The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-09-29


ora was not what 1t should be: And have
you never given your rcprcsen tativeS. in
state or nation. to understand that they
would WIN Your approval and continu-
ahce oil the honors they covet by getting
tne most numerous and the largest appro-
priatlons for unnecessary undertakings in
your city or town or district? If you
nave. then remember that reform must
ncSin at the fountain head, the people.
"A, ana as a stat" on Il city or nation has
no revenue, has no money except that
when Is taken out Of the pockets OF in
uiIldualS through taxation ii you have
Wlnked at or tacitly rewarded this prac-
zee lhen you have encouraged and pro-
lloteu graft No man and no nation ever
was or ever will be rich enough to with
stand the continuous attack of unrebuked
pGculttlon; and no national or individual
c!Elracter can be pure enough to remain
unSGiiied by u liberation OF low stand
ard of honesty.
Now we come to another particular in
which 1t becomes YOU to test these gem
tiemen VINO serve you and to ask every
pGltlclan for his credentials. Let us see
' wlnl they have done for you. You. by
your un;iidcd efforts, by unremitting toll
and saving and the brave venture to
Wrnsi !, living from nature. have accu..
mulated certain resources Of which all
these varied forms of wealth that We
see about us to-day are typical. TO what
extent If any. have YOU been hindercd by
tn" various measures that will be quoted.
as they have been quoted, in evidence Of
interests?
Two Main Needs.
Your main needs are two: an adequate
market in which your products may be
sold at Il fair price, and an opportunity
to purchase those things that you need
which the farm does not supply. TO what
extent have these been furnished to you,
and i'll what condition do you stand with
reference to them:
AS far as your grain is concerned. you
mus! must sell i'll the markets of the world.
There is no escape from that. The wheat
Minnesota Of
every other country on the face of the
earth win bring TO the farmer, the price
great consuming nations, with Great Brit
ain at their head. must have bread. They
purchase it where they cam seeking all
who have wheat and -four to sell. And by
and Russia and the Argentine and Aus
tr;tlia as we'll as the United States. the
price is settled. Have you been helped
there? OF Il truth it is impossible to help
YOU in any way but one, TO which We will
come presently The average politician,
who does not give you credit for the in
that YOU have been helped. have been
protected" as he will call it, by placing
tariff on wheat and other products of
the farm. But you know better. You
know that tariff on imports of an article
which you do not wish to import, but
which you have for sale in vast quanti-
plant in August In the year ended June
30, 1904. there We're imported into the
| nlted States just 6,S52 bushels of wheat
in all. How did the protective tariff pro-
tect this" This last year there were i'm
ported ::,lO2,oSl bushels. Either figure is
totally insignificant in 4 country whose
An.tno.0o0 bushels. But the fuctuation
itself shows. since the tariff remained un-
altered, hat the latter has nothing what
ever to do with the matter. Your grain
/ and your dairy products and your live
| stock are beyond the reach of all such
assistance, Tile market in which your
grain; cattle and hogs are sold is not at
fected by them at all. And consequent
~, whatever you may think or may say
! I" the gentlemen who tell Won that IA
tariff has been enacted FOR Your benefit
! you may reply with great confidence that
| as far as sales of your products are
| concerned. il profits you no more than
, an edict against immigration from the
MOON
| There is one way. however. in which
YOU may be helped. and that is by lessen
ing the cost of TRANSFORMATION. What you
price where the consumer lives. less the
cost of carrying tine article from you to
him That cost YOU have to bear Any
thing that diminishes it is money in your
pocket: and when any one advises YOU
that you are vitality interested in decreas-
ing the cost of transportation he is tell
brought about?
No one can arbitrarily send out proc
lanation that such u service shall be
performed at such and such a charge.
The business of transportation is like all
other business in this: it must be con
quoted on as business basis The cost OF
growing out of Increased volume So he
does most for you in this respect who
opens new markets. secures new CUSTOM
/ ers and helps to swell the volume Of prod-
mcis and Of purchases. This is the why
in which the diminution of the cost q.
carriage has been effected. and the change
OF almost any other commodity. The
average reccipts per ton per one hundred
milfs Of AL Tie ], od railroads in tie United
81 cents in 1890. a cents in 1909. while
in Great Britain it is S3.:H1 and on the
Continent of Europe from $40 to s1.7o.
The Great Northern railroad has been
reducing its rates progressively for tn"
last twenty-five wears. The records of
the comnany and OF the state railway
commission show that. il its freight tar
ifs, had not been altered in that time, if
it had charged throughout unti' to-day
the rates that We're then in force. it
tho twenty-five years an average of over
ST .NmnM'. and this II reduction on one
road. and ] am as proud of that as | am
of being here with you. That is Il meas
ure of what has taken place as rapidly
as the growth of the business permitted
amy of you who rcad the papers and keep
in touch with the events OF the day thai
this work is still going on. and that the
crops raised this year in the Northwest
!, will be sent to market on the lowest
freight rate ever made in the whole his
tory Of the Northwest
Railroad Rates.
How has this been Accomplishment gv
seeking to build up the country by study
ing how to develop it's resources and its
prosperity. by inducing settlers to come
and till the vacant land and by taking
care of those already here. BY careful
business management and by recognizine
the essential partnership between the man
on the soil and the railway which serves
him. And ] want to ask you as you
study these figures to say whether these
results. so beneficial to yourselves. could
ever have been reached through a policy
of anita sonism and force. Some of The
politicians will tell you that railroad rates
must be fixed by order of the government.
and that this is the reason why they
| must be kept in public life. 1t is an eusy
prophecy. because it is an obvious fact
that railroad rates in this country would
decline more slowly under government
control than if fixed by those who have
intelligently managed the railways. No
public body would dare to snake reduc-
tons SO sweeping as those that have been
made voluntarily by the railways. Unless
the people on it's lines are prosperous the
railway must be poor. They suffer to-
! gethcr or prosper together. and this con-
| dition will always remain. Those who
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