davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

Of a law making the entering in
to trusts and combinations a
penal offense; demanding pro-
lection for the purchaser Of
fraudulent notes; opposing a re-
peal Of the prohibitory laws;
asking such legislation as will
empower the Iowa railway COM
missioners to establish and en-
force joint rates; insisting on a
2-cent rate for passengers; and
that all foreign corporations
operating roads in Iowa and not
Incorporated under the state laws
be required to carry passengers
at \ cent q mile less than charg-
ed by roads operated by Iowa
corporations.
The resolutions also favor the
adoption OF the Australian ballot
system, demanding a revision of the
state tax laws SO as to equalize
the burdens upon all property, ia
vor the reduction of the interest on
the permanent school fund from to
6 per cent, and q reduction of the
state tax levy to 2 mills, and
favoring Chicago for the worlds fair
of 1892.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

has four sides. Only three ARE
ordinarily visible two sides and
the base. The political side is a
takers paradise. Now you see
it, now you don't see it. While
there are many who do not see it
there are also many who do-not
see it! See? 1t is never visible
during a campaign.
On the pinnacle of this quadra-
gon rises Minneapolis. 1t is a
great city. 1t is a twin. 1t owns
itself, it's parents, and the other
twin-St. Paul. In the new
mathematics it represents Ali
gation-the first introduction of
Alligators into the philosophy OF
mixtures. 1t puts all the great
commercial steals in an old hat
and mixes them up. Then it
takes out for itself the elevator
system. Then the entire grain
transportation of one hundred
million dollars a year. Then the
natural sequence The nat
ural sequence is the railway in
terest. Then the ''sequential in
volute this cuss is what fol-
lows by evolution-the railroad
business.
At this time the little twin, st.
Paulie, puts his fevered fist into
the hat and demands something.
Certainly, Paulus. Take some
thing big
Paul draws out a "meat inspec-
tion''-right ON the hoof!!
Then the other twin says to
Paulus-"Oh well, Brother, you
can have the jobbing trade
what you can get OF it'll"
And so the new mathematics
develops, Minneapolis gets the
square root and St. Paul gets
the ''root hog"-and dies.
And the farmers-they furnish
the roots.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

Now it is time for the Railroad
Commissioners to tell us about
that order which went over the
railroad-elevator systems OF the
west to the local buyers, to
grade no No. / hard, under any
circumstances. We can furnish
absolute truth of the fact.
What did it mean? If a farmer
has No. l hard, and it is graded
(out in the state) as No. 2, that
transaction is a steal, and the
man who orders it is a thief. We
have never been in the habit of
calling a muckle a mickle, or a
porcupine a guinea pig. The
fact is, that among the various
schemes to rob and thieve we
have highwaymen, graveyard
bodysnatchers and wheat thieves.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
a farmer?

When Mr.. Donnelly shows, in
his magnificent address, that
Minnesota has been robbed of
about one hundred million dol
lars in ten years inpaying inter-
est alone on the watered stock,
he refers alone to internal traffic,
on native tracks. Minnesota
pays every year, on a careful per-
centage estimate of her CONNER
cial business, a watered bond
and-stOck steal of five million dol
lars on account of eastern roads
of which the coal traffic consti-
tntes a large item.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

Fl. H. Half, of Chicago, adj
dressed the State Farmers Ali
ance of Iowa, last September,
using the following pertinent
suggestions:
The farmers must take away
with them from this convention
the idea that they can control
public affairs; they can decide
who shall represent them in
their Legislative halls. There
are other rights than those of
trusts. The committee on res
olutions submitted a lengthy re-
port favoring a uniformity Of
text books in the public schools
to be furnished at cost by the
state; demanding the enactment
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
THE INTEREST QUESTION.

