The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-05-25
Organizing at Maple Lake.

Organising at Maple Lake.
Yes, went to Maple Lake to help the
farmers to organize, for l knew from
experience that farmers need organiza-
ton for protection from combined and
combining money, and being an old
frOntiersman and farmer, I don't mind
trifles, but this is the way got to Ma
pie Lake May 10: Paul Kennedy, of Sill
yer Creek, had written me two letters
from that place, and thought to go to
his place on the 18th, stay over night
with him and get informed as to condi-
tions, etc, as Silver Creek is put down on
our railroad guides as a station, and
after being assured by the clerks at the
city Office of the Great Northern road
that there was station by that name in
that vicinity, l purchased a round trip
ticket boarded the o'clock p M train,
and when the brakeman called Silver
Creek and the train stopped 1 walked
out, halted upon the steps of the coach
long enough to ask the conductor who
stood upon the platform, if there was q
hotel there, and was told by him that
what l saw before me was Silver Creek
station, remarking at the same time that
the wagon road which crossed near there
passed by farm houses that might find.
suppose he thought would take trip
into the country before returning, as l
nrQC0nfo6 +r;y o1>o
good 80 days from that time, May 2.
1899, 10 o'clock and 30 minutes p. M,
so stepped from the car to the ground,
amazed to find Silver Creek one of the
could put Minneapolis and St. Paul both
inside of it and have room left for it's
streets are the widest, being paved and
decorated by God Almighty, He Himself
having made it's surroundings most
beautiful, with trees and shrubs of his
own planting, and man has never yet
marred it's loneliness by erecting one
single building within it's corporate linn
it's. There is not even a saloon there,
and that is saying much for Minnesota.
heard there was double railroad
track there. but l did not see it,. 1
just found the big road and went out in
the country and occupied the spare bed
of Peter Peterson, bachelor farmer,
breakfasted with him at his comfortable
farm home, and crossed the country to
Maple Lake, very thriving town, on
the 500 road, where the enterprising and
intelligent farmers of the surrounding
country met, listened to my short talk,
and went into organization for the pur-
pose OF building a farmers elevator for
the handling, storing and marketing of
the farmers grain, the proper thing for
all farmers to do, that the returns for
their labor may come back to them. |
There is nothing so much needed as the
thorough organization and cooperation !
of the farmers No other class can |
starve combined money to terms, or to |
death. 1t is an octopus that feeds on
the productions of the farmer, and the |
labor of the laborer, who is powerless to
help himself, as his labor is not food and |
clothing, which all must have, and only |
to find a class of business men in Maple |
Lake fully awake to the needs of the
times, by coming to the assistance of
the farmers in organizing their class,
and | would that the scales might drop
from the eyes of the masses, and the
agricultural classes given aid by COOP
GRAFTON with them along all lines, in de-
stroying the power of money combined
in the hands of the few, and by it's une-
quail power as the exchange of all labor
and the productions of labor, threaten
ing the destruction of our liberties and
the final overthrow of the government. |
The organization and cooperation of all |
the farmers, backed up and supported |
by the people, Is the only salvation of |
the country and it's future prosperity.
Our laws have been made and used |
for the protection of our infant indus
tries, until their combined money con-
trolls the government in so-called trusts.
while the farmer has no rights that even |
the courts are bound to respect Thous-
ands of farmers have been driven from
their homes by the injustice OF corporate
money. The records at our national
capitol show that am entitled to the
homestead possessed 80 years, paving |
all the government demanded of time.
and money, and never mortgaged for a |
cent, and / will give my right arm for a |
word of law or evidence that gives any
person but myself legal right to pos
sess, but am deprived of possession to-
day by corporate and combined money.
Truly there is but one remedy, and l will
use my best efforts to organize the farm
ers from Maine to California. Let the
people awake and protect the class that
have built and maintain this great ma
tiOnal fabric.
S. M. FAIRCHILD.
With the initiative and referendum
the OeOO1e A0ef anv reform rnoior;tv