St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-19
Mr.. OWEN ON ABUSES
The Minnesota Editor Talks to
a New York World Cor
respondent.
He Wants War Made on Rail-
roads and Boards Of
Trade.
Relief From Corporate OPP
ppeSsions, He Says, Will
Win Votes.
He Says Tariff Reform Alone
Will Not Catch the
Farmers.

1t IS active i'll North and South Dakota
and il is visible in Wisconsin. s. NJ.
Owen. a leader of the conservative ele-
ment in the Peoples party, editor of an
agricultural weekly paper published at
Minneapolis and the Peoples party cam
dIdate for governor in 1892 said to
World correspondent today:
The strength of the popular political
movement III Minneapolis may be meas
ured by the results of two years ago.
We embarked on canvass without
money and without regular organiZ-
alton. Our entire fund was about
$1,000. Yet our total vote was about
COCOA great balance of power be-
tween the two great parties.
''You ask me what is the prospect of
fusion between the Peoples party and
the Democratic party in this state and
the Dakotas? Frankly, none whatever.
1t is as nearly out of the question as the
union of the Peoples party and Repnb-
licanism as practiced by the leaders of
the party OF Lincoln and Grant at the
present time. The Republican organ
izatlon is hopelessly given over to plu-
tocracy and corporation interests. The
Democratic party, as it exists in Mime
sofa. is scarcely whit better. Its lead
erS are dominated by the corporations
exactly the same as are the Republican
leaders. [ regard both parties as Office
hunting machines that will sacrifice
principle and right for the sake of ex-
pediency. You cannot induce Demo-
cratic leader in this state to do anything
contrary to the wishes of the railway
magnateS. who rule us with rod of iron.
"How can you expect union of the
people with all organization that will
not antagoniZe the moHstrous wrong
that is daily inflicted upon the farmers
who toll and delve on our great plains? ?
Every day the organization in Min
neapolis known as the board of trade
has meeting of its executive commit
tee. and they fix the price OF wheat for
the following day. This price is as in
eXOrable in lis binding force as the
often-quoted laws of the MedeS and the
PersianS. Every farmer who sells his
grain is bound hand and foot by this
board of trade ediet. Independent buy
erS of grain who attempt to disregard
the fixed prlce find themselves confront
ed by the transportation companies,
who throw impediments III the way to
such an extent that it is almost impoS5i-
BILE to compete successfully. There are
follOuo Nayo dNOplCu W luiOGtlC HUT
pendent buyers, the principal one being
refusal 10 furnish cars to move the
grain. The refusal is not open. but the
excuse is made that there is an inSuffi-
cheney of unengaged cars, notwith-
standing the fact that the railroad yards
may be packed with empties.
''There was time when such bru9al
tyranny would have led TO civil strife.
Our people are too law-abiding to in
dulge Iii disorder. The polls must be
their place of vindication. There are
four great transportation companies
that are the common enemy Of the DeO-
ple-the Great Northern, the Northern
Pacific, the Northwestern and the Mil
waukee q st. Paul. There are others
grasping, greedy railway corporations
here, but these four are the prin-
cipal offenders. They have extended
their lines across Minnesota and the two
DakotaS. and they have parceled out
the territory by a compact that is as
monStrOuS as decree of some of the
ancient tyrants. Each of these corpora
tionS is striving to pay dividends on
watered capital. In order to prevent
rate wars they have parceled out the
country and decreed that producers
who live within certain limits must ship
their grain by a specified road. The
fixed price of grain is to prevent undue
mpetition-undue according 10 inter-
estS of the corporations. Thus it is that |
the farmers are held in wise of steel.
81 am personally conservative man. |
l do not allow myself to listen to some |
of the wild schemes that are advocated |
by men who are prominent in the coun
ellis Of the Peoples party. The sub |
treasury and warehouse plan is too |!
chimerical to receive serious attention. |
I IN fn ha for in
to loan a little money rather than 10 |
have to borrow, even at as low rate as |
2 per cent. desire to have the oppressed |
agriculturistS organized and fully armed |
in legal way 10 successfully fight the |
corporations. When one great wrong is |
righted it will be time to redress others. |
1t is impracticable to attempt to do |
everything at one stroke. Great reforms |
are not accomplished in day, as the
history of the world teaches US.
''How is it possible to effect a fusion |
with the Democratic party under exist
ing conditions? If the Peoples party
were mere office-hunting organization,
destitute Of principles and seeking only
the same rewards that the Republican
and Democratic leaders seek, my argu-
ment would not prevail, but the farmers
are not claimants for office. They desire
to shake off the chains by which
the corporations have bound them.
have been approached by some
of the managers of the Demo
cratic party of Minneapolis with propo-
sitions to unite. Very well, gentle
men, l replied, but what will you do?
Will you cause the GLOBE to attack the
policy of President Hill, of the Great
Northern railway? Will you unite the
Democratic party with ours on a COM
mon platform. with relief from corpora
ton oppression as the battle cry? In
other words, l answered that the only
way to effect fusion was for the Dem
Ocratic leaders to come out openly and
fiat-footedly against the methods by
which the capitalists eXtort from the
producers. OF course the proposition
fell through.
1--WE are sincere and struggling for
principle. The Democratic leaders are
tied up to the corporations and they
would do nothing. They wished us to
agree to make tariff reform the issue.
Tariff reform is well enough-l am
heart and soul in favor of it-but a
crying evil right here at home must be
corrected. say to the World that until
the Democratic party, through its
leaders, will come to the Peoples party
and say we will join you in opposing
the railway oppressors. there will be no
luolOu' NO WdllG lOllIlS W uU WIFI |
the political offices. The Democratic
Globe, tits popularity supposed. is under
the influence of President Hill. The
Globe will talk tariff reform by the
column, but you cannot induce it to
say word in behalf of reform of
corporation licentiousness.
The conditions in North and South
Dakota are identical With those of Min
nesota. In Wisconsin there is differ
ent state of affairs. The farming there
is diversified more like that of the East.
Lumbering is still great industry,
The peoples cause is not subjected to
as bad influences as in the wheat-grow.
ing states. Here in Minnesota there is
a so-called radical ring of the party that
follows behind lgnatius Donnelly, and
favor some of the chimeras that have