The State Lecturer of the Farmers
Alliance received, recently, the fol-
lowing letter from one ofthe most
prominent citizens in southern Min
nesOta:
KANSAS, Mimi, Sept. ~, 1889.
FRIEND DONNELLY:
I have done great deal OF ''think-
ing" as you are aware, on most of
the subjects you touched upon at
our Co. Fair. Prominent among the
economic questions that affect the
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

"A farmer had twenty-five BUSH
els OF wheat. He sold it, and the
weigher made a mistake, and
gave him a ticket for two pecks
short. The farmer went for the
man at the elevator, ripped his
acknowledgements, down town
-cussed the man who cashed the
ticket, and finally had the whole
station in an uproar-for
80 cents!
That year he raised LOO
bushels of wheat. 1t brought
1915. On that wheat he was
robbed by unjust freights, $33.
By refusal to grade No. 1 hard,
$55. By more than a nine cents
margin on sale, $187. Altogeth-
er, 1915.
One of his neighbors asked him
to Join the alliance. ''Haven't
time to grumble- can't get along
without railroads." That was
his answer. An Irishman slept ON
a stray feather and it hurt HIM.
In the morning he said, 'Bedad
ef Don feathers fales loike thot
how duz a hull bed full fale?"
The farmer was featherbedded
ON the big steals, but tore his
linen on 80 cents. .e
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

LII one part OF MS aQureSS U.s.
sued as a supplement this week,
Mr. Donnelly states that many
roads are bonded to the extent OF
80 to $4,000 to the mile, which,
it is well known, did not cost
over $4,000 to the mile. We
can take Bro. Donnelly gently by
the hand, and with careful foot
steps and shaky finger point out
to him a railroad which will cast
the blush OF shame over his esti-
mate. Let him gaze on a branch
road which cost SIS, 900 to the
mile to build 48 miles, and SO, 500
a mile to build the other Al
miles. And then lift his eyes
higher and higher-and higher
yet, till his strained vision gets
over the mountain tops of
stocks and bonds, and bonuses
and lands, up to the climax of
$4,000 to the mile!
And then what magnificent
locomotives-in your eye-it
don't own wheelbarrow!
What long trains OF box cars
in horn-it don't own Dump
cart. ,Y
1t costs more to ship grain by
this road-Qike all others in Min
nesota) 1875 miles, than it does
to ship grain from Chicago to N.
Y. via Mackinaw, 1, 900 miles.
"Oh yes, but it don't pay oper-
ating expenses !"
We solemnly aver that it don't
have any operating. expenses
not dollar!
When it runs one train a day
tit has recently put on two) the
paymaster simply has to cut Off
the weekly interest from the
bonus-bonds voted by one Of the
counties which granted such aid,
and that interest pays for the
headlight oil, the engineer, the
fireman, the conductor, the
brakeman, the coal, the waste
and box-oil, and station agent
at that county seat. And the
bonus OF that county represents
one-fourth only of the bonus
voted. The income of this road
amounts to from ST. 500 to
50, 200 a week.
1t is one OF those poor branch,
roads! +
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

At the time of the sale of the Gen
TRIAL M1NNEsoT1AN, in Pope Co., last
July, the establishment of this state
journal was not fact, although
the disposal of the country paper
was wholly for that purpose. Hence,
but little was said at the time as to
the matter. "The GREAT WEsr'' ia a
fact now, however, and is able to
speak for itself.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

Among the numerous methods
of keeping the monopolists in
straight jackets in other states,
is the appointment of Railway
Commissioners. These men are
usually given complete legal pow
ers to guard the interests Of the
people from extortion, discrim-
nation, violation of law, etc.
Several states have adopted the
Commissionership. No state in
the union suffers more from rail-
way and warehouse aggression
than Minnesota. Why can't we
have a Railway Commission? It
should of course, be elective.
But if not elective, why not ap-
pointive-say by a Governor?
They could be housed in the cap
itol building, and probably they
could spend ten or twelve thous-
and dollars a year to the advan-
tage of the state. They would,
of course, stand aloof from the
monopolistic combination; and
in the midst of continuous and
successive pools and steals, they
would shine forth as a lighthouse
to guide the unprotected prairie
navigator to security and right
full enjoyment of his own. In the
midst of "pools SO troubled
that it takes two columns OF a
daily paper every day to keep
track of them, you would see
this luminous body with it's in
dignant hand staying aggres-
sion and dissolving letters Of op-
preston. You would hear them
rebuking orders to grade no
more No. l hard out in the dis
slant counties. When informed
by $50 farmers in one county
that they were being robbed OF
Ice. a bushel on wheat, besides a
robber-freight, you would see
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

