Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-01-23
MISSOURI STOCKMEN.

Adopted-A Wool Resolution Which Wa
Laid Upon the Table.
SEDALIA, Mo-, Jan. 15.-The first an
nual State Livestock Mems convention
of Missouri convened in Sedalia thi:
morning in the spacious Pettis County
Courthouse. Out of 22S delegates t.
the convention, over two hundred were
present to-day. Abel Leonard, of Sa
line County, called the meeting to order
| Hon. A. L. Morehouse was chosen TEN
| porary chairman. The next proceeding
was to appoint committees on permanent
| organization and credentials While
these committees were in conference
Chairman NJ orehouse introduced to the
convention Hon. Norman j. Colman, OF
| st. Louis. Governor Colman spoke foI
about thirty minutes in general way
He opened by referring to the enthralled
condition of the producers of this coun.
try; depicted what they should be and
what they are. Among other things he
said:
/ Unless something can be done to relieve us
! from our present environments. the Amer.
! lean farmers and stock raisers are doomed
to lives of toll and slavery more deplorable
than exist in the monarches of the old
! world. We are Slready slaves to the comb
nations of capitalists and are completely in
! their power. Organized capital in the hands
/ of d few selfish avariciouS men has crushed
! out honorable competition, such as existed
/ in former days for the purchase of our
products, and we are at its mercy. Not
wlthStanding the farmers are the creators
! of all wealth. the combinations con
| ceived in sin, and born in iniquity, are the
receivers of it Only the husks are permitted
| to remain in our hands. The good old days
| of honest competition, of honest compensa-
/ ana r I,,s-
! tries that must have, and use the farmers
! products and fatten upon them, have adopted
! new and improvfsed methods of securing
| them The raising of hogs was former
! ~ considered one of the most profit
/ able branches of farming, and would
! be day, but for the big Four" who
! have the hog-raiser at their mercy. The
! packers of hogs formed a combination, and
| entered into contract among themselves to
| regulate and control the purchase and
! slaughter of hogs, and the Big Four be-
| came the leading spirits of this combination,
and have had the control of it since. They
! agreed among themselves upon the number
each house should slaughter, according to
its capacity, and any house Strengthening
more should pay to the pooling fund twenty
five cents per head, and any house slaugh-
tering less should receive twenty five cents
per head on the number less than that agreed
upon, and the result is that many Slaughter
houses have laid idle, being satisfied with
:
capacity of their slaughter houses. without
even killing a pig for roast. If this grip
upon the Threats of the producers can be
maintained, their doom is sealed. Such mo-
nopolies have no mercy They lack heart
and soul Their grip is the icy grip of death.
Their only god is money. They bow daily to
its shrine. No matter how many homes are
wrecked, their cry is more, more, forever
more.
The committee on permanent organi
cation reported and recommended the
following officers: Norman J. Colman.
st. Louis, president; j. II. Brooks,
Carroll County, vice-president; George
H. Longman, st. Louis, secretary,
and j. II, McDermott, jackson Coun-
ty, assistant secretary. The report
was unanimously adopted. While wait
ing for the report of the committee
on credentials, Abel Leonard read
letter addressed to the convention by
United States Senator Vest.
Senator Vest in his letter explained
the depressed condition of the beef in
dustry by attributing it to the combina-
ton effected by the Big Four" He
said the beef industry would never be
released from thralldom until this com
bination was broken up. To do this he
favored q National inspection law. He
thought it would require National legis-
lation. State legislation in the way of
inspection laws he thought would be de-
clared unconstitutional because of their
interference with Interstate commerce.
He recommended that the people
memorabilia their Senators and Repre-
senatives in Congress for National legis-
lation.
The committee on credentials report
ed, and the convention diourned for
dinner.
After dinner Dr.. Paul Paquin, State
Veterinarian. spoke for an hour on the
prevailing Cattle Diseases of Mis-
souri, During the afternoon short
talks were made by State Senators Clay
and McGinniss and Representatives
Estill and Bond. Mr.. Lovett Leonard,
of Saline County, spoke also, and re-
viewed the efforts to get a meat-inspec-
ton law in this State.
The following resolution was offered:
WHEREAS, There are three distinct parties
interested in the production of neat cattle,
to-wit: The producer. the mddleman or
butcher and the consumer: and,
WHEREAS, The price of neat cattle is
arbitrarily fixed by the middleman both to
the producer and the consumer; and.
WHEREAS, The rate of profit under this
system has been 50 manipulated that the
profit to the producer is cut to the lowest
possible point of existence, while to the con
sumner the price has not been reduced; there
fore,
Resoiced, What are you going to do about it?
Delegate Gilmore. of Montgomery
County, said the so-called beef combine
was no more of a combine than the farm
ers' organiZa ton, and one was fighting
the other. Clay Duncan, of Clinton
County, submitted figures to show that
the depreciation of the price of cattle
was caused not by the manipulation of
the combine, but by the over-supply on
the markets at Chicago The supply
had gradually risen year by year until
there was no longer any demand for cat
tie of whatever grade.
After good deal of discussion by
delegates on the resolution, and after
Mr.. Noell, of Jackson. had offered as a
Su bStitute the question: is there a
continuation to fix the price of neat cat
tle?" the resolution was Withdrawn and |
a resolution offered by Mr.. Noell OF |
Jackson, Resolved. That a combina-
ton exists to fix the price of neat cat
tie" was adopted.
A committee on resolutions was APP |
pointed, with instructions to report |
resolutions on the depression Of the |
stock industries. This committee will |
report tomorrow morning resolutions |
on the subject, which will be discussed, |
that will end considera ton OF the cat
tie question, The horse swine and |