Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-08-13

market. These corporations for that
purpose levy an annual tax upon the
farmers, the percentage of which is
just what such corporations deem it
expedient to levy. Prudence indeed |
would seem to indicate that they
should leave the farmer enough to
raise another crop, that their annual
tax might not fail for want of mater
ial on which to continue the levy; no
failure of crops or prices has induced
such corporations to reduce the tax
for transportation and the problem
OF the Dakota farmer has been and
still is, how to realize for his mag
nitlcent crops the reasonable cost of
their production.
Between the farmer and the east
ern markets, stand other corporations
more insatiate and far less necessary
than transportation companies. The
corporations which grade, buy and
handle the farmers products and
who hand in glove with the North
western Miilers' association, have
been perpetrating upon the farmers
OF Dakota systematic robbery of
millions of money every year of their
existence III the territory; corpora
tons and combinations whose own
fanlt it will not be, il their annual
| robbery does not continue during
their soulless corporate existence.
The farmer, having harvested his
crop and submitted to the annual
robbery by the warehousemen and
paid his yearly tax to the Transports
ton companies, is next called upon
to pay his school, county and terri
torial taxes, which would be a mere
bagatelle, if the millions invested in
Dakota real and personal property
and secured by mortgage thereon
was assessed and taxed as his proper.
ty is, but he finds that Dakota legis
latures manipulated by local money
l0aners, have failed to provide foi
the taxation Of monies so invested
aud he has TO pay tax as we'll on the
money the MORTGAGE has invested il
his property, as on his own real mon
led interest therein. He is surprised
by tax Of from forty To one hun
bred dollars upon his quarter section
of land and the necessary animals
end implements of husbandry. Hay
ing just made his escape from tn,
upper and neither warehouse compa
MES, he is often in sorry plight b
meet the further demands upon hi
industry, and he turns for help in hi
hour of need TO the Dakota SEylock
and finds this hbelous parody on hi
Nenitlan prototype, surrounded b.
his piles of untaxed dollars and wit
already whetted blade, waiting b
take his pound of flesh; ready If til
farmer will mortgage all he has, o
expects to have for years to come, b
loan him the amount Of his taxes 70
anywhere from three to twenty pc
cent month.
For a certain depletion of til
means of the many and consequen
duplication Of the wealth of the few
for the early and complete parallels
ton of agricultural pursuits AS wei
as all industries dependent thereof
for existence and prosperity, unre
strained money loaning in ne'
country like ours, is without para
lei, and beside it even corporate mon
opolies must struggle hard for prom
inence. Transportation companie
have an interest in perpetuating tn
existence OF agricultural pursuits, an
all other industries in the eountr
through which they pass, which wi
result in some limit short of KILN
the goose which lays the golden egg
but the restrained money loaner, tn
Dakota Shylock, will hasten on to tn
end of nis ignoble work, and then dc
part like the locust in search OF green
err fields to desolate.
III this editorial association carrie
upon its roll one of these bloodlest
soulless sharks, let us pray that b
may early, very early, share the fat
OF Elijah, and when our prayer sha
have been answered with heartfelt
gratitude we will exclaim, "The Lor,
gave and the Lord took him away
blessed be the name OF the Lord"
You have already, doubtless, dis
covered what in my judgement ar
the three great and all importantsu
jects that should invoke the most pro
found consideration and honest an
fearless action Of the bes. minds il
Dakota. First, corporate power AM
how to restrain 1t within such limit
as shall be just 10 the corporation
and just to the people they servt
Second, 10 restrain the usurer from