St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-28
LOVELY'S PLATFORM.
A Correspondent Would Qualify
Some of Its Statements.

A Correspondent Would Qualify
Some of Its Statements.
To the Editor of the Globe.
The first paragraph OF the third resolution
of the Lovely platform rightly assumes tn at
agriculture is the foundation Of our pros
perfty, but it is duly SO because our agri-
cultural resources are proportionately vast.
We are cramped up like Belgium. Some other
industry might be the foundation eff our pros
perity, Agriculture is an Insignificant factor
in the prosperity of Massachusetts or Rhode
Island, yet both are very prosperous states.
Because it is the leading industry does
not, per Sc, entitle it to either the ''first,
highest or most earnest consideration"
1t is entitled to just consideration, and to
go above this is class legislation, and I be-
Heve speak the sentiments of all farmers
when I assert that this is all they want, and
it shows what little respect he has for the
farmers when be tries to buy them by class
legislation.
Why does Mr.. Lovely qualify, we ask, tina t
just and uniform rates of transportation be
maintained with products of the soil?' Are
not just and uniform rates as essential to the
farmer on sugar, coal, iron, etc., as on wheat
and oats? Would not the farmers have been
better pleased if the above had
been qualified as follows: by law. and any
court of this state shall have full power
to enforce the same whenever an infringe
ton? The fact is, the resolution looks to
system of law so complex that it will take ten
years to get just what they mean determined
by judicial decision. The second paragraph
of the resolution is well enough. but leads
with the first to the pertinent reflection: If
the Republican party in this state, after hay
ing held power for twenty-seven years. dur
ing which it has legislated and judcally
heaped all these abuses upon the people,
and still continues through our SUI
preme court to expound and construe
the laws in every possible way
contrary to public policy, and the only remedy
suggested, more special legislation, how long
will it be with the same old policy still ad-
hered to and gloried in, with the same old
crowd still in power, filling the offices from
governor down, and all the old machines
IN GOOD RUNNING ORDER,
before the end asked for in the resolution will
be realized? Like the Southern graduate of
Harvard before the war, who visited his old
room, occupied by a student and his sister;
when he raped the sister darted into the
closet as the student received him.
The gentleman stated his curiosity
and noted the little change by
exclaiming as he examined: There are
the same old pictures, the same old bed. the
same old table, the same old closet, and as he
opened the door and discovered the girl, the
same old tricks when the student replies:
THAT'S my sister," And the same old lie,
tHC OOQluCEuOE. are uOI Cu0SG Tue same
old tricks and the same old lies? The above
resolution finds agriculture the foundation
of our prosperity" The next finds Labor
the basis of national wealth." 1t seems a
very able man would not have used substan-
TALLY the same ideas for agriculture and labor
AS the first proposition was followed by a
long string of propo sed enactments of class
character recommended to cure existing ills
affecting agriculture, SO the same PROPOSE
ton applied to labor is followed by larger
one of class character to help labor through :;
but in neither resolutionu does he propose to
elect the agriculturist or laborer to the
legislature or congress to do his own legislat-
ing. He says, by suggestion, in both reso-
buttons: ''Stand back, my dear farmer;
stand back, my dear laborer, and let US
ringsters, caucus packers, etc., fix this thing.
We see that in the past twenty-seven years
we have piled it on a little too thick. We
see you can't stand it, so elect
US once more and we will pass
horizontal relief bill. The public land res
olution is no better. 1t does not demand re-
covery of forfeited railroad land grants; il
only indorses an effort to recover. What does
the phrase, ''actually forfeited" mean if not
completely as utterly? If it means this, then
the resolution leaves every grant just where
it is now; for that case the courts
have power to declare them forfeited. The
resolution means nothing.
Twas Ia hopes to finish up this review, but
will be compelled to come again.
ssFIIJMORE,