davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The representative., 1901-06-06

FAIRFAX, Mimi, May 16, 1901.
Editor Representative:
Dear Sir: Having read many letters
Of late In the Representative on the
subject Of organizing farmers. deem it
proper to make an explanation of the
situation as the last president elected
by the Grain Growers association OF
Minnesota
At that last meeting several plans
were submitted for organization, one by
H. e. Boen, Of Fergus Falls; one by
s. w. Powell Of Saltwater; one by Igna-
thus Donnelly, of Nininger, and one by
myself. The meeting was very warm
one, over the discussion Of the differ
ent plans, and resulted in the adoption Of
H. e. Boen's plan as the business plan,
and the plan of Mr.. Donnelly as the So
cial and fraternal feature, with myself
as president, and the understanding that
both societies were subject to amend
ments. change or reorganization, as pro-
vided in the articles Of organization.
Neither plan has proved successful.
Why?
First, because these two plans divided
the forces. Second, because the busi-
ness plan was not representative enough
in that it was an organization Of ele-
vators.
Now. I believe farmers can tell tho
gold from the dross as quick. If not
quicker. than any other class Of people,
They have learned 1t by long years Of
toll to meet the tributes that have been
levied upon them, and they will not re-
spond to new schemes until some plan
Is presented that is rock-ribbed and as
solid as the existing elevator systems
of today.
This new plan must appeal to the
farmers as stronger and better than
those now existing.
Properly organised, the farmers Of the
Northwest would be able to control 3OO.-
100000 bushels Of grain annually, which
would enable our own business center,
Minneapolis, to fix the price of wheat
instead Of the Liverpool market. My
plan provides that the unit of the or
ganization should be the local Grain
Growers association, with price Of the
shares at SO per share. no member to
have more than 20 shares, and each
member to have one vote regardless of
the number OF his shares.
All grain handled should contribute 4
fund OF per cent to be used In building
local and terminal elevators. which fund
The representative., 1901-06-06

ration of your vfrtuOus desire to save
expenses. When you have dropped the
privileges and the bounties you grant
to the railroads as part pay for politi-
cal support, when you cease to allow
them more than the express companies
pay for the same services, you will give
some practical indication of your sin.
cerity. But until you have done this,
please do not make us tired with tall
about honesty and economy.
Why Is it that you recommend so
high rate on books and other matter
that should go second-c!ass, that all
this vast amount Of business is thrown
into the hands of the express COM
panies? Why would you deprive the
people Of their rights under the sys-
tenn, to put money in the pockets Of
these companies? One of your expo
nents, Congressman Loud, Is said to
have deceived the house touching the
contents of bill relating to your de-
partment, and by that means succeed
ed in smuggling it through that body,
and it would doubtless have passed the
senate but for two lynx-eyed newspaper
men who detected the attempted decep-
ton. What do you know about this
affair Mr.. Smith?
''400' is a significant number, the
great McAlister said there were but
400 people in New York city fit to as
sociate with. Do you mean to convey
the idea that, out of the 10000 papers
published i'm the United States, there
are only 400 fit for circulation, or
whose opinions have any weight with
your department? Had you been hon.
est in your wish to get at the sentiment
of the press OF the country you would
not have confined your circular letters
to the 400" The cost of printing and
carrying it by mail is too insignificant
to mention, and you have an ample cleri-
cal force at your disposal.
You keep your department fully
abreast with the great line OF Official
bureaucracy which is every where ad-
vancing towards absolution. We know
the methods Of this army of imperial
hirelings. They profess one motive
while they are actuated by another. A
prohibitory tariff is declared to have in
view the protection Of American work
ingmen from the "pauper labor" of
Europe; the trusts are justified on the
grounds that they cheaper production
and lower prices; foreign peoples are
benevolently assimilated in the name
OF God and humanity. Never is the true
motive, the greed of gain, brought in
to the fairgrounds. That is studiously
concealed and hidden away.
So do you, likewise, Mr.. Postmaster
General Smith, sugar-coat the poison
you wish to administer. On its face,
your circular letter is unobjectfonable;
it even breathes spirit of intense
loyalty and devotion to the welfare OF
the American people. Pity that it is all
gi.ded bait which deceives only the
groundlings.
Your true motive is not hard to ap-
prehend. What you want is to destroy
the Independent rural press Of the
country, as far as in your power to dc
70. and = shut out Of the field Of small
The representative., 1901-06-06
SMOOTH SCHEME
TO DESTROY THE COUNTRY PRESS.
POstmnster.General Smith Makes q
Proposition That Places Him In
the List Of Government Omcials
Who Should BE Watched.

