New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-10-27

sary that there should not be, if it is
possible to avoid conflicts between
those two laws.
[ sometimes think that the people Of
! the State of Minnesota have reason to
be very proud of their ancestry and oil
the days when the State was young:
This is a young state, younger than
most of you who are sitting here to.
night. It was born but little over
fifty years ago and think we ought
to remember the year 1858, and, !
believe, the 18th day of May, when
Minnesota took It's place among the
states of the nation.
1t is young state, but it has evolv.
e6 from territory known as Mime
sofa, and I desire tonight to refer
briefly to one or two incidents connec-
ted with the territorial history of the
! state and the early statehood days.
just prior to the making of the state
in the territorial days there was a
boom in this state. Land values went
away skyward town sites we're planned
railroads were desired, and the people
felt the speculative frenzy They we're
the originators in this state of the
"Get-rich-quick" scheme. Fortunes
were to be made over night. just one
thing needed was railroads, and with
it great development and extension
thruout the territory. and so wherever
a body of men could be gathered to-
gether there was someone ready to ex-
plot the necessity of building more
railroads; it was all that Minnesota
needed to be the great Empire State. "
One of the first acts of the legislature,
when it was finally convened after
statehood, was to provide means for
the building of these great railroads
that were to develop the State. How
many millions of acres of our fertile
lands have been given by our Govern
ment to encourage the building OF
railroads. What princely domains
have been cut out from the heritage OF
the fathers that these bands OF steel
might run across the land! The time
has come when people appreciate the
goodness, the more than liberal gen
crosby, the almost criminal prodigal-
ity of the United States Government
in squandering millions and millions
of acres of land to the esta blishing of
these enterprises. In this state, to en-
COuI Ullc vi IdllrOdUS, we
decided, or the early legislators, de-
cided, to issue bonds--$5, 900, 000-an
immense sum for the State of Mime
sofa, because Minnesota then had
gone thru about ten years of territor-
ial existence and when the territory of
Minnesota was formed some ten years
before statehood in 40, there we're
probably in the State of Minnesota,
all told, about one eighth as many
people as in the city of New Ulm to-
day. Of course, there we're more
people here when the State was orga-
nized in '58 aud when this bill, pro-
viding for a five million dollar loan,
was passed, but even then the popula-
ton was very small compared with
what it is today, our magnificent two
millions, and a burden of five millions
of dollars was a great sum of money
and great burden. We started to
build railroads, entertainments were
made and some tracks were laid, but
the people began to think perhaps the
money had been too hastily granted
and some questions were raised as to
whether or not these bonds which had
been issued, ought to be redeemed
Capitalists and those who began the
enterprise feared tt at hard times
might come up and pretty soon the
railway State of Minnesota was en-
gagged in foreclosing it's claims upon
the railroads built by the money from
the bonds which had been issued to the
extent of two and three quarters mil
lions; the five millions had never been
spent. The State of Minnesota owned
between two and five hundred miles OF
ro?d at one time. Roads then were
banded and the people felt that they
had been swindled and that they had
been buncoed and that they had been
robbed, and in the first burst of indig-
nation they said, we will not pay the
bonds, we will not allow our money
to be taken from US by any such trick
erv and chicanery as that practiced in
this case, and there was great deal
of excuse for that talk: new state, a
poor people, their money taken and
little or nothing left in return. But
the State of Minnesota had issued
that paper; the State of Minnesota had
pledged to the world that that paper
would be paid. There is no better
business asset than your reputation:
! if . man has reputation for being
straightfOl yard and honest and fair
it is a mag .ificent asset in any con-
nection he may have with his fellow
men. If man has reputation of
being evasive, dishonest or crooked,
i5 is most unfortunate for him in his
dealings with his fellow men. Homes
ty, they say, is the best policy. That
is true. d. not mean to say that
one should be honest for merely q
policy sake, but simply, to state the
actual truth, that as a business policy
alone, honesty pays. A good reputa-
ton pays, no matter in what capacity
man may deal with his fellow men,
aid SO it is with state good rspu-
tation pays. If state has the name
of repudia ting it's obligations; if a
suaue RS uhe name II, udvnrtis;1g /.
the da':. papers for people to come
within it's confines TO be rid of marit-
q. b',"tsns ny a quick and sure plan:
! :: 4 s'a'a ',As the reputation of reach
ing lit er.i asking men to form u cor
poratlon under its laws without proper
restrictions and proper safeguards.
| so that thEy NAV go ONT an, ms.