The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-18
Dakotas and Minnesota in 1898. We

DakOtaS and Minnesota In 1898. we
believe that the estimate of 68,OOO.-
900 bushels for those states pub
lished by G. A. Pillsbury, of Min
neapolis, before harvest was sub
stantially correct, being verified by
the treshing machines. The flour
mills in Minneapolis need $4,000, 600
bushels for one year grinding; other
mills in the three states need as
much and considerable wheat is ship
ped out via Duluth Milwaukee, Chi
cago and to nearer points; therefor
some of those mills must be shut
down more or less during the crop
year for want of wheat to grind; still
the natural upward tendency of
wheat prices was checked during the
last ten days of September in Mime
apolis by greedy spectators, some of
whom are millers and charge high
prices for flour, bran and shorts.
There is colored gentleman in the
combine wheat pit who should be
smoked out by Minnesota farmers,
because he robs us of Is to 40 cents
per bushel of the legitimate value of
our wheat; therefor we hereby call a
meeting of the grain growers to be
held in the city of Crookston, October
Is, 1893, at 9 o'clock in the forenoon
to devise ways and means for reduc-
ing transportation charges on grain
and compel railroads, millers and
dealers to do business on basis of
legitimate profit, based on the same
average net profit on actual capital
invested in railroads, elevators and
mills as the average net profit made
on capital invested in farm property
in the state of Minnesota.
We hereby declare war upon, and
independence Of the wheat buyers
combine and propose that corpora
tions who are unlawfully combined
for the purpose of large gains to our
detriment shall be called before a
bar of justice and have their legal
rights allowed them, to be tried by
their creator-the State of Minneso-
ia, under the statutes of said state
for conspiracy or extortion as the
case may be. We declare that the
people of the state of Minnesota are
masters over corporations and over
the members of corporations within
it's Jurisdiction; that corporations,
firms and associations are permitted
to do business to serve the people at
reasonable compensation; that the
people of the state of Minnesota are
entitled to free competition in trade;
that the usurpation of power by COM
binations taking away from us by
might and stealth our inalienable
rights, making us their serfs in fact,
if not in name, shall cease! and for
that purpose we propose to have the
law enforced !! justice to all, special
privileges to none ~! We are en-
titled to equal privileges with all 9TH
er classes in trade, to fix values of
our own property. We deny that
railroads, elevators and mill owners
have the right to fix taxes upon us
without our consent. We deny the
right of them or any other class of
people to fix the value of our prop
erty. We declare that sales on
boards of trade are not public bona
ide market sales, because such sales
are limited to the members who
gamble or who are associated with
those who do gamble to beat the pro-
ducers and who do beat the pro-
ducers; the evidence of value by such
sales are exparte and we believe oft
en- fraudulent; we believe that such
sales are generally conspiracies to de-
fraud and therefore we do demand
that congress enact law for the
United States that declare monde
livery of grain sold for future
delivery on any Board of Trade a
penal offense, and settlement by buy
er of grain sold for future delivery
on any Board of Trade receiving any
consideration from seller refusing tc
deliver the grain sold, also penal Of
Tense. We also demand that the
next legislature enact such laws fol
the state of Minnesota.
We are willing to donate two bush.
els of wheat or it's equivalent in cash
each of us, to the war treasury need.
ed to carry out the purposes of this
declaration and suggest that the do
nation of that value shall entitle any
farmer to good standing in the
Farmers Army for self defense-The
Grain Growers Association of Min.
neSOta.
Please inform the bona fide farm
ers of your town of said meeting, re.
quest them to join with us and send
one or more delegates or attend en-
m9SSp SO that tho moofinr will ho q