The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-24

for the American citizens to stop and
think what their government has DONE
and is doing, to foster one branch of
business, while, on the other hand it is
doing everything possible TO break down
the equally legitimate business of seed
selling.
''Whlie the government is carrying on
a very extensive seed shop, much larger
than the coordination of some fifty TO
sixty Of the largest establishments in
this country, yet it does not enter into
competition with them in selling but
does much worse, it gives them away,
thus becoming their most intense COM
petitor, giving away annually about 25,
00O,0C9 packets OF garden seeds, not to
mention thousands of dollars worth OF
flower seeds. The recent specifications
call for:
Lettuce seed, 1000 pounds.
Onion seed, 10000 pounds.
CueuGlber seed, $4,000 pounds.
Beet seed. 43. 600 pounds.
Radish seed, 1900 pounds.
Melon seed, -6S coo pounds.
Sugar corn, peas and beans, 5000 bush
els each
And many other items, all for gratuit-
Gus distribution for the purpose of in
fiueneing votes.
ONLY BUSINESS so TREATED.
Fer many years, the seed trade has
been the only business that has thus
been crushed by the government, whose
, competition is annually getting worse,
and must. Of necessity, drive many deal
ers out of business Why is it that the
seed trade should be especially selected
to be sacrificed by our government, while,
on the other hand, they are preparing
TO protect and foster specially selected
businesses. and the dividing among va
the sum of $4,000, 900 or more annually &?
We can not see that the government is
antagonizing any other branch of trade,
nor wherein, under the present methods,
the governnen seed shop IS jOing any
good, un:ees il would be by fostering the
cause OF politicians by attempting to in
fluence votes While, on the other hand,
it is discriminating against and direct
" iniuring a very large number Of our
citizens. an1 merchants, who have never
vet escaped, or asked tc escape, from
paying their proportion of the govern
ment expenses in the way Of taxes or
special assessments.
''grhefe is no doubt but that the orig
inaI intention Of the bill in the agrlcult-
ural department, if properly carried out,
would be beneficial, not only to the peo-
pie, but to the government. direct; but
it has been SO Inverted that it has now
become Il burden, and if the secretary Of
agriculture was allowed to conduct his
department upon the lines Originally in
tended, it could be done at a saving Of
large sums of money to the government,
and at the same time prove by practical
results very beneficial not only to the
agricultural interests but eventually to
the interests Of the entire world
Now, if this free distribution of seeds
is a good thing, why should it not be
extended to the balance of the citizens
who have no use for seeds. aud present
them with the other necessities or lux
uries, whichever It might be?
MIGHT GIVE AWAY COAL AND
SHOES.
"a few hundred thousand dollars spent
for groceries. for clothing, boots and
Shoes agricultural implements, coal and
\ other supplies would be equally as effect
i've and do more good than what the de-
partment of agriculture is now doing
with their free seed distribution, which
the farmers themselves did not ask for,