Edwin G. Madden, third assistant
postmaster general, has sent out cir
cular letter to 400 newspapers to ascer-
tain the views of their proprietors in
relation to measure providing to cut
on from the right of second class matter
large amount of mail that is now al
lowed this right under the existing
law.
The evil complained of is the loss
of from fifteen to twenty-five million
Of dollars year to the department,
entailed by carrying such matter.
The only abuse specifically mention
ed in this circular is that of Offering
premiums for subscriptions, and the
only question asked of these publishers
Is. II they would approve of rule ex-
cluding from the list of second-class
matter all publications offering prem
iums. The circular says:
For years past the postoffice de-
partment has been praying for legis-
lation which would relieve it from the
burden 1t carries in the abuses of the
privilege of second-class mail matter,
A proposed remedial act of congress
has been three times defeated, and
the publications not intended to be in
cluded in that class continue to profit
at the departments expense"
This is followed up by the statement
that:
'The most prolific means by which
the law is circumvented can be met by
an adequate rule, such as is within the
power Of the postmaster general to
make: and the purpose of this letter is
to propose such and ask your Judgment
as to It's effect"
The Mercury is one of the 400" who
have received this circular. We wish
to say two things at the outset. The
first Is that, SO far as the material well
fare of the Mercury is concerned. It
will not be in any wise affected by
any decree the department may make
In regard to premiums. The second is
that so radical a change as the one
proposed, should not emenate from the
third assistant postmaster general
but from Postmaster General Smith
himself. We shall treat 1t as coming
from this source, and reply as follows:
Postmaster General Smith:
Washington, D. c.:
Sir-You say that for years your de-
partment has been praying for legis-
lation against abuses in sending out
second-class mail matter, and three
times you have been defeated in your
efforts to secure such legislation. Now
we ask you if congress is the Judge OF
abuses, or II that prerogative is vested
in yourself. Are you not trihe med
dlesome and righteous overmuch when
you persist in finding abuses whom con
The representative., 1901-06-06
BLUE PENCILED

The Associated Press Censor Sum
presses part Of tho J. j. Hill In
terview-Power Of Money Must Be
Curtailed.
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
The Passing of the Old Editor.

''The coming of '30' to Dr. l., Hensley
 Grubbs, the veteran editor of the Deca-
 tur News, will produce genuine regret
 in every newspaper office In Alabama"
 said newspaper worker who had known
 pr. Grubbs for more than twenty years.
 'The first time I met Dr. Grubbs was
 at the Tuscaloosa meeting of the Press
 Association in April, 1880. I met him at every meeting and on every excursion
 of the association thereafter until, and
 including, 1885, when I went away from
 America for an absence of several years.
 Since 1885 I have seen but little of the
 old editor, but I have kept him ever kindly in my memory. I was an inex- perienced youth at Tuscaloosa, but he
 was as consderate of me as if had been
 distinguished, and always he was good to me. That was his dominant charac-
 teristic. goodness of heart and generous
 sympathy, especially, to the young. The boys of the association ever found in
 him friend and were true in their friendship for him.
 "Dr. Grubbs was jovial, jolly, happy fun-making man, and his presence at the press conventions and on the excur- sions was always prized. And so he will be sadly missed when the roll Is called again."
 Dr. Grubbs was the owner and editor of the Decatur News for about thirty years He was about seventy years old He was formerly a Methodist minister and doctor; but for over twenty five years he gave his entire attention to the Decatur News, which he. made one of the most influential weexlies in the State. In 1885 President Cleveland ap- pointed him postmaster of Decatur, an office he held for four years. Two weeks ago the formal announcement was made of his retirement from the editorship of the Decatur News, on account of i'll >health. He was succeeded by his son, MT. Walter Grubbs. Dr. Grubbs' health had been poor for many months.
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
BLAckLIeT.

