St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-26


speech OF the Winona senator. The
speech was an eloquent effort. and had
great effect on the large audience. 1t
was sarcastic, witty, and eloQuence
itself at times. He SAID:
The Romans had proyerb: ssMons partIir-
iunt. nascitur ridiculus mus'-the mountain
In labor brought forth a mouse. The dis
tinguished senators from Winona and Meeker
have acted as the obstetricians and the
mountain is delivered For three or more
mortal hours we have had here fearful
clamor, at cost of several hundred dollars
10 the state. Tor the production of a letter
from Gen. Becker. IL is here. And what is
the outcome of this ridiculous muss?' Moth
ing; absolutely nothing. The letter does not
REFER TO this bill, and ii is of no consequence
II 1t did. Not single vote will be changed
by anything contained in it,
Ine senator from Winona tells us that the
supreme court has held that the railroads of
this state ought not to collect interest on
Watered stock. OF what importance is that
In the face of the fact that they do collect it
yea, TO the tune of ten or twenty millions
OF dollars annually, wrung from the hard
labor OF the people by increased charges
Tor transportation, to pay interest on bogus
capitalization? But when we seek TO put
into the constitution an inhibition of such
practices we are met by the argument that it
IS going into too much detail. and that we
snoulQ not mar the symmetry of the state
constitution by matter for the protection of
the people. Of course, Mr.. President the
people are OF less consequence than the con-
stitutlon. They can be robbed ad libitum.
but the constitution is saved. When the
railroads desire to protect their rights, how
ever, no such consideration is of any weight
Hero we have section 81, article of
the constitution, long-winded provision
that mere law. which protects the lands
OF tae railroad companies of this state for
taxation. shall not be amended or repealed
without
A Vote of the People.
ANYTHING can be stuck into that venerable
instrument to help the railroads: nothing
can be inserted in 1t TO serve the people.
rms is the way this state is governed. Part
is new, ana, therefore, ought not to pass
and the rest Of it is objected to because it is
not new, and, therefore, ought not to pass.
1t IS difficult to please these gentlemen. But
what is the purpose of this amendment?
Simply TO imoed in the very buIwarks of the
constitution certain fundamental PROPOSE
tons on which rests the safety of the people
what Is the great argument? That the bill
declares that railroad certificates of stock
shall not be issued until the par value of the
same bas been paid in TO the company and
used i'll the construction of the same. Is
this wrongs Have we not in the United
States to-day 81, COG, 900. 900 of watered stock
according to Poor's Manual for which the
people never received and never will receive
single penny. and vet it is as veritably a
debt OF the people as the national bondsjis-
Senator Tawney-Will the senator from
Dakota explain how the people pay the inter.
est on the watered stock of the railroads?
Senator Donuelly-By the increased price
of transportation rendered necessary to pay
the interest on the Watered stock
Senator Tawney-Couid not the legislature,
by simple act pass all the provisions COLI
tanned in this proposed amendment to the
constitution.
Senator Donnelly-Yes and the next Iegis-
lature could repeal it. Put it in the constitu-
ton and only the votes of the people can
change it. The senator tells us that the SUI
preme court Of the United States has ruled
against the state on some of these matters.
Yes. 1t has ruled that the child is bigger than
the womb; the creature bigger than the
creator; the corporation bigger than the state :;
half a dozen sharpers united by statute
mighher than a million free people. This is
what our modern liberty has brought us to-
This is the boon that railroad packed court
has conferred upon u.s. But this has been
done in the absence. of provisions in the
state constitution declaring the rights of the
people. We now seek to put those provis
ions in the constitution. Now let US see
whether these be-gowned autocrats of the
bench will dare to put their feet on the
throat OF sovereign state where the people
have clearly defined their rights Suppose
they do. Is it f1nality? Are we to give up
our liberties at the dictation of supreme
court: l remember when namesake of the
the senator from Winona. Chief Justice
fancy, declared that black men had no
rights that white men were bound to respect
Did the people yield? No: they rose up in
the greatest political revolution known in
the history OF this nation. and the abolition
lst Salmon P. Chase, sat where Roger B.
fancy had Illuminated his dicta against tine
rights OF mankind. Let that supreme court
attempt 10 override the clearly expressed
purpose OF state constitution, and you will
behold a greater political revolution. Peace
ably, through the ballot box, we will reform
that court and place the people once more
supreme and superb above the tricks of law
yers and the craft of courts Let us pass this
bill. Let us declare the right of the inhabit
ants of this state to complete self govern
ment; and let us challenge Jay Gould's
1eutenants to dare to overthrow it. This
fight is not for day-it is for all time.
A Brilliant Debate.
Senator Mayo took an opposite view of
the bill from Mr.. Donnelly and made yigor-
Gus speech against the amendment He was
followed by Senator Day, who thought the
passage OF the bill would stop ali railroad
building in the state for ten years at least In
his portion Of the state there was but one line
of railroad and the people wanted another
and competing line very badly. For these
reasons he should vote no. The voting COM
menced and proceeded down to Senator
Dean without interruption. When the elo-
quent Ramsey senator's name was called he
arose and explained his vote. He did not
believe the measure would help the people;
in fact 1t would, if anything inJure them.
Senator Donnelly came next and declared
that he should vote i'll favor of the bill as he
had worked for it, because he believed it was
in the interests Of the people.
Senator Eaton was the next senator to ex
plain his vote, which he did in his calm, mat
ter-of-fact and scholarly way that damaged
the measure considerably.
Senator GelSSel said the measure was
purely Democratic, and were it not for the
fact that he represented u district that was
just being touched by the railroads and re-
their hPnP6tS WOnl6
for it. As il was he should be obliged 10 vote
no. Senator Keller, also explained his vote
His people were not extremists. They believe
II doing Justice to all to the end that the state
may be benefited. In closing his speech the
Stearns county statesman said:
My constituents are after. me to vote
aga inst this bill"
Senator McHale thought the bill contained
many meritorious features and should have
been amended by its opponents. 1t was a
good measure and he should vote for it.
Senator La Due gave brief statement of
the reasons which prevented him from Yot-
ing for the measure. There were many good
points in the bill, which he would be glad to
to see engrafted on the statutes of the state,
but as these were sandWiched in with others
that would be absolutely disastrous to the
stote, and particularly his section, he could
not vote for il.
Senator Peterson, of Goodhue county, SAID
he would have voted for the bill if the
amendment striking out section had been
adopted, but as it stood he could not enter
tanning the belief as he did, that its passage
would retard the interests of the state. The
vote resulted in the defeat of the measure
and follows in etail:
Yeas
Borchert, Erickson, Mott
Brown. Crate, Nelson,
Canestorp, Hompe, Probstfield,
Craig, Kelly, Seyatson.
Craven, Lommen, Wood-19.
Davis, McHale,
Donnelly, March,
Nays.
Allen, Geissel, Moore,
Ayres, Glader, O'Brien,
Barr, Grinnell Phillips
Bell, Guderian, Sanborn,
Burkhardt, Keller Smith, E. R.
Crandal, Kiester Smith, j. D.
Daugherty, La Due. Stockton,
Day, Leavitt Tawney-28.
Dean, Mcmillan,