The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-15
LIND And THE GRAIN
GROWERS
FOURTH DAY.
THE INTERVIEW WITH THE GOV
ERNOR


THE INTERVIEW WITH THE GOV
ERNOR.
The Farmers Alliance adjourned at
O'Clock yesterday afternoon and the execu-
tive committee OF the Alliance and Grain
Growers association will convene in 80
days to hear reports from the farmers Ct
the state in regard to the plan outlined
for the operation of the Grain Growers as-
ISOLATION as auxiliary to the Alliance.
Before adjourning J. c. Hanley was elected
state agent of the Alliance, with headquar-
ters al St. Paul
By appointment the Alliance commit
Of three composed OF Mr. Donnel.y, J.
II. Hanley and Z. II. Rahilly, accomDan icd
by % more members of the Alliance,
called upon Gov. Lind and were received
by him In his private office. Mr.. Donneily
was delegated to present to the governor
the object for which the Alliance members
called, which he did in the following man.
her.
SPEECH OF MR.. DONNEI.LY.
L nave been requested by the convention
or the State Farmers Alliance to come as
one of a committee of thzee-these other
gentlemen here present, are also members OF
the Alliance association, and the Grain
Growers society-to call upon you in ref
erence to some of the appointments which
You Will be required to make. We have no
disposition to annoy or en,l,arrass you in
any way by these suggestions, but many
or these gentlemen who are here with me
had the honor of supporting you for The
position you now occupy; and I may add
that all of the others have no regrets over
your election. and will support you now i'll
your efforts to serve the best interests Of
the state
We are representatives of society of
farmers, society that dates back for more
than 20 years in this state We were all of
us very much gratified in reading Il report
of speech you made shortly after your
election, at New Ulm, in which you stated,
IN giving the causes that led up TO your
election, that one Of the principal ones
might say. the leading cause was the labor
performed TIN ou2h many years by the Far
mers' Alliance in this state You were
right, This body had prepared the public
mind for reform, had sowed the seeds CT
winch your election was the qualification.
We came here from a sense OF duty as
representative farmers of Minnesota, IS
members of the only society Of it's kind
existing in the state, TO look after the in
terests of the agricultural class.
L think you made it part of yolr cam
vass this year that the farming class had
been ignored; that the affairs of the state
had been run too much in the interests of
the banking class the professional class
and the commercial class. Now we have no
hoStlnty to these various interests; we rec
OgniZe their Importance to the people of
the whole state. We still believe, however
that the agricultural class transcends them
Ill In importance. l need not tell q gentle.
Hiihil vi your mtelliSence tndt this interest
Is the foundation of the states greatne
Inc railroads are maintained by agriculture
ana the cars are filled with grain meats
vegetables and other products of the farm:
and when you pass outside the boundaries
or these two cities, the vast slipp,i.s of
lumber, groceries. etc. are rra!nly meant
Tor the farmers There is an anc.en. legend
Oh the Scandinavians, a tradition that there
was at one time what was called the Finn
bul winter; it is narrated that in the re,rote
he y:
three years when there vas no summer If
Dy the dispensation of Providence such a
catastrophe should again fall upon the
world. you will recognize the fact that one
nam the people would perish for lack Of
1ood amid horrible scenes of violence an
cannibalism. This lack of food shows ,ho
overwhelming Importance Of the farmers
pursuit.
think you will agree with us that the
General government has been exceedingly
generous to other interests, but has not
done its duty by that large portion of orr
population the farming class
"A lew years ago board of warehouse and
Iahroaos commissioners was established by
the legislature because the AGRICULTURAL
class was not fairly treated. I was q mem
Der of the legislature when the board was
organized We have witnessed for years the
melancholy spectacle of a board established
Tor the protect on Of farmers made up of
lawyers exclusively. And every farmer in
the state, Who is intellig ent enough to have
an opinion on the subject, knows that it is
most reasonable that the industries and in
terests which that board was formed to
protect should have at least one representa-
tive on It, And we have come to you this
afternoon. to press this suggestion upon
your mind
The Farmers Alliance passed a resouti on
urging upon Gov. Clough. your predecessor,
the appointment of gentleman. Hon. P. H.
Rahilly. of Lake City, or more strictly Of
Mt Pleasant, as a member of that board.
First, because agriculture is entitled to a
representative there. Second, because he IS
a man prominently identified with the in
terests of the farmers, who was yes
terday elected president Of the state Farm