Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, October 29, 1898, Page 7

| — ‘grain Robbery of Minnesota Farmers By False Grain Inspection. The outrageous administration of the @tate grain inspection department and its Republican machinery is one of the most urgent reforms demanding the election of John Lind and his associ- ates on the Union ticket, and it bas been emphasized by the action of the Red River Valley farmers by the meet- ings held at Moorhead, and the findings of the committee appointed to investi- gate and report. In the first meeting held, Oct. 1, facts almost passing be- lief were reported. New experiences, they were, under the same old system of robbery, by under-grading, excess- ive dockage and false weights. The well authenticated cases there pre- sented have been quite widely pub- lished. One of these cases was that of Cc. B. Benedict, widely known in Min- nesota, whose losses are thus detailed: He sold, shipping to a Duluth ter- minal elevator, 28,810 bushels of wheat of this season’s crop. It was prime wheat, and supposed to be reasonably clean. It was graded No. 2 Northern, when it was known to have been No. 1, and it v docked” for dirt, a total of 1,365 bushels is. The undergrading amounted to 8 per cent: the dockage s , 5 per cent; cing his cash loss cent, or . Besides this, he out for freight on the ge, and for threshing the same, 4; making his total forced contri- bution to this Republican system of $2,454.74. Besides this, there are in- spection fees and other outlay. In this lot of wheat were two certain ears, containing within a fraction of 1,000 bushels each, for one of which the owner received $494.81, and for the other $452.70, a difference of $42.11, for which there was no explanation or pretense whatever. On a previous oc- ¢ n this owner shipped three cars of wheat from the same bin, the grain having been all from the same field and all treated exactly the same way. One car was graded No. 1 Northern and the other No. 2 Northern. The differ- ence in grades ranges all the way from 1 to 5 cents per bushel, apparently ar- bitrarily fixed by the department. Numerous like cases were described at the meeting referred to, which ap- inted a committee of seven grain ers to ascertain other cases and re- port. This the committee did, to a meeting on Saturday, the 8th instant, giving a number of affidavits in cases almost exactly similar to that above given. Reports and affidavits have been widely published, but should be known by every voter in Minnesota. The facts are proven beyond any question. A. G.- Kassenberg of Oak- port, Clay county, twenty years 4 grain raiser and forty years resident in Minnesota, shipped 2,000 bushels of the highest grade, No. 1 hard, and good and clean grain, to the Dulyth ter- minal elevator, in three cars. One graded No. 1 Northern and two cars No. 2 Northern. One car was docked forty-five bushels for dirt; one car thirty-nine, and the other sixteen bush- els. Samples of this wheat were sent to two different elevators at Duluth, and were all given the highest grade, and pronounced very clean, applied tu cash results, and the case is this: The net price to Mr. Kassenberg was 50 cents per bushel, at which his allowed 1,900 bushels brought him $950. The 100 bushels of dockage amounts to $50. There was taken over 5 cents per bushel by wrong grade, which amounts to $100, and $47.40 dockage, which makes $147.50. “This,” says the com- mittee’s report, “is over 15 per cent on THE $950 TAKEN FROM HIM UN- DER THE MINNESOTA INSPEC- TION LAW WITHOUT CONSIDER- ‘ATION. THIS IS NOT AN EX- TREME CASE; BUT SUPPOSE BUT 10 PEK CENT OF THE VALUE OF OUR WHEAT IS TAKEN UNDER THIS LAW, AND THE STATES OF MINNESOTA AND NORTH DAKO- TA MARKET FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF WHEAT THIS YEAR; 10 PER CENT ON §50,- 000,000 IS $5,000,000.” it happened that the head of the inspection department, A. OC, Clausen, was the party who actually inspected the samples mentioned, so that he himself found the grain fully the highest grade, WHILE HIS RE- PUBLICAN MACHINERY, WHEN IT HAD DONE WITH THE SAME GRAIN, TOOK OUT THE PORTION STULEN FROM THE OWNER, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ELEVAT- OR. And yet after these cases reached the public, we find Inspector Clausen, in an interview in the Pioneer Press, attempts to defend his department and its action. He admits that he so grad- ed the grain, but excuses it on the ground that the samples were very small. Errors in general he attributed to the large number of cases dealt with. The people attribute it to en- tirely different causes; but, whatever they are, are determined to get to the bottom of it by