The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-09-25
What Mr.. Donneily Thinks Of the
Wheat Ring.
SISrGsER, Mimi, July 90, 1884.

NISiGsER MIMI, July ~, 1884.
To the Editor OF the Globe.
find in your issue of yesterday commu-
nieation signed by my old friend, Col. D. A.
Robertson, In which he says:
The II. Paul Dispatch OF yesterday, July II, In
ts department headed sCnrrent Comment.
publishes withouta word OF dissent, the follow
ing paragraph:
'Ignaius nonnelys speech at Ortonyille.
MINI. Twenty five years ago John :. Pillsbnry,
when first new him, was selling nails and hinges
across the counter OF second rate store, yon
have better Ia Your city. Now every year no
builds five six elevators and new mill.
Where does 1t come froms stealase, stcaiago,
my friends. Applause |"
/ hope that the aboye paragraph misreprcscnts
any remarks made by Mr. Donnelly, In his orion
Vile speech, and that in justice TO himself he
will be able to so declare without delay.
The above paragraph very fairly represents
what did say.
John :. pilsbury Is one of the leading
members Of a combination of mill owners at
Minneapolis who have for years past taken
possession Of the wheat markets of the state
OF Minnesota, driven out all competition,
farmcd out To other rings SO much Of the
territory As they do not need, and created
n gigantic monopoly which has
cheapened the value Of our productions, Inn
poverished our farmers, embarrassed our
merchants, and enriched themselves. Their
existence is one great crying evil Of our day
and section, and unless prevented by legis-
lation, they propose TO hold their grip indct-
ntely.
| If a man takes by force the property OF
another, against his will, and without COM
pensation, the law calls 1t larceny, robbery,
theft, and the men who do 1t we imprison
US thieves. And for my part cannot see
the moral distinction between these things
and a conspiracy Of wealthy and prominent
men who by craft compel farmer to give
| him his wheat ut five, ten, twenty or thirty
| cents below what It's true value would be In
an open market. II 1t Is not taking the
| property Of another against his Will, and
without compensati what 10 It! Aud II
this Is not theft, larceny, robbery, what Is I'll
| Mr.. Pilsbury may be Il very nice man for
| a tea party or Sunday school, but as he
shares In this iniquitous system, to transfer
the money of men just as respectable, IA
intelligent and educated as himself, into his
OWL pocket, he deserves to be denounced
| from one end Of the state &c the other. Aud
for one, propose TO call spad. spade,
aud stealage stealagc; my old friend, Col.
| Robertson, or any other man to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
| What does the declaration OF indcpen-
dencc amount 10, with its platitudes about
| liberty and equality, II we are to be perpetL-
| ally deprived Of freedom Of market, the
practical, real base Of oil freedom; aud our
chances Ut prosperity are to depend upon
| how much score of knayes out of their
| charity. or generosity, or sense of policy,
may see tit to give Us Of the proceeds Of our
own Industry.
Reform should begin, like charity. Mt
home, and the best politics is that which
breaks the jaws of the spoiler and drags the
prey from between his teeth. Respectfully
yours,
IGSATIUs DoSNELLY.