St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-03
A KICK AT TRUSTS. "
The State Farmers Alliance Strongly
<5N Against Them.
OFFICERS WERE ELECTED.
A Lively Session Which the Railroad
Commissioners. Attended--Eric
Got There.

called 10 OrQef III the senate cnamDcf at
| 1880 yesterday morning, E. 81. At
wood, of Stearns county, in the chair.
MeSSrS. TOOmbs, Shaffer and PlOwman
were appointed committee to confer
with President Louck, of the Dakota
alliance. Treasurer Diamond then read
his annual report. During the year
S7S4.4O were paid into the treasurer
and s759.43 paid out, leaving balance
of $36.01 now on hand. A recess of fiv e
minutes was then taken, and commit
tee sent to request the members of the
railway commission to be present to
hear the address of President Barrett.
Commissioners Gibbs and Becker re-
turned to the room with the committee.
1.-THE agricultural interests of Mime
sofa are under cloud" said Gen. Bar
rett. II think this will be admitted by
all. The farming interest has not
tlOuriShed during the past few years,
however much the general interests of
the state at large have progressed. Part of
| this is no doubt due to the fall in the
| price OF agricultural products, part to
bad farming and want Of energy. All
efforts to stir up the farmers to better
| system of agriculture are of the highest
Importance, and should be encouraged
in every way. Minnesota has great
natural advantages, situated as she is at
the west end OF Lake Superior. The
rapid development of Minnesota is due
to her people and not to railroads, as is
often asserted. The people of Mime
sofa are paying interest on $100, 00,-
600 of
FICTITIOUS RAILROAD CAPITAL.
ga complaint of this kind was made to
the railway commissioners, but no reply
has, been made. The powers that rule
in this state have their center at New
[ York, their treasury i'll London, and
/ they manipulate affairs in this state
T about as they please. Will the commits
sion and the governor use the great
I power vested in them for the protection
/ abuses which only exist under bad gov
/ ernihent?''
When Gen. Barrett had concluded his
address the railway commissioners were
|, called upon to address the convention.
H Gen. Becker responded, saying that the
I people of the state had never said a good
I word of the acts of the commission.
We are at war with every
railroad in the state" he
I said, land are trying to find out whether
there is such thing as state control
over railroads. He read extracts from
l. the annual report to show that the com
miSSiOnerS have not been idle during
the year. The general continued his
address at the opening of the afternoon
session. and appealed for aid and justice
at the hands OF the alliance. Commits
sioner Gibbs was then called for. He
stated the case in his brief and fOrciDle
style. and showed that the commission
erS were labOring against the greatest
| obstacles. He recommended that COM
| mittee from the alliance be appointed
| to bring cases of discrimination before
| the commissioners.
President LOuck, of the Dakota alli-
| ance, briefly addressed the members on
| the cooperative system in buying and
| selling. A resolution in favor of large
appropriation for the enlargement Of
| the Sault Ste. Marie canal was passed,
| and local option resolution was laid
on the table.
President Barrett at this point made a
| remark about continual litigation over
| the matter of rates. and this brought
| Commissioner Gibbs to his feet. In a
| few words he showed how the present
| litigation If decided in favor of the
board would establish the right of the
trouble. Gen Barrett did not reply.
THE RESOLUTIONS.
The committee appointed to confer
with the Knights of Labor reported the
following resolutions, which were unan-
imouSly adopted:
Whereas. The conflict raging in the
world to-day is between the producers
and the nOn-producerS; and,
Whereas, The producers of the world
are divided into two great classes-those
who work in the fields, and those who
work in the shops and mines; and,
Whereas, The interests of all who toll
and create are to a large extent identi-
cal; therefore,
Resolved, That the State Farmers
alliance views with approval and
| satisfaction the efforts of the work
ingmen of the world to so advance
and improve their condition that
they may during their earthly pilgrim
| age enjoy some of the comforts and
blessings of life, and that instead of
being degraded into lives of wretched-
ness and misery, and made fit instru-
ments for corruption and despotism,
they may constitute body OF intelli-
! gent, virtuOuS and prosperous people
upon whose votes the future of the re-
| public can safely rest.
Resolved, That we unite with the
| labor organizations of the country in de-
| rlouncing the great trusts which are
mofiopolizing all the chief essentials of
| human life-light, heat, food, intercOm-
munication and transportation. and
| clothing; and that we believe that to
| meet these great wrongs the govern
ment, which is only an instrument for
| the protection OF the people, should as
sumo the full control of the coal fields,
| the telegraph lines and the railroads;
| and declare as criminal cOnSpiratOrS all
rllIlnHQr nr
press the people,
Resolved, That standing committee
Of FIVE shall he appointed by the chair
| to confer with similar committee on
behalf of the representatives of organ
| fed labor, and from time to time take
| Suclf action as may best cOnduce to the
| prosperity of the farmers and working
people. And provided further, that the
president and secretary of the State alli-
ance shall be ex-officio members of that
com mittee, to act in conjunction with
the other five members.
ALLIANCE RESOLUTIONS.
Shortly after O'clock the committee
on resolutions reported that the resolu-
filed in, headed by Senator Hix0n, who
read the report.
The resolutions adopted by the ALI
ance were as follows:
First-We indorse the action of our
State alliance at its last meeting, also
the resolutions and address of the Ma
tional alliance at its meeting in October
last.
RAILROADS.
Sec0nd-We demand that the existing
rates on railroads In this state he so adj
justed that at least g, 0O0, 600 of money
now annually. wrung from the people OF.
this state to pay interest ON fictitious
stocks be left lii the hands OF tho pro-
ducers. .,~s-sz;,.