Daily globe., 1878-10-15

Bad About Having Politics Mixed Will
wheat-Mr. Drake Tries to Excuse tn,
Ring from Railroad Standpoint, But il
Don't Work Well.
At the meeting of the chamber of com
merce yesterday morning the following com
munication was read from the secretary o1
the Minneapolis board of trade.
MINNEAPoLIs BOARD OF TRADE,
M1NNEApoLIs, Oct. 7, 1878.
President Chamber of Commerce, st. Paul.
At regular meeting of the board of trade OF
Minneapolis held this day, the enclosed resolu:
luton was adopted. Will your chamber name
committee to act if you approve Of such ac
tion? Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
@. G. STURTEvANT, Secretary.
THE RESOLUTION.
Resolved That in view Of the grave charges
which have been made and circulated through
out the State and published in leading news
papers throughout the country against the mil
lers of Minneapolis that committee of three
be appointed by the chair to thoroughly inves-
tigate all the charges made and all matters per
tanning to the inspection, grading and testing
grain in this State, especially on the line of the
St. Paul u Pacific railroad. That the St. Paul
chamber of commerce be requested to appoint
like committee to act with this committee in
this investigation; further, that farmers and
all parties interested be invited to meet this
committee at such times and places as the
committee may designate, and furnish such
evidence as they may have as to any irregulari-
ties that may be reported or have come to their
knowledge, and that said committee act
promptly and report to this board.
ReSOtOed. That the boards of trade of other
points in the State be also requested to appoint
like committees and to cooperate in said in
vestigation as proposed.
LETTER FROM MIR. HODGES.
The president called upon the secretary to
read the following letter which had been re-
ceived from Mr.. Hodges, the chairman of the
committee:
CULDRUM, P. o., Morrison Co., Minn.,
October 5th 1878.
W. D. Rogers, Esq, Secretary st. Paul Chamber
OF Commerce:
DEAR SIR: notice by the daily papers that
the chamber last Monday passed a resolution
calling for report Of the committee whose
duty it is to investigate the alleged abuses in
the wheat business-said report to be made in
two weeks.
Now, it is well known to the chamber, that at
the time of my appointment as chairman of
said committee, | notified all present that
CU,
about a month; that 1 had no desire to be on
said committee, and requested the president to
leave me off. So, of course, am somewhat at
loss to understand the meaning Of said reso-
luton, to report in two weeks. If my col
leagues, Messrs. Hodgson and Smith, are cor
rectly reported, they are, to say the least, not
In sympathy with this movement to deliver the
farmer from the eXtortions Of the wheat ring
Why this haste? Not half the farmers have rs
yet had the news of this initiatory movement
in their behalf. When they do hear and com
prehend the scope of this investigation-th
proof will be forthcoming, and it will be ample.
As chairman of said committee respectfully
decline to be driven or hurried.
This thing will keep-certainly long enough
for full, thorough and complete investiga-
ton. l propose to take time to report regard
less of any attempts to prevent.
1t the chamber cannot act with me, can act
alone While their cooperation is useful, it is
not indispensable.
Yours respectfully, LEONARD B. HODGES.
Mr.. Banning said: If, as is alleged here.
on the part of some, there is no ground for
the charges, circulated over large section
of the State, that number of the dealers
in wheat have been defrauding the farmers
IN regard to the grades of wheat, why is it
that from certain papers, there comes such
yirulent abuse of Mr.. Hodges?
He is a gentleman well known to us and
the public generally; man of strict
honesty, high sense Of honor, and of such
fearless independence as commends him to
all who know him.
before this body in good faith, asking an in
quiry into alleged abuses, that if substau-
tiated. show that a serious damage is result
ing from injurious practices to one of the
great industries of the State.
lie did not desire to act on the COMMITTEES
of inquiry, and distinctly stated that he did
not. committee was appointed, and the
chamber insisted that he should serve on
the committee, and was made its chairman.
The partisans of the wheat buyers at once
opened on him unwarranted abuse that has
been repeated by their organs in different
sections of the State.
Read the following from the Pioneer
Press of the l1th inst:
THE FARCE PLAYED OUT
The nomination of that blue ribbon blather-
sklte, Hodges, for the legislature, by the De-
mocracy OF st. Paul yesterday, affords full
and complete explanation of that noisy dema-
gogues attack upon the Minneapolis Millers'
association and would seem to render any fur
ther notice of him or his ISLANDERS wholly un-
necessary. The farmers in whose behalf he at
hrst pretended to speak, but whom he 80 quick
ly abandoned, can now see what the unscrunn-
lous knave was working for when he opened
his campaign of falsehood and slander AGAINST
the Minneapolis millers. 9as5,
This specimen article is from one of the
responsible editors of the paper. His two
partners are members of this chamber, and
one of them of this board. The author. of
the above article is we'll known to the people
OF this State; he is one of the loathsome
products OF the rotten places in American
politics, and were justice done him he would
not now be in q position to slander Mr.
Hodges.
will now read letter from MI. Hodges,
received day or two since. II
IS purely private and personal
one, but will trust to his excusing me for
introducing it here-as think I should do
so-as showing his feelings in regard to the
question and the manner in which he has
been treated: sss1 ~ si,N.g s6
CULDRUM P. o.. Oct. 7th, 1878. /
Hon. VIM. Banning, st. Paul, Mimi:
DEAR SIR: did not see st. Paul daily from
the time left until the mail came in here last
Friday, which brought me the news up to and
including Monday. desire to give hearty
thanks for the very able defense of me in the
chamber on Monday. ss
The bile of the Pioneer Press, although some
what nauseous, only proves that good medicine
has been administered,
We must follow up with course of heroic
treatment that will purge Minnesota of the
foul blood that obstructs its prosperity.
Liberation from the unnatural thraldom in
which we are held by Milwaukee and Chicago
must be our watchword. .m1s4lg :,ifs sgs.I @,ass.
We must Danish the brass kettle, the little
1oker, from Minnesota as thoroughly as st. Pat
rick banished the snakes from Ireland.
90 not quite understand the action of the
chamber in calling for our report at q time
when they knewit would be impossible for me to
MAKE Ak IT, or even give it the least attentions.
to be heard from. i4zS s,sfTH - 'A-'Ao
This thing cannot be squelched in any such