The hundreds of subscribers to our
former central M1NNEsOT1AN," in
Pope County, will notice some senti-
ments wearing garments very like
those in that local sheet for the two
or three years. We now issue more
thousands than we then did hun
dreds-and some of those sentiments
were mighty good doctrine for the
pulverizer of the soil.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
ST. PAUL, MIMI, OCT. 10, 1889.

Combinations of capital against
muscle are marching on most might
lily. We pick up one daily paper and
find therein the following articles as
the record Of one days progress.
l. The grain committee of the
northwestern lines of railroad have
met and arranged their pool of
rates" satisfactory to all lines. :"
Nothing is said about "satisfac-
ton" of the million grain pro-
ducers. They were not invited to
the party.
2. The Wabash system is try
ing to secure a legal right to stop
working a railroad when it don't
happen to pay. A great convent
ence to the railroad princes. They
could close up business during the
dull months and drive a rustling
trade the rest OF the year. Right
here let us say that the road never
yet was built in North America that
didn't pay legitimate operating
expenses we defy citation.
3. The earnings of the Northern
Pacific for September "show the
remarkable increase of $377,648.84
over the receipts for the business of
the company during the same per-
iod last year."
4. Decision in supreme court
exempting certain railroad lands
of Cottonwood County from taxa
ton same in Jackson Co. recently,
a decision affecting the tax roll since
1869.
S. The Standard Oil Company
undertake to prevent railroads from
building across lands which they
hold for oil and natural gas rights.
6. All the bagging interests of the
United States have combined in a
"Jute' Trust, under the title of "Th9
American Manufacturing Compan6'
OF New York. Twenty factories
have united.
Z. Article on absorption of all the
White Lead factories in the .. S. by
the Standard Oil Co.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
Explains How It Is /!
Daily Globe, Oct. 6:

Daily Globe, Oct. 6:
Among President Cleveland's
epigrammatic sayings, which will
go echoing down the unexplored
corridors of the future, is one
that applies to the present rail-
road situation; cit is a condi-
ton, not a theory, that confronts
U.S." The railroads have proved
themselves SO anxious to get the
better OF each other that they
have too often lost sight of the
general public. This has result
ed in governmental interference.
That this interference has done
more harm tn an good must be
apparent to every one.
If ever a perverted moral ma
ture gives itself a little loose rein
it exposes it's alliance with sin.
So the Globe gives away it's SYM
pathies. Now there are two
rank falsehoods in the above.
LIST. That the interference of
the government has done harm.
The local freights through out the
northwest attest to the falsity of
this proposition-of which fact
continuous examples can be
given.
I'd. That government interior
ence was eau ed by railroads
''endeavoring to get the better
OF each other. The fact is, that
the railroads sndeavoring to pre-
vent each from getting the bet
ter OF the Otl er is what caused
the interference. 1t was the
pool and combination and the
remarkable determinations a.
gainst small tOwns-these caus-
ed the interference"
The Globe evidently wishes to
break down he state and gov
ernmental control OF the roads.
It wont work. The people will
not have it. 1t is true that the
Railway Commissioner scheme
is a fizzle in this state; but that
is because they are the mere ap-
pointed agenc ies OF a political
power. When they are made
elective there there will be more
hope for us.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

On every bushel OF wheat grad
ed down one grade the farmer
is beaten out of from three to
seven cents. That don't count
much. On As million bushels it is
only $50 million cents. Pshaw,
that wouldn't build a hen rOOst
such as our farmers have!
Wh4gs 81, 100000 to a Mimi
eaEA farmer?
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
merchant and farmer practically, is
that of interest.

