The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-09-27

to suppose that these special rates were made
with the view Of allowing the farmer an extra
cent on a bushel for his wheat.
What ridiculous scepticismi Why
Liberty, don't you know that the railroad
men and the Minneapolis millers lie
awake nights devising ways and means
continues:
Within the last ten days the Minneapolis
millers have made Messrs. VanAuken & LANCE
their agents for buying all the wheat on the
line OF the H. 4 D.. road. This arrangement
Of course drives all other parties out of the
market, and gives to Messrs.. VanAuken &
LANCE a complete monopoly Of the aDheat trade
astar as the Minneapolis market Is concerned
Now, this arrangement has upon its face a bad
look, and we confess that we don't like it.
first e don't like it for the reason that it drives
our home buyers, who have invested their
money in building elevators and ware houses,
and who have not only a personal interest but
a local pride in building up a market here, out
ofthe market, and puts the whole wheat bust
ness into the hands ofthe railroad c~ompanyand
foreign spectators. We are strongly of the
opinion that in the end it will prove a bad ar
rangement for the Minneapolis millers. Even
if the farmer receives as much or a little more
for his graiu under the monopoly than he
would get in a free market, he will not be so
well satisfied. 1t is now understood that Min
neapolis, through her agent, is to dictate prices,
and that +. ON this decision there is no appeal.
You may point to the fact that the agent is pay
ing more Tor wheat than it is worth for the
Milwaukee and Chicago markets, but this will
not satisfy them.
The TACT is, the people Of this country will
not submit to an apparent, and we say in this
case, real monopoly, with any good grace.
They are opposed to everything that looks like
one man power. Notwithstanding it is a fact
that No. new wheat is bringing five cents
more IN a bushel to-day Tuesday than has
been paid before, it is hard for tue farmer to
look torrard to the future 1rith any confidence
He thinks he is to be cheated in grade. or in
some other way. There is one fact however
that the farmer should bear in mind-that Just
SO long as Minneapolis pays more for our
wheat than agents for the Milwaukee market
can afford to pay, he has no good reason to
complain. All he wants is the highest possible
price for his wheat, and it can matter little to
him whether he receives it from VanAuken &
LANCE or any one else; but it is the merchants
of this town who have Just cause to, and who
will make complaint of this arrangement,
which shuts them off from a business which
they have been at great expense to put them
selves in position to perform.
And there is another point IF the
railroad company and millers can work
together to-day, so that the millers get
their transportation for Is cts. per hum
dred, while outsiders have to pay 20 cts.
per hundred, what is to prevent the
millers, whenever it suits them, putting
| the price OF wheat down to any figure
they please. the railroad keeping all
competing buyers out OF the market bv
similar or greater determinations. In
short the farmers are left entirely at the
n,eref Of the nmllers: and what class in
this free country can safely trust itself to
the mercy Of any other class?
The worst feature OF all this matter is
that the Republican party has selected,
as its candidate for governor, a gentle
man, Mr.. Pillsbury, Uho IL q member 81
hts Ring. Can any such man do justice
to the farmers, or even to the mercan-
tile classes? Liberty Hall shows thai
this combination strikes a serious blow
at the small tralesmen and merchants,
who have not money enough to com
pete with this mammoth monopoly; and
hence are driven out OF business. to thiei
own ruin and the serious loss Of the farm.
ers. And does not all this prove the ne
cessity for some state law regulating rail
roads. and preventing just such unjust
determinations as the Glencoe Register
tells us about? Why should the road:
carry a hundred weight oF wheat for ons
party for Is cts. and charge another ?:
ceEtso Can there be any solid prospect
ty where such a state OF things is permit
ted to EXIST Are citizens equal wher,
such determinations are tolerated.