The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-04-15
OUR GRAIN
WATERFOWL, S. d.

trading In futures Tor grain TO dDoIsn
all trading in futures, except where an
actual delivery of the grain was con-
templated." | should have said that
1t was one of the remedies aimed at
this one immoral. demoralizing abuse
that had been fastened on the agricul-
tural industry, without our consent,
continued against our protest, caus-
ing a heavy annual loss to the pro-
ducers, and injuries to the consum-
ers. Our remedy is just what any
manufactures or business man would
suggest, and as stated in my third
article, just what | had done. | had
been an employer Of labor from my
employer. l never quarreled with
an employee. If they did not do as |
wanted | discharged them and tried
some one else. | saw no reason 10
change that policy in the marketing
of my grain any more than In its pro
duction.
The line elevator companies and
grain exchanges were not organized by
the farmers, nor in the interest OF the
producers of grain. They were or
ganized by non producers for profit
and profit only. They adopted the
motto Of private monopoly to take all
the traffic will bear" They were own
ed and operated by men outside the
territory to exploit it. and the profit
extracted from the producers of Da-
kota were going outside the state to
build up immense fortunes at the term
inals. had driven my stake here
and was for Dakota first.
When elected president of the Da-
kota Farmers Alliance in December,
1885, | urged cooperation in selling to
the miller direct when possible, and
when not, to consign to a commission
house at the terminals. under the i'm
grain exchanges at Minneapolis, Du-
luth and Chicago were open markets.
At our annual session in December,
1886, | pointed IA several changes
that were needed for the marketing Of
our grain. | was urged TO attend the
1887 session of the legislature at Bis
mark for the purpose of trying to Sc
cure the legislation suggested, and
with very great reluctance agreed to,
as l have always been opposed to the
legislative lobby, believing that the
time to demand service was before
election.
Just before starting for Bismark
l wrote a general letter to the Alliance
urging them to write their representa-
tives TO cooperate with me. From
that letter | quote, "As our representa-
tives we want them to vote for what
we consider our interests, and not
what they may consider best for us,
We should be the best judges of what
we want. The legislation we are ask
ing for, IL intelligently carried out
should make a difference of twelve
cents per bushel, on every bushel of
wheat W. have to SELL"
That much is being taken annually
now. Is 1t any wonder that we can
scarcely make ends meet? If we can
get justice now we must prepare
to secure 1t next opportunity"
placed the gain that might be made
IL the smaller farmers could and would
comparatively ship their own wheat to
the millers direct, as / had done.
also wrote in same letter, II have been
by several of our friends that
we may expect the r. r. Lobby there
In full force backed by all the mone
necessary to accomplish their design
which In the usual course Of affairs
will be a%ntagonistic to our interests.
We cannot IL we would, and we would
IL we could use the same means
TO combat them. The fight would be
an unequal one. There are two great
'orces used to procure, or prevent leg
The one the money power
which we have not. The other the
power which we have" was
! stranger at Bismark. but I soon
'ound the r. R. Lobby there. And to
ny surprise found a community of
Effort in that they looked after the in.
'erests Of the line elevators also.
Alex. Mckenzie in his gum shoes"
md noise muller" was In command.
I was a great school with Past Mas
er Alex. in charge.
Before the session was half over I
wrote to our executive committee that
t was utterly useless for us to try to
or control a system that con-
rolled us. had made up my mind
With the experience gained there, that
{ our public employees were not doing
'ur work satisfactorily, 1t was our
'wn fault. We allowed the corpora
ions to select. and we elected their