The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-02-03

ANuuCSOtd SuOulu, III LuIS way ECCOSulZc
her intimate dependence upon agricui-
culture. Without agricultural resources
Minnesota would be to-day a territory,
her settlements confined to few lumber
camps. Nine-tentLs of all the wealth of
the State have been derived from the
soil. Our towns and cities are but local
expressions OF the fertility OF the land.
Our railroads were built principally to
carry off our wheat crops. 1t We sustain
in the state government tor
insurance, soldiers-claims, statistics,
railroads, &C., surely we should main
tain department tor the protection OF
this alternating, al!-pervading interest
agriculture.
l know it may be urged that this is
creating new office and new expense
but the policy which. at the cost of a
few thousand dollars conserves the well
fare OF millions of dollars is the highest
economy. That pursuit which adds fifty
millions Of dollars annually to the wealth
of the State is surely entitled to ask a
pittance out Of its own taxes for its
own protection. If to-day Minnesota,
as compared with the rest OF our tax
scourged, debt ridden nation, occupies
an exceptionally fortunate position, it is
because of our great wheat crops. These
have saved our merchants, bankers, doc.
tors and lawyers from universal bank
ruptcy. Let us then ask ourselves
the men WAC produce our wealth-and
to whom we owe - much-properly
protected under our laws?
They are not. They are the victims
OF all manner Of imposition. The law
yer and the doctor Tx their own tees
the banker prescrioes the rate OF inter
est he IS 10 receive; the merchant names
the price OF his wares; but when the
farmer enters the village to sell his pro-
duce the price is fixed by those who buy
from him. Nor is this the worst of it
Wheat is divided into grades-Nos. l,
and 3. These subdivisions are purely
arbi.rary-ior that number of pounds to
the bushel which constituted number
one last year is number two this year.
Some irresponsible chamber OF com
merce in Milwaukee and Chicago-made
up probably more Of knaves than patri-
ots-prescribes what No. and 2 shall
be. Moreover, right in the same town,
in this State, the different mills and ele-
vatOrs rate the same wheat differently
the wheat which is readily graded in
one warehouse as No. is graded in an
other as No. 2.
Some warehouses take in all No.
and ship all No. 1.-The moral example
Of the warehouseman probably elevat
ing the standard of the wheat while it
remained under his roof from No. 2 to
No, 1.
! have found this fall in my travels,
that right in the same section of country,
equally affected by the rains, one village
would receive a much larger proper
tionate share OF No. than the other.
One gentleman, who had charge Of an
elevator admitted to me that he was or
dered to grade wheat down one grade
below what it really was! The differ
ence was about ten or twelve cents per
bushel between the two grades. This
was case OF sheer robbery no other
word can descr it.
The farmers are, in this mat err, help
less. The grade does not depend upon
weight alone, but upon color, dryness,
cleanliness, &c. The final judgment
rests in the mind Of the buyer. His
acute nose will sometimes smell musti-
ness in wheat where the olfactories OF a
bloodhound could not detect it; and
some buyers have even been suspected
of adroitly mixing grown wheat with
the handful OF perfectly good wheat
which they had taken out Of the sack, SO
rs to cheaper the whole mass.
l do no, say that all wheat buyers are
necessarily knaves. They are not.
There are honest men among them.
Nature has made her Determinations
with them as with other men. But the
present system leaves the wheat. raise +
at the mercy OF knaves. All the doors
are open for fraud.
But il may be said, this is small
thing; why trouble the Senate with a
question about grades Of wheat?
Is it small question? There are
thirty million bushels of wheat raised in
this State. II there is an average loss
to the farmer of five cents per bushel.
and this IS low estimate. it amounts to
one mIltsn fre hundred thousand dot
iarS!' \ sum equal to three times all
our State taxes. And this burden is
laid exclusively on the shoulders Of the
most deserving part OF our population
upon the people whose sturdy muscles
create nearly all the wealth created in
the State; whose labor holds up the
whole fabric OF society.
We are agitS,,ng the question Of how
to encourage immigration. The strong
est incentive to immigration is the pros
perity Of those already here. Let US
stop this wholesale plundering Of our
farmers before we invite other farmers
to cast their lot with us.
Moreover, Minnesota has already
reached the enviable position of being
the greatest exporter OF wheat, in pro-
portion to population, in the world.
And We are but on the threshold of our
mighty agricultural future. Let Us then
have a Department to represent and
project tbs vast and rapidly increasing
interest.
But it may be asked-how can YOU
establish grades Of whea,?
The State has the right to say that 50
MANY pounds shall constitute bushel.