The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-08-16
BATTLE CONTINUES.
Another Attack on the State Ele.
vatOr. The Ring Determined
to Keep up the Plumber.

The State Elevator is not yet out
OF the woods. First came the fight
in the Legislature, when nothing but
good management on the part of the
friends of the bill saved it. Next
came the adverse decision of the
Attorney General, that we could not
collect fees on any grain except that
which went into the State elevator;
and that we could not build the ele-
vator except with the fees on the
grain which went into it. This de-
cision was On the principle of the
old ryme:
Mother, may go in to swim?"
"Oh yes, my darling daughter;
Hang your clothes on hickory limb,
But don't go near the water
The State Administration found it
necessary to ignore this decision:-
the site was bought; the plans drawn
and the contract given out. And
now comes a grain-dealer of Fair
mont, in Martin county and applies
to the District Court of Ramsey
county for an injunction to stop the
building of the elevator. The at
torneys in the case are from Mime
apolis; the Minneapolis wheat-ring
are the real parties to the action;
the case is before Judge Willis of
St. Paul, in whom we have consid-
cradle confidence; but it will 60 to
the Supreme Court of the state and
when it does we can say,-"Good
bye, State Elevator" For the Court
simply desires to know that the peo-
pie, through their legislature, ex-
pressed a demand for such a mea-
sure, to sit down upon it with fifty
ton-weight-that is ten tons apiece.
When legislative act comes before
that court each member sticks his
nose in the air, and says to himself:
/. .-"Does the purpose of this act meet
+ In the unqualified approval of my
sovereign judgement?-No:- then
away with it.!'' The whole ma
chinery of so called free, popular
government simply builds up eli
max for them to knock galley-west.
Then Ueto is the final arbitrament in
this republic called Minnesota. The
way they will tear the bowels out of
that State Elevator law would
amuse hungry tiger. And the
name of the plaintiff is Ripp! A
very appropriate name. He is to be
the Jack the Ripper of this business.
And what are the grounds of this
action. The St. Paul Globe says:
Few things in the annals of the
state of Minnesota have provoked
more cauStic comment and more eX-
citing controversy than the public
elevator project, one of the most
bitterly fought measures that was
passed by the last legislature. 1t
was one of the declared principles
of the peoples party to build public
elevator at Duluth and to run it
under state control and at the eX-
penSe of the State-and upon this
issue that party went before the peo-
pie for a popular endorsement at the
polls at the last election. After an
almost interminable struggle, and
a tenacious and sagacious fight led
by the redoubtable Sage of Nininger,
the measure took form in the sem
ate, and it finally became law
The act received the signature of
the republican governor, and it then
became law and operative, so far
as things superficial CO."
And Ripp says the State Elevator
cannot be built because the consti-
tuition says no work of internal inn
provement can be constructed with
out precedent law grant. Why,
the State elevator is not a work of
internal improvement any more
than Normal School, and Insane
Asylum, a Reform School or a State
prison. If Rips argument is cor
rect the state cannot construct a
water-closet in the State capitol
without grant of land from con-
gress. Bosh! Supreme and mex
pressible bosh, which no one but a
a judge of the Supreme Court could
swallow.
Secondly Ripp says, that the con-
struction of the State elevator will
create public debt of more than
$15O, 1000, contrary to the provisions
of the constitution. It will do moth
ing of the kind. A fee has been
charged for the weighing and in
spection of grain; that fee has Gre
ated fund; the state held it in
trust; it did not arise from taxation;
1T was specific in it's origin; the leg
islature set it aside to build State
elevator; and the elevator is to be
built from this fund alone. It does
not represent debt; no debt is Gre
ated; not dollar is taken out of the
pockets of the people, through tax
alton. 1t is like the fund raised by
liquor licenses. Suppose the state
decided to use these funds to build
an inebriate asylum; and suppose
L - Il