The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-07-26

bles, and in our ignorace we have applauded
him for the act, but I ask you today to ex-
tend the right hand Of fellowship to a man
whose sole aim is to build up the country
and assist US in making ourselves prosper
GUS and those dependent on us contented
and that man is Hon. G. G. Crosse, the
speaker of the house of representative.
Address of James Fleming at the
Farmers Picnic, Dana's grove, July
81, 1888:
BROTHER FARMERS: The subject
which I propose to address you on is
Trusts. But before touching upon
this question, let me review briefly
what the Dakota farmers prospects
are for the disposal of our great staple
wheat, in the worlds market. Com
merce is but one country exchanging
it's products for those produced in an
other country more cheaply than we
can. A farmer buys a pair Of shoes
and pays it in trade or with the money
he got by the sale Of the produce of
his farm, it being cheaper to purchase
them than for to make them. So
among nations exchanging produce
with each other, gold being compare.
lively scarce is used to pay tie diff
ference in price of the exchange. By
ruo laws the farmer is virtually pro-
hibited from purchasing foreign goods.
Mark the result; from every foreign
land comes the cry that they cannot
buy from us unless we buy from them.
Germany has gradually raised its tariff
on our wheat and our export Of
wheat which in 1879 was 1872, 900, 900
bushels worth $3.50, 600, 600, has fallen
to 1902, 000, 900 bushels worth $751;
000, 900 in 1887; while India has
increased her export of wheat from
2 1000, 900 bushels in 1879 to 42 ,00O,-
900 bushels in 1887. While thus
hampered by unjust, unconstitutional
legislation from exchanging our Pro-
duce, but forced to sell cheap, W. are
compelled to buy at extortionate
prices for nearly every article on our
farms, prices regulated and controlled
by those combinations called "trusts, y
which both Of the great political par.
ties (now striving for the mastery
have condemned in their platforms.
The "high tariff" forced upon us by
the exigencies of u great struggle,
stimulated production 50 the manu-
facturers finding that by competition
(like the famous Kilkenny cats, they
would eat each other up) combined to
keep prices up and to keep produc'
ton down, thus regulating supply
and demand. A trust is organized by
the election Of a number Of trustees,
to whom the machinery, stock, etc.,
in fact the whole business of every
individual manufacturer is transferred
at an appraised value. In pay for
his business the individual manufac-
turer receives a given number of
shares and a certain amount in cash.
If desirable, to lessen production one
or more such establishments is closed
up. But if kept running the former
proprietor may remain as manager at
a salary fixed by the Trust. The
Vulcan mills at St. Louis stood smoke
less for years while its owners were
paid a large sum reported at $500, 900
annually for not making steel rails,
with no payment to its men for not
working. But every manufacturer
who refuses to enter this combination
for robbing the public and pay his
pool money is boycotted till he Is
either ruined or forced into submis-
sion. BY this system enormous for
tues have been made, to which the
poor struggling farmer has paid a
lar &c proportion.
The farmer plundered, the Trust
protected. The lumber combinations
raised the price of lumber SIS per
thousand, and although a p~aternal
government sold them the land, they
havs'now nearly stripped of timber,
at $1.25 per acre. The coal combi-
not;ons horc ohcol,,4a aa.