The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-10-14
FOR THE FARMER.
What the Republican Party Has
Done for the Grain
Growers.
Free Markets and Equal Facili-
ties for Reaching
Them
Has Been the Object Aimed at
by Republican LegiSla-
latureS.
DemOcrat-GamblerS' Combine
Fails to Prove This Is
Not the Case,

When the Scallawag WelcOtt at the bid
ding of his employers, the wheat gamblers
and Democratic managers alleges that the
farmers of this state are at the mercy OF
the elevator companies, helpless victims of
a remorseless combination OF elevator men
and m1llers, he states what is Lot true,
and knows it is not true when he says it.
For in 1887 the Republican legislature OF
this state enacted a Law requiring the rail
road companies TO furnish u car to any
falmer demanding the same within two
days of his application therefor, which car
when filled with wheat was required to
be hauled to any terminal points and tho
wheat delivered to any cOnsignee designated
by the owner. The Law practically gave ev-
cry farmer in the state with intelligence
enough to avail himself of its provisions y
free market for his wheat. 1t emancipated
hlm from any dependence upon the local
buyer or elevator man. He could ship his
wheat to any consignee he wished at Min
neapo,ls, Duluth or st. Paul and get the
market price for it without having any
thing to do with the local elevators. That
law, we repeat makes the farmers of this
state independent of the local elevators,
and this and the further fact that the lat
ter are not under the jurisdiction of the
wind out of this Chicago screed so far as
it charges the Republican party or the
state administration with being in any way
Responsible for any swindling which is
practiced by the elevator companies upon
the farmers.
HE LAW GIVES A REMEDY.
Moreover, the fact that under this Re-
publican law the farmers have complete
remedy at hand for any attempt ON the part
of the elevator companies or their managers
to depresS prices below the normal market
point, or to swindle them on grades or dock
age, renders it very doubtful whether, if
any such combine" exists as is charged,
It would dare to use it's power Oppressively
in either Of these ways. 1t may be said.
ana said with truth, that there are times
Just Jus t., after harvest when it would be phys
panies to furnish every farmer with car
who might apply for one. But, on the other
hand, the reports of the warehouse commits
sion for the last two years show that the
railroad companies have cheerfully and
some OF them gladly, complied with the
terms of the law. and issued instructions in
emergencies when it is impossible at that
time to furnish all the cars required by in
dilylduai farmers the latter can easily I'M
dersfand why, and are usually willing to
wait till their turn comes.
A FEEBLE ATTEMPT.
it rs noteworthy fact that in all this
charge which is ventured upon in the single
sentence that the Republican party in the
state OF Minnesota is connected directly
with the wheat steals, there is no attempt
TO connect 1t with them except by the alb
surd statement that Pillsbury and Wash
burn and Loren Fletcher control absolutely
the machinery of the Republican party in
Minnesota, and farther on that the wheat
combination absolutely controls not only the
warehouse and railroad commissioners and
but the legislature of the state itself. Not
one iota of proof is offered in support of
this allegation. The public is expected to
Del1eVe 1t upon the authority of the anony-
nous author of this campaign lampoon and
the Chicago syndicate of gamblers in whose
service he is But inasmuch as the ma
chinery Of the Republican party has always
been employed to procure such legislation
and establish such agencies as would pro-
tect the farmers from fraud, it would ap-
pear that the wheat combine" has had 1T
tie influence with 1t. The record of the
state warehouse commission is sufficient re-
ply to the charge that. it is controlled by
any influence which seeks to rob or Cypress
the farmers. 1t has provided a system Of
state inspection at the terminal elevators
at Minneapolis, st. Paul and Duluth. to
Ind affording such effectual guards against
frauds of any sort that an investigation by
a committee consisting of three Alliance
cans, which cost the state thousands Of
dollars and consumed months of time-an
investigation in which the state afforded all
impeach the integrity of the state ended
by the admission Of the attorney of the
Grain Growers association that it was COM
pletely exonorated of all charges made
EVEN THAT Is FALSE.
The Chicago gamblers do not, and cannot
trnthfai make specific
they make one. They say that mo prose.
cutiOn was ever made of the firms to whom
Holcomb is alleged to have sold the wheat
Northern Elevator company 1t says the
railroad law of Minnesota provides for q
forfeiture Of a $4,000 bond given by each
elevator when such elevator mixes any
grain together, and that HOlcomb's testi-
mony is clearly to the effect that the Off
GERS of that elevator company ordered this
done, and yet 1t is shown that the ware
house commissioners never proceeded
against the PillsburyS, the Northern Eleva-
tor company, or anybody else concerned in
the alleged robbery. Now, as a matter Of
fact, HolcOmb was prosecuted for stealing
wheat sent to the penitentiary and long be.
fore he had served out his sentence the
Minneapolis and Northern Elevator COM
pany had surrendered its state license and
ceased to be under the jurisdiction of the
warehouse commission. The warehouse COM
mission had thus no opportunity to prose-
cute anybody upon Holcomb's testimony,
even If it considered it worth anything.
The record of the warehouse commission
is one of continued attempts to procure
legislation in the interest of the farmer,
legislation of a character so hostile to the
interests of the elevator men as to cOnclu-
sively disprove the charge that they are
under the control of any wheat-buying COM
binatiOn. One Of these measures was
pressed by them upon the Alliance and
Democratic legislature last winter. 1t pro-
yided for the condemnation of land on the
railroad right of way, upon which any
body so disposed might erect warehouses
for the storage Of wheat. The bill was de-
feated by the Alliance and Democratic
members Of the house.