The Mineral argus., 1884-05-01
AN ADDREss TO FARMFRs.
Put Forth by the Committee Appointed at
the Farmers Convention, recently held
in st. Paul.

Put Forth by the Committee Appointed at
the Farmers Convention, recently held
in st. Paul.
The committee appointed by the farmers
convention, held in st. Paul March IS, 10 and
20, have issued an address, which. after relat-
ing the evils of and oppressive burdens i'm
posed by corporations and monopolies, saws:
"Kings of monopolies have secured favorable
legislation through bribery of Legislatures a sub
sldlzed public press and unlaWfully usurped
powers, until the industries of agriculture, the
trades and commerce are made to contribute
their legitimate profits to corporate monopolies
beyond reason or justice. Railroads. endowed
by charter, witt extraordinary privileges con-
structed for public good and duly compensa-
ted, have been and are being used as a means
of outrageous oppression by illegal assessment
of unreasonable freight rates charged for the
transportation of the products and commodi-
ues OF agriculture and other legitimate indus
tries of our country. Roads traversing the
great cereal districts of Minnesota and Dakota
are especially censurable for exposing exorbi-
tant and oppressive freight rates. VIZ officers
of one of the said roads, in answer to specific
requests made by a committee appointed by a
convention of North Dakota, claim to have
made liberal concessions in the interest of the
people. OF the three specific concessions
claimed to have been granted, two are without
foundation III fact, viz. The granting of the
privilege to construct elevators of Is, 900 BUSH
Co Gdpdtltg anu bcCOuuly, ClalnllQR that the
road had reduced freight rates during last wear
10 per cent less than the previous
year. In the first place, the roads unlawfully
usurped control over elevators by establishing
the present system, and therefore had no DOW
er tod otherwise than abandon usurped con-
troll thereof. In the second place, concerning
the claimed reduction of 10 per cent. on freights
by a reclasslication of freight rates, weights
and local rates, an average increase was made
as claimed, instead of a reduction. OF the
past and present conduct of these railroads,
we can only say OF them that their exorbitant
charges on products, lumber, fuel, machinery
and merchandise have resulted in extraordinary
and unreasonable profits, which amounts to
this, that, for every dollar paid to these cor
porations, 40 to 50 cents goes into their treas
ury as profit. Through the usurped. unlaw-
ful control OF elevator capacity by railroads,
rich elevator companies have secured absolute
control of the wheat by driving independent
purchasers from the agricultural dis
trlcts. These elevator companies as
a part of the Minneapotis
Mlllers' association, aud through these usufDed
powers by railroads and the latter corporations.
gigantic monopolies have been created with
power to control the wheat marketo of the whole
Northwest These monOpolies have exercised
these usurped powers and other dark practices
to an extent, which, for the year 1888, has re-
suited IN corporate greed absorbing several
millions of dollars on the wheat crop of Min
nesota and Dakota, which should have gone
to the producers as their legitimate profits
These are the greatest evils of which our pro- !
ducers complain, but there are others which
are oppressive and unreasonable. In the mar
kets, the farmer finds authorizations and imita- !
uons OF butter which centralized capital has
forced upon it, and he must enter into runious
competition with these counterfeit products
Actual settlers in the State of Minnesota and in
Dakota, are being taxed for the improvements
untaxed railroad lands lavishly granted by
state and national governments. Railroad
corporations have been and are now conspir-
ing to restrict or obsorb river and lake ~naviga-
ton petitioned for by the people of Minnesota
and Dakota, for the Independent transportation
OF their products to other than the centralized
markets controlled by these and other mOnopo-
hes Lumber rings aud monopolies have
heretofore secured absolute control of the pine
lands sold by the government, and are now
consplrlng TO defeat a measure before the nat
tlonal congress intended to give the inhabitants
OF our prairies cheaper lumber for the con-
s%truction of more comfortable habitations.
In the thorough, systematic or
ganlzatlon of trades and co-industries
Of the country, rests their only hope for secur-
ing eqnal and just legislation for the produc-
ton OF their several industries against the en-
croachments, tyranny and unlawful usurpa-
tlon OF monopohes which threaten them with
serfd0m and slavery. With the producers of
our country thoroughly banded together, stand
ing shoulder to shoulder in their demand for
equitable laws and their faithful executi on, the
result must be a grand victory over tyranny
and wrong. No man should receive the sup
fN+' - wv Vi ally pCAcOI 1uSdSCul III dHIlCuI- |
ture, the trades or ommerc who will not first
pledge his unqualified support and adherence
to the principles of our platform. Neither
should any person receive the
support of these industries, for any office. who
is not thoroughly and unqualifiediy identified
with our interests. Any person who accepts
and travels on the free pass of any railroad or
transportation company while holding public
office or position, places himself under obliga-
lions to such corporations in such manner as
TO render independent action for the public
good impossible, and should not be trusted as
our representatives. Farmers, we call upon
you to organize, attend your party caucuses,
send true men to your county and state con-
who will see to it that true men. I'M
corrupted and incorruptlble, are nominated,
md then see to 1t that they are elected.
There are now before the house, bills for
erection of public buildings in different
parts of the country calling for appropriations
reach an aggregate of SS,5OO,6 900. Mr.. {
Stockslager, of the Ommitt on public build {
ngs and grounds, will ask the
louse that three days be set apart for the con-
liberation of these bills. The buildings called
or IN Western cities are at Council Bluffs,
iowa, 100000; Keokuk, Iowa, $3.50, 000; La !
Crosse, Wis, 100000; a public building at :
Duluth and Winona, MINI, 100000 each; at :
Oshkosh, Wis, 100000 u