such change in admin- istration as will permit the public, at least, to know what is done in that de- partment. The other cases are every bit as fla- grant. Among them are O. G. Berg- land of Kragness, Clay county; N. T. Lunder of Moorhead; Ole E. Tangen of Kragness, and Alfred Olson of the same town and county. The latter shipped from the Dalrymple farm, where he was formerly foreman, he having new purchased a portion of the land, on the crop-payment plan of one- half the annual crop, and which, on acccunt of these steals, will leave the farmer not a cent for his years’ labors. He shipped 12,299 bushels to Duluth, of No. 1 hard wheat. As undergraded, about one-third of it was made No. 1 Northern, and the rest No. 2 Northern. It was docked 537 bushels, or about three pounds to the bushel. He took all the dirt obtained in a half-bushel of the same wheat to a drug-store scale, and found it to weigh less than half a pound, or one pound per bushel, right- ful dockage, where they took three. ‘The victim makes oath that he was de- frauded, by reason of such wrong grading, 6 cents per bushel on all of said wheat so graded No. 2 Northern, and 1 cent per bushel on all of said wheat so graded No. 1 Northern, amounting to the sum of $565.49, and was defrauded by reason of such ex- cess of dockage out of the sum of $202.42, amounting in all to the sum of $762.91, Defrauded by whom? BY THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, THROUGEL THE MALADMINISTRATION OF ONE OF ITS GREAT DEPAR?- MENTS. With reference to the pretended in- vestigation, by the state board, when farmers were asked to come to St. Paul and present their grievances, the committee repudiate such means. Well they may, for these crimes against which they protest have been continu- ally occurring, and appeals to the board result like kicks at the elevat- ors. Re-inspections are obtained when there is too much pressure, or when, as in the certain case in the Minneapolis board recently, where the victim, on the floor of the exchange, denounced the robberies, and read the riot act of Lind’s election, as the only remedy. Concerning the way the “old thing works,” ‘so far as the Pillsbury inter- ests are concerned, the committee’s re- port says : “English Syndicate Work. “An English syndicate, some years ago, purchased the Minneapolis mills and the Minneapolis and Northern ele- vators along the Great Northern rail- way, two or three hundred in number. Pillsbury was a party in interest in the syndicate, and has since had prin- cipal charge of its affairs. The elevat- ors and mills are in fact owned by the same syndicate. The elevator compa- ny purchases the wheat at the country elevators. It is shipped to Minneapolis and purchased by the mills on the grade and the dockage fixed by the state grain inspector. The elevator branch of the syndicate at Minneapo- lis reports to the country elevators that they are grading the wheat too high, and are not getting enough dockage. The country agents lower the grade and increase the dockage. Then they purchase the same grade of wheat at No. 2 Northern they had pre- viously bought at No. 1 Northern, and increase the dockage. When this wheat reaches Minneapolis it is taken in by the mills at No. 2 Northern, and there is a difference in price between No. 1 Northern and No. 2 Northern of 5 cents per bushel, amounting to 10 per cent of its value. Do not the mills get the benefit of this difference In grade? If not, who does? The farmer loses it; who gets it?” Is it any wonder that these victims, despairing of reform in the department itself, under Republican domination, should find and declare for the abolish- ing of the whole system, which they did on the following reasons? First—It gives to one man autocratic power to say how much we shall re- ceive for our property. Second—It degrades and humiliates us by placing us in the position of wards of an unscrupulous ring. Third—It makes millionaires at the terminal points at the expense of the producers. Fourth—It depreciates the value of our real estate. Fifth—It crushes the poor man who is laboring to make a home for himself and family. Sixth—It legalizes robbery. “For these and other reasons,” closes the report, “we ask the repeal of the Minnesota state inspection law, and that we be allowed to live in peace in this garden spot of America, under our own vine and fig tree, with none to molest or make us afrzid.” (Signed) —Q. E. Andrews. —A. G. Kassenberg. —James Holes, >. —S. A. Holn es, —C. A. Nye, —Robert Moir, Committee. And what is the defense to this ter- rible arraignment It is made by the Pioneer Press. The charge is unwor- thy of attention because a biennial af- fair, coming