ANNUAL EXHIBITION—ADDEESSES. 
189 
And the cost of transportation from Milwaukee to the 
sea-board, as follows : 
Flour .$1,379,200 
Wheat. 2,073,400 
Oats. 91,211 
Corn. 68,643 
Rye. 19,957 
Barley. 18,288 
$3,650,599 
Such are the aggregate results : 
Total value in eastern markets...$29,218,009 
Total expense of transportation... 3,650,699 
That is, the business men of Milwaukee alone paid, in 1868, 
the good round sum of $3,650,599 for transportation of cere¬ 
als from that city. This sum, of course, comes out of the pro¬ 
ducers; the purchaser always making his offer to the farmer 
with an open eye to the cost of moving the commodity to the 
available markets. 
These figures show the deep pecuniary interest which the 
people of Wisconsin have in the general subject to which I 
wish to call your attention for a few moments, viz. : the 
growth of monopoly in the carrying business. The pecuniary in¬ 
terest of our people in this subject, great as it is, is unfortu¬ 
nately not their only nor their greatest interest. The people 
of Wisconsin are a portion of the people of the United States, 
and as such are jointly interested in and jointly responsible 
with the people of other states for the perpetuity of our free 
institutions. 
It was for many years believed by our wisest and purest 
statesmen that our institutions were in danger from slavery. 
But ic is my honest belief, that they are to-day in far greater 
danger from the combinations of capital, the consolidations of 
monopolies,—the great trinity of power, railroad, express and 
telegraph companies, which are struggling to control the des¬ 
tinies of this country—than they ever were from slavery. 
Slavery was spread over a vast territory; it could only act 