London Cable, Philadelphia North Amer
 ican.
 King Edward has intimated to MT. Henry White, Secretary of the American Embassy. who for many years has been honored by the royal friendship, that he desires the strictest supervision. of all lists of Americans on file at the embassy for presentation at the first drawing room of His Majesty's reign.
 Nearly every wealthy American In Lon- don at the present time has requested that he or she be honored by presentation on this notable occasion. No doubt, when the lists are published there will be many an aching heart among the American feminine contingent now in London.
 King Edward intends to continue his mothers strict policy of excluding all d- vorced women, no matter what the cir cumstances under which their divorces were obtained or what the conditions un- der which they were remarked
 learn on good authority that an official who was for long time connected with the British Embassy at Washington has been specially retained to file clippings from American newspapers relating to the divorces among high society in .our own country, and that a most elaborate black list of American women who have been parted from their husbands Is on file and readily accessible to King Edwards hand
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
MANUFAcT. RERs FOR REFORM
the Chicago Record-Herld.

From the Chicago Record-Herld.
 II is a strange thing to find manufac- turers calling for a low tariff. and yet that is just what members of their na- tional association have been doing at the Detroit convention. Speakers who had been fully committed to protection and extreme protection for years rose one of the Dingley law It Is particularly mo- table that the fear of retaliation was upon them. "Our Russian sugar controversy" said one, shows how we may be legis- lated against by other nations," and this point or pointer was so we'll received that resolution was adopted which declared that the section of the law under which the countervailing duty on Russian sugar was assessed was inimical to the best in- terests of the country.
 Another delegate spoke of the danger of bad mix-up with the farmers. If, he urged, owing to a high tariff and the retaliatory acts of other nations, foreign ports were closed to American farm prod ucts, the home manufacturer would have the irate home agriculturist to settle with. It was, he thought. highly polite to avoid any such encounter.
 Evidently the omens are wondrously fa- vorable to MT. Babcock, and the reform of the tariff by it's friends is neither an iridescent dream nor a vague twitter for campaign practice only.
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
Cubans Coming to Their Senses.

It Is becoming every day plainer that the Cuban constitutional conven- ton will accept the Platt amendments with no ifs or ands as soon as they are through with their play of politics. The delegates arc not ignorant men by any means. They know a great deal about government At least two of the thirty fully understand the laws and methods of this country, and per- haps all of them do.
 But the Cuban rank and file Is made up of ignorant men as rule, and the convention is endeavoring to bring them up to an acceptance of the inev- itable This is thought to be the mean ing of the delay. The delegates are drifting with popular sentiment, in tending to check or turn it at favora- ble moment They are educating the people to the inevitable. They know and have known all along that the will of Congress is supreme, and that the Platt amendment must be taken whole and unexplained or not at all.
 All information goes to show that during the summer the amendment will be accepted. It may be accepted very soon. The fifteen delegates who yot- ed for the modified amendment are now said to be standing firm in favor of an out-and-out acceptance of 1t, and the radicals are wavering. All this means that the Platt amendment will be accepted, and then will be begun the steps that must be taken before the military rule of this country can be withdrawn. s,
 The Teller hysteria was serious mistake, but time will have to correct that mistake, and not the present Gu ban constitutional convention. In the long run the island will become Ameri- can territory, but that will be when Cubans regard Anglo-Saxons with less prejudice and more clearness of vision than they do now.
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
MARENco's NEW ROAD.
Line to be Built from Thomaston to
 uniontown, 18 Miles.

