The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-07
WHAT IT HAS TRIED TO DO.
HAS MET WITH REBUFFs FROM
THE RAILROAD AND WARE
HOUSE COMMISSION.
Address 0pines That Nobody Can
Gain the Relief Sought While
Voters Are UncOncerned.

Farmers Alliance has issued the fol-
lowing address ITO the Farmers Of
Minnesota"
The last convention of the Farmers ALI
ance Of this state constituted the under
signed legislative committee whose duty 1t
should be- first, to secure, If possible, some
enforcement Of those existing laws relating
to common carriers, which might be re-
garded favorable to the farmers Of Mime
sofa; and, second, to formulate and present
to the legislature such measures relating to
the carriage Of farm products as, in the opin-
ion of the committee, sound public policy
might dictate.
In the fulfllment Of It's mission the commit
tee at once visited the railroad and warehouse
commission and asked that body to secure to
farmers the right to have their products, when
shipped in bulk, weighed by the railroads at
the place of shipment and receipts given for
the amounts Of such shipments. The commit
tee were received in frfgid silence and with
an assumption Of Difference which barely out
lived the first indication given by the com
mittee that it meant business. Were that
body intent demonstrating that it was in
deed q railroad commission by ownership as
well as by name no clearer demonstration
Of the truth could be provided than was fur
nshed on that occasion. Forgetting for the
time, apparently, that the body over which
he presided was composed OF the paid agents
Of the public, the chairman Of the commission,
Mr.. Becker, assailed your committee as being
responsible for certain resolutions passed by
the convention, which had criticised the inter
state commission and the state railroad and
warehouse commission alike. On his assault
being resented, Mr.. Becker thought 1t advis-
able to apologize. The committee was, how
ever, in search of relief for the farmers from
railroad exaction and not Of apologies, but
were quickly forced to the conclusion that
their search was being conducted in the wrong
direction.
AS an illustration of the indifference of the
railroad and warehouse commission to the de-
mands Of the people, and Of the worthlessness
of that body to all interests concerned, ex-
cepting the railroads alone, We call attention
to the fact that while the general statutes OF
the state (vol. 3 Sec 1852 provide that the
railroads shall weigh grain offered for ship
ment in bulk, the commission assured the
committee that it could do nothing and would
do nothing to secure the farmers the relief
sought in that direction.
Having become satisfied from the conduct
and general demeanor of its members
throughout, that the railroad and warehouse
commission was even worse than worthless
for ell public uses, and apparently only con-
ceived itself to exist for the defense and pro-
lection of the railroad corporations against the
demands Of the public, we directed our at
tention toward the legislature. A series OF
remedial measures were prepared and we're
introduced in the house. These measures
we're follows:
l. A bill amending the law creating the
railroad and warehouse commission, and call
ing on that body on the first Monday or
May and November Of each year, and at
such additional times as might be necessary,
to carefully examine existing freight rates,
and unless the commission were satisfied that
such rates were in all respects just and rea-
sonable, to call upon the railroads to make
the necessary reductions. On the neglect or
failure of the roads to make the required
reductions the bill then made it the duty
of the commission to appeal to the courts
and to continue to so appeal until the lowest
Just and reasonable rates admitted by the
courts were made to prevail Thus an I'M
perative duty to continue forcing down ex-
listing rates sought to be imposed on the
commission on pain Of removal from office.
2. A bill providing for uniform REDUCTION
Of all existing freight rates to the extent OF
20 per cent of rates in force on Jan. l, 1887.
g. bill providing for uniform passenger
rate Of cents per mile.
A. A bill providing for the lawful transfer,
nv delivery of mileage books from one per-
son to another, the possession of such books
being prima facie evidence Of lawful owner
ship, regardless Of the name written or
stamped on the book.
track scales at all railroad stations from
which not less than 100000 bushels of grain are
shipped annually and for the delivery, to the
shipper, Of proper receipts Tor the amount
of grain so delivered.
Through the efforts of the Hon. Ignatius
DOnnelly these measures were placed IN the
hands of different members OF the house
They were in time referred to the committee
on railroads of that body. Again through MI
Donnely it was arranged that the committee
should have a public hearing on those meas
ures. Our chairman, P. II. Rahilly, accord
ingly appeared before the committee on
railroads. and after listening till 2 O'Clock In
the morning to the arguments or the railway
attorneys gathered to oppose the so-caIled
Douglas bill, he was compelled to withdraw
unheard.
hiIlv and Mr.. Costello attended the meeting
of the committee on railroads. They were
informed by the chairman that that body was
very busy and could only allot very short
time to the alliance measures. half hour
was assigned in which to present the merits
Of the five measures above outlined. The time
was as fully utilized as its brevity and the
nature Of the task before the committee ad-
mitted Of But from the outset, indeed before
a word had been spoken it was plain that
the experience of the committee before the
railroad and warehouse commission was to
be duplicated, and that the measures would re-
ceive short shrift. Both of our representa-
tives spoke; but they might better have re-
manned silent. 1t was apparent throughout
that there was not a shadow OF possibility
that the measures advocated would receive any
serious consideration whatever The commit
tee was mere unpleasant obstruction in the
path of these self sufficient legislators, TO be
brushed aside as quickly and as unceremon-
iously as might be.
ON the Following morning the bills were
reported adversely by the committee on rail
roads, and 1t was urged with reference to
the measure for track scales that the expense
would be too great to the railroads and that
scales to the capacity asked for could not be
secured. Mr.. Donnelly called the attention of
the house to the fact that there was no
disposition to place undue burdens on the
railroads and that platform scales that would
not cost more than SIS might be made to
answer the purpose. He pleaded that the
be discussed and amended according as the
Judgment Of the house might dictate, but
he pleaded in vain. The measures were
doomed from the outset to speedy and violent
death.
Whatever the present actual condition of
public sentiment may be regarding the car
riers Of the state, it is plain to demon
stration that all the forces of official life
are today organized and amalgamated in the
great undertaking Of preventing any change
in existing regulations affecting railroads and
other great corporations. The dominant ele-
ment In our politics is in conspiracy with
them. The great majority of the men whom
the electors of Minnesota in their wisdom,
placed in power with the opening of the
present year are their confederates. And
while there is plainly manifest spirit of I'M
certainty and unrest among even the repre-
sentatives Of the corporations in official life
the people can expect no immediate relief,
except such as the corporations think proper
in the pursuit Of their own interests to VOL
unfairly grant them.
1t is not within the province OF the COM
mittee to suggest remedies for the state OF
things which is here protrayed. They confine
themselves to the remark, that as long as the
producing masses of the state in the exer-
else Of the voting franchise show themselves
to be amenable to the influence Of fear, fraud
and chcanery to the extent manifested by
them in the last state and national election
1t will remain an utterly hopeless task for
any body of men to seek any relief in their
behalf however limited in its scope from the
self-imposed burdens under which they are
today struggling. Very respectfully,
p. H. Rahlly, Chairman,
It. J. Meighan,
'1= H. " Poore,
j. T. Emes
w. G. DAILY,
w. w. Prendergast
r. J. Hail.
&C. P. Aldrich.
M J. Costello, Secretary.
L. C. Long, President F. A. and I. q.