St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-23

argument is necessary TO dfSproVe this
claim. Every man who has tried 20 Scr
cure ear in which TO ship his crop
knows that it is absolutely false 0e-
easionally farmer who had the pa
thence to wait and insist upon ltsRas
been able TO secure a car, but in such
rare cases he has never had any desire
to get another.
Every farmer in Minnesota knows
that the state board of railway commits
sioners is body that never works eX-
eept late in campaign year. TO prove
this q news item in Wednesdays issue
of the ST. Paul Dispatch, 1.-The only Re
publican paper published in St. Paul.
only need be quoted. Over year ago,
after repeated demands. shipper at
Avoca. Murray county, obtained car
which he loaded with wheat and sent to
Minneapolis. His returns from the car
showed that nearly half of the wheat
had been stolen either on the wav or at
The elevators in Minneapolis. A COM
plaint was at once made and an investI-
cation demanded. Remember this hap
pened a year ago. On Wednesday the
following item appeared III the Dis
patch:
Railroad Commissioners Becker and
14iggett, Grain Inspector Clausen and
State Expert l.. u. Berry went TO Avoea
this morning TO Investigate an alleged
Shortage in the weight of car of wheat
shipped from that point last fall. There
has been considerable correspondence
Oh the subject between interested par
lies and the commission, but they failed
to arrive at any satisfactory conclusions
SO the tate department will investigate
the matter personally"
And yet, in the face of this, the Pio-
feer Press, in its nine columns or de-
Tense yesterday, said:
How utterly the record of the Re-
publican party and Of the railroad and
warehouse commission refutes these
charges is abundantly shown in the his
tory elsewhere given of the legislation
of the Republican party on this sub
ject."
In another column of this IOng-winded
and vain attempt to shield the Repub-
lican party from the charge that it is
responsible for the existence of this
great wheat ring, especial stress IS
placed upon the statute which was de-
signed to enable.the wheat-growers of
the state TO secure cars IN which to send
their crops to market. This is really
unfortunate, because the existence of
this law shows that the Republican
party through its railroad commission
has failed TO enforce even the few pro-
visions that have been made for the pro-
lection of the farmer. In this connec-
tiOn ii is Interesting to learn from the
mouth Of an agent of one Of the great
railway lines, how the demands of the
farmers Tor cars are treated. This man,
whose name is withheld for obvious
reasons. was formerly stationed at a
small village in the western part Of the
state.
This talk about the farmers being
ok In Nx,r k,so - 70 ~
wheat is absurd" said this gentleman.
land that law providing that cars shall
be furnished TO all without discrimina-
ton is dead letter. Now, by this / do
not mean that the railroads openly and
bluntly refuse to furnish cars, but TO
quote common expression. there are
more ways than one of skinning cat
and the railroads get around this car
/ question in clever and polite way. When
this law was passed the railroads all
sent out letters such as were printed In
the Pioneer Press this morning, saying
| that cars would be furnished 10 all ship
pers. ] received one of these notices,
Out never was able TO furnish car TO
a farmer who desired to sell his grain
without delivering it TO an elevator"
"How could you help giving them
cars?''
VERY easily" was the answer. "a
| farmer would come in and request q
| car. | would at once III his presence
| wire TO headquarters, and in return
| would receive telegram saying that
/ cars were very scarce, and that it would
/ be impossible to furnish the car at
| once. but it would be sent in few DAYS,
and as soon as possible. The farmer
| could not kick on this, and he would go
| away prepared 70 wait. In day or two
| he would come back and be put OFF
again. Finally he would be disgusted
! by the frequent delays and would sell
! his wheat TO the local elevator"
And yet in face OF this the Minneape-
! lis Tribune printed the following yes
! terday:
what are the plain facts about this
! alleged -thralldOm?
! ''First-U Under the statute compelling
! railways 10 furnish cars on demand No
farmer in the state of Minnesota is com
/ PEELED to have anything to do with an
| elevator. He may ship his wheat direct
| TO any market-which thousand of Min
nesOta farmers are probably doing.
second Under the statute compelling
railways TO give the freedom of their
track right OF way TO any farmer or
farmers who may desire to erect a gran
airy or elevator, the farmers of Mime
sofa are not compelled to deal with any
| ClCNdLOl COuipduN VI COlHOIHG. UGN
| may patrOnlZe their own elevators, and
| establish their own elevator system:
and III dozens Of Minnesota counties the
| farmers are so doing"
The list of the farmers elevators that
have failed during the past three wears
is long one, SO long that it would re
| Quire column TO name them.
What remedy is there for this state OF
| affairs?
The Republican party of Minnesota
| is responsible for this great wheat ring,
and ii admits It's responsibility by fore
| ing its leading organ to print in one
issue no less than nine columns of mdf-
ter denying the charges that have been
made, although only few months ago
! this selfSane organ practically admitted
! and proved that the wheat growers of
the state are being robbed. In view of
| the nine columns ofsdefense published
| yesterday, the following statement,
| taken from the two columns Of editorial
matter on the exposure, is certainly in
teresting and, il may be remarked,
| amusing at the same time:
Now be it understood that this ceH-
troversy over the question whether Mr..
Pillsbury's or other elevator companie.;
are or have been rObbing the farmers is
one in which the Republican party. as
we have heretofore shown, is i'll no wise
involved, even in the remotest degree y
If the Republican party of Minnesota
lis in no wise involved in this mattaa
why did the Republican state central
| committee cause this nine columns of q
so-ealled defense TO be published in thf
Pioneer Press yesterday?
The Republican machine of this state,
by its prOfuse deniais, has already ad-
mitted its responsibility, and cannot
now evade or shirk this. And now for
the remedy. The election of 1880
showed that the Republican party is
very largely in the minority in this
stale. Ike opposition majority of over
$1,000 rolled up at that time was really
a vote of mo confidence" and disap-
proval of the Republican administTa-
ton, and the people so regarded it.
Had the people who were opposed to
the Merriam ring voted together for
| Judge Wilson two years ago he would