RESOLUTIONS
ADOPTED BY THE
STATEFARMERS ÄLLIANCE
AT
THEIR ANNUAL MEETING,
HELD AT THE CAPITOL,
ST. PAUL, MINN.,
February 4th and Sth, IBB7.
SECTIt)N I.
We reiterate our déclarations of rights adopted at the last
annual session of this Alliance.
Resolved, That we point with pride to the great legislative re¬
forms affected during the past three years and to the present .state
of public opinion on these questions, as the best evidence that the
Farmers' Alliance has not existed in vain; and the best encourage¬
ment for us to persevere in maintaining and extending our organ¬
ization.
SECTIOJS II.
Resolved, That the State Alliance thank the State Legislature
for the noble work it is doing in behalf of the people, in both
branches; and that we desire to express our approval of the course
of Lieutenant-Governor Rice, president of the Senate, and of Hon.
W. R. Merriam, Speaker of the House, for their fair and just man¬
ner in which they appointed the committees of the Senate and
House.
SECTION III.
Resolved, That it is the sense of the State Alliance that the
lieople of the State cannot obtain the legislation necessary for
1,250,000 people in forty-seven legislative days in two years, or in
twenty-three and a half legislative days every year; and we
demand annual sessions of sixty days; that the cost of an addi-
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tional session every two years is trifling compared with the loss
that may result from bad legislation unrepealed or good legisla¬
tion not enacted. That the whole State tax is but one and six-
tenths mills on the dollar, and the proportion of this for the cost
of a session would be insignificant to the taxpayers; and that only
those who prey on the people are interested in preventing the peo¬
ple from assembling annually to make their laws.
SECTION IV.
Resolved, That we believe the so-called protective tariff should
be revised in the interest of the consumer, and in behalf of our
farmers we demand a large reduction of the duties on woolen
goods, agricultural implements, binding twine and manufactured
lumber.
SECTION V."
Resolved, That any legislation at the present session of the
Legislature in relation to grain and warehouses shall embody the
following clauses;
, First—That all railroads in this State shall be compelled by law
to put in track-scales at any station handling or shipping more
than 50,000 bushels of grain.
Second—^That all country grain warehouses shall be required to
guarantee weights and grades and have it so stated on all tickets
issued by parties owning or controlling the same.
Resolved, That we urge upon our present railroad and warehouse
commissioners to use a more diligent supervision of country ware¬
houses in regard to their system of dockage, inspection and con¬
dition of scales, and as much as possible to ascertain by consul¬
tation with sellers of grain at different stations how business is con¬
ducted.
SECTION VI.
Resolved, That the State Farmers' Alliance reseectfully urges the
State Senate to at once pass the House bill for a constitutional
amendment to declare all combinations of persons to interfere
with the freedom of the food markets of the State criminal con¬
spiracies.
SECTION VII.
Resolved, That we are in favor of the bill which has passed the
House (House File No. 55), proposing an amendment to the con¬
stitution of the State for the control of railroads and the taxation
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t)í railroad lands as other lands are taxed ; and we believe that rail¬
road companies should obey the laws the same as the citizens of
the State, and we request the Senate to pass the bill, except the
reaffirmance of the 3 per cent tax on gross earnings, for we believe
the railroads of the State should pay their share of county, town,
city, school and all local taxes in the State.
SECTION VIU.
Resolved, That in behalf of the -producers of this State we de¬
mand the reduction of the rate of interest from 10 to 8 per cent
per annum, and we favor a strict law to prevent usurious rates of
interest under the pretense of commissions. We believe 8 per
cent to be as high a rate of interest as 10 per cent was ten years
ago.
SECTION IX.
Resolved, That it is the sense of this Alliance that at least six
hundred copies of the Journal of the Senate and House should be
printed by the State to be distributed among the local alliances of
this association.
SECTION X.
Resolved, That we heartily endorse Senate File No. 46, known as
the Hixon bill, and House file No. 410 as reported from the
the committee by Mr. Donnelly providing for freedom of traffic
between sections of this State and earnestly urge the passage of
these bills.
SECTION XI.
Resolved, That this Alliance protests against the passage of
House File No. 61, relating to the inspection of cattle, and all
other bills of a similar nature.
SECTION XII.
