Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-20

view with MIR. Valentine, the elevator agent,
in which it was stated that a ssockdolaeer',
mad been given Hodges. The speaker said he
survived 1t, and was here as strong in the fight
as before Valentine had administered his
''sockdolager."
extortlon imposed upon the farmer. num-
Der of letters were read to sup
port the exhibit, and in each
the emphatic declaration was made
that a general dissatisfaction existed among
the farmers. They were tired of being rob-
bed, said the speaker. The speaker then re.
ferred to the report he was to make to the
chamber of commerce. He would give it to
them. and in such installments as he had pre-
sented. The speaker could stand all night and
read such reports from the victims themselves.
The speaker said he was ready to prove all he
said and just what he knew; he would not back
down one iota. APPLAUSE
The speaker continued Every honnd ma
per, and pimp of these rings he opposed had
been down on him. He left it to an nm orein-
diced public Ii the way he had chosen was not
1alr way to remedy the cry
ing evil. He had been accused
OIL introducing the matter for political
PURPOSES. Dut I, ne dlsclalmed all and every in
situation OF the kind. applause He had
done it for a special purpose, to bring immedi-
ate and wanted relief to the suffering and plum
dered farmers. (Applause.) He was charged
with bringing up the matter to further Dom
nelly's prospects. When thu subject was first
conceived by him, neither Donnelly or Wash
burn was IN his mind. His mind and heart
were too full of the wrongs of the farmers to
give thought to politics. But since Donnel-
lis nomination he had watched his course and
he was free to confess that he admired his ex-
ertions in behalf of the farmers. He believed
MN honest, and he, the speaker, was for Don
nelly. (Applause.) He hoped every hard-shell
nnil ~
speaker then read the following
Address to the poters of the Fourth Ward.
To the legal voters of the Fourth ward of ST.
Paul, which constitutes the Twenty fourth
Senatorial district of Minnesota-no. to them
only, but to every citizen of this city, and to
every man IN the State of Minnesota who has
the welfare Of the general public at heart.
few weeks ago, in Incidence to the prompt
ings OF humanity, took occasion to call the
attention of the chamber of commerce of St.
Paul to certain abuses in the handling testing
and buying of wheat along the Main Line of
the st. Paul & Pacific railroad.
then and there publicly stated that a sys-
TEN of wholesale robbery had been inaugurated,
and was being perpetrated upon the tanners
along said line of railroad. The question was
asked me by several of the members of the
chamber, Who are these public robbers? NV
reply was, "The people and the farmers along
the line say it is the Minneapolis Millers' asso-
citation and the Milwaukee chamber OF COM
merce.'
committee was promptly appointed by
Gov. Sibley, the president of the chamber. to
Investigate the charges. Messrs. Hodgson and
Smith, with myself, were appointed said com
mittee.
was reluctant to serve on said COMMITTEES
knowing my work would call me away from
the city for several weeks, and SO stated to the
chamber. Without regard to my wishes or
circumstances | was made chairman of said
committee. Knowing that prompt and decisive
action on the part Of the committee would at
once knock IN the head one of the most in
famous conspiracies to defraud the people tina t
had even been invented; knowing l must
start the next day to be for weeks shut out
from the ordinary channels of Communication
having no time to hunt up and confer with nv
colleagues L Immediately prepared and pub
lished the following circular:
10 the Farmers of Minnesota, especially those who
market their wheat on the line of the st. Paul & Pa
citic railroad:
have laid your complaints as to unfair grading
ana outrageous widening out of grades of wheat be-
lore the st. Paul chamber of commerce.
i am appointed by said chamber to the chairman
snip OF committee whose duty it is to carefully in
vesugate and report the facts. AS chairman of said
committee, L call upon each one OF Won who have
been unjusty treated by this arbitrary grading and
widening out OF grades to report me at your earli
est convenience giving nothing but facts and evil
dence that cannot be set aside.
An adequate remedy for the abuses so widely and
pltterly complained Of can and must be had. No
wheat ring, no matter how respectable or powerful.
pe aowed TO take advantage Of the peculiar
condltion OF the CROP It is of those wears when
Warehousemen and wheat buyers find rich harvest
i'll grading and doctorng wheat Let ma snuoest ~
you your Inc necessity OF organized resistance to the
abuses you complain of. Let every neighborhood of
farmers hold meetings, talk these things over and
work together. Test the value of YOUR wheat nv
a ing run loads OF it to mill and having ground to
nour So! your hour and see what your wheat brings
in that shape. Report the number of pounds Of
straight hour, and also the bran and shorts per
, Dushel. Let one man in each neighborhood tsst
load OF rejected wheat in this way another load of
NO. another load of No. 8; another load of No
=. Compare results. By this method you arrive at
the true value OF your wheat and can easily deter
like full value. ~A' '-AtAe
In my own experience have thus made wheat net
me from 80 cents to $lO5 per bushel for some wheat
the ring would only offer SO cents per bushel for
nave good leason to believe, and so have Won that
when the grade is arbitrarily wdened ont so as IN
make ~ cents per bnshel difference between No. 3
80. Mio1to eAiae VIC CellptatlOn TO make wheat
barely grading No. grade No 3 is temptation that
is TOO much for some kinds of poor human nature TO
resist and that they ina yertently or in some other
way, steal grade from the farmer. That form of
stealing must be punished. That sort of thief
must be reduced to the footing of horse thief and
punished as severely. It has for MANY wears been
evident to majority of the farmers Of Minnesota
that some sort OF egslaon having for it's object the
prevention and cure of the evils you complain of in
the arbitrary grading of wheat must be had and the
sooner the better. shall be away from home tho
next four weeks but don't stop for that. Send your
communications to me at St. Paul as fast as Won can
and on my return the committee will proceed to col
iect ana arrange facts upon which such report can
pc made as will be the basis of such necessary egjs
lation as the condition of things demands.
l. In taking the initiative in this movement I can
truly say am truly actuated by no selfish vindictye
or pecuniary motive. never can forget the way nv
seif and nelghbors were plundered years ago in
ooutnern Minnesota, in much the same way YOU now
complain of. We took the robbers of the public nv
tne throat and taught them lesson they remember
yet. 1t seems about time to do it again. 7 trust
every newspaper in Minnesota that has the welfare f
the public at heart will publish this circular
LEONARD b. HODGES,
For this first step taken in what considered
the right direction you all know how venom
ous'y have been assailed. Fully believing in,
and endorsing the divine injuncj bn, that if
thine enemy smite thee on one cheek turn to
him the other also, have patiently endured
the abuse OF the slaves of the Wheat Ring until
patience can no longer be deemed a virtue. /
propose now to roll up my sleeves and 90 for
the slaves, defenders pimps and apologists Of
the robbers of the public, in a wav thav,,l da