Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-08-16
KNUTE NELSON'S ARGYLE SPEECH,
Continued from last week.
Land Grants.

BY liberal and generous land grant of
two sections per township the federal gov
eminent has relieved our farmers of a
great burden of taxation for the support
and maintenance of our educational sys-
tenn, which is beyond all cavil the best in
the world. Our state government has
also, in many ways through suitable laws
given special assistance to the farmers.
In addition to properly executing and car
rying out the several federal trusts and
grants to which have called your atten-
ton, the state maintains, by an annual
appropriation of $4,000, "a course of
farmers Institutes throughout the state,
for the purpose of instruction in all
branches of practical agriculture This
instruction, orally given by experts of the
highest order, is brought to the very doors
OF our farmers, at q time of the year
when the duties Of the farm are least
Dressing.
For the benefit of the farmers raising
small grain, the state has established a
system OF grain inspection, and provided
laws for the regulation and control of ter
minal and interior elevators; and board
OF railroad and warehouse commissioners
has been established and exists for the
purpose OF supervising and regulating the
elevator and warehouse service and the
grading and inspection of grain. This
same board has also supervision and con-
trol over our railroads, and acts as arbi-
traitor or umpire between them and the
producer patronizing the roads, as to all
controversies touching transporting rates
or modes Of service.
Neither is the dairy farmer ignored or
neglected. A dairy department has been
established and is in successful operation,
especially designed to protect the farmer
against the evils of adulterated milk,
cheese, butter and lard. And for the pur.
pose OF instructing him in the science of
cheese and butter making, dairy school
has been established and Is In successful
operation at ST. Anthony Park, where our
farmers can learn to become skilled and
approved cheese and butter makers That
trust which the federal government en-
tailed upon our state in giving it liberal
land grant for the purpose of draining
wet and overflowed lands, has finally been
assumed by our state, and it is now en-
gagged, under liberal appropriations grant
ed by the legislature of 1898, in draining
for the benefit of the farmers of the Red
river valley some of the wet and over
flowed lands of that section, by opening
and restoring several of the clogged or
closed water courses existing in the valley,
and when the system of drainage so in
augurated has been completed, it will
render the northwestern part of our state
q land of fertile farms second to no other
portion.
From this brief glance over the field OF
federal and state legislation it is apparent
that since 1860 there has been no incon-
siderable amount of special legislative re-
lief and assistance given to the farmers
and the agricultural interests of the coun-
try. No other class or interest can point
to any more or as much friendly special
legislation, and it has all been inspired
under the auspices and direction of the
Republican party. In the light of these
facts how can honest men claim that the
farmer has been oppressed or neglected
through want of friendly legislation?
Benefits of Protection.
Our protective tariff legislation, while
greatly extending and enlarging the field
OF our manufacturing operations, and
greatly increasing the demand for labor
and palpably maintaining good wages for
the same, has also been of great advan-
tage to our farmers. The large industrial
army fostered and maintained under our
tariff laws, has been the great consumer
of our farm products and has furnished us
our great home market, which has alb
sorbed more than so per cent of all our
farm products. This home market has
not only been by far our greatest mar
ket, but it has also been our steadiest,
most remnnerauive market The farmer
has always Jared much better in the home
market than in the foreign market. Most
of our agricultural products are sold and
consumed at home, and is to those, a.
fairly good price is generally maintained.