The Princeton union., 1900-10-18


that the question should be carried In
10 the courts In june 1895, State All. s.
sdltor R. C.. Dunn took up the matter,
end the result was the alidity OF the
grant was tested III the courts, and
sAna lly set at rest by Judge Lochren.
IS III the state aud itor' d report for 1896
and 1895 q complete atement was
made to the legislature Of the status of
the Inherent
Railroad Land Grants
with important reconmenda datiops re-
was that the legislature made an APP
prop ion for the purpose 8of Sdefray-s
Ing the cost OF litigatio to determine
the contentious OF the state as to these
grants In the courts. and appointed al
tcomrnissicn to- supervise the prosecu-
stioE OF the state's claims. IN the case
of one grant, that Of the Little Falls s
Dakota Railroad company, a suit In
state claims were not earned by the
grantee, but had been decided to 5it BY
the former Democratic state auditor, is
still before the courts. but there Is no
doubt that the state will win Its case
AS to the Southern Minnesota Railroad
swamp lands grant, to which Gov.
Lind gave such prominence in his
speech Of acceptance, holding that the
grant. but had been decided some $4,000.
acres Of land improperly. the attorney
general, the Hon. b. Douglas, does
not agree with the governor. but has
given an opinion that the company has
sa valid grant, under an act tgof the leg-
islature subsequent IN date to those
acts4 which the governor had depended
upon as the basis for his opinion.
False Prctenscs and Plnginrism. j
s And yet, Gov Lind is reported as
saying IN a speech he delivered recent
" atSRed Wing, that he had been busy
ever since he assumed IS Office in
STRENGTHENING out the mess arising
from the e0 condi ition OF ailway land
grants. This is simply an assumption
of credit and duties which rightfully
belong to the auditor Of state, and Isl
part and parcel Of the series Of false
|pretenses, 1nisrepresentati ton and
wholesale Ep1agiarisrns upon which the
Democratic campaign is being con-
Quoted. 55
Absolutely the only works which our
opponents can honestly claim as their
own are the achievements of the rail-
road and warehouse commission, the
opera ations of the state grain inspection
department and the management Of
the state prison binding tWine plant.
Our political opp ponents are claiming
Igreat credit for their u
Railroad and Warehouse Commits
S9S M Isl On. 81
They say that when the Republicans
were in control Of the commis ssion lit
never initiated prOce edings to secure q
reduction of railroad rates, but Gov.
/ Lird's commit ission has, Of its own in-
1 itiative, commenced such proceedings.
| The Democrat who made this state
ment would much better have re-;
mained silent in the interests Of his
4 party, for 1t recalls to my mind cer-
tain facts which cannot help their cam
Yass. have shown you how the Re
4 ublican party fought and won the
j battle for state control of ailroads.
i Further than this, Republican legiss
Ilatures created the railroad and ware
house commission. vesting it with such
Iwide pow Wers as to unable 1T to control
j the rates charged by the railroads, and
4 to proceed on their own Initiative, TO
regulate such rates as they deemed
reasonable or equitable. Chapter 10,
i OF the General Laws of & 1881, vested
/ the commission with such authority:
y. In 1891, when the Democrats and
Populsts controlled the legislature,
j they proceeded, like a bull in a china
I shop, to make a few improvements.
and they enacted a law Chapter 3106 of
4 the General Laws OF 1891 which re-
Estricted the railroad comnissio
from instituting any action to secure s
4 reduction Of unjust or exorbi rail-
road rates, and prescribed that they
should not act in such matters except
i upon verified complaint duly FLED
4 with them. It was the Republican leg
i lislatureN of 1897 that again conferred
4 the power upon the commission to
proceed In It's own initiative In the
ISaEg Reduction of Railroad Rntes.
Il and Chapter 81 of the General Laws OF
i 1897, empowered the commission, al
4 though no complaint had been filed
4 withsit asNthe act Of 1891 required, tc
4 proceed upon its own motion to invest,
5lsigate the reasonableness OF railroad
a tariffs of rates, fares, charges and
y classifcations and to fix and adjust the
4 same so that 1t would be reasonable
d and twas the Repub blican legislature
a of 1899 that passed q law provid idine
q that the railroad and warehouse com
sj jBnissioners should be chosen and elect.
d ed by the people, instead OF being ap.
pointed by the governor. as heretofore
Therefore, we find that the Demo.
q cratic spellbinders are adroitly mis-.
q appropriating and converting to theil
Il own use and benefit the credit for the
d beneficial railroad legislation which
q the Republican party gave to the 8peo:
q PIE, and ignoring the fact that the fu'
8 Esion legislature Of 1891 practically sue.
Iceeded in crippling for q time the use
d fulnescs OF the railroad and ware
q house commission.
Il Grain Inspection.
q Now come to q question over which
81 our political opponents are greatly ex
& ercised and deeply distressed, since
Il the delivery Of a certain speech at Nj