St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-13
THE TWINE TRUST

FOUNTAIN, Mimi, March 30.-The
"cheek" of some people is surprising,
and like the little three-year-old that
leaned on my knee and said to me.
'Gran'ma, you needn't be 'sprised if [
swear;" but not being accustomed to
''cuss words" shall not use them. but
/ do wonder how many farmers would
use them when they find that they are
really asked not to boycott the ''twine
trust" but to purchase as usual. Why?
Because the material is not easily pro-
cured, and the machinery is costly, and
the time of working is only about two
months in the year, SO the farmers must
pay the operators high price for Irvine
so they can live the other ten months of
the year, as l infer from Cooperative
Spinner's" letter IN the Chicago Inter
Ocean of the 10Th inst. And that seems
like adding
INSULT TO INJURY,
when every farmer is under the press
ure of the times that comes to all ayoca-
tons in a greater or less degree at in
tervalS, and yet there is no appeal I'M
less he asks the merchant or grocer to
give him credit for a time. This. to
sensitive man or woman, is a tender
spot; they shrink from the least touch,
and do not want to exhibit to any one,
even though they have good security,
and only for the time being ask credit.
1t goes hard with them to do so. The
farmer may have been a goose in times
past, and had his feathers picked many
times, but there is limit to all things.
The farmer is at the mercy of the help
he wants in the harvest time, and if he
can manage to get along without help
until the harvest must be gathered in,
then he must pay the wages
asked. The help puts in his appear
ance at the exact hour, and a steel
watch chain bangles at his side, and his
watch is often consulted, so that the
precise minute may not elapSe, which
tells that the ten hours is up. No mat
ter how great the stress may be, the
farmer must
PAY A DOUBLE PRICE
by the hour if his ''helper'' picks up
another straw to help him out with his
harvest work. And when the "binder''
came out to relieve the farmer of that
plague of his life, there was great joy
and rejoicing over that mode of relief,
and the farmer thought he might at the
very least be able to save something in
a money sense of the word, to make
himself and family more comfortable
after the ''binder'' was paid for.
But now when they are in pecuniary
straits, comes this crust" and Opera
tive Spinner" begS the farmers to SUBJ
nit to their demand and pay the prices
set upon the Irvine, so that they, too,
can live. This plea is the plea of the
worklngman, and apparently of SUI
perior intelligence, giving as his rea-
sons the sisal being scarce and high
priced, and the very expensive macliin-
cry that is required to make it, and the
oil nrf mn nf ttpn he Of IoI~
of the whole year they can have to
make the Irvine in that time will be re-
quired to make all the Irvine the many
thousand farmers of this country Will
or can use during the year.
What the operator and operatives will
do the remainder of the year we are not
informed, but we are left to conjecture.
Are we wrong when we take them at
their word, or infer that we must paw a
higher price for Irvine that those who
make it may live ten months in the.
year without labor? AS another one
has written. LET the farmers all ioin"f
in the fray this year and assert their
claims to right to reject all Irvine this
year and see what effect will be on this
''twine trust" / see by many different
newspapers that farmers are fully
aroused all over the whole country and
ask all other farmers to join with them
in this movement to crush out the life
that has sent forth its
PLEA TO FARMERS.
II we must have help, we can find
some one to help bind the grain, and
there is no doubt but that when help is
wanted it will be found by the people in
the surrounding country, who will help
the farmers to fight to the bitter end
this conspiracy to rob them Of their
dueS.NO farmer shauld hesitate now. but
join those that ask your help to kill
this trust.
Let honest labor live and try to help
it all you can, but stamp the life out of
those who want to live off your labor
ten months in the year, and come out in
specious pleas of being supported in
such manner as they propose to you.
Some people think that leaving the
Irvine out, or doing without 1t this year,
will bring the matter out all right. That
is what the farmers are asked to do.
Those that have supplied the Irvine in
every community are now asked not to
make any purchases of it this year, so
they will not lose the mooney paid for
tVine