The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-02-13
WAKE UP.
Advice to Alliance Men by Mr.. Yer
milya.

VIII the alliance unite in an attempt to
break the power of this foreign grain syn
dictate, is question that l have often ask
ed myself. 1t is shame that our eleva-
tors are owned by foreign syndicate and
that every bushel of grain that we raise
must go through their hands, and that we
Americans must pay tribute to the English
lord, but such is the case. Is there a rem
edy? you ask, and what is it? Yes there
is a remedy. Those syndicates exist only
by our permission; we furnish the means to
keep them in their present fourishing state
The state alliance has opened the way
for destroying the power of the foreign
lord by electing a state business agent
that will locate at Minneapolis to sell our
grain, but he can do but little unless we
turn in to assist him. We must have our
own warehouses, where we can ship our
own grain. L want to give some advice in
regard to these warehouses, and first,
want to tell you of what not to do, and
then l will tell you what to do
Don't build a costly elevator and don't
organize a stock company; if you do, and
put a man in to run it, the combine viii
put the price OF grain at your station up
on you until there is no profit in the bus
mess and your expenses will eat you up
The shareholders will want to sell
their stock, jealousy will spring up and
you will get to be quarrelsome among
yourselves and go down, and the foreign
syndicate will soon get your elevator and
you will be dsorganized This has been
the experience of very many farmer COM
panies in the state.
| can give you plan that never
be bought up, out or disposed of, and
one that will always hold your members
together and keep their dues paid. 1t is
often said that little dog will tree bear
where big dog would make a failure of
1T every time. The big dog grapples with
the monster of the forest and is slain
by the bear while the little fellow nps
and snaps and lodges, but never puts him
self where the bear can get hold of him.
The bear soon tires Of this and climbs a
tree Let us tree this foreign monster
Let every alliance in the state build a
small, fiat warehouse, say 20 by Sc feet
with 10 foot posts, partition it in four bins,
with an alley crossing the center then put
a door each bin with lock on each.
The key to the outside door be left at
some place in the town where any member
can get it at any time. -Four of your mem
bers can be using this warehouse at the
same time. A house of this kind can be
built for about S3G0 and when done each
member has the right to ship his; grain
through it if his dues are paid in the al
lance. Build this house by subscription,
the same you would build a church,
but let it belong to your local alliance
and let all members in good standing have
the right to use the house whether they
paid anything towards building it not
Each member does his own shipping but
two or three join in and ship together
if they see fit. All the expense you have
is for insurance and taxes.
No syndicate can ever compete with this
kind of a house They can't run you out,
for you have no expense; they can't buy
you out, for it belongs to the alliance,
and you never will get a majority of your
alliance to agree to sell profitable
house; your alliance will become strong,
for everyone will keep his dues paid to
have the of the house. This house
will do you just as good service when you
ship in your feed flour Irvine or ma
chinery. Unload it, run in to the bins
lock up the bins and outside door until
you can divide up the purchases among
your members.
Now, friends, what say you? Will you
help break this foreign power or will you
become it's slaves? If you think of build
ing, get move on you at once. You may
have quite a fight with the railroad com
pany, SO the sooner you begin the better
There is another thing | want to speak
of in this letter, and that is in regard to
purchasing machinery. | want
seeder, and shall have to pay cash for the
same. How many alliance members are
there in the state who want a seeder or
drill this Spine? Get your alliance to-
gether and find out and let Mr.. Powell.
our business agent, know. If there are
500 of surely can save some money
on them, but let US agree to one thing,
and that is, to only buy of the manufac-
tories that will advertise in our reform
papers.
Come, brothers, let us rally; let do
business; let us stand shoulder to shoulder;
wholesale all we BUY and cooperate in
shipping and the victory is our. Call your
dead alliance together, put life in 1t
by showing where they can make money,
send in your dues to the state alliance,
and in II months will make Rome howl.
Yours, j. l. NERMILYA.
Dover Minn Feb. l.