St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-26


And i'll the face of the above the Pio-
neer in its nine-column defense asserted
the following facts:
FiTSt-That there is not and has not
been wheat combine.
Second-That the Republican party
has given the state laws to prevent the
rascality complained of.
Iblrd-That if there is or has been a
combine" its existence has nothing to
do with the Republ' can party.
These claims are somewhat conflict
ing. The fact that combine exists has
been proven to the satisfaction of every
reasonable man by the minority report
OF Hon. E. j. Moore and by the letters
and kilograms that have been published
In the last few days by the GLOBE.
The statement that the state has laws
against some of these evils is true, as
asserted by the Pioneer Press.
1t is also true that these laws have not
been enforced.
1t is fact that the officers charged
with the enforcement of them are all
Republicans. and they stand in high
favor with the party. The chief grain
Inspector. Mr.. Clausen, was a member
of the convention which nominated MIR.
Nelson, and to him more than any other
man does tie candidate owe his unani-
stances, is there any possibility that Mr..
Nelson, if elected, will turn down or
cause the railroad commission to turn
down Mr.. Clausen? Not at all.
rs This Violation of Layya
Section of the general railroad and
warehouse laws of Minnesota provides
that the person receiving a license to
conduct an elevator business must file
nf Inc
than $50, 600, for each warehouse, con-
ditioned Oh the faithful performance of
his duty as public warehouseman, and
his full ana unreServed compliance with
all the laws of this state in relation
thereto.
Section IA of this act defines one of
these laws, which declares that it shall
hot be lawful for any public warehouse
man TO mix any grain of different grades
together, or to select different qualities
OF the same grade. for the purpose of
storing or delivering the same; nor
shall he attempt to deliver grain of one
grade for another; or, in any way tam
per with grain while in his possession
or custody, with the view of securing
any profit to himself or any other person.
That no regard whatever is paid by
the elevators to this law is evidenced in
half d dozen Instances in the course of
these pages. the most notable of which
is the direct and so far uncontradicted
evidence of H. S. Holcomb, that c. A.
PIllsbury told him not to mix wheat
that was to be loaded out for Pilisbury
d Co.. but to Skin" everything else
and raise all grades possible.
What could be more direct violation
of the law than this? Why, if the rail-
road and warehouse commissioners are
not dominated by the enormous moneyed
interests OF the wheat handlers. did
they not make an investigation into the
charges of Holcomb? Those charges
were brought directly to their attention,
but nothing whatever was done.
The statement Of G. c. WOlcOtt is also
direct and convincing IN the letter writ
ten from Sutherland, Fla, March 24,
1892, wherein he shows that wheat
weighed less according to the weights
of the state weighmaSters than 1t did
according to the weights Of others
equally as we'll youched for. But more
important yet was the discovery that
''the state wei2hmaSter'S certificates on
the wheat out of the Union elevator and
the state WeighnaSter'S certificate on
the same wheat into the st. Anthony
elevator, showed much less wheat in the
cars in one case than in the other"
beyond question upon the state weigh
master in 1856. Holcomb was then out
of the elevators employ, and his ab-
sence evidently did not stop the steal
ing. The logic is unanSWerable that.
if the Republican party is responsible
for its agents, as it must undoubtedly
be, that party is the one which must
answer to the farmer for this unques-
tionable system of plunder and rob-
berry.
rs This Law Enforceda
A political party in control of the law
is required to enforce that law, and its
failure to do so should be remembered
at the polls when the question presented
Is as momentouS and vital one as is
the prosperity of class of such size
and Importance as the farmer
Were the Republican government of
Minnesota not under the control and
dominion of the wheat ring; were it not
of the utmost Importance that the ring
should have its aid in successfully evad-.
ing the consequences of its bold
and constituencies disregard of ali
law and justice: were the leaders of the
wheat combine not liberal contributors
to maintain in power the Republican
officeholderS who know they cannot be
elected without this powerful aid. and
were the Republican party in earnest in
its protestatlons of an interest in the
farmers welfare. there would be no
trouble i'll breaking up this audacious
combination. If the Republican gov
ernmental machinery had been set IN
motion the parties who directly violated
the law as to mixing wheat would have
been punished.
If the Rerublican party of Minnesota
is not responsible for the dOings of the
combine, in that it does not use its
power and influence tip break it up, can
it explain why the principals in the
great wheat ring belong to and owe
their political hOnors to its conventions.
The PillsburyS and the Washburns aud
others have grown rich in the wheat
business. One of the Pillsbury family,
state for two terms, elected by that
party. The Republican party also
made John S. Pillsbury and G. A. Pills
bury state senators for several terms. 1t
has been said by G. NJ. AmSden that the
PiilSburyS had ell the money they
wanted, and cared for nothing now but
political honors.
When great party finds itself in the
position that the Republican party of
Minnesota is today, there is but enc
course open to it. The organization
Must BE Purged
of the unfaithful or the party must ac-
cept defeat. But this is not the way
the Minnesota Republican ringsters DO
business: by no means. They depend
on the people voting for the party be-
cause of their prejudices, and even after
an exposure they hesitate not to nom
mate man for office. A good example
of this was In the nomination of II. w.
Childs for attorney general. Mr.. Childs
was hardly known throughout the state
until he championed the elevator side
of the wheat investigation, when his
duty to the people pointed the other
way.
Many Republicans wondered why