Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1892-07-14
THE CHIEF ISSUE.
The Leading Reason Why the
Farmers of Minnesota are
Getting Into Line.
The Wheat Question Over
shadows all Other Issues
in importance.

500 Line Movements.-North
Dakota Lands Sold to
Farmers.
At the recent state convention of the
Farmers alliance OF Minnesota, a strong
platform was adopted, leaving out the
sub-treasury plank. The Peoples party
have, as yet, retained the sub-treasury
principle, but as 1t is not favored by all
the members of the Farmers alliance,
the convention of that organization drop
ped it out of sight
The leading issue before the farm peo.
pie of the state of Minnesota, as we'll as
North Dakota, is the wheat question.
On that great and living issue between
the producer and the capitalist, the
farmers of Minnesota say:
The wheat question is the paramount
overshadOwing all other interests. We
call especial attention to the minority
report made by E. j. Moore, of the COM
mittee appointed by the last legislature
to investigate the public elevators of this
state. The evidence is sufficient to con.
vince unprejudlced minds that the price
of wheat is ARBITRARILY fixed each day
and sent to producing points throughout
the northwest; also that this powerful
combination embraces this entire
continent, reaching to Liverpool, and from
thence to continental Europe; to meet this
gigantic trust, the efforts of individual
enterprises are futile. All the natura..
laws Of supply and demand are ignored.
Therefore we invoke the power of the
state and ask our next legislature to
make sufficient appropriation for the
erection Of elevators at deep water on
Lake Superior where grain can be stored
unmixed at nominal cost, by individual
producers, awaiting sale ana shipment
to the markets Of the world. We call
attention to the report of the chief in
spector, which shows that over $780, 900 of
a surplus has accumulated from the
weighing and inspection of grain. We
ask that this fund be applied to this pur-
pose. We also ask that whatever change
Is made IN the grain laws, that the in
specting and weighing of gram by the
state shall not be extended to the coup-
try stations. It IS of the utmost i'm.
portance to the wheat producers Of this
state that all persons have equal facill.
ties for reaching the tracks of railroads
at country stations. and that law be
passed, making it the duty absolute of
every railway corporation, company or
association now or at any future time
operating railroad or acting as q COM
mon carrier to furnish side track fscili.
ties for erection OF private elevators or
warehouses Of capacity Of not less than
5000 bushels each, for the storage of
gram awaiting shipment. on such line OF
railway, and to permit and allow such
elevators to be erected and controlled by
any person, association or corporation
desiring to erect, MAINTAIN, control
and operate the same for SAID purposes,
and further, making it the duty Of such
railway to receive, transport ana carry
over ite lines promptly all grains offered
for shipment IN car lots without previous
storage and as offered.
Other demands of the alliance men
seem reasonable, and strike the average
reader as being not only sensible and
practical az subjects for legislation, but
just: to all classes. The farmers demand
equal justice to every citizen, special
privileges to none, gradual increase
in national money for the people to at
least $50 per capita; equal rights of coin
age OF silver with gold. the abolition Of
free passes on railroads, and the schedule
Of charges to be based on acutal costs
and expenses of railroad transportation
and not on watered stock. A reform is
demanded in the unequal system of tax
alton, that hidden property be made to
pay equal taxes with visible, that mort
gage indebtedness be deducted from real
estate taxes, aud that a graduated tax on
incomes be established. Government
ownership of telegraph and telephones
as part of the postal system ls desired
as we'll as the suppression of option
gambling, and the election Of senators by
popular vote.
There appears to be no ground for
the "calamity hoWls" in the above,