The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-01-27
Pleasant Mound.

In your issue of the 9th instant,
noticed an article from one of your
correspondents headed "A Caustic
Letter." and signed Nv. C ST." in
which the writer champions the un.
holy cause of the monopolies and rings
now existing throughout the country,
and upholds the methods which they
have adopted to rob honest labor of
its share of the profits to which it is
justly entitled.
In his desire or anxiety to appear
as an apologist for the thousand and
one frauds against which the produc-
ers are making just complaints, he
either ignorantly or purposely makes
statements in which there are not
even the first elements of proof-viz:
truth. For charity's sake, will as
sumo that the writer only made dis.
play of his immense stupidity and ig-
nOrance, and that what he takes for
real facts do not now nor never did
exist. save in his imaginative mind.
Now, it is a fact that the farmers are
discontinued, and many of them are
bitterly complaining of the many un-
just extortiOns against which they
have to contend. They have, from
year to year, hopefully gone forth to
labor and to earn their bread by the
"sweat of their brow" They have
sowed and have harvested, and the
earth has yielded during most of these
years an equivalent of its hidden
treasures to fairly compensate those
who sought them.
But right here step in the mOnopo.
lists, who have been quietly Observ.
ing the whole operation from the time
the seed was put into the ground till
the proceeds thereof were securely
housed, without having invested Il
penny or assumed any risk whatever,
and without as much as saying, shy
your leave, sir!" they mOdestly de-
mand about one fourth of the years
labor. For Directing to this, wv. c.
S." insinuates that farmers are enc.
mics to railroads and would destroy
them. He cannot cite single in
stance where the farmers as class
have ever made an unreasonable de-
mand Of the railroads. But let me
tell him few things which those cor
poratiOns have had given to them and
the farmers have done their share
towards it:
They 1.-THE railroads of Minnesota)
have had nearly 100000 acres of
land given them, or Deer Ons:tourh of
the 81 900, 900 acres comprised in the
State. all of which is exempt from
taxation. Two hundred and thirty.
nine and one-half miles of graded road
bed has been granted them, valued at
$59S,750. Also about $2.0OO,00O of
municipal bonds have been granted
them.
Gen. Edgerton, Railroad Commits
sioner for 1873, says 1.-THE aggregate
value of these grants cannot be less
than ISL 100000" When we add the
last grand steal, consummated by the
immaculate extra session, including
interest and principal, we can put
down ten or twelve millions more.
BY the simple process of addition we
get the nice little present of about
500, 900, O00-an amount so enormous
that it exceeds by nearly ten millions
all the personal property value of the
entire State rs assessed for the year
1880, or nearly equal to ne.third of
the assessed real estate for the same
year. The value of the road beds,
rolling stock and all other equipments,
such as water.tanks, stations, engine.
houses, etc., will equal in value a
similar amount, or u total of 1926,
100000. Upon all this wealth the
railroad companies paid in taxes 1.-TWO
per cent. of gross earnings) for the
year 1880 exactly 1884 ,4S0.94-while
the farmers paid on the same valua-
ton nearly $2,100.0OO. This is what
your" caustic man would call justice.
But this is not of what the producers
complain. 1t is for Systematically
and persistently rObbing them of their
crops, or what is equal to the same
thing, entering into league with others
for the same object and receiving a
share of the plumber. If farmer
happens to have a carload of cattle OF
hogs which he wishes to ship on his
own account, instead of hiring Il regu.
lar shipper. he is charged ten dollars
more per Car from here (Amboy) to
st. Paul than the regular shipper
another "caustic injustice. Why
should the railroad companies wish
to discriminate against the producers
and in favor of manufacturers, wher
the former make it possible for the
latter to exist!
Another point that "Caustic" makes
that 1.-the cities and villages pay two
thirds of the taxes is correct, after
we divide it by two, which any ont
may verify by referring to the report
of the State Auditor for 1880.
I. would recommend that " VIC
"read Gen. Edgerton's report fol
the year 1873, and the report of thu
State Auditor for 1880, and, possibly
he might receive therefrom NOR
practical benefit than by perplexinl
his brain with the study of the "Nev
Version" and avoid falling into max
ing so many errors in the future.
GRANGER.
1t Pays to Advertise.
4. = 4. Al l. La,