New-York tribune., 1902-02-06
GOV. VAN SAINTS uES,SAGE
ASKS MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE FOR
MONEY TO FIGHT RAILROADS.

St Paul Feb 5-At 1920 o'clock, before the ses-
sion of the legislature which had been asseIqpIed
in extra session to receive the report OF the Tax
Commission and the measures presented by that
body for enactment, Governor Van SAINT to-day
read his message. The principal part was devoted
to the recommendations of the commission WIN
regard to the railroad situation he said;
At this time desire to inform the legsat0Fe faa0Ie
against the Northern Securities Company of New
Jersey Believing that this corporation was or
ganized for the purpose of evading and violating
the laws of Minnesota by consoH6atlns rne pLTP -
critics of the Great Northern and Northern faCInc @
companies which companies run Rarae Ta@esed an1 cGR
bfimg bfaT5 ns 0 0l Sogas to bring suit in the
of the State to prevent such consultations.
He then quotes from the statutes covering the
case. and continues:
That the Northern Securities COMPANY can an and and
soidate the lines and properly 9f ng w" is ev
denced by reference to Sections and Of the arti-
Ces Of Incorporation Of the Northern De. -,
chase, hold sell assign, transfer, mortgage pledge
otherwise dispose of shares OF the STOCK Ol any
Citations of the State of New-Jersey or any other
such stock to exercise all the rights, powers and
privileges of ownership including the rlght 10 vote
on association a of W WhdR @ amy bonds or other
curities evidences Of Indebtedness or STOCK are
held by the corporation anu 10 90 any 3nr"ye or
things designed to protect preserve, nhptpHe & ol
curities or evidences or Indebtedness or stock,
Those powers as broad as language can MAKE
nanV not only to Vote the stock of the Great North
ern and Northern Pacific companies ana mus bi bH
and control, but specifically empower tne coIpoI" p
the value of the stock of the companies mentioned
which OF course, includes The rlsht 10
freight rates directly or to change tne claSsi"0a-
tion Of freight as to increase the rates, -
MnneSofa Would be arected by this consolidation.
and that the declared public policy of such states
@ coDfeTe1ce of the Governors and Attorneys
General the States through WnlCn the lleS "a
railway pass, In order that such method OF pro
confefence % was held in Montana There pres
ent Governors and Attorneys Genera! not oniy OF
state. but of Montana, south Dakota and ldano,
and the Attorney General of Washington. Inc
to the conference, and owing to this fact his sue
cessor Governor Mcbride, was unable to attend
sAGe m bJ ge f be dancers threatened by the con-
Solidaton of these two companies The conference
was harmonious throughout, and that the official
in sympathy with the action of this State and its
determination to oppose ms GonS2naa'on Is sio" @
by the resolutions adopted at Helena which have
The Governor read the resolutions, and continued:
1t determined owing to the importance er OF
disposed OF at as early a aant as PoSAp, Iit 20 eJt
in the first instance.
The Governor recited the argument before that
court January q, and added:
What the final decision will be It Is difficult to
Jersey corporation no matter what its capitaliza-
ton will be permitted to violate the laws of the
sovereign State OF Minnesota. If the final decision
should be against the State the battle Is not then
lost. There is remedy that never fails and
which is more supreme than the Supreme
Court. l quote the words OF Judge Brewer in an
address made the bicentennial Of Yale College. in
which ne said, in speaking of trusts and the ina
bty of the courts TO crush them, Appeal must be
taken to the great court Of public opinion, whose
DEGREES are Irresistible In that court every man
is counsel and every man Is judge
a pleasure commend Attorney General
Douglas for the able and efficient manner in which
he has endeaVored Viudicate laws / learned
from him that the enactments upon our statute
books are ample and that additional legisla-
ton is required at this time. But II during your
session any further legislation should be needed
| Will Immediately communicate that fact to you.
While you have been called together solely for the
purpose of considering the code, yet In view
of the extraordinary expenses attending this suit
and the great array OF legal talent in opposition
would suggest that sufficient sum of money be
placed at the disposal of the legal departments to
employ associate counsel To properly continue the
litigation and meet the expenses necessarily
nected herewith.