St. Paul daily globe., 1893-10-19
A MENACE TO MINNESOTA.

The gaunt Specter of secession is
once more stalking through the land,
and again aiming blow at our integ
rity. Ambitious and designing men,
undiSmayed by the fate that overlook
the Southern confederacy in the '6Os,
have set on foot scheme having for its
purpose the dismemberment Of two of
the proudest states in the Union and
the erection from the fragments thereof
of a new commonwealth, rival to those
already existing, and perhaps destined
to eclipse them both in the race for
commercial supremacy and political
dominion. The scheme is backed by
wealth drawn from the eXhaustlesS tim
Der and mineral resources of the sec
tions involved, and all the craft and
artitce that men Of unquestioned abil-
ity could lend to a cause are enlisted in
this.
In brief, the scheme alluded to is the
forming Of a new state, to be composed
of that section of the states of WiScon-
sin and Minnesota which is tributary to
the cities of Duluth and Superior. The
new state, it is said, will include the
SONdbiJ AAOIIi WV II uIS W tllC ~. VI OiA
river, and will extend to the northern
boundary of Wisconsin west of the
Brule, and will take in all the northern
portion of Minnesota, so as to embrace
the iron ranges in that state. Much of
the lumber producing territory now
lying within the limits of the state of
Minnesota will thus be cut off and form
part of the new commonwealth, and
the product diverted from its present
channels to swell the wealth and in
crease the importance of Duluth, that
city made famous by Proctor Knott in
his lurid picture Of all empire of the
future whose chief city should be the
town at the head of Lake Superior.
VIII this new rebellion succeed? Will
Minnesota sit supinely still while the
vandals are rending her asunder and
robbng her of her most dearly priced
jewels? VIII Wisconsin consent to the
spoliation? VIII she consent TO the sur
render of her mines Of iron and of cop
per, her pine forests and her h emlOck
groves? VIII she submit peacefully
while alien hands seize upon her ports
on the southern shore Of the unsalted
sea? Can they be men and suffer such
dishonor? Perish the thought.
This bold and desperate scheme of
vandalism must be throttled in its in
fancy. Gov. Nelson must act, and Gov
Peck must get move on himself. The
militia must be called out if necessary.
and marched to the front. Grim-yisaged
war with awful front must threaten
those who would disrupt the ties that
| bind US to our pine logs and our iron
| pigs, our RATS of lumber and our fleets
| OF grain-burdened ships. The hemlock
| sWamps of the Badgers must be pro-
| tected from cOnfiScation, and their cop
| per mines must pay tribute to no alien
state. The dogs of war will bay loud
| defiance TO those who would rend us
asunder- who would despoH us of the
! generous gifts that nature has laid al
our door, and OF the fruits of our past
| Industry. 1t must not be said by future
| generations that the Badger and the
| Gopher were unable to defend them
selves against treason within their owT
| domicIles. We must not leave to oul
children heritage of shame, but in
siSt that the commonwealth be trans
mitted to posterity intact and inYiolate
No traitorous hand must be permitted
to dim the etfulgeuce of the North Star
or to pluck one hair from the grizzled
back of the belligerent Badger.