, 1870-07-28
TIE CHICAGO ELEVATORS.

ors Of the Democratic party? Have they
not permitted that party to make 1shmae1-
ties of them quite long enoughH
TIE CHICAGO ELEVATORS.
The vots of the people of this State on
the separate article of tho constitution re-
lating to warehouses was fair indica-
ton OF the popular sentiment as to the ne
cessity Of some stringent regulation to pre-
vent fraud and robbery in the grain e1eva-
tors Of Chicago. The people had waited
long for the slow movement Of courts Of
law, and, therefore, when the State Con-
rention proposed to place an article in the
constitution On that subject, it met with
universal favor. The people have now
spoken, and the next step will be something
else.
The elevator monopoly has been success
ful in its frauds solely by reason Of the aid
and cooperation offered it by the rai1soada.
We suppose it is stating nothing new when
ne say that this cooperation had its origin
in partnership between railway officers
and the warehouse proprietors, and that the
stockholders Of no railwaS company partic-
ipated in any way in the profits Of the trans
action The railway companies, as such,
have endured the odium, whi1o they have
not had any share of the profits. The rail-
roads have aided the elevator monopoly by
refusing to deliver grain to its owners e1-
cept through warehouses within the co,nbi-
nation, and thus, having shippers abso-
iutcly within their power, the 1nonop~
oily has been able to issue receipts
ad lttitam, or, by giving out
that the grim was ''hot, to depreciate the
value OF both grain and receipts that they
nigh: buy the Inter back at liberal dis
count. This game has been played at an
immense profit to those engaged in it, bnt
ut the expense OF the Shippers, and TO tho
great injury Of the general business Of this
city. The name OF Chicago warehouse
man has become synonymous with that OF
pirate, in the agricultural districts, and
there has been ample justification therefor,
although some innocent men suffer with the
guilty. A man who sends 1000 bushels
Of wheat to Chicago, and obtains a receipt
for $50; who pays cents storage, and is
next day told his grain is .'hot, and is
compelled to sell the receipt back to the
warehouseman At loss Of 10 cents bush
el, and who sees that sams grain sold and
delivered next day as perfectly sound, and
at the full price, has just cause to pro.
nounee this system of doing business 8
swinale, and those engaged in it robbers
Such Transactions have become 50 com
1nou that the Chicago grain market il q
a,euch in the nostri}s Of the whole country
1t may be safely affirmed that no man vol
UNFAIRLY sends lis grain to Chicago who cal
send it elsewhere men send grain her
and submit to be robbed because they hav'
10 choice. 1t is well known that wheat i
sent daily from Northern Illinois to Mil
waukee, and corn to Toledo, to escape wha
IS considered unavoidable robbery at th
, Chicago elevators- Shippers have no cou
,, filcuce IL the Chicago market. If grim il
store here advances. the cry Of *'hot corn
il raised, anl, in the absence Of the leas
, proof of the fact, the grain falls, the receipt
are purchased at their depreciate
value, and the shipper loses a
the !renedt Of the risa. Last year corn az
a vanced 10 cents bushel, and the outstant
D ing receipts were worth several millions {
a fivlsats; Immediately t'let corn" waa AZ
. uouuced, and the elevators refused to PEI
r init their stock to be examined OF to stai
the amount Of outstanding receipts. Thos
- receipts fell 10 cents per bushel. It
|, generally believed that the issue OF bog,
j. receipts was very large. and that the prof
,s of the fraud were enormous. These thin
a have been repeated beyond endurance, a,
# the wholesale dealers in general me1cha
A. disc in Milwaukee aud Toledo arc reapi1
IL an unusual harvest from persons who ha
ID followed their grain to those cities, a,
Ia have there made their purchases What
IN commentary upon these frauds is furnish
Ill 1y trains Of cars passing Chicago dai
or bearing whent to Milwaukee aud corn
On Toledo, and, returning, passing Chicago "
i'll general merchandise, purchased at tn,
,ss places! Ask the wholesale merchants
to Chicago il this is not true statemeus,
N. scandalous has become tho reputation
no the Chicago elevators that shippers will sc
of their grain at a loss elsewhere, sooner tn
an run the risk OF being robbed in this city
he Va have spoken thus freely Of this IN
III ter because il is useless to disguise the +
nd that the general trade Of this city is bel
he driven away because the shipment
IN erain has heea diverted to other places,
lis avoid the knaveries practisea at the e1e
az, tors. These facts call for IN immedi
ira protest sud decisive action on the part
ed the business men of Chicago, and sho
nd provoke immediate Investigation on
iae part Of every railroad company doing b,
nv. ness here. Cnless there be some stop
tty to these outrages. the time will come ",
sh- Chicago will he avoided rs II it wese I
Of house or the headquarters Of banditti,
inr there will be nine bushels Of grain pass
the around II to other points foz every one
his ceivea lere.
ho- Farmers aud shippers having grain
ori- store in Chicago onght never 10 be
a1s, ceived bv the cries Of ''hot" grain.
om nine cases ont of ton it is false ala
ma intended to nm down the price OF Ct
and Let them hold on to their receipts, and
ere grain will turn out to be perfectly so
. in in few days. If il does moi, }et tho h
,be ess of receipts sue the elevators for the
ion, ference between the good grain sent
han wa1ehouse and the bad GRIM taken out.
han
! is Tie Michigan Legislature meets to
,r:h to consider the question of subm'ttin
nee constitutional amendment to the peopl.
dea lega1ize municipal subscriptions to
des- roads. The question is likely to be div
mud into three parts: First, that which rel
,.,1 h, Tu,pf1e a1raa1S fss11ed tn railrotff4 an