The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-10-14

1
| be a very bad cause and a very bad bust
nesss that can degrade people to such am
extent as to resort to such d1sgraceful
GAMBLING IN FOOD PRODUCTS.
| 80 FAR as the anti-option bill Is con-
! cerned, l introduced this measure, in abso-
| lutte good faith knowing, as L well did, the
bad Results that had grown UP in TINS coun-
| try in the last few years from the practlce
Oh gambling in agricultural and 1000 prou-
! ucts.I 1 knew well that it had not Only III
| terfered with and denoralized legitimate
business OF the country that It WAS undgr,
! us, TO great extent, q nation OF Samplels,
and leading, as it does, TO almost every
| crime in the category. L felt that the time
| had come when the strong arm OF the gov,
| ernnent should be invoked and the evll
! suppressed. ANY statement that | nave
| been inspired with any other motives are
! without foundation and absolutely Ialse.
Il notice" went'on the senator, ,that Mt.
MolcStt in his pamphiet states ,na in this
| section of the country. 1t was my ntefest,
not only to divert public attention from my,
action lin connection with elevators anu ,a
| wheat combines and so on, but to enable me
/ to carry out my designs, to introduce TINS
af blind and as b means abs Smile Of 1e
| statement that, barring an insignlhcant ana
indirect interest that L now have in the ele-
| company from small ownership of stock in
/ that company, l never owned Il share, or
had any interest. whatever, or was IN any
way connected with the management OF any
| elevator in my life. Neither did any milling
| concern. nor any other concern, with which
| l have been connected, own or have any
| thing to do with the management of any
| elevators in the country. Neither as an in
as sb Wember OF M os6
rectly or indirectly, have ever had any In
terest whatever in elevators with the single
| neapolis & Pacific Railway company, having
| for many years been satisfied that the meth
DDS OF handling grain which had grown up
in; this country were not the best, initiated
the plan of having the railroad company
build and control its own. elevators. l have
never been able to see any good reason why
/ it was not the legitimate and proper func-
! tfon Of rail- Dad company to furnish ware
houses and elevators to receive and handle
has it furnishes facilities for receiving and
handling other agricultural products, like
ht gs beef butter, cheese, etc, at the same
time allowing other parties to erect ware
houses or elevators without restraint or
hindr;lnce. ! have for many years believed
sought the earliest opportunity to introduce
III on the line of road referred to. This plan
assured the public: against any tampering
he grain of the same grade as sold by the
AN EXCELLENT PLAN.
"a railroad could have no motive whatever
Tor changing grades so long as it had no
Pecuniary interest IN the property for which
which were adopted by our company oper-
ated well and to the entire satisfaction of
the country, it traversed, furnishing, as it
ket reports of Chicago and Minneapolis so
as to enable the farmer when he hauled his
wheat TO the station knew absolutely how
much money he would be entitled to re-
ceiye for the tickets when sold. l adhered to
TINS policy as long as 1t seemed practicable,
but the pressure from different quarters was
so great. and especially as it did not meet
the approval OF majority of our stockhold-
ers. l was compelled to abandon it, but
have never changed my own views on the
+, subject. When this was done the elevators
! OF our railway company We're turned over to
new company made up of the stockholders
IN the railroad company in the same proper
tion as they held stock in the railroad COM
pany. In this way l held for few months
quite an amount OF stock in what was called
the Atlantic Elevator company. This stock
however, subsequently, and very soon sold
| and have never owned a share in that or
any other elevator company since.
"All statements that have been made the
past few months, and which are now reiter-
any combination or syndicate or organiza-
| tl0n or any description for the purpose of
affecting the price of wheat are utterly
boards of trade in my life. either individu-
ally, OF, otherwise, excepting in connection
with the milling business; neither was |
ever in a3y combination for that purpose
AL these statements. l wish to say in the
Oroadesf FN YAK ar" hN dhbsSgsfIy fa srop
1T is also stated in the pamphlet referred
| to that, as president of the Minneapolis &
tactic Railway company, ordered General
Manager Underwood not to furnish Wolcott
any cars. This statement is without founda-
| ton and absolutely false. l never issued
! directly or Indirectly, verbally or in writing
any such order, and 1 challenge contradic-
ton MIR. Wolcott, in his screed, publishes
n letter written by me to the Credit Lyon
alse III 1889, as proof that L was inter
ested IN elevators and that had motive
! in writing the letter which 1 did l see it
| is referred to as Senator WaShburn's eau
tious letter This thing is so utterly far
fetched, | would be very glad if you would
publish this letter in full as it appears in
the document, that the public can Judge
| whether there Is Il word syllable in the
! letter which was not absolutely business
like, straightforward and truthful. 1 re
| member well receiving letter from the
| Credit Lyonaise in the spring of 1889 and
as a matter OF courtesy | answered it as
| did. and would be glad to have the most
| hypercritical reader indicate word or syl-
liable that is not absolutely proper.
I'm reference to the antioption bill I no
| tice that IT is stated that this bill was
drawn in the office of Mr.. Pillsbury Such
| statement is absolutely untrue. Not onl,,
the bill was not drawn in Mr.. Piilsbury- IS
, office, but Mr.. Pillsbury never saw the bvN
! or even knew that / intended its intlsdlr,,
ton until after it had been introduced in the
senate and | sent him printed copy So
nothing to do with formulating the bill ina
| the first instance or improving its features
since that time The only thing SO far AS 4
know, that he has ever had to do with the
| anticipation bill was to go before the COM
| mittees of the house and senate, who had this
bill under consideration, and by whom ke
| was invited, to give his statement in regard
to it. He went before both committees and
| made an unusually strong and Intelligent
statement of the facts. there are prDsas-
bly, few people in this country so en-
tirely familiar with the effects that this ftl-
ture dealing in wheat has had both on the
business and morals of the country rs Mr.
| Pilsbury. liz there is anything wrong about
this measure he should be held responsible
for it no more than any other good citizen
who has favored it. So far as my own
action has been concerned with reference to
this bill l am willing to take the entire re-
portant, or necessary Legislation, has been
demanded for years. and perhaps l may be
pardoned in saying that l shall not be de
| tered for single instant in what regard
Il public duty ia connection with this meas
ure."
.'You have stated that you think this para-
phlet was inspired by the grain gamblers of
I the country. DO you not think that the
managers of the Democratic party in this
state have had ads something 2nei to do with it,"
| s"There is no doubt the Democratic man
ayers in the state are trying to use this
| whole business for political purposes, but
think their action in this scheme is only
was in existence. it occurred to the Demo-
| cratic managers that it could be used effect
L,ually, injuring the Republican party
throughout the agricultural districts Of this
nent Republicans. In this matter I think
they have made a great mistake, for, as
they have made TNa the issue, the Demo-
critfic party is placed in the attitude of an
ally of the bucket SO ,ps and grain gamblers
of the country. As "a matter of fact, this
anti-option bill has tayer been regarded in
| any sense a political question. 1t passed q
| Democratic house of representatives by an
oyerwa, elming majOrirg. nearly four to one,
| meInbers of both pas les in no way con-
| xx-ifh these q