St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-26
He Defines the Platform OF
the Farm and Labor
Party.
The Fight One Against the
Monopolies Of Trusts and
Railroads.
The Tariff Cuts But a Small
Figure in the Con-
test.
The Game in View the Com
ing Election Of a United
States Senator.

IgndJluS DOnnelly ana y. L. NC
Gaughey, of the farm and labor ticket,
held long conference at the Merchants
hotel yesterday afternoon. At its close
Mr.. Donnelly gave to the GLOBE state
ment of the situation from the point of
view of his party. He said:
II find in Southwestern Minnesota a
great disposition on the part of the farm
ors and laboring men to break away
from the old parties. l have been con-
Quoting heightened campaign, and am
not abusing any candidate, and have
no words of personal denunciation for
either of the great parties. | am simply
trying to educate the people into the
doctrines of good government. L am
especially impreSSing upon them that the
law-makng power is the highest attri-
butte which they possess as citizens.
ALSO. that they can have no interest
greater than the election of honest and
able men to the legislature. Everyone
comedies that the present tendency to
corruption in politics means eventually
the overthrow of free institutions in
this country. tell the people that, if
the system of electing dishonest men TO
the legislature, and who go there simply
to sell out to the great corporations and
assist in every form of plumber of the peo-
pie, is carried on much longer, the peo-
pie will lose all respect for law and
legislation. We know how it is when a
community comes to the conclusion
that courts and juries have be come too
corrupt to punish criminals-tney fall
back upon lynch law.
''ln the same way, every man who
assists in cOrrupting legislation and
thwarting the efforts of the people to
defend their rights and improve their
condition is preparing the way for a
day of anarchy in which neither life
nor property will be safe. | find the
people
RIPE FOR VIEWS
of this kind, and that, too, without the
distinction of party. Take, for eX-
ample the little village of PipestOne.
When spoke there Friday last found
labor union club already organized
with sixty members. The Republican
club, | am told, contained only twenty
members. The meetings in the after
noon and evening were very large.
They had torchlight procession
with 100 torches, every one car
ried by voter, and they told me that
they had from 200 to 800 men in
addition ready to carry other torches if
they had had them. There were farm
ers present from all parts OF the sur
rounding country. One man, whom l
met, came with his team forty miles
from Lincoln county, and he told me
that much the same feeling existed
tn ere.
There is a determination on the part
of the people to see to it that good men
and true are sent to the legislature.
They recognize the fact that the cleo
ton of United States senator next
winter is of the greatest importance to
the interes Is of the people. They re-
gard the present senate as, to a large
extent, the entrenched camp of mOnop-
oily, and they are opposed to adding to
the power of the railroad corporations
in that body. | do not think any man
can be elected to the house this fall who
does not clearly define his position on
these questions.
1--WE Say little or nothing in our cam
paign about the national question. We
feel that, if each state will provide
itself with good and honest state gov
ernments and reform local abuses. the
nation can take care Of itself.
1--WE do not regard the tariff as of the
first consequence in this fight. although
we favor a reduction on all the neceS-
saries of life which are taxed. We
think the maSter-thief of the occasion is
monopoly, represented by trusts. mill
erS' rings, railroad corporations, etc.
The interest upon Watered stock of the
railroad companies, which does not rep
resent dollar of real capital, and for
which the people never receive an
equivalent, is taking between seven and
eight millions year out of the pockets
of the producers of this state. If this
be checked it will leave that much
money every year i'll the hands of the
farmer and workingman, to be repre-
sented by increased business and pros
perity in the times.
1.-THE state is now languiShing, the
value of farm lands decreasing, pQpula-
ton in the older sections falling off,
and even in the great cities the boom
has disappeared.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL
have fiOurished through the building of
railroads. but we have now about
reached the limits of that source of sup
ply The future growth of these cities
must depend upon the prosperity Of the
great agricultural community around
them. The Intelligent men of the cities
should join hands with the farmer and
workingman to take the burdens off of
the backs of the people. We have no
uCSIIC W CltiOL vi OPpANoo OiiS
companies. We are willing to cOncede
a liberal interest on the cost of the
roads. But we are opposed to few
men, mostly non-residents, creating
vast fortunes out of watered stock and
then taxing the industrial people of the
state and all their posterity to high
railroad charges to turn this water and
wind into gold. We claim that in the
presence of such contest the question
of whether Mr.. Wilson or Mr.. Merriam
(both excellent and honorable mem,
shall be governor sinks into insignifi--
canoe. We propose in our day and
generation to do something for the good
of the people with whom our lot has
been cast. That is the platform of the
Farm and Labor party"
Mr.. Donnelly speaks at Litchfield to-
night. at Pennington Friday, and Min
neapoliS Saturday.