at each election time, says the P. P. In odd numbered years, says that paper, sneeringly, the crop goes to market without complaint. It should have said that in years when Leiter and famine make the price above the normal under the gold stand- ard, farmers are more inclined to suf- fer in silence. The movement this year is declared partisan, notwith- standing politics was carefully elimin- ated from every phase of the Clay county movement. The committee itself is divided in the party affiliation of its members. This is to stir up the farmers for votes, says the Pioneer Press. If ever there was a cause de- manding votes, Jt is that of the out- raged and robbed raisers of the state's great staple. The Moorhead men re- fused to accept the invitation to at- tend the St. Paul meeting. They knew from experience how absolutely use- less was such expense. Finally the defenders of the grain robbery fall back on the threadbare claim that the system of grades and inspection saves Minnesota from being robbed of mill- ions by the Eastern dealers. It should have added, “in order that the said millions might run into the pockets of the home elevators. The operation of the steal is well shown by the artist in the picture herewith, and how the swag, it is safe to conclude, finds itself regularly carted away into the Re- publican campaign fund by which this iniquity has been fostered. As in other reforms, the Democracy and Pecples’ party are condemned for mentioning this as one of the reforms they will accomplish in the election of John Lind. One of the candidates on our ticket have been criticised be cause he as an individual, assisted in bringing these facts to light. This is Hon. Geo. N. Lamphere, our candi- date for state auditor, editor of the Moorhead News. Instead of criticism, this should be a commendation for his interest in the welfare of the people. Farmers are combined for asking for the abolishment of the system. If it cannot be reformed, it were better abolished. But the people know that it can be reformed, and they are at least determined to try. All that the farmers went is an honest administra- tion of the department, a fair grading of their grain. It is in their own hands to obtain it. Will they not make the attempt to accomplish it? The de- mand for abolition grows out of the despair of securing honest administra- tion. It is the same as with other de- partments of the state government. If they canrot be reformed it were better that they did not exist. It is time to act before all of the substance of our producers, goes into that insatiable maw of the corporations, and the spe- cialty privileged. From this we can only be delivered by the triumph of the people themselves, and the taking possession of their own by themselves. The election of Lind will enable an honest man to give the farmers an honest administration of the depart- ment, that, as conducted by the Repub- lican administration, is a gigantic rob- bery. RESPONSIBILITY OF FINANCIAL LOSSES. Mankato Review: The Republican spell-binders and country press are making a defensive campaign, because of the attacks made upon Mr. Eustis. their gubernatorial candidate. * * * The “records of the Guaranty Loan show that Mr. Eustis was at one time a director, and participated in the meet- ings of the board. * * * When brought to the crucial test of 1893, there was a general collapse, and heavy losses to investors was the result, leav- ing many sore spots. St. Paul citizens did the same thing, and in the failures of banks, building and loan associa- tions and kindred financial institu- tions, things have been uncovered that, because of their failure, are very dark and damaging to character, but, had they succeeded, would never have reached the public eye. It was a reck- less use Of one’s character and influ- ence, that has worked a vast amount of injury. His (Eustis) friends meet this' very serious matter with a complete and overwhelming denial that he ever had any connection with it. The reading public know and believe otherwise, and herein lies their distrust. Cushman Not the Man, Preston Republican: Cush Davis has been in the senate twelve years, and has done nothing for the people, of course. He has looked after the cor- poration interests, and now, while he is away on a junket in Paris, as a member of the “piece” commission, ee will look out for LIND IS BACK. John Lind is back, Less play the fifes and drums, Fer he’s goin ’ter be elected When November comes. He wus way down South, hg the good and true, Marchin’ ‘neath the banner of the Red, White and Blue— He sniacend the boys got enuff hard And we'll send him to St. Paul Now that > he’s got back! Hooray, Lind’s