Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-22
STRAIT IN THE RING.
Washburn Parcels off a Section of the
State to Him.
HOW HE MAKES HIS MONEY
BY Swindling the Farmers According to
Genuine Ring Principles.
sKAKopEE, Oct. 81, 1873.


who are ever on the alert to amass for
tunes without labor out of the hard earn
ings of the laboring classes, the sswhea
ring stands without a parallel, both in the
perfection and extent of it's organization anC
in the successful accomplishment of the pur.
pose for which it was established, to-wit the
wholesale swindle of the producer in the
grade and price Of whenr. 1t is now well
known that not only the Minneapolis millers
and the Chicago and Milwaukee boards OF
trade belong to the "wheat ring,'' but that
nearly every miller and the proprietor of
every grist and Touring mill in all the little
towns throughout the length and breadth
of the State are members thereof and have
given bonds accordingly. Ihe "brass tester''
is the instrument adopted by the ring, with
which they perpetrate tho fraud, and you
may, without fear of contradiction, stamp
the proprietor of every mill in which the
"brass tester" is found az a member of the
ring.
The farmers in this locality have been
well pleased with the intrepid and persever-
ing attack which the GLOBE has made upon
the stronghold of this monstrous swindle,
but we do not think the line of battle should
be confined to the limits of the Third dis
trict, for be it known that H. B. Strait.
president of the First National bank of this
place, and M. G. from the Second Congress
slonal district, and candidate for re-elec-
ton, has been one of the proprietors of
grist and Touring mill here for many Years,
and is an active member of this stupendous
wheat ring. With the prestige which his
official position as member Of Congress
gives him, for the last six years he has
ring in this district, and however much
Gen. Washburn may have done to perpe-
rate and perpetus 70 this outrageous swindle
upon the agricultural interests of the State.
Ma or Strait has played second fiddle to no
one in this district in that behalf. The old
mill here which was owned by Major Strait,
his brother G. F. Strait, and d. S. How,
cashier of the First National bank, of which
Major Strait is president, and operated under
the firm name of Strait & Co., burned down
last spring and has been rebuilt by the firm
upon an enlarged scale, and with nearly
double capacity, and will be in full operation
ag lin in few days. BY an arrangement
with the "ring,' which farms out the entire
State to its members and agents, Strait Il Co.
had shakopee and two adjoining stations on
the line of tho Hastings & Dakota railroad
all to themselves, and at which they could
buy wheat without competition; and they
have always succeeded in grinding down the
farmers as thoroughly as they have the
wheat, as the farmers around here and the
other two stations spoken OF can testify, to
their sorrow.
Strait & Co. seem to have made the asst IN
ishing discovery that national bank and a
Touring mill operated on the brass kettle
principle is a successful combination, for
filling their pockets from the hard earnings
of the farmer. They have continually kept
the grade and price of wheat down to the
lowest point. In proof of this it may be
stated that Immediately after the mill was
burned, and Strait & Co. had no fur
Their use for the wheat, an agent
from the Millers' association from
Minneapolis, armed with his swindling
brass kettle, put in an appearance to take
the place of Strait Il Co. as wheat buyers. In
a few days more the new mill of Strait & Co.
will be turning out $50 barrels of -four daily,
and then the wheat market of Shakopee and
adjoining stations will be under the e1clu-
sive control of Strait & Co., for under the
rules of the "wheat ring" which we suppose
are based upon the theory that "there is
honor even among thieves" no member
L..
territory allotted to any other member.
Each is confined to his own stamping
ground, and, in the eye OF the ring, e,ch i,
the proprietor of certain tract of country
and the owner of all the plumber which can
be extorted from the farmers within his ter
1itorv, the same as l own my farm or my
horse. Competition, which is the life of
business, is entirely done away with, and we
are left to the tender mercies of the ''swin-
ding brass kettle'' in the manipulating hands
of rogue.
They say we should not make this swim
die matter Of politics, and why not? Shall
farmers vote for a man who we know is
one of the '.ring' which is even now stag
mating the whole agricultural and business
interests of the State9 Shall we vote for a
man who will continue TO strut around in
the high life circles of Washington society,
spending freely the money he has extorted
from the poor with his little ''brass KETTLE
and place him by our votes where he can in
the future, as in the past, have enlarged OPP
portunities for the exercise of his swindlinQ
propensities at our experience? No, sir
Let farmers stand firm. Let US organize
and meet organization with organization
Let US insist that the next
legislature shall make the standard half
bushel at ested by the state treasurer, under
the laws of the State, the only legal wheat
tester, and send back the ''swindling brass
kettles" to the wheat ring which discovered
them. Let the grades be established FOL
each half pound, instead of two pounds, a,
now, and the prices regulated by law accord
ingly. Let US stand by the polls, as farmers
in body, and vote for honest men withou
regard to party. Let US vote for mon VIII,
belong to no swindling rim,
and have no interest in cheating
us. Taere are bad men IN both parties VIII,
belong to these rings. Let us vote for n,
man who belongs to the wheat or any othe
ring, be he Democrat or be he Republican
If we elect honest men to Office they vii
help make just laws. We know Henri
Poehler to be friend of the people. sAl
honest man is the noblest work of God.
Let the farmers rally for him at the poll
and vote down the wheat ring. candidate
and their "swindling brass kettles"
Respectfully yours,
A FARMER.