merchant and farmer practically, is
that of interest.
I think l remember that the Re
publican State Convention at which
you and "Jack'' MEG aughey of Mime
apolis, were permitted to speak and
voice the demands Of the laboring
men, several years ago, cheered and
re-cheered the demand made by one
or the other of you that the rate Of
interest in this state be cut to 8 per
cent.
Why did the next and the follow
lowing Legislature fail to carry out
the demand which a convention
voicing the will of an immense ma
jority of the people OF the state and
also the major party OF the State,
had endorsed?
The banks and professional money
loaners, are simply skinning the
poor farmer and merchant, and
have been doing SO for several years.
Ten per cent. today is as much as
20 per cent. Is years ago. These men
are also frequently taking a bonus
besides. Is there no way in which
the people can get relief from this
octopus? In haste.
We would say, in answer to this
question, that Mr.. Donnelly made a
great effort, during the session Of
1887, to secure the passage of an act
reducing interest to 8 per cent. He
succeeded in getting a bill for the
purpose through the House, but it
went to ''the tomb of the Capulets,
when it got to the Senate; and was
beaten by the knavish trick OF one
Compton, a money-lender OF Fergus
Falls. He was unfortunately chair
man of the committee on Banks and
Banking, and as such the bill was re-
ferred to him. He refused to call a
meeting OF his committee to act upon
the bill; and also refused to report it
back to the House. The session of
the Legislature was rapidly ap-
preaching a conclusion. Mr.. Don
nelly made personal canvass Of the
Senate, and found that a majority
of the members Of that body were in
favor OF the passage of the bill, and
would pass it if they could get a
chance to vote upon it. Compton
knew this, and hence he held on to
the bill. At Mr.. DIS suggestion, a
resolution was introduced by Senator
Dodge, and passed by the senate,
calling on Compton to report the
bill back. Compton sat in his seat
grinning, "like chessy cat, " and re-
fused to obey the order OF the Senate;
and the Senate had not the nerve to
bring him to it's bar, and expel the
money lender who defied the Senate
rather than sacrifice his own Shylock
profits for the good of the state.
We get these facts from reliable
persons, and from the records of the
session. In reference to the work
last winter we have something to say
hereafter.
There was also a powerful lobby at
work to prevent the reduction OF in
terest; they were sent there by great
farmers -mortgage-loan companies
of the East, and they had a large
sum OF money with which to buy up
the corrupt.
That is our present answer to the
inquiry made by that letter. We
suppose Otter-Tail county will of
course, return Mr.. Compton to the
Senate, SO that he may continue to
protect his shaving-shop.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

If there is ever a wonderful
force discovered, hitherto un-
known, as science tells us is so
probable, it will be found that
it's centre of gyration lies direct
~ under Hennepin County. Its
first exhibition will prove to
have been the elevation into be-
ing OF a grand city, where streets
and avenues, paves and palaces,
were transformed from farmer IS
sweat into brick, blocks of stone
and craven entablatures. The
mystic process OF transformation
lies in the line of a new mathe-
MATES. The Enumeration is
based on the yield OF wheat.
The Notation is grounded on dis
counts, compromising, and COM
mission. Division is wholly a
question of Indian Arithmetic:
Minneapolis takes the Turkey
and the farmer takes the Crow
or, the farmer takes the Grow and
Minneapolis takes the Turkey.
The quotient represents in all
cases what Minneapolis takes.
The remainder is what the farm
er may sigh-for (cypher). Addi-
ton is a process by which the
elevators add on to the freight
profits, and the millers add on to
elevators. Subtraction is di-
vided into two sections, named
extraction and contraction. "
Extraction is where the politi-
clans, latter practicing "Addi-
ton, division and silence'') ex-
tract their swag from the gang.
Contraction is the effect of sub
traction on the stomachs of the
agricultural subtrahend. In this
subtraction the minuend repre-
sents the big-I-end and the little
you-end. Multiplication is a sci
entifc mystery handled by the
railroads. They multiply their
debts. And as the debts draw
interest, the bigger their debt
the bigger their "draw." In 9th
er words-no, in the same words
they live on the interest Of
what they owe. This is: done by
applying a multiplier'to the null
tiplicand-the stocks and bonds,
for the debts are the multiple
cands. The multiplier is a ma
chine which injects both wind
and water till the debt increaseth
amazingly. The result is called
absorption THE gang absorbs
everything.
This system of mathematics
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
TOO REASONABLE BY FAR.

