The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-02
AN OPEN LETTER TO
The Hon. the Finance Committee of
the u. 8. Senate.

AN OPEN LETTER TO
The Hon. the Finance Committee OF
the u. 8. Senate.
Gentlemen-I have perused with much in
terest and satisfaction the list of questions
sent out by your honorable body to the
various merchants Of the country concern
ing the state and prospects of business;
and inviting their opinion concerning the
proper kind OF legislation necessary to
bring relief, if any is needed. Though not a
merchant 1 feel it my duty to make re-
spouse to questions which are of such
Welghty consequence to the farmers of this
country; fact that you were doubtless
entirely ignorant Of; and for which you are
entirely excusable. because you have, in all
PROBABILITY, never heard of that class of
citizens. But even if you have heard Of us
beg leave to assure you that we take no
oHense at being either forgotten, ignored or
even snubbed. We are used to it, and take
1t as a matter Of course. We do not ex-
pect to be consulted on matters of state
elections. Indeed, feel very much like COM
pllmenting you upon the tremendous prece-
dent you have established in condescending
TO ask the opinion of country merchants
concerning these exceedingly important
matters. Heretofore it has not
oeen considered necessary for cabinet Of
ficials and congressional committees to
consult any but bankers, railroad presi-
dents and such like Especially is this true
when the august subject of public finance
is to be discussed. Newspaper reporters
nave taken the cue from you or have given
the cue to you, 1 don't know which; nor
does 1t matter. Enough that they, like the
dlgnltarles of state, never deign to inter-
view the farmers about important questions
OF state, but proceed with alacrty to learn
what bankers, wholesale merchants and
perhaps few professional politicians have
bonds fno md
hard times
The dear fellows have never dreamed
that common retail merchant or far
mer, or even laboring man, had any
opinion at all; much less one worthy a
place in daily newspaper. l say, in view
of all this you have made a most astound-
ing innovation in state-craft, by consult
ing country merchants upon matters OF
such Importance as your queries suggest.
Let us hope that in doing so you have not
so far out-run all precedent, congressional
courtesy, and senatorial dignity, as to re-
Qulre severe and condign discipline from
that august body of Superlative statesmen
Whlch gave your committee its existence.
Ana may we not, also, indulge the hope
that in the not over-distant future say a
century, some strong minded, whole souled,
courageous committee, situated as you are
Will have the independence and manIiness
to break the chains of long established
precedent and aristocratic prejudice, and
codescend to ask even farmers and labor
ers for an opinion on the weighty matters
Of political economy and the like.
With these few preiiminaries 1 am pre-
pared to answer, though unbidden, the
questions which you have epropounded to
the merchants; promising to speak only
for myself, and to answer in that spirit
of candor and fairness which the import
ance of the situation demands.
l. What class of goods do you deal in?
Answer. Wheat, oats, barley, corn, pota-
toes turnips, beans, tomatoes and cabbage.
Also live stock of various kinds 1 make
my contracts with mother-earth and as a
rule she treats me fairly. l can't go back
on dame nature.
2. Has your business increased or de-
creased during the past four years?
A. Increased in bulk but the profits have
beautifully decreased. Indeed they were
at the freezing point four years ago but
they have gone to thirty or forty below
| zero Of late. Many times 1 thought
was at the bottom but l only discovered
Beneath the lowest depth lower deep
3. Upon what class of the population do
you depend for your sales?
A. Bankers, trusts, combines, money
sharks, plunderers and railroad officials. q
have here followed descending grade)
4. Wheat has been the tendency of pur-
chasers as to the amount of purchases dur
ing the past six months compared with
previous years?
A. The tendency has been to buy more
and pay less for it. I am nearly down to
the situa ton of the Irishman who took a
grist to the mill In the good old days Of
tolling. When he returned for his grist the
| miller after a fruitless search, obliged
to confess that his grist was gone Sacks
too?" queried the Irshman. Eyes, the
whole thing" A pause and then the Irish
man responded: "Well, to be candid wild
yez, l didn't expect any grist but I did
think you would give my sacks back
l have however generally got my sacks
back, except when l lent them and 1
have kept nearly square on that score by
borrowing.
s. If there has been any depression in
your trade, will you explain, in detail, your
views to the cause?
A. Depression! Well, 1 should smile
There has been regular chasm-a bottom
less pit. Steady down grade a never end
time to time been accelerated by tumbling
over occasional precipice.
s. How can this depression be counter
acted by legislation, or otherwise?
A. 1t requires heroic treatment. Kill
off the present congress; elect another;
and erect a first-class galows adjacent to
each chamber. Be sure to get ropes that
won't break. Abolish all class legislation,
including the tariff Establish a currency
founded on common sense and the faith
of the nation. Imprison any judge that
dares annul law of congress and hang
him if he undertakes to annul the law that
imprsons him.
Z. What is the rate and character of tax
alton to which you are subjected?
A. There, you've struck a lead The
rate is impossible to tell. The character is
infamous. There is railroad tax, wheat
combine tax, trust combine tax, and tariff
tax, state, county, town and school dis
trlct tax. At a rough guess 1 should put
it at 300 per cent But am not certain. 1t
might be more.
g. What rate of interest do you pay now,
and what has the rate been for the past 10
years?
A. From to 10 per cent 1 don't COM
plain SO much about interest although
when included in the other taxes it's pretty
tough.
9. Has there been a scarcity of currency
in your section Of country within the past
year?
A. Where on earth have you fellows
lived all these past years? Haven't you
heard Of the panic and the busted banks
and the collapsed security companies and
the petered out realty establishments and
the suspended mines and factories? Scar
city of currency!" Why, gentlemen, hen 8
teeth are more plenty than blackberries
by comparison.
| 10. Do you use cash or credit system in
your business?
A. Neither one. They are both obso-
lete
II. Have collections been quick or slow
during the past year?
A. Slower than an Alpine glacier. That
means at the rate of three feet DER an
| mum. Collections don't make that many
inches.
r. Has the increase in population been
largely from immigration?
A. Altogether. Entirely from the world
unseen.
Is. Have any new industries been estab-