of the state? Did they,
in any OF the newspapers, see an Objec-
tion? He did not believe senator ever
heard an objection from the people
against the land grant to this railroad.
The opposition was alone centered in a
large corporation, who were trying to
retard the development of this road.
nf tafa
been settled by people in anticipation
of the building OF this railroad and was
that senate going to cut off the re-
sources of that road and prevent it
being built. leaving these people to look
upon the sad Snd SureleSS waste of
bitter disappointment? Senator Buck
mans speech was attentively listened
to, but it lacked the neat fullness which
was the feature of the address of SEN
ator Bowen, who followed. The speech
occupied an hour in delivery and was
brimful of facts. Senator Bowen took
position antagOnlStic to that of Sem
atOr Bucknam. He was opposed to the
making of further grants of land to
railroad corporations. Thirty years
ago it was the policy of the government
between lhe Mississippi river and the
Pacific by aiding the building of rail-
roads, and very extensive grants of
land were made. Millions of acres
were given away. 1t was well known
to everybody that that generosity was
abused in the most shameful manner,
and that not only did the companies
receive the lands which were prop
erly granted to them, but the
report of the land commissioner
of the United States showed that mill
ions of acres in addition were claimed by
these companies, and certified to them
in great many instances. What had
been the effect of the granting of this
land? 1t was true the railroads had
helped to develop the country, but
not to benefit the public, but individuals.
Legislation had to be invoked to COM
pei railroad corporations to do business
on a fairer basis, and we were just now
in the infancy of that kind of legisla-
ton. The act under which the Duluth
& Winnipeg road claimed its grant,
had no legal Standing-in fact, the act
had expired. The child was dead, and
laid in dishonored grave. Now its
friends were coming there, asking them
not only to breathe the breath OF life
into it, but give it new soul-a new
character altogether. 1t was said that
the northern part of the State-the
roads tributary to the city of Duluth
had received no land grants. He de-
MED this. Duluth had had granted for
its development, in the construction of
railroads running to and from that city,
100000 acres of land, and the other
roads of the state had received merely
6,750,000. No man, not even a man
from Minneapolis, would question the
enterprise of Duluth. Other towns
might have ambition, and other towns
might want the earth, but Duluth
wants the whole creation of God.
Laughter He argued against the
constitutiOnality of the bill.
Senator Durant was notat all troubled
about the constitutiOnality of the bill.
These swamp lands were simply trust
held by the State of Minnesota, placed
in their hands by the United States
government-for what? For internal
Improvements. That was sufficient an
Swer to the ncOnStitutiOnality of what
they propose to do to-day. Southern
Minnesota had had everything granted
requiring the extension of its railroads.
1t was only right that the northern
portion should be treated with like
liberality. The talk about this land re-
verting to the school fund of the state
was all fallacy. Defeat this bill and
they withheld the development of one
half of the state. There was no senti-
ment about this bill; there was no cor
ruption; there was no fraud. The Du-
luth & Winnipeg people were honest
in their intentions.
Two hours had been exhausted, and
at O'clock Senator Buckman called for