back, ¢ An’ his brave regiment T’ll soon be mustered out— The boys who with him went— He'll find we ain’t forgot him that we so adore, But we'll send him whar there’s scrap- pin’ without the cannon’s roar; Fer he’s a real lootenant (which the Eustis fellers lack) An’ we'll send him to St. Paul Now that he’s got back. (With apologies to no one.) EUSTIS AND MENAGE. Little Falls Democrat: Now, just suppose Menage had not absconded, but boldly told the truth, what would have become of thé Fletchers, the Pillsbury’s, the Wustises, aud other shining business men of Minneapolis? It was on the strength of these names as directors that Menage was enabled to sell stock and float his colossal fraud. So far as we know, a few shares of the stock was all these men got for per- mitting their names to be used for the purpose of defrauding others. It ap- pears that Wm. H. Eustis was steeped to the neck in this unholy business (and we say it on Republican author!- ty.) But Minneapolis got a magnifi- cent building out of it, and that covers a multitude of sins. By the way, we have a vague im- pression that Menage was a Republi- can. If all the rascally Republicans in Minneapolis should take a notion to join their comrade in South America, what would the Republicans do for a candidate? Weighed and Found Wanting. Irish Standard on C. K. Davis: It is therefore the bounden duty of the inde- pendent voters of all parties in Min- nesota to register their votes for the retirement of C. K. Davis from the United States senate. They can do so by voting for the legislative candidates of the fusion ticket in this campaign. Every man elected to both houses of the state legislature will cast a vote for Davis’ successor. Let the people see to it that no man is sent to St. Paul to be “bought and sold” and made a “puppet” of by “vulgar lobby- ists” in the interests of Cush Davis. He has been weighed in the balance and has failed to give satisfaction to the people of this state. No Assault on Lind. Winona Herald: We venture the re mark that nothing is said against John Lind for the simple and sufficient reason that nothing can truthfully he said against him, and he will not per- mit untruths, as the St. Paul Dispatch found at an expense of several hm dred dollars. The newspapers have beet. shy of Lind ever since—we don’t blame them in the least—we would be too. The fact is that Lind is a man beyond reproach, and our friends «7 the other side know it. We are sort; for the other man. The truth is too much for him. But the Republicans should not have nominated a fraud. A CHANCE FOR CLAUSEN. Wilmar Argus (Rep.): If Mr. Clau- sen and,the men for whom he is work- ing want to have a farmers’ meeting, let them advertise one in the wheat country, and see how quickly they will come about. But that would never do, you know. Pillsbury and the other millers, who benefit by the present methods, would never agree to any- thing like that. ‘No, the dear farmer must be played for a fool, just to satis- fy the big millers who are starving for wheat to grind, that they may sell their flour cheaper in the city of London than in Minneapolis. No Doubt About It. Preston Republican: Lind will be elected. There are many reasons for that. In the first place Lind is a man and the people have confidence in him. In the second place that cross between man and something else which the Republicans nominated has not the re- spect of even the Republicans. The corporations will assist Eustis as they assisted Clough; but we firmly be- lieve that Lind’s strength this time is sufficient to overcome all opp: sition. Hard to Please. Mapleton Messenger: But then we have the gold standard, the Dingley bill, a war scandal and Eustis and the Wright county ring. A people that want more than that are hard to please. Moorhead News: The only pelitics there is in it is that those responsible for this stealing, incompetency. or whatever one has a mind to cali il, should not longer be retained in offs, but be discharged, and their disgrac with them. . Winona Herald: The fact is that if the people of Minnesota learn the char- acter of the two candidates as shown by their public records, John Lind will be the next governor of this state. The Very Worst. “I wouldn't live in your house anoth- er minute,” said the angry tenant. “What's the matter?” asked the agent. “Way, your sanitary work has been done as though the plumber was build- ing an army camp.”—Philadelphia North American. Very Easy. “What do you think of this scheme of taking gold out of sea water?’ “Bathhouse keepess do it every sum- mer.”