The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1884-04-17
/ AlnAnpanss 10 T ii,
Put Horth BY the Comm ttss ppointsd Nv
the TANNERS, Convention, recently hsld5
N In 81. Paul. ~ ssSS

IN ST. Faul. 4as iefS
The committee appointed BY the farmera'
cony enton, held In St Paul Maroh Is, 10 an
20 have issued an address, which, after relat.
Ing the, evils of and oppressive burdens i'm
posed hy corporations and monopolies, Gays:
ssKings Of nonopolies have secured favorable
legislat through bribery Of legialatures asub.
sidized public press and unlawfully usurped
powers, until the industries of agriculture, the
trades and commerce are made to contribute
theirlegitmate profits to corporate monopolies,
beyond reason or Justice. Railroads, endowed
by charter, with extrao Urinary privileges con.
ST. ssructed fSr public good and duly oompensa
Of outrage ous oppress by illegal assessment
!: of unreasonable freight rates charged for the
transportation Of the products and commodi-
ties OF agriculture and other legitimate indus
trieasbf our country. Roads traYersing the
great cereal districts of Minnesota and Dakota
are ecially scensurab BILE for posing Fexorbi-
tant and oppressive freight rates. The officers
OF one of the said roads, In answer to specific
requests made by o committee appointed by a
convention of North Dakota, claim to have
made liberal concessions in the interest Of the
claimed to have been granted, two are without
foundation in fact, VIZ !; The granting Of tho
privilege to construct elevators Of Is, 900 bush.
els capacity; and secondly, claiming that the
road had reduced freight rates during last year
10 per cont 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 pow
.er to do otherwise than abandon usurped con-
troll thereof. In the second place, concerning
the claimed reduction Of TO- per cent on freights
by reclassif cation Of freight rates, weights
as claimed, instead Sof . reduction OF the
past and present conduct Of these railroads.
NO can only say of them that their exorbitant
charges on products, lumber, fuel machinery
and merchandise have resulted in extraordinary
and asonable profits, which amounts to
poratons, 40 to5o cents goes into their! treas
fnry rs profit Through the usrrped unlaw
full control Of elevator capacity BY railroads..
rich elevator companies have secured absolute
control Of the wheat by driving independent
29rsnas 9, from ON , the agricultural dis
.Millers' association, and through these usurped
powers by railroads and the latter corporations,
gigantic monopolies have been created with
power to control the wheat market Of the whole
these uanrped powors and other dark practioes
ITO an extent which, for the year 1883, has re-
suited in corporate greed absorbing several
millions OF dollars on the wheat crop Of Min
nesota and Dakota, which should have gone
g. 20 the producers Az their legitimate s.prohta.
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 adult lions and inlita-
lions Of butter which centralized capital has
forced upon 1t, and. he must enter into runiouB
composition with these counterfeit products;
Actual settlers in the State Of Minnesota and In
Dakota, are being taxed for the improvements f
tnntaxed railroad lands lnyishly granted by
state and national governments Railroad
corporations have been and are now conspir.
ing to restrict or obsorb river and lake navssa-
and Dakota, for the ndepend lent transportation
;bf their products to other than the centralized
markets controlled by these and other monopo-
Les, Lumber rings aud Is Inonopolies have
heretofore secured absolute control Of the pine
lands sold by tho government and are now
tional congress intended to give the inhab itants
Of our prairies cheaper lumber for the CON-
struchon OF more comfortable habitations.
IN the thorough stematic or;
gani2auon Of farmers, trades and industries
q We country, rests their only hope forsecur-
lion OF their several Industries against the en-.
!nroachments, tyranny and unlawful uaurpa.
ton OF monopolie which threaten them with
serfdom and slavery. With the producers Of
our country thoroughly banded together, stand.
equitable laws and their faithful axecuti the,
result must be d grand victory over tyranny.
and wrong. No man should receive the SUP
port OF vote OF any person engaged il agricnl,s
t1re, the trades or commerce, who viii not first
pledge his unqualified support and adherence
g the principles OF our platform Neither
shQuld any person q receive the
support of these industries, for any, Office, Who
y not thoroughly and unqualih ed1y identified
WITH, onr 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.i
lions 70 such corpora lions In such manner az
g render indep dent action for the public
good impossible, and should not be trusted as
our Representatives. Farmers, We cali upon5
yon TO organize; attend your party caucnses.
send true men to your county and state con.
yentons who will see to it that true men, ,fin-
corrupted and incorTn phble, are nominated, L