The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-12

or sought to infiict wrong upon the agri-
cultural interests of my section or of the
people of the state I am still ready to
do so, and will continue ready TO do my
full duty as a citizen at all times and
under all circumstances according to my
best lights.
I was born in a wheat field nearly
seventy years ago, and have lived there
ever since. 1 am not politician and
am not looking for votes. 1t is not
Necessary for me to attempt to play
to the galleries, and therefore 1 have
no hesitation in expressing by views
publicly on the so-called merger bust
ness
Mr.. Hill, or any of his friends, or
anybody authorized to represent his in
terest, has never spoken or written to
me on this subject, nor has any of his
friends ever attempted to influence me
upon any subject. am under no obliga-
tons to Mr.. Hill nor he to me, neither
am in possession of any of his ANNALS.
1 simply honor him as a brainy, sue
cessful Western man, entitled to all the
respect his fellow citizens can confer
on him. I believe 1 speak within
bounds when 1 say 1 have spent more
time and money in defending the peo-
PIES rights against corporations and
railroads than any farmer in the state.
and repeat that I will be ready and will
ing to do so again should occasion re-
Quire.
few words for the consideration of
my brother farmers: What effect will
the merging of those roads have on
the transportation of farm produce? AS
it now appears, Mr.. Hill and his friends,
after the failure and reorganization of
the Northern Pacific, really controlled
that road as much as they do the Great
Northern. The freight rates of those
roads have been gradually reduced vol
unfairly, perhaps as fast as the business
o. the road would permit
In my judgment it was free fight
between the Great Northern on the one
SIDE and the Union Pacific, the 500
and Canadian Pacific on the other Ev-
identity Mr. Hill was an over-match for
the boys. AS a Western farmer and
old pioneer, 1 say from the bottom of
my heart, may heaven bless him and
may his brain never grow less.
What interest would the Union Pacific
have in the Northwest in case they sue
ceeded in capturing the Northern Pa
cific and the Burlington and Quincy
None whatever.
The excitement about the so-caned
merger" seems to be confined to few
politicians. No unbiased, level head be-
lieves it will be a detriment to the people
of the West.
Those who know me do not need to lie
told that / stand on questions of this
character just as | please and am guided
entirely by my judgment of right and
wrong in any given situation I do nor
believe that honest, intelligent farmers
are willing to be hoodwinked by design
ing politicians las usual to depreciate
the efforts OF the brainest railroad man
in the nation to forward the interests of
the American people at large.
have known Mr.. Hill the past forty
years. The closer 1 have noticed His
mode of business the more I admire his
ability. Let us not be jealous of brainy
men who happen to get rich, more espe-
cially when such men, like Mr.. Hill. are
devoting their talents and capital to the
development of the country we live in.
Would to heaven we had many such men
as Mr.. Hill in our state
Let us consider what Mr.. Hill has done
in opening up market in the Orient
country for the surplus produce of the
Northwest. One must remember that
England had been cur only. customer
previous to his efforts to establish a line
of boats across the Pacific ocean He
built a transcontinental railroad through
a wilderness. He has conencted that
railroad at one end with a fleet of yes
sells that will carry the farm products TO
the Orient and bring back Oriental trade
to the American nation, and at the other
end, with shipping by water to the At
lan.ic Yes, brother farmers. 1 congrat-
ulate James j. Hill upon his success in
preventing the absorption of the North
ern Pacific by the Union Pacific and the
Canadian Pacific manipulators Mr.. Hill
has given the West the cheapest trans
portation in the nation
By all means let US show our appreeia-
ton of the efforts of a man who spends
his time and money in opening up the
country and improving the condition Of
his fellow citizens. p. H Rahilly.
Lake City, Nina, Jan. II, 1902