—Philadelphia North American, MINNESOTA ITEMS | Sorofula Miss Eva Woodward was shot and killed at St. Paul by John Steenerson, in a dispute over $5. Commissioner Herman will investi- , gate the charges made regarding Min- nesota timber operations. James N. Hill, son of James J. Hill, has been elected a director of the Great Northern. John Dublin, one of the county com- missioners of Marshall county, fell from his wagon and broke his neck. Marcus Johnson of St. Paul has con- tracted to put in an electric light plant at Red Lake Falls, With the development of the newly- pened territory on the ceded Red Lake lands, comes the filing of the plat of a new town which is being started on Shottley brook, a tributary to the south arm of Red lake. Sergt. J. D. Barnard, of Company H, Fourteenth regiment, died after a two- weeks’ illness with typhoid fever, at Renville. He went there from Knox- ville with the regiment, and was not feeling well, but, being of an-ambi- tious nature, would not give up his work at Camp Kittson until he was compelled to take to his bed. State Auditor Dunn conducted a suc- cessful sale of state school lands at Crookston recently, the second of the year, a number of the pieces not hay- ing been appraised when the sale oc- curred in the spring. The bidding was spirited, and a number of the pieces cold at $15 per acre. The bulk of the offerings were in eastern Polk county. A. J. Dwyer, of the logging firm of Dwyer & Long, has leased the tow boat Martin Lally, on Red Lake, and it will be put into commission to tow logs across Red lake to the outlet, whence they will be run to the mills at Red Lake Falls and Crookston. The firm Pan 8,000,000 feet of logs to deliver this ‘all. Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Morgan of St. Cloud have received news of a terrible accident which befel their son John at Central City, Golo., on the 12th inst., by which the unfortunate young man lost both eyes, had his head crushed and one arm blown off by a prema- ture explosion of nitro-glycerine. Mr. Morgan was raised in St. Cloud, and has many friends there who deplore the sad affair, The lifeless body of Ferdinand Hiller was found by two little girls in an out- of the-way place, back of the prison yard on Second street, Stillwater, where it had evidently been for two or three days. Hiller was a laborer and strongly addicted to drink, and it is presumed he was on his way home and fell from the sidewalk into the hole. There is no evidence of foul play. Deceased was sixty years old. Minnie Olson, a young lady about twenty-two years of age, was almost instantly killed at Winona by being struck by a horse and buggy driven by Louis Heintz, a young clothing mer- chant. The girl was riding a bicycle, and was struck while turning a street corner. Her neck was broken. She died a few minutes later. Heintz im- mediat gave himself up and is now in jail. Mrs. John Cunningham died sudden- ly at Delano in the sixty-fourth year of her age, of heart trouble complicat- ed with asthma. She was an old set- tler in the town of Franklin, since 1853, and lived on a farm two and a half miles from Delano on the Watertown road, until the fall of 1896, when she moved to Minneapolis and in the spring of 1898 moved to Delano, where she died. She leaves a husband and seven grown crildren to mourn her loss. A man giving the name of Charles Slater, who says he is from Kasson, offered a creamery check at Loyhed’s store in Faribault, to have it cashed. Loyhed suspected that all was not right, and called in Chief of Police Moes, and, as the young man could not explain the matter, the chief took him to F. A. Berry, and inquired if the check was signed by him. Mr. Berry said it was not, and that it was a forg- ery. Slater was arrested at once, and is now in jail awaiting further investi- gation. A transfer was recorded in the regis- ter’s office at Duluth for 3,500 acres of land by Walter F. Cobb, to the Moon & Kerr Lumber company, for a con- | sideration of $10,000. The land is in Township 54, Range 12. An effort was made by the Duluth & Iron Range rail- road company to have this transfer kept from the public, for the reason that the land is part of the state land grant to that railroad, which is now in litigation, through the efforts of State Auditor Dunn. Shortly before the action was brought the Tailroad trans- ferred all the lands to Walter F. Cobb. It will be noticed that, while the land grant lands were supposed to be swamp lands, this transfer is to a lum; ber compary. Telespore Robillard, living east of Crookston, has slept almost continu- ously during the past ten days. He went to bed in his usual health on Sat- urday evening, Oct. 8, and expected to rise next morning and go about his usual farm work. He failed to wake, however, and