Resolved, That the tax laws should be revised ; that we are in
favor ot the Iowa system which permits the payment of taxes in
semi-annual instalments; that the penalties for non-payment of
taxes ought not to be more than 1 per cent per month before or
after sale; that the time for redeeming property sold at tax sales
ought ta be extended to a longer time than two years; that a tax
receipt should be prima fade evidence that the tax has been paid;
that we cannot express our indignation that a law could have
found its way into the statute books of the State which would per-
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tni^ the action of a dishonest or careless official to deprive a
citizen of his property ; that we have been more than amazed to
learn that a majority of the judges of our Supreme Court could
find no reason for pronouncing void a statute so abhorrent to
justice and so contrary to the principles of equity.
• SECTION XIII.
Resolved, That we demand that corporate property bear its
equal share of the public burdens; that it ought to be taxed as
other property is taxed and pay its just proportion of State,
county, municipal, town, school district, and all other local taxes.
SECTION XIV.
Resolved, That we ask the Legislature to take measures to carry
out in good faith the design of Congress in granting large tracts of
land in aid of an agricultural college; and that it would in our
opinion be a wise and judicious measure to entirely separate the
agricultural college from the State university and to establish an
institution where facilities for obtaining an education may be had
second to none in the country, but of which the study of agricul¬
ture should without exception form a part.
SECTION XV.
Resolved, That while this Alliance heartily endorses the senti¬
ment of Superintendent Kiehle, that county superintendents should
be selected because of their professional fitness, and not because of
I'heir value as politicians ; yet we earnestly protest against the pas¬
sage of any bill which shall take the election of such superintend¬
ents out of the hands of the people.
SECTION XVI.
Resolved, That fees for loading wheat through country-elevators
ought not to exceed three-fourths of a cent per bushel and for
cleaning and loading wheat one and one-quarter cents per bushel
SECTION XVII.
Resolved, That we call upon the legislature to inquire into the
reason for the inability of railroad companies to furnish cars to
shippers from side tracks and also ask them to investigate all the
circumstances connected with the so-called wheat blockade with a
view to prevent any similar blockade hereafter.
SECTION XVIII.
Whereas, Large sections of Minnesota are almost whollj' desti¬
tute of timber while bordering on the prairie and adjoining it are
vast forests, and
Whereas, Owing to combinations made possible by railwaj' reg¬
ulations and railway discriminations the fuel and lumber used by
the dwellers on the prairie is greatly enhanced in cost to the con¬
sumer by his being compelled to pay high freights and to purchase
in high priced and distant markets, therefore
Be it resolved. That we demand of the law making power that
legislation be had which shall make the traffic between the timber
and prairie sections of the state free and unrestricted, by the short¬
est railway line or lines and at the smallest cost possible, consistent
with justice to the corporations.
SECTION XIX.
Resolved, That the railway commissioners and all their subordi¬
nates be appointed for fitness and not to pay political debts ; that
honest, intelligent, fearless men are necessary for such important
positions ; that to appoint or depose any member of the grain
force for their political principles is demoralizing to the public
service and demands public condemnation.
SECTION XX.
Resolved, That we demand of the law making power of Minnesota
laws that will effectually do away with the power to tax the people
without their consent, now assumed by the managers of railway
corporations doing business in this state.
SECTION XXI.
Resolved, That we are willing to pay a reasonable rate for carry¬
ing our products to market, and upon merchandise and other
freights brought to our door, but we will pay no more. That
whatever more than a reasonable rate is extorted from us we sub¬
mit to for the time being, as the defenceless individual submits to
a despotic power wnich he is helpless to resist.
SECTION XXII.
Resolved, That we believe the present railroad law is in the main
a good law if faithfully enforced ; that we believe the law should
prohibit pooling ; that we reiterate the statement made in our
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declaration of rights, to " pool is to plunder and divide that the
law should provide such penalties as will effectually suppress all
pooling.
Whereas, We have a law against discrimination and there is rea¬
son to believe that it is being daily violated ; be it
Resolved, That we ask an investigation into this greatest of all
the evils of the railway system in order that we may know whether
it is the law itself that is at fault or its administration ; if the law
is defective it ought to be so amended as to make discrimination
in favor of either person or place as dangerous a crime as counter¬
feiting ; if the law has not been faithfully administered let us
know that also ; if those whose duty it is to protect the people
have been too weak to combat the power which dares to oei_x die
law let them stand aside ; if they, in this contest with an arrogant
and despotic powei-, have deliberately chosen the side against the
people, let the people know that too.
