The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-01
That Minnesota Platform.

state convention has been subjected to
more or less criticism by the ultra-re-
ciprocity advocates and radical tariff re-
vision converts, and some of the news
papers notably The Minneapolis Jour
nal-have INDUCED in more or less fault
finding with the resolutions committee
that it did not commit the party more
strongly upon these issues.
The committee that presented the res
olutions to the convention seriously con-
sidered the subject matter referred to,
could have conscientiously gone farther
in its recommendation for reciprocity,
the concensus of opinion was that it
would be in extremely bad taste for a
state convention to materially depart
from the we'll known traditions and es
tablished policies of the national party
on the eve of a national convention that
must of necessity formulate platform
upon which the Republican party must
stand or fall.
There is no gainsaying the fact that
public sentiment in the northwest is
strongly III favor of liberal reciprocity
arrangement with Canada if such ar
rangement will not prove detri-
mental to our wheat growing in
terests. Upon this point, of course there
is divergence of opinion, and the case
must be made pretty clear that the farm
ers on this side of the line are not going
to suffer lower prices for their wheat by
allowing the Canadian product to come
in free of duty or there will be mutiny,
so to speak. The Free Press is of the
opinion that injury to our market
through Canadian wheat coming here
duty free will hardly be perceptible. One
of the best posted wheat men in Mime
the only means by which we can main
tain our high grade flour and hold SUI
premacy for the worlds best is by get
ting the Canadian wheat. He contends
that our Minnesota wheat is gradually
depreciating in quality, while the Cana
dian product, being of the highest stan
dard, could be mixed with our best grades
and from this combination the superior
ity of Minnesota flour would be fully
and indefinitely maintained. If, this same
gentleman maintains, reciprocal ar
rangements are not made so as to en-
able our millers to secure this foreign
wheat, mills of sufficient size and ca
pacity will be built in Canada to manu-
facture the entire product raised across
the line, and then what will be the conse-
quences? AS a matter of fact Minneso-
to or Dakota grown wheat must neces-
sarily come into competition with that
raised elsewhere, whether it be in
Canada or Oklahoma The price of wheat
is fixed in Liverpool and this price is
based primarily on supply and demand.
To be sure spectators send it up or
down at seasons of the year, but their
control is only spasmodic and temporary.
If it be true, and the statement is hardly
susceptible of contradiction, that supply
and demand are the regulators of prices,
it looks reasonable on the surface that
if the admission of Canadian wheat into
Minnesota will build up our flour grades,
or at least maintain them at their pres
ent high standard, that our farmers will
not suffer by the act. In return for this
we will get free lumber which would
mean a reduction of two dollars per
thousand.
The situation is one, to say the least,
that will prove an interesting study and
if, as is contended by many, our farmers
are not to be injured more than benefited
by the free interchange of certain COM
modities then a question will be set
tied that may lead up to reciprocity that
will be both advantageous and desirable.