The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-22
NELSON'S GREAT SPEECH.


vast fortunes and build up mOnSGrOuS
inequalities in society, dangerous to
republican institutions. 1t goes to
make our country land Of 30, ESQ mil
lionaireS and five millions of beggars;
land of soup houses and palaces.
The governor must be fair. The
farmers are not fighting the railroads;
they are resisting the great wrongs
associated with them. Because the
governor enjoys pleasant summer
breeze, it does not follow that he must
justify a cyclone. Because he is glad
to warm himself by genial winter
tireSide, it is no reason why cOntla-
grafton should sweep away a city. He
understands, as we'll as anyone, the
wide difference there is between the
uses and the abuses of things. Hence
he should not say:
"Now, what good can be accom-
pliShed. what immediate and subStan-
tial relief can be obtained by arraying
the farmers against the capital which
has developed our railroads and our
manufacturing establishments? Cap
ltal may become tyrannuuS and so,
nor the other should therefore be sup
pressed"
We defy the governor to show where
a single farmer has ever asked for a
law against "the capital which has
developed our railroads." We ask him
to point to single resolution among
all the thousands passed by Alliances
to that effect. He cannot find one.
The governor continues:
"Legislation has not been framed,
as is alleged, in spirit hostile to our
farmers. On the contrary, they have
been the recipients of legislation eS-
pecially designed to aid them. Nota-
BILE among this class are our homestead
and timber culture laws, under which
the government has fitted out the far
mer with part Of his working capital
his farm. Aside from the land grant
railroads no class has had more gen.
erOus gift than this. And the very
gift to the railroads was especially
made and designed to aid the farmers
settling on our frontiers to obtain
railroad facilities at a much earlier
time than they otherwise would have
obtained the same. No other class of
men embarking in business have been
furnished by the government with
such aid as our homestead and timber
culture settlers. And the gift was
not only given to the native born, but
foreigners barely landed on our shores,
with their "intentions declared"
could at once Initiate claim to the
land bounty Of our government"
Here the governor falls into an
error. lie forgetS that those lands
belonged to the people. No foreign power
granted them to us. They were the
peoples lands; won and held by the
peoples blood, in the great struggle
which made us a nation, and in all
subsequent wars. The homestead
laws simply divided the common prop
erty and offered each individual his
share. The lands were valueless I'M
less they were occupied and cultivat-
ed. And the occupation and Cultiva-
ton, for five years, was full price to
pay for the right of individual posses
sion
But is there any comparison between
the homestead and tree-culture acts,
which gave the people the right to oc-
cupy part of their common heritage,
and the transference of the fruits Of
the industry of one section to the cot
fers of another? Did not these laws,
as it has turned out, simply provide
opportunity for men to toll in the
West for the benefit of the East? Was
it not merely giving the slaves of the
provinces chance to labor for their
masters al the Capitol? The nation
could lend millions of money to trans
continental railroad corporations; but
when it was proposed to lend an issue
of paper money, to help the struggling
farmers of the West to save their
homes. the howl that went up filed
the heavens.
And then the governor tells us how
the benevolent nation gave us-not
money-but part of our own lands,
again, in our own state, to establish
an agricultural college and expert
mental stations. We have not not vet
seen much of the fruits of these in
stitutions:-but grant that they are
good and wise, they are simply part of
Tie administration OF our O,Cn property.
And then the governor refers to the
endowment Of our own lands for the
support of our public schools-a lust
ana righteous measure;-but what
man IN the East, or anywhere outside
OF Minnesota, ever paid dollar to Gre
atc That fund, or was ever dollarpOOr
by its creation? And then the GOV
ernor tells us that the state has, ont of
the tdacs Of The people, appropriated $1O,-
600 a year for Farmers Institutes
Think of that The state has dipped
down into our pockets and taken our
own money to buy us present. Won
derful generosity. Ten thousand
year for interesting talks about horses
and pigs and chickens. provided the
takers shall agree to relgiously avoid
those great economic questions upon
whose proper solution depends wheth-
er the farmer shall lay on fat as we'll
as the horses, pigs and chickens.
And then, as another Illustration of
how much the government has done
for the agriculturists, the governor
points to the system of inspection and
weighing of grain at terminal points
minneapolis, ST. Paul aud Duluth
why the joke of the thing is. that this
system does not cost the state nnnnv.
but is supported By q .tie lecied upo. he
arhcW md ercn'nn'Iy taken ont of 1Le far.
MFRS pochets.H And the inspection. as
We all know is FIR fba hopoS+ oe L.,