The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-01-19
embrace large majority Of the Ameri-
can people.
ADDRESS OF H. v. POORE.
Delivered Before the Annual Alliance
Meeting Held in st. Paul, Jan. 9th

and 7th.
Editor Representative: Being re-
quested to write the Representative the
address I delivered at the annual Al
lance meeting. in reply to the address
OF welcome by Major Doran, find my
self confronted with a task hard to ac-
complish, owing to the fact I had but
little idea Of what l was going to say
before was called upon to speak and
can remember but little of what did
say. While cannot write out my ad-
dress, yet will try to give the readers
OF the Representative the main points
as l remember them. 1 have attended
eight annual meetings Of the Alliance
since l have been identified with AL
lance work, this last meeting while few
in numbers as compared with some of
the previous meetings, yet for united
earnestness could not be exceeded, the
delegates attending were truly the ''old
guard" 1 enjoyed this meeting more
fully than any other, owing to the
deep earnestness of those in attendance.
While we are invariably complimented
in the address of welcome as being the
ones upon whom the real prosperity of
the country rests yet the attitude of the
daily press and the railroads towards us
is at variance with these addresses Of
welcome.
The railroad companies require us to
furnish from 100 to $50 certificates be-
fore we can receive the reduced rates ac-
ering, no matter what their numbers
may be, whole pages of the daily papers
will be filled with the doings of
the Ha Ha, and Hoo Hoos, but we have
got to hear an address of welcome to
them, saying the prosperity of this
country rests upon their prosperity"
The Hoo Hoos are composed of mem
bers Of the lumber combine, almost
every member has free pass over the
railroads when they go to attend their
annual "jamborees
AuNO yCI W lSdl IL vi d SlLSlo arrest
being made of member of a farmers
gathering, even when they numbered I'D
In the thousands
1t is mistake to suppose that one
large crop, even with high prices, will
make the farmers prosperous to the ex-
tent of enabling them to pay off mort
cages. We do not have 81 per bushel
to buy things with when we get a dollar
per bushel for our wheat, we have only
the profit above the cost of producing
the bushel of wheat l have endcavored
to find out what 1t costs to produce
busher OF wheat, we cannot find this
cost by taking one crop, bus must form
an average upon two successive Years.
at least. In my estimation, I find it
costs, at least, go cents per bushel. If
| am correct then the farmers Of this
part of this state have been producing
and 1t will take, at least, .nree good
crops with high prices to place the farm
ers where they were six years ago. This
(Renville county, did not average 8
bushels No. wheat per acre this past
year, which makes the cost much higher
per bu, than it would have been on
crop Of Is or 20 bu per acre, The price
received would not average 70 cents per
bushel. which would hardly cover this
cost, as it was an expensive crop to Sc
cure.
The major called attention TO the ne
cessity Of keeping the bright boys upon
the farm. How can this be done, ask, if
the daily press continues to print cuts
OF farmers with idiotic stare and
long "straw beard?" What bright, am
bilious boy would like to follow an occu-
patton in life that calls forth such il
Illustrations Of this personal appearance
OF those upon whom the prosperity of
the whole country rests?" do not think
there are many and if it is earnestly
desired that bright boys would become
the future farmers and assume the re-
sponsibility of the prosperity CT the
whole country then let the press treat
the farmers as their address of welcome
would lead sensible, intelligent people to
believe they should be treated.
What good can come to the farmers
Of the country to have those papers re
port that the Kansas farmers have paid
off $4O,0O0,00O of mortgaged indebted
ness with the proceeds of the wheat
crop the past year? There IS no man
with a grain of common sense but
knows such statements are utterly false.
The estimated crop of wheat In Kansas
was 100000 bushels, at 81 per bushel.
Had every bushel been sold at that price
would have left $4,000 900 gross pro-
ceeds, but deduct the amount OF wheat
kept at home for bread and seed, and
also the cost of producing the above
crop and l venture to say there was
not $4,000, 900 net realized. Thus from
all reports of the terrible destructive
eject of Populism upon the business in
Kansas the past six years the above
would hardly have satisfied overdue in
terest, then where is the $4,000, 900 in
the hands of the farmers to pay mort
cages with?
If these papers wish &c help build up
business and avoid panics in the name