has put in the entire time sleeping, but with two exceptions, when he woke for an hour, laughed and chatted with his family, took some nourishment and again slept. Except- one interval of three years, Mr. Robil- lard has taken one of these long sleeps each year during the past twelve years, Heretofore he has risen from his bed | apparently none the worse for his ex- | perience, but this time, it is said, his body is becoming practically paral- | yzed, and it is extremely doubtful if he recovers from his present attack. Louis Larson, aged about ten years, and another boy about twelve years of age, succeeded in getting a gun from the residence of a farmer in the town of Foldal, twelve miles northeast of Warren, and in some way the gun was discharged, killing Larson. The Vernon Center Bank has been opened for business. It is a private in- stitution, with H. Quimby as president t and A. E. Quimby as cashier, The pro- ; isprietors are well known in banking - and business circles throughout South- (om Minnesota. | 3 Impure Blood This disease affects nearly every one in a greater or less degree, and unless it is wholly expelled from the system it is liable to appear at any time in sores, eruptions, hip disease, or in some other form. Hood’s Sarsaparilla cures scrofula and eradici ves all poisonous germs from the system. Hood’s Sarsaparilla Is America’s Greatest Medicine. $1; six for $5. Hood’s Pills cure constipation. 5c. A Better Price. A clergyman was very much vexed by one of his congregation. An old saan used to go to sleep during the ser- mon. The clergyman offered the old man’s grandson a penny if he would keep his grandfather awake. This went on all right for a month, One Sunday the old man went to sleep as usual. The clergyman asked the boy why he did not keep his grandfather awake. The boy replied: “You offered me a penny to keep lim awake, but grandfather gives me twopence not to disturb him.”—Spare Moments, TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY Take Laxative Bromo Quinire Tablets. All Gruggists refund the money it it fails to cure. ‘The genuine has L. BQ. on each tablet He Kicks. “Yes,” said Mrs. Flinders, who has been sitting to the celebrated artist, M. V’Orgairs, for her portrait, “I’ m sure it’s going to be a speaking like- ness of me.” A sickly pallor overspread the fea- tures of Mr. Flinders, and he replied: “Then I shall not accept it! You talk enough for an entire family. I want no speaking likeness of you in the house.”—Chicago News. reat | it: Getting Him Located. “Weyler!” exclaimed the Spanish cit- izen, contemptuously. “He’s a regu- lar Don Quixote.” “No,” answered the other. “He isn’t Don Quixote, nor Sancho Panza, nor yet Rosinate. If he’s anybody in that combination, it’s the mule.”—Wash- ington Star. a Fa Bale, $2 per acre c jutil paid. ..J. Mulhall, Siaw: Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. For children teething, softens the gums, reduces In- Alammation, allays pain, cures wind colic. 25¢ abottle, Taking His Measure. Dudeleigh—I—aw, would like some collahs. ' Salesman—Yes, sir. What size please? Dudeleigh—I—aw, guess fowteen inches is about the pwoppah thing. Salesman—Yes, sir. Height or length? -Chicago News. Stated With Precision. “I suppose,” said the admiring friend, “that you gave a great deal of thought to the case you just won?’ “No,” answered the lawyer, “I never gave a bit of thought to it. But,” he added, reflectively, “I sold a lot.”— Washington Star. FITS PormanertlyCured. Rofits ornervousnossatter rst day's usn of Dr. Kline’s Groat Nerve Restorer. Send for FREE, $2.00 trial bottle and treatise. Dn. R. H. KiiNg, Etd..931 Arch St. Philadelphia, Pa. Sometimes Not Then. “I wonder,” said the garrulous board- er, “why they speak of truth being at the bottom of a well?” ~ “Because,” said the Cheerful Idiot, “it often can’t be got only by long pumping.”—Indianapolis Journal. Lost Hope. “Paw, what is a pessimist?” “Generally he is a hopeless fool.”— Cincinnati Enquirer. A Permanent Engagement. Clara—Are you engaged to Douglas for good? i Gertrude—It looks so. I don’t think he'll ever be able to marry me.—Life. Re ae ae te ee Established 1780, Baker’s Chocolate, celebrated for more 3 than a century as a ey delicious, nutritious, 2 and flesh-forming beverage, has our oy well-known Yellow Label on the front of every package, and our 3 trade-mark,“LaBelle cy Chocolatiere,”on the back 2? yz 3 3 4 Z 3 4 PSTALALAL AY NONE OTHER GENUINE, MADE ONLY BY WALTER BAKER & CO. Ltd., 3 Dorchester, Mass, 4 $v Vs ULV ULV LVL MEME ULV MLV MLV LULL LVIV LUMI MLV Lio) See PATALALALATALALALAL POET AL ULLAL ALL ALLL AL ULALAL POMMEL save SLICKER Whea § | i : : 4 =—e +