, 1890-11-13
THE WHEAT BLOCKADE
Views of an Irate Palouse
Farmer.
IT IS AN OLD CINCH GAME
The Railroads and Elevator Com
panies Combine to Freeze Out
Local Buyers.
OAKsDALE, WASH, Nov. Z.

The past week l have been read
ing the different articles in the RE
VIEW concerning the low prices of
wheat. The claim made by the
railroad companies that they have
not rolling stock enough to handle
1t may be so In part, but from all
that / can learn they can furnish
much more than they do. II not,
why is 1t that in localities outside of
the grain districts the side tracks
are full of empty cars? This, am
informed, Is the case, by men that
are travelling around on the roads.
The whole thing Is so thin that we
all see through 1t. 1t Is the
old game with o new trick in 1t by
the elevator and railroad companies
(Which is all one and the same) to
keep all local buyer out of the
market, and get the wheat below its
value. If this is not the case, we
want to know why the elevator
officials go and defy all local dealers
to advance wheat cent? This
has been done right from the
blbiN INIt III ohhottiNy anu - btlllk
kept up, and now what Is the result?
1t drives the local buyers out of the
market because he can not get any
assurance when he can get cars to
carry it of. Thus all wheat that is
sold, or rather given away, has to
be given to this gigantic and lordly
institution.
ia. 4 II
Jones article, l am not disputing
with him; but | do dispute all that
the railroad companies say az to the
there IL q word of truth in 1t, and
why? Because | have lived in MIN
nesota and there the delivering Of
wheat to the railroads Is different TO
what 1t Is here, and | ieel sure that
II is the same In Dakota. There the
delivering of wheat goes on all win
ter when they can haul II on their
sleds, because they can handle much
more than they can early In the fall
on wagons. But here, as every one
knows, we ull try to get all our grain
to the railroads Just as soon as we
can after ii IL threshed, on account
of the roads getting bad and the un-
certainty of having good sleighing,
And another thing also Is that
grain ia all sacked here at the
machine, and the farmers do not
provide granary room to store II at
home, aud do not pretend to keep 1t.
Now j would ask, which should
have the pre- prcfcrencc-Ddkotn,w with
its dry, cold climate, or Washington,
with more or less rain for the fall,
and almost as much wheat piled out
side of the elevators and warehouses
a. there II inside? Now can not any
one that knows anything about It
sec that it's all too thin?
/ have lived here for eleven years.
was here before the advent of rail.
roads. ] was here when the O.
X. " y. reached Coifax, when
all of us from here and north of
here had 10 haul our wheat there,
and let that merciless and soullcss
company cinch us to the core, for
this company was never known to
do anything only what IL had to.
And | was also here when the Spo-
kane x Palousc road reached this
point. That fall the Northern Pa
citic Elevator Company erected its
building, and some private parties
erected warehouse. Well, what
WI us ttlt ltSull4 llt tltNulOI 'OT1l-
pany swallowed 1t up and kept the
price of wheat at just what 1t pleased,
and from that time TO this it has
done the same thing, first in ono
way and then another.
Now who created these roads and
who supports them? Was it not the
people? (If 80, is the creature greater
than the creator?) That being the
case, have they not rights that
should he respected? Have they not
right to make them respect them
ana not grant anyone any special
privilege? VIII any sane muu an
swer to the contrary? | think not.
/ believed that they would try to
do just what they are doing when /
saw what the immensity OF the crop
would be before harvest began, be-
cause they are always putting u new
trick in the old game. ! was in
Minnesota when the grange began
to carry the country by storm, and
at that time the Winona u st. Peter
road wO:iid not carry bushel of
wheat for anyone outside of the ele-
vator, and also other roads, not even
mill men, and what was the result?
Why, so quickly that 1t made their
heads swim they We're given to un-
derstand that they had to carry
wheat for anyone that wanted to
ship, and don't you forget it, they
did, and have been doing it ever
since.
Now, | say, can not the people of
the Palouse country do the same
thing? Isay yes. Ifthey will unite
and come together US one man they
can burst the ring so quick that they
will turn blind. So ! say, up and
at it.n
Aud now, Mr.. Editor, aud your
numerous readers, TO put the whole
thing IN u nutshell, 1t Is blow that
they are striking ut the alliance on
account of them making such an
effort to get their just dues for their
wheat by building warehouses Of
their own and getting local buy yers
In. ] could say much more,
and will If 1t is necessary
and will ut an early day.
In conclusion, would just refer
those lordly hosts to the result of
lust Tuesdays election, and ask
them If they don't see in that that
the people are coming together for
a common interest regardless of all
party affiliations, and l say If the
people do not assert their God-given
right as freemen that our name re-
public Is libel upon itself.