The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-07

their own interests, to Voluntarily grant them.
l desire to call your attention to the names
Of the railroad committee who so outrageously
insulted the great agricultural interests of the
state by their action on the bills referred to.
They are follows:
S. B. Lovejoy, Minneapolis.
A T. Ferris, Brainerd.
]. A. Sampson, Litchfeld.
j. A. Larson, Walnut Grove.
P. c. Schmidt, Duluth.
D. T. Davies, Minneapolis.
r. B. Basford, Winona.
E. E. Smith, Minneapolis.
Henry Johns, st. Paul.
Daniel Shell, Worthington.
D. NJ. Gum, Grand Rapids.
S. I. Littleton, kasson.
r. J. Mcneil Alexandria.
]. C. Wood, Breckenridge.
E. A Bigelow zumbrota.
c. A. Parker, st. Paul Park.
]. H. Manchester, Lake Benton.
Is it not to the interest of the agrCulturist5
of the state that the above named should be
returned to private life for all time?
1t may be presumption on my part to sug-
gest remedies for the state Of things which
is here portrayed.
From my experience as an agricuIturist the
past fifty years I cannot refrain from calling
your attention to a few facts and sugges-
tons which have been forced on me very
wildly.
I was born IN a wheat field nearly sixty
four years ago and lived there ever since,
and. no doubt, will die there A great por-
ton of the time I have been a large shipper
VI gram, some years raised as nlgn as 0l,OJU
bushels. Frequently the weight of grain
would fall short at its destination from my
weight but having no receipts from the rail-
roads as to the number of pounds in a car
1 had no remedy but to submit to the impo-
sitiOn. There is a law on the statute books
of this state providing that railroads shall
weigh grain offered for shipment in bulk and
issue a receipt therefor
Finding myself defeated at every point by
those whose duty it was to protect the in
terests and rights Of the most industrious
class of our citizens, I next turned my at
tentlon to enforcing this law which has been
on the statute books of the state for the past
twenty years. 1t appears, however, that no.
body had been aware Of this fact. Having re-
celved the rebufs referred to. 1 concluded to
prosecute the railroad company for nOn-cOm-
plance with the law, in refusing to weigh
grain and issue receipts for the number of
pounds so delivered for shipment. I swore
out warrant for the arrest of the agent of
the railroad company at Lake City. The
case had q hearing in the court For the
first time We routed the enemy, horse foot
and Dragons. and got Judgment against the
clustered but finally paid the judgment to
the state.
I appeal to the farmers of the state living
on every line Of road, at every shipping point
to get together and have some one amongst
you present q car Of grain for shipment to
the agent at your shipping point and demand
OF him to weigh your grain and issue a re-
ceipt to you for the number of bushels so de-
livered. In case he refuses you. do as 1 have
done-secure a warrant for the agents ar
rest.
1t is the duty of the county attorney to
prosecute all such cases in the name of the
state. Remember, you support the roads by
using them and as much entitled to CON
sideration as those who contributed to build
ing them, unles there is no equality of cltf-
zens before the law.
By your actions you must prove to the
people that you enter your protest against
the courts, high low. which protect stock
and bond holders in their determination to
secure profits by fictitious capitalization. The
state means by legislation to stop fictitious
capitalization, and If the courts will dare
to uphold the right to profits on fictitious
capitalization they thereby nullify the policy
Of the state.
II the courts will hold that corporations
must take their chances like individuals in
business they would work for those things
which would tend to promote the general wei
fare of the people. Knowing our rights, if
you fail to defend them you deserve still
more abuse than you have received at the
hands of tho corporations during the past
thirty years. Remember IL you don't de-
fend your rights no else will. II you
pursue the course I have outlined the rail-
road companies, in my judgment, will tire
sooner Of disobeying the law than the state
will weary Of compelling them to obey it.
The fact that a district judge in this state
has ruled that when an unsuspeCtng, law
abiding citizen purchases a mileage book
placed by the railroad company in the hands
of scalDers and offers it for his transporta-
tiOn the railroad company has right to
confiscate his private property and he is
not entitled to demand the return OF his
property a condition to pay his fare in
cash; while the company Is justified in mall
treating such citizen even unto death, pro-
viding he contributed to the injury by his
stubbornness not to leave the car, pay his
fare and not demand the return Of his book,
is now judicially established. The highest
tribunal In nt the state Thc5
the supreme fraud Of the state,
has sustained the above decision by simply
stating that such citizen should leave the
car. pay his faro and not demand the return
of his personal property, he had his remedy
in the courts afterwards. In View of all
this, it seems to me that as the courts are
at present administered any appeal to them
IS equivalent to going to law with the devil,
with the court held in hell.
There is another corporation, or trust, l
desire to call your attention to. known as
the malt-hOuse trust During the last year
shipped some 20, 600 bushels Of rye and
barley to manufacturers and maltsters. in
transit thereby realizing in some cases nearly
the Chicago prices at Lake City. This year
the same parties informed me that they can
not deal direct with me; they belong to the
trust. The malt houses and buyers are near
ly all combined under management. and
one buyer purchases their supplies instead
Of fifty buyers, as heretofore, thus max
ing little or no competition l have always
been opposed to prohibition, but in self-de-
Tense 1 have changed my mind. l would
therefore suggest that the next Alliance state
convention insert a prohibition plank in their
must be fought with fire.
Let US unite one man to defend our
rights against corporations and trusts Of all
description. Remember, that as long as the
producing masses of the state in the exercise
Of the voting franchise. show themselves to
be amenable to the influence Of fear, fraud
and chicanery to the extent manifested by
them in the last state and national election,
it will remain an utterly hopeless task for
any body OF men to seek relief in their be-
half however limited the scope, from the
seIf-mposed burdens under which they are
today struggling.
In conclusion. brother farmers I beg of
you never to cast a vote for any man who
has ever used his influence against your in
terests.
was taken some years ago declaring that the
Farmers Alliance not a political Or
ganization. While this is strictly true the
statement has been used by the enemies of
the farmers to prove that the farmers should
not use the ballot box to obtain the reform
they demand. When farmers take that posi-
ton they throw aside the greatest power OF
sef-defeHse which they possess-the right OF
suffrage-and permit their enemies to have
a monopoly of it. Reform can come only by
one or two means-the ballot box or the
cartridge box. To avoid the use Of the last,
the farmers must employ the first. They
should use their votes to protect and ad
vance their personal interests and to reward
their friends, and to punish their enemies.
Mr. Rahilly presented a resolution
calling for the appointment of a COM
nittee of fifteen 20 demand more dras-
tic legislation of the next legislature
and pledging the members not TO vote
for any candidate Tor the senate or
house no would not pledge himself in
advance to vote for these measures.
The resolution covering the demands
is as follows:
no of no CfoFn