The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-07
stase sgVe No lands.

"The United States devoted this
land to railroad building. The state
itself might hava@used 1t FOR railroad
building, but Weuld not, In fact, it put
1t into its Constitution that it could
not, because theestate was wise enough
to see that It would be a very I'M
profitabfe thing to accept that land
and build the road. Others, not as
wise as this state, took it, and as was
sneeringly said this morning, there
was bankruptcy after bankruptcy.
That is to say, everybody that put
their money into the construction of
these roads lost eYeryscent of it. And
yet we are told that this was the gift
OF the state; that there was no con-
S1deration for it, and that it is now the
basest ingratitude for the stockhoId-
ers of either of these eompanies-new
companies, not the ones to whom the
grant was made, but who have since
basest ingratitude ON their part to as
sert any rights at alias against the
state of Minnesota
There are someg other charges
which will be properly dealt with at the
proper time. Perhaps the gravest Of
them might be referred to, namely,
that after we got VI, the Northern Sc
cur1ties company we did not complete
the merger by taking Coy. Van SAINT
and submerge him ia the Mississippi
river. Well, we plead guilty to that
charge. How much. injury we have
really done to the state or to ANYBODY
counsel has not disclosed and we are
not in position to know.
Has the Law Been Violated?
Now, coming to what we consider
the real merits of the case propose:
The state says you shall not do so and
so-spec1fic things-and the question is,
Has that one particular thing been
doneE It after requires an extensive
examination to see whether a particu-
lar act is of the character DESIGNATED.
In the case of Addyson Pipe com
pany VS.. the United States. Justice
Beckham says: All the facts and cir
cumstances are, however, to be con-
Sldered IN order to determine the
fundamental question as to whether
the necessary effect of the combination
Is to restrain interstate commerce.
But even on this. point should be
undlsposed to go into the evidence at
length, that so much Of it has been
referred to and, as think, misapplied.
and there has been such a mingling of
the mind reading of counsel with the
actual facts as shown in the evidence.
The proofs show that the organiza-
ton of the Northern Securities COM
pany was not a sudden product in
every sense 1t was, in one particular,
chance and sudden product Other
wise its origin, was many years ago.
1t was the outgrowth 9of two things:
First, project on tI1eU part of certain
gentlemen connected with Mr.. Hill in
the Great Northern and formerly in the
organization Of the Manitoba company
including Lord Stpaehcona and Lord
Mount Stephen-to place their shares
In holding company where they
could be kept togethef!t
That project had been in contempla-
ton for a number OF years, probably
as far back as 1884 oTI 1885. The other
arose suddenly, if taiea year 1901, fol-
lowing the great raid made on the
stock of the Northern Pacific.
Organization W4sss Necessity.
ut became obvious TO these gentlemen
that the protection pSc the Northern
Pacific railroad copRany itself its
business and its interest, its part In
the development of iaaternational COM
merce, depended upon the placing of it's
stock where it could not be subject to
such a. raid. s 1880
1t has been said that the object of
these gentlemen in forming the Sc
curltles company was simply to prevent
another set of stockholders getting
control of the Northern Pacific who
would operate the Northern Pacific as
The Northern Pacific and in the inter-
ests OF the Northern Pacific Such
was not the case. Had that been all.
the Northern Securities company never
would have been formed.F 1t was to
prevent the control of the Northern
Pacific going into the hands OF people