The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-08
RED LETTER DAYS.

and the amount to be sown. The ofiicers
Of the county organizations to be elected
by a referendum vote. Tho county board
to meet twice a year not to exceed SIX days
per year and to receive e per day and
necessary expenses The farmers to or
ganize themselves at every railroad sta
ton into local elevator and farmers pro-
duce association. Build elevators on the
five per cent sinking fund plan, sell shares
to build the elevators to farmers only.
The same number Of officers to constitute
the state and county organization. the OF
ficers to receive 81 per day. The board to
meet once every month to investigate the
business of the association. Farmers to
store wheat in elevators and draw GER
tain price to be regulated by the associa-
ton to meet necessary expenses. and the
balance to be paid at Anal sale. All officers
to be elected by referendum ballot from
the local elevator to and including the state
organization, and, If it shall become neces-
sary, the imperative mandate can be APP
piled to the state organization upon peu-
ton Of 100 members, and to the county or
ganizations upon pet ton OF 20 members
and to the local elevator organization upon
petition Of 10 members. No money from
the sinking fund to be used for any other
purpose but building local elevators and
paying running expenses. After the sinking
fund has paid for building the elevator, the
fund which shall accumulate last year shall
De QlNlUtu up pro Tild OH lUc SIieiA CO ID q
dividend
COMPARED WITH LETTER.
Mr.. Hopkins said 1T was nine days
wonder when Letter, by gambling, raised
the price OF wheat 20 $1.40. He only con-
trolled 100000 bushels from the time he
commenced his deal until he went broke
If Letter could do so much on so small
margin, what could the farmers Of the
Northwest do when they could control 49,
100000 bushels of wheat.
P II. Rahilly said the railroad and ware
house commissioners mad voted against
every proposition wnicn the alliance mad
presented to that body. He laid the blame
not to the railroad companies or the wheat
men, but to the farmers themselves Help
yourselves, and il you don't no one else
will" was his advice.
Grading was a fraud and the humbug Of
the age. 1t was against the interests OF
the farmer, and this was because SharperS
and two-penny politicians were permitted
to run things. The alliance, In his opinion,
was calculated to advance the interests IT
the farmer.
EVENING SESSION.
HON P. H. RAHILLY, PRESIDENT.
]. c. HANLEY. SECRETARY.
At the evening session the alliance pro-
ceeded to the election Of officers for the
ensuing year. the officers chosen being:
President, p. H. Rahilly, Of Lake City,
Wabasha county.
Secretary-J. c. Hanley, of st. Paul, Ram
sey county.
Treasurer-John R. Campbell, Of Clyde,
Winona county.
Lecturer-Eric Olson, Of Sherburn, Martin
county.
Vice Presidents
First district, T. B. Nisbit, Of Clyde. WI
mona county; Second district, l.. c. Long, Of
Magnolia, Mobiles county; Fourth district,
John K. Cook of st. aul,~Ramsey county;
Fifth district, S. NJ. Fairchilds, Of Mime
apolis, Hennepn county; Sixth district,
John Batz, Of Albany, Stearns county: Sew
enth district Samuel Gebeau, Of Lamber-
town, Red Lake county.
The report of State Secretary Hanley was
read and adopted. The features Of the
same were as follows:
Farmers were good enough to pay taxes
to support the state boards and institutions,
but were conspicuous by their absence FRI m
the management Of or representation on the
same.
AS the injustice of this condition began to
be understood by the people when 1t was
known that the alliance was not a political
party Of the Populist stripe and that it had
Endorsed farmers and workingmen of all
political parties the only Qualitica ion being
asked was, are they farmers or workmen
and qualified to fill the position on the diff
ferent state boards and institutions.
The wisdom of this action was soon DEM
onstrated by the treatment the farmers re-
ceived in the matter of binding Irvine from,
no representative farmer on the board.
AS result the state prison sold nearly
their entire output Of binding Irvine to job
bers and merchants of the state and left
the farmers at their mercy in the matter
Of prices charged.
In some instances the price reached as
high as IL to IS cents per pound, while
the prison sold its output Of nearly 5000, OOC
pounds for 61a to cents per pound. which
has been estimated as about $4,000 on
this one Item alone which did not go to the
credit Of the state prison nor the tax
payers. but did come out of the farmers
pocket.
Another matter which emphasized the ne
cessity Of having a representative farmer
to look after the interests Of the agricul-
tural class was the discrimination in the
matter Of wheat grades which resulted In
the farmers being swindled out Of thou.
sands Of dollars at the opening Of and
movement Of this seasons crop.
When 1t is known that the railroad and
warehouse comm ssion are composed OF
three lawyers and no farmer 1t goes tt
show the lack of action the part Of
farmers In demanding and securing theil
just representation on the different state
boards and institutions that have q direc
bearing on their interests.
We have about 100 names on our list!
from which the governor can select farmers
of all political parties from all sections o.
the state, who are well qualified to serv,
in their respective capacities, and it is tn,
duty Of this convention to wait on the gov
ernor and firmly request that the farmers
recommended by this organization be ap
pointed to the different boards to represen
the agricultural interests Of Minnesota
which today has no representative on many
Of the boards Of this state.
GRAIN GROWERS AGAIN
A movement to organize the farmers ant
cooperate with the farmer elevator ant
other enterprises has received generous
response. and today we have new so
ciety known as the National Grain
Growers Association in operation and THU
will meet in convention at the conclus OF
OF the alliance meeting.
l have the pleasure to announce that W.
have In contemplation the establishment O.
business agency in the alliance. This will
give to members an agency that will Sc
cure for them better prices for products
and cheaper prices for the goods they buy
such as binding twine and other articles
One OF the plans now under way is know
as the Kansas plan, In which the business
agency OF the alliance VIII seek to establish
agents at every station in the state Wher,
grain and farm products are marketed ant
have them ship the products to termina
points to commission men or buyers VIII,
Will pay into the alliance treasury a Ger
tain part Of their commission or profits
1t Is the intention, if the plan be put II
operation, to secure the local farmers ele
vator and creameries to become member
OF the organization and become our agents
The fund that the establishment will ere
ate and maintain will be used to pay ex
penses of the agencies, pay lecturers an,
organizers and the expansion Of this featur
~ t1hA oil I'LL