The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-18

A few days ago met one of the suc-
cessful farmers of this vicinity and a
lifelong republican. I asked him what he
thought about Canadian reciprocity. Here
is his answer in practically MS own Z
words: Congressman Volstead don't
know what he is talking about. We want
Canadian reciprocity. We want to sell
our horses our butter, eggs and meat
to Canada, not to mention manufactured
| goods. We want plenty and cheap mill
| stuff for feed for our cows. We don't
raise wheat as our chief staple any more,
but hogs, steers and butter This is
| the farmers view of Canadian reciprocity
hereabouts, as any one can easily ascer~
| tain if he will ask any real farmer, Farm
ex-senator l.. o. Thorpe or Farmer Henry
| Feig to the contrary Notwithstanding.
! Hence, when the Ortonviile convention
| resolved against the free admission Of
/ the by products of Canadian wheat
ground here it stamps itself as ignorant
Of the farming industry here at the pres
ent time Here in Kandiyohi county, for
instance, we have over twenty creameres
doing a very profitable business, and
d thousands of tons of millstuffs are annual
ly bought and fed to the cows Mistuffs
are practically a necessity to the dairy
; business. Does any rational thinking man.
| not delirious with the infection of the
4 Wall street .'standpat'' microbe, imagine
that the dairy farmer don't want plenty
and cheap bran and shorts? Suppose our
farmers could buy milstuffs for $40 in
stead of SIS ton; would they like 1t?
Does any sane man for a moment suppose
that the farmers would vote against
measure to bring that about?
Fifteen years ago the farmers of this
section raised wheat and were hard up.
Land was worth $40 to SIS an acre. The
panic of '93 came and squeezed them so
that they We're compelled to turn over d
new leaf. They then began to build CO.
, operative creameries and raise feed-corn
and barley-to feed cows and hogs and
steers. Now they are well-to-do as rule
and land is worth $40 to $50 an acre.
;. They raise wheat yet; and always will
: raise some-more wheat to an acre, but
sIr Tess area. The old questions of
wheat grades and millers' rings are for
: ever solved for this section, and the farm
ers themselves have solved it. The polit-
. zeal farmer-agriculturi I should say
: don't seem to know it. But the soil
: farmers know it, and when they get a
chance next fall to drop their ballots
some of the political farmers will know
I it, too. a.
But there are more sides and a broader
} view to the tariff question in the public
sentiment in this district than the buga-
boo of Canadian free wheat. Just wait
until the clodhopper gets time to see that
e this free wheat scarecry was only a trick
6 to raise the dust and rush thru while
II the smoke hung low an Endorsement of
is Volstead and the election of "standpat''
Is delegates to the national convention, and
y you will hear a different report on the
n tariff question from the seventh congress
sional district.
g Ten years ago this district was largely
he populistic. Every populist was moderate
1t tariff reformer, and he has not changed
in his views on this subject, but because OF
er the progressive reciprocity view Of Presi-
= dent Mckinley he was largely reconciled
~ to come back to the republican party
IF But just convince the old populist now
y. in the ranks Of the republican party thai
e. the party is going back on reciproctj
he and reasonable tariff reform to meet the
l. changed conditions Of to-day, and he viii
Sc be driven out Of the party again. TIVE
re years ago this old populistic element went
I'd largely for Volstead, and but for his sup
,h port from this source he would not nov
er be in congress. Thanks to the primar,
o. election law, Volstead is bound by NJ
to platform or convention pledges 30 Thu
in old populist cannot charge him with go
W ing back on them. But he can refuse t.
n support ''standpatter'' a second time.
he Two years ago Volstead was practically
n unknown; he had no record on nationa
Ii issues. This was an element Of strength
Of rs against his opponents who each hat
on a previous political record and conse
he quently political enemies In the coming
nd campaign Volstead has a record to defend
RS Christian johnson.
wilmer, March a8.