The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-09-25

IF our would.be legislators have
mot yet arrived at the proper con.
ception Of the complexity of tile
question which they will be called
upon tosettle in one way or another
next winter, they have but to read
the reports in the columns of the
Pioneer Press of the different views
taken from widely divergent stand
POINTS upon the proposed law for the
correction of abuses i'll the matter of
wheat inspection lately published hy
that journal. From tire ,lnthinking
| endorsement of the man who rattles
| off, think the plan strong and onght
to he adopted to the more truthful
objec: Or who finds many imperfec-
tions of practicable surt, at least.
we are given all shades of thought on
the subject. Even congressional
wisdom fails to enlighten us in any
great measure. Congressman Strait.
possibly to save himself the trouble
! of original thinking, accepts the pro-
posed law as Il good one, suggesting u
few complications of nature totally
irrelevant, and the enactment Of laws
which have already become nearly
deadletters on our statute books.
White and Wakefield indulge in the
usual campaign pll:itudes. and Nell
son is the only one of the quartette-
WaShburn, we presume, is too far
above any question relating to the
common people-who handles the sub
ject with any evidence of q knowl-
edge of its practical bearings. His
suggestion that the elevator and
transportation companies should bear
their share of the burden of the pre-
vailing depression in all branches of
trade by reduction Of rates in pro-
portion. or nearly SO. with the low
prices of produce. is quite in unison
with the temper Of the plhlic. and
will bear consideration by the man
ayers of these corporations. 1t is
questionable with what Justice they
demand from the farmer 25 per cent.
of the gross realizations from his
year labor for carrying his c.op a
hundred or two hundred miles to
market.
One thing is certain. If a system Of
state inspection is dependent upon
the maintenance of new army or
Office holders, inspectors though they
be, the farmers do not want it. Seleo
tions for positions whose pay comes
from the public purse are. in the
majority of cases. notoriously unfit.
and usually the reward for some sus-
picious political servi,c. The people
have too large political army ar
rayed against them already.
The mistake seems to he in en-
deavoring to shape legislation which
has in view the guarding of the
rights of the farmer in the product
of his labor to meet the ar.
bitrary rules and regulations of COM
binatiUnS of middle.mt not con-
sumers. even, who assume to dictate
to the producer the terms under
which he shall dispose of his product.
1t is the constant changing and .mul-
tiplication of grades by which the
farmers are hocus. .pocnssed out Of the
real value Of their grain in the mar
ket in which it is offered, changes
and multirlications based on no other
than the most frivolous reasons and
invariably tending to despnil the
farmer. Why should combination
Of millers and grain gamblers in Min
neapolis. market thoroughly
equipped for grinding our northern
wheat into -four which has world
wide celebrity and comm ands ali in
creased price in the markets of the
world over other products, insist
upon the rules which govern the
boards of trade of Milwaukee and
Chicago in its determination of the
quality and price to be accorded to
Minnesota wheat!
Ii combination could be met with
combination; if the farmers were
rich enough, as they certainly ART.
powerful enough in numbers, TO COM
bfne against these iron.claJ COM
binations, then could we hope to see
the requirements and exactions of
one side modified by those or the
other. Asthe case stands. however.
there exists nndeniably Il measure of
oppression which. unless the wisdom
OF the law interfefes, will grow as
the classes become wider separated.
| 1t is = serious task. indeed, which
our legislators have before them, and
one which will require all their prac-
: 9ical knowledge to solve.