The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-08-07
A 20. Stamp Did It.


A &c. Stamp Did It.
EDITOR GREAT WEST:
While owing to an extremely busy
season the meetings oflocal Alliances
are slimly attended, l still, find the
feeling prevails that the fight has
scarcely commenced. The deep in
terest in this movement will become
more apparent after the rush of
harvest is over, and such a demon
stratiOn will be made from next fall
until the end OF the Campaign in '92
as will make things lively for old
party leaders.
Since becoming an aggressive
worker in this reform movement, 1
have been prompted by but one mo-
tive, and that is to do all in my pow
er to help along the cause, regardless
OF my own personal feeling. This
singleness of purpose may partially
account for my fully believing your
statements in regard to wheat
steals" ''over-capitalizing rail-
roads," ETC., in fully believing the in
justices you have shown are being
perpetrated upon the farmers and
laboring classes. have seen but one
way to remedy these existing evils,
and that is for the people to arise in
their might and overthrow, by the
ballot, both old parties, and always
fully asserting their intelligent right
to have direct voice and action in all
matters OF public Importance. My
faith in the truthfulness OF your
statement in regard to wheat steal
ing probably prevents my seeing any
need OF the state expanding $40, 900,
to enable certain persons to do-wen
l am waiting patiently to see what.
Will any one be forced to disgorge, OF
do and different than they would do
if this $4,000 were not expended?
1t occurs to me the way for the
people to derive benefit from the
knowledge OF wrongs being done by
wheat handlers is to elect men I'M
pledged to personal favoritism, and
such offices as are Of necessity filed
by appointment, be filed by persons
OF known honor and integrity, who
are fully capable, and not because of
their having ''whooped it up'' for
this or that successful candidate.
After the $1O $1,000 is expended 1 feel
certain that let the expenses be what
they may, the wheat Inspection will
wag as it has always wagged under
party appointments. l believe the
Peoples Party will just as surely sue
coed without this expensive investi-
cation as with it, and unless the Peo-
pies movement does succeed l take
but little stock in any changes being
made in the interest of the people.
Had the last legislature appropri-
ated sic, 900 to investigate the Rail-
roads, and if possible ascertain facts
in regard to their watered stock,
believe every dollar of it would be ex-
pended by an army of enthusiastic
corruption hunters, and yet, / would
not expect one cent of the water
would be squeezed out as a result of
the investigation. You once made a
statement that all information gain
ed by the Irvine committee" could
have been obtained by the expendi-
ture OF two cent stamp. I believed
you, and yet while fully believing
you sent two cent stamp and did
obtain information and facts thai
not only confirmed your statement
but which convince me that, with
honest men to manage it, within five
years all the Irvine needed in this
state could be manufactured by
prison labor and furnished to the
farmers of this state at cost not to
exceed five cents per pound, and
made at profit to the state; entire
ly made of flax fiber, and while doing
this the farmers would receive from
five to eight dollars per ton for flax
straw delivered from their wagons
like hay at their nearest town.
Possibly the next legislature will
make a liberal appropriation for an
investigation OF this matter, as it
means an industry that will save
within this state millions of dollars.
No matter what the appropriation
might be it no doubt would all be
used in making an honest investiga-
ton, but l am just pessimist enough
to have no faith in it's resulting in
any good to the people until they
assert themselves at the ballot. TO
continue old parties is simply 10 give
possible Investigations and Offices in
to the hands OF other honorable(?)
gentlemen, but of a different political
faith, but adopting the same
methods OF giving blessings(?) to
the people.
Now, Dr., am just enough OF an
enthusiastic reformer to gulp down
the glaring injustices you show are
being perpetrated upon the toiling
masses, also to fully believe we are