Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-08-10

this natural wealth being given to the
state for the support of its govern
ment and public schools, the state now
awakes to the startling fact that, after
forty years OF uninterrupted republican
mis-rule, one-half of it's tillable area
has been given to favored railway
companies, its state pine lands have
been plundered or frittered away for
trifle of their value, the vast stores of
ore in it's two great iron ranges have
passed into the hands Of two gigantic
foreign syndicates, and that a politi-
cal combination of these favored rail-
roads, pine-land thieves and iron ore
syndicates owns, controls and oper-
ates the state government in nearly
every branch and today defes the peo-
pie to regain possession of their own.
V.
We demand the reinforcement of this
corrupt and powerful political ma
chine operating within the republican
party of Minnesota and we call upon
every patriotic citizen, regardless of
party, to join in the common battle to
this end, as civic duty in the inter-
ests of the states industry, trade, la
Dor, its common schools, it's ballot,
and it's future stability and greatness.
VI.
We demand the restoration to the
state of all the valuable lands and 9TH
er resources taken from it by deeds of
fraud and crime.
VII.
We demand the just and equal taxa
ton of all mining, railway, timber
and all state and municipal franchise
corporations, and we demand that
any private corporation enjoying
public franchise should pay to the
people granting such franchise fair
percentage of it's earnings as a rental
for the use of it.
VIII.
We call to the attention of the peo-
pie of Minnesota that the railroad
companies derive a larger annual ag-
gregate income from the charges lev
upon the states industry and trade,
than the total income of the farms from
the sales of the states entire grain
product. We charge that these exces-
sive railway earnings are due to I'M
just and exorbitant charges for the
transportation of freight, and that
they both Cypress industry and trade
and retard the states development.
and we pledge our utmost efforts in
every department of state government
to regulate and reduce these oppres-
sive charges by practical legislation
of the nature of that defeated by the
last republican Legislature. We make
this demand for the salvation and
prosperity of the great wheat-produc-
ing industry of the Minnesota and Red
River Valleys, Of the iron industry of
our northern ranges, and of the gener-
al shipping interests of the state us
against the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of favored
centers to the east.
Extortionate rates ongrain in north
ern and western Minnesota, nearly
double those charged in neighboring
states, have driven away settlers, re-
tarded development, and produced
bankruptcy where nature promised
prosperity. We demand that the
rates charged by the railroads opera
ted by the two great iron companies
in St. Louis county shall be reduced
to a figure which will allow shipment
by Independent mine owners. Thous-
ands of acres of rich iron lands have
been made worthless because of extor-
tionate rates charged by these syndi-
Gates and all competitors of the two
great iron companies have been driven
from the field through the Indifference
or fundamentally of Republican ad-
ministration.
We condemn the railway and ware
house commission appointed 10y repub-
lican governors as the subservient in
strument of interested railway and ele-
vator companies, and demand the elec-
ton of such commission by the people.
We denounce the combined railway
and elevator ring of this state which
controls the location and building of
private elevators and prevents the free
erection ofcompetitive elevators when
ever it chooses, SO to do. t.: j
/ ~ @ ill., x. s# 81 n
We condemn the state labor commits
sioner for the prostitution Of his Office
to partisan purposes and the issuance
Of political reports on 1.-THE purchase
power of gold = at the
expense Of the taxpayers OF the state
without authority 81 law, and to the
neglect Of the labor interests Of the
state, which he is sworn to subserve.
#s$ I Ia 49,