Selma, June 9.-(Special. )-Marengo County has an exceedingly bright future ahead and within the year will see much development of it's natural resources. The extension of the Birmingham, Selma and New Orleans Railroad to Thomaston and Linden would of itself prove vast ben eft to this county, which until now has had railroads only on It's extreme north ern and eastern boundaries, but yester- day there was held a meeting which means the projection of another line of railroad, the latter to rin from Thom- aston to Uniontown, and then to either the Cahaba or Warrior coal fields.
 The stockholders of the old Dayton and Faunsdale Railroad, which had grad ed the nine miles between those two places and stopped work, held meeting and elected directors. The directors held a subsequent meeting and elected officers as follows; l'a..
 J. J. King, president. -,
 William Grant. vice president.
 w. c. Epps, secretary
 M A. Myers, treasurer.
 pr. L. G. Siddons, W. W. Bruce and 0. w. Stone, J. J. King, William Grant. w. c. Epps, M. A. Myers are the di- rectors.
 MT. C. W. Stone Is ex-Ldeutenant Gov ernor of Uennsylvania and an ex-member ef Congress from the Keystone State. while Mir Myers is capitalist of much means. Both are interested with Col. E. M. Abbot of this city in the latter's en- terprises here, and the B. s. and N. O. R. R.. and the completion of the new road from Thomaston Is assured. It is a distance of eighteen miles from Thomas ton to Uniontown. being six miles from Thomaston to Dayton and twelve from Dayton to Faunsdale. Mir. J. J. King. who is a delegate from Marengo to the constitutional convention. was in Selma today and told the Age-Herald cores pondent that work on the new road would be commenced within few days, that 1t would be extended from Thomaston in Marengo to either Uniontown or Fauns- dale, and thence on to the coal fields.
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
southerners in Philadelphia.

The Southern Industrial Convention, to which a number of Birmingham dele gates have been named. will assemble in Philadelphia tomorrow. The convention, says the Philadelphia North American, will draw to that city many hundreds of the most representative men in com mercial and public life in the South. Every one of them will be missionary of the particular interests of the section and state of his residence, and the com mon purpose of all will be to labor for the advancement of the new South.
 Heretofore the gatherings of the Southern Industrial Association have been held in Southern cities. The accep- tance of the invitation of Philadelphia to meet here was a radical departure. How well-advsed the innovation was is fully recognized by the men who have been working for the industrial regeneration of the South.
 Tt is an indisputable fact that the peo- pie of the North know less of the South as whole than of any other considerable part of the United States. The coming convention should do much to remove this ignorance"
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
Inhahliants of Ierritofies.

When a decision declares in one breath that Porto is American terri tory, and then delares it Is not Amer icarl territory bu, is merely territory under American jurisdiction" one does not know what to think asNto the status tus of the people of Porto Rico, If they are not Americans, what are they? The distinctions were made In order to uphold Dingieyism, but in upholding Dingleyism --e citizenship of ten to twelve millions of people is left sadly in the lurch.
 The truth is the citizenship of peo- pie living in Oklohama and Alaska and Arizona and New Mexico and the Dis ,t ct of Columbia has been put in doubt by this remarkably tortouos decision. The Dingley tariff may have donation alized the Secretary of State himself, for he lives in the District of Columbia.
 If the full Dingley version of the decision is maintained, no one Is an American citizen who lives in territo- ry that is simply under American juris- diction. Americans must live in Amer ican territory. They need not stay at all times in American territory, but l they must be residents of American territory They cannot live fin terri tory under American jurisdiction and be Americans. They are at least in such cases semi-foreigners. This re- markable decision in behalf of the tar if protected has left the entire terri torial possessions in an unedfined posi- ton. and the residents of these posses sions do not know where they are at. They do not know whether they have any citizen rights whatever
 In all common sense territory under American Jurisdiction" means colonies, and the inhabitants of colony are subjects. This involves empire and an emperor. Rome had emperors who were long called consuls, and America is drifting to emperors who are called presidents. At any rate the Brown de- cision, so far as any one is able to 1 gather anything intelligible from it, l means that the unfortunate people of all the territories are not American citizens. What it means affirmatively no man can say. That depends alto. gether upon the next step to be taken in the heid-up Fourteen Rings case.
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
As to Pardons for convicts.