SECTION XXIII.
Resolved, That we denounce in the strongest terms the granting
of free passes ; that we believe all should pay equally for the use
of railroad tracks except public paupers.
SECTION XXIV.
Resolved, That whenever a railroad company is unable to furnish
all the cars applied for at any station, the number furnished shall
be divided equally among the applicants at such station regardless
of the number applied for.
SECTION XXV.
Resolved, That we protest against bonding country elevators and
denounce it as a scheme depriving the people of a free and open
market—an effort to legalize, protect, perpetuate, extend and con¬
solidate elevator monopoly.
SECTION XXVI.
Resolved, That the wheat receipt is a delusion and a snare and is
not equivalent to the wheat, for wheat in sight is a club in the
speculator's hand to depress its price while the receipt holder is
paying storage on wheat that may have been Sold again and again
and ground into flour.
SECTION XXVII.
Whereas, Because of railway regulations and discriminations the
local markets of Western Älinnesota are based upon the eastern
markets, less the cost of transportation hy rail and water, via Chi¬
cago and the lakes to-the eastern markets, and
Whereas, The transportation hy rail from the wheat fields of
Western and Central Minnesota to the eastern markets is 400 miles
less via Duluth and Lake Superior than via Chicago and Lake
Michigan.
Be it resolved, That we demand of the law making power of the
state that the railway tracks he opened for the direct and unob¬
structed traffic between every part of Minnesota and Duluth and
that such railway regulations he prescribed as will permit the
shipper to reach that port at reasonable rates.
SECTION xxvin.
Whereas, All freight rates to interior points in tha state west of
St. Paul and Minneapolis are much higher than the rates east of
these cities often amounting to two, five and even ten times the
rate where competition exists, therefore
Be is resolved, That we denounce th ^ present railway rates on the
the roads west of St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth as unreason¬
able, oppj-essive and extortionate.
SECTION XXIX.
Whereas, By reason of easy grades, slight curvatures, cheap
bridging, and the general character of the surface, the actual cost
of running trains and keeping up the track in most parts of Minn¬
esota is much less than many other states where the country is rough
and mountaineous, the grades heavy, the curves sharp and the
bridges costly, and
Whereas, According to the report of the railway commissioner
there had previous to June 30,1883, been granted to railways in
this state, lands, bonds and other gratuities, amounting in the aggre¬
gate to $76,633.090, or more than $20,400 per mile for every mile
of road then constructed, and
W'Ti.ereas, Since June 30, 1883, the average cost per mile of all
roads built in this state is heleived to have been not more than
$17,000 per mile, therefore
Be it resolved. That railway rates in Minnesota to he " reasonable
rates " must he low rates.
SECTION XXX.
WAereas, The amount of wheat transported hy railways in Minne¬
sota has now reached vast proportions, and
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Whereas, all interests in the state will be best subserved by rates
as low as may be had without injustice to the corporations, and
Whereas, the low price of wheat in the riiarkets of the world
necessitates either the cheapening of transportation or the abandon¬
ment in this state of wheat culture as an article of export, and
Whereas, The cost of transporting wheat from Minneapolis to Chi¬
cago, a distance of 420 miles is only cents per bushel.
Resolved, That we demand of the legislature the enactment of a
law prescribing the following rates for transportation of wheat in
car load lots to any point in the state : for the first 165 miles, not
more than 4J cents per bushel; for all distances over 165 miles and
less than 300 miles from 4J to cents according to distances ; for
all distances over 800 and less than 400 miles from to 9J cents
per bushel according to distance ; for all distances over 400 miles
rates based on the foregoing. The shipper to have the right to
choose the route over which the shipment shall be made : and
where that route requires the use of the ti'acks of more than one
railway company the wheat to be transferred without unloading
from the car in which the shipment was first made at a cost not to
exceed one dollar for each transfer.
We are confident that with the foregoing propositions incor¬
porated into efficient laws new life would be injected into the
agricultural interests of the state, every legitimate industry would be
affected, and the corporations themselves in the end benefited Not
only would freight rates be greatly cheapened, but what is of far
more consequence, the markets would be released from the grip of
a gigantic combination of confederate monopolies which under the
present system dictate prices, plunder the people and divide the
spoils.
T. H. BARRETT,
President.
ERIC OLSON,
Recording Secretary.