St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-28
and assailed the bill in mastery and
entertaining address. lie said:
DonneJIv ON StuFad Moose

state is the creature OF statute. III ue-
rives Its existence from law of the last
session, and the same act which
breathed into it the breath of life lin
final decision of the legislature, after
full discussion, that the state OF
would appropriate $4,000,
and no more, for an exhibit of the pro-
ductions of Minnesota at the worlds
fair. 1t went further. lt declared that
no separate building should be erected,
and that not more than 5000 should be
spent for rooms and offices. 1t also de-
clared that no money should be paid
for premiums for exhibits. 1t also
provided that the commissioners
should receive no salaries, and
should pay their OWN expenses. And,
to crown all, it declared that if the COM
miSSionerS or their agents should pledge
the credit of the state, or attempt to
pledge it for any further sum, that the
state should not be responsible for it,
and that the men who so involved OF
sought to involve the state should be
deemed guilty of larceny. What was
the result?
The commissioners, in their sublime
wisdom, concluded that the legislature,
which had given them legal existence.
were sat of fools, and that they knew
better than the peoples representative
what the people really wanted, and 50
they appealed from the legislature, not
to the whole people. not to the ballot
box, but to few parties in each
county, and proceeded to raise
another 100000 under promise,
express or implied, that this
legislature should reimburse the men
rhn a1. nnA N Gin Nn6
notes for that purpose; and now they
come here and ask US to do that which
the very act which created them COM
miSsiOnerS said should not be done.
More than that. they cunningly per-
suaded number of senators on this
floor to sign those notes, and now hon
orablc gentlemen are placed in
The DisagreeabIe Dilemma
of voting money into or out of their own
pockets.
| object to any such system of action
because of the pernicious precedent it
sets. Ours is representative govern
ment, and we are foolish enough TO inl,
agine that it is the perfection of human
wisdom. We hold conventions, nom-
mate candidates, vote for them. elect a
house and senate and fOndly believe wa
h0fN l)u
alas the very officers we create appeal
at once to the business men. to re-
verse the decision of the legislature;
and the whole power of the most influ-
ential class in the community is thereby
brought to benr to coerce the next leg
iSlature to do what it does not want to
do. Where is this 10 end? The uni
it is noble institution
asks this year $150000. Suppose.
after looking the whole ground over
we conclude that the circumstances
of the state will only justify uS
in appropriating $4,000. why should noi
the officers of the university sally forth
among the towns and villages and col
lect 100000 from the people under
promise Of repayment by the next leg
islature?
Does not all this tend to degrade rep
resentative government, and set up the
active canvasSer and lobbyist above the
law?
Expenditures Analysed.
And see how this commission has
acted. The Senator from Rock has
loaned me his report of the money eX,
pended by this commission already.
| find upon looking it over that S15.543
has been drawn from the state treasury,
and that more than half of this sum has
been expended in salaries of officers
and their expenses, and for stationery
postage, etc. Here are the figures:
Paid in two years for salaries of
clerk and superintendent and the trav--
cling expenses, S7.20IG6: for printing,
postage, stationery, etc, 81, ,0lj.25, ma h
ing total of $S,296.9l out of $l5,543
drawn, leaving balance of S1,241 for
= 10 raal Of -
And when they ask for 100000 more
what assurance have we that it will not
be spent In the same way? And here |
find in the natural history exhibit"
these words, Contract for use of eX-
hibit, $959.l2." Who was this paid to,
and who owned this museum? And
what was it worth? And then we have
"MOunted moose, $500"
Are stuffed moose part of the re,
OF Minnesota? Laugh ter. How
many immigrants will be drawn to MIN
nesota by the sight of that stuiTe d
moose? Laughter. Now. if it had
been stuffed prophet" | could uu,
derstand why the Democratic members
on that commission could have adv O4
Gated that expenditure. Great laugh,
ter. But stuffed moOsel Why, even
stuffed Indian would have been more
legitimate, for a great many of our large
fortunes have been based on stuffed
Indians. and they may fairly be classed,
therefore, among the resources" Of
the state.
And | am sorry to hear the senator
from Duluth urge that we cannot sci,
our iron deposits without we appropriI
ate this $1,000 Why, Mr.. Chairman,
there has been already TOO much money
md
States; and the result is that iron is to.
day lower than it has ever been before
in the history of the world, while the
rush for the iron deposits of Minnesota
among our people continues unabated
And Regret 10 Hear
my honored friend from OlmSted inti-
mate that it is in bad taste to alude Ia
the poverty of the people of Minnesota;
that we should rather keep up the con.
certed hurrah, and thus humbug each
other into believing that we are in tho
midst of universal and OyerilOwing pros,
perity. But every man here knows thai
times are hard all over the country fOI
mechanics, merchants, and
even for bankers. In one village of one
Renville, sl5O,OOO has been
loaned out by Englishmen in the pasi
.racted to be repaid in gold. The peo
pie demand economy. They are in no
lumOr to build palaces in Chicago, and
pay large salaries to employees. to ex-
libit stuffed moose. The sum of $4,000
expended would be ample to
collect and put on exhibition collec-
ton of MinnesOta'S grains, woods,
plants, rocks and ores. If men desire
10 exhibit their wares, or their horses or
cattle, let them 90 there as they go 10
other fairs. and take their chances in
The general exhibit. Minnesota is not
rich enough to set up rivalry with all
The world.
l sympathize with the grandilOquent
appeals that have been made here ia
state pride and national patriotism, but
where are such things to end? One
lundred and fifty thousand dollars will
not do justice to this grand young com.
nonwealth. Why not vote a million
dollars? Why not send this whole leg4
stature down and put it on exhibition
laughter as the noblest product of the
ages, and the most inestmable OF the
states resources. Great laughter.l
1 am opposed to the whole businFSs