The present constitutional convention owes it to the common cause of justice to provide for board of pardons and to make the carrying out of the provision mandatory upon the legislature, said Hon. B. M. Allen, who Is perhaps the most successful criminal lawyer in Ala bama and one of the most successful Tn general practice the State has had in many years.
 'The convention should enact that there shall be board of pardons which shall consist of the Secretary of State or the clerk of the Supreme Court or some other officer of the State government having an office at the capital, and two other mem bers to be appointed by the Governor. These three members of the board should receive no pay. but their legitimate ex- penses should be paid by the State. There are plenty of men of prominence who would be glad to serve on the board for the honor of it and for the welfare of the people. The board should be required to meet twice a year in Montgomery, or oftener in event of emergencies. A paid secretary might be provided, though that Is a matter df detail ~
 Tt should be further provided that every application for pardon or commit tation of sentence shall be filed thirty days, or other reasonable time, before the date of hearing. This should have special and specific reference to murder cases. The applicant for clemency should be re- quired to send copy of his application, with his reasons or excuses and all such papers in the case as are to be filed, to the secretary of the board, to the prose- cutor in each case, and, in murder cases. to the lawful representatives of the mur- dered person, thirty days, say, before the proposed hearing. This would tend to prevent the miscarriage of justice which is now so common in Alabama
 ITO cite a case in point, suppose that justice should miscarry to the grave ex- tent that Frank Miller, the murderer of the Birmingham policeman, Adams, should be saved from the gallows and that five years hence he should apply for pardon, there probably would not be, under the law as 1t Is. ten men in the State willing to stand by the law, who would be aware that Miller was seeking a pardon. Yet Millers attorneys or friends might be able to get up petition for pardon signed by several thousand citizens. One may get up petition for anything nowadays.
 '"rhe issue Is most serious one, and the convention should do its duty and pro- vide for a board of pardons."
The age-herald., 1901-06-10
TsI ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER N AlAsAm,
He that will not fight for such hope, Ho home to ped.
 "a Henry VI.
Four Transcontinental Lines.

Four complete transeontinental lines are said to have been organized as the net result of the recent Wall street grabbing and combining. The South e.n Pacific is conceded to the Gould Rockefeller combination, who are to ex tend the Wabaeh to Pittsburg, where it will e met by the Delaware, Lacka wana and Western. The Hartman Vanderbilt interest will hold the Cen .ral Pacific and the Union Pacific, in cluding the St. Paul and the North western systemss together with the Vanderbilt roads in the east. The Hill Morgan party are to have the North ern Pacific. Great Northern. Burling- ton and Erie roads. And last but not least is the Pennsylvania combina- ton. which Is to control the Santa Fe and Rock Island systems. Each of these combines will represent bond and. share capitalization of about 150o millions of dollars.
 This is said to be the grand plan agreed upon among the rnagnates, and that their work in the next few years will be devoted to perfection of-con- solidations details. It is these details laat will interest the southeast. which is left between two combines. the one being. the Gould Rockefeller syndicate, and ths other the Pennsylvania com bine. To which must this section bewy This is very interesting ques- ton in the southeast. and thus far it does hot aHpcan which one is to have this section Of the country. 4"
 Our own immediate, situation turns toward the Warrior las the sole means of independence With six-foot chan nei in that river al the year round, we will not much care what syndicate owns the rest of our transportation systems. a'