WHICH met at ChcagO on the MIN
inst, and thence proceeded over
the Pacific lines, met and travel
ed to investigate the reason
ableness'' of forcing the Pacific
lines of railroad to pay their
debts to the government. Sen
ator Hearst, one of the commit
tee, remarked:
"Our desire is to be reasonable with the COM
panies," said Senator Hearst cor at least mine
H. Ii we can arranged secure the debt in some
way, and provide for it's payment in twenty
fifty years, we shall be satisfied The road will
es. as we cannot afford to stop the traffic OF the
| country for even such a claim as this.
We protest against the use OF
sympathy, gush or nonsense in
the transaction of business with
soulless entities. When a man
defaults on a farm mortgage,
and then defies, and then goes
into court and brides and bull
dOzes, to defeat the mortgage,
he gets neither sympathy nor
gush.
"The roads will not be sacrific-
ed !"-" as we could not afford
to stop the traffic of the country,
etc. y" Oh Lord-what an ASSN
inc generation it is that hangs
on Hearst's lips! and then to
think that daily papers print
such slop to tickle the mickle
minds of their dear granger
readers!
0 generation of fools and
vipers! The Pacific lines were
subsidized into wealth; they are
given the government business
at generous rates; they we're
given an Empire OF vast millions
of acres-free-with the choice OF
selection whenever the donated
sections struck a marsh or a
gravel ridge! They have grown
richer and richer-until their vast
income has invited four other
linesto push through without
those colossal inducements.
Vow their earnings are almost
fncalculable, their salaries on the
top pinnacle of extravaganza,
their watered-stock at premiums,
their traffic incomprehensible in
extent-until they even defy the
United States.
"Could not afford to stop the
trafic!" What business has
"Mr." Hearst been engaged in
to be so supplemented? Rail-
roads don't stop because debts
are collected by law! Numer-
Gus systems-even the Wabash
are in the hands of Receivers,
but the traffic don't stop!
Bless his simple soul-stop a
traffic which returns $50 per
cent. on operating expenses, in
Guiding gigantic salaries and
palatial Offices in the great
cities? And yet the Northern
Pacific earnings for last month
exceeded those of the same
month last year by hundreds of
thousands of dollars! Why
could not these Pacific roads
|give back to the government
lsome millions of acres of it's
lands-lands stolen by the lobby
! power-1f they cannot send in
the cash?
Why cannot they send in the
cash? Because they provide for
the hiding OF enormous profits in
watered-stock. It is not the pol
icy of a railroad to let any sur
fpluses accumulate. The junket.
ing committee will have jovine
and Jo-vinus old time of it, and
make up a reasonable report!
THE INTEREST QUESTION.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

Well, evidently MI. Hill is in
close quarters. 1t is known on
all sides that his costly Montana
central is not a paying invest
ment. It was built by borrowed
capital, for which vast blocks OF
bonds were issued and stock
capitalized. 1t does not pay
both running expenses and inter-
est on the mammoth debts OF a
stock jobbing nsture. Hence,
the farmers of Minnesota are
called upon to bear his burdens
for him. But the ;armers of Min
nesota are already overburden-
ed. However, if James could
manage to SO unite all his sys-
TENS of roads and branches that
they were but one company,
with one vast block of bonds
and stocks, he could then fix
things so that all other of his
roads would Re compelled to
whack up for deficiencies. He
could thus continue to branch
and capitalize in the rocky vest
through fields where he wants to
occupy now for future supremacy
and make the farmer who has
borne the past, and is struggling
with the present, bear his bur-
dens for him. Bearing his bur-
dens" means paying interest on
his debts! That is, every mil
lion dollars which he indebts the
roads, draws interest. The inter-
est enters into his Golfers, or
those who furnish him the money
to him,
This is but one of the gigantic
schemes to get the vast corpora
lions into shape to act as a unit
in mortgaging the nation.