, 1859-06-11
The Farmers Congress ut Mondota.


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E&tas Frs. Ind Tribune. :,
Last week We had q 10 called Farmers Con.
grcss in this place, agreeable to a notice pub
lshed in q Chicago paper, calling itself tho
"organ Of the farmers" for some time back, and
more recently echoed, by special request, from
local papers in this region. -:
Twas curious to see what Was to be done, and
to know tic objects Of this Congress, believing
that ii must be gu Important matter tAat could
cali the farming community together at this
busy season. From .tha name, too. it might be
expected that questions Of vital importance
were to be discussed, cqualing, pcrhnps, those
talked Of in the European Congresses. We look
10 Congress to see men Of noble. grayc. intel
ligcnt aud digniGcd bearing, met TO act Oh
questions Of corresponding gravity and ir,-
portanoe. Whether the magnitude Of the
name led US 10 expect greatcr dignity and other
qualities than were seen in tic members, will
not presume to say. but give some points Of
their real and proposed nction.
The Informal meeting. held in the forenoon Of
the Grst day, vas attended by perhaps twenty
regular delegates, elected by what are termed
"Farmcrs' Clubs" in different parts OF the State,
and dozen OF SO men interested more or less
in tue movement. The pumber was afterwards
increased to between thirty and forty regular
delegates, aud the whole attendance, to seventy
or eighty. As in all informal meetings, the first.
object was to find the feeling Of the members
and get things in working order.
Mr. J. G. Medill, Of Chicago, ieditor Of the
agricultural paper referred to beforc,) was
unanimously called upon 10 make the opcn-
ing speech. Though cvidently not much used to
public speaking aud greatly depressed BY the
slim ATTENDANCE, he braccd limse>f manfully, by
noticing tho stlal beginnings Of alt great more.
ments Of past ages. and gathered warmth and
inspiration from the alleged fact, that thousands
were there in spirit to counsel aud support them.
lie stated that the meeting was in accordance
with tlle sentiments Of the American nation;
that their aclion would, in i remarkable degree,
| effect tue future destil,ies Of the human race,
| aud that the meeting IF this Congress would be
| considered one Of the most important epochs
| in the history Of the world You correspond
ent fliled 10 see in this the precise object Of the
Congress. hut guessed it was-sotnething.
The FIRST actual business perfnrtued, wns the
| ratification OF the Centralia platform. As most
| If yuur readers are proLatly unacuuaiuted with
with this important platform, | will state L
lew Of its p''ints. It was first givcn to the
world ut tic State Fair at Ceutralia. and is
i'emrd by its prt'nulsators Us sacred Is the
Eo'stitution If the Cn'.ed Suites. 1t contains
articles cundeuunin2 the credit system which ~e
are a{ ready 10 es.'iprse bu its lcisiing idea, ns
Urged bx the snppurttrs Ut the platform is, that
the farmer rrfnrlns the Labor If tue world, and
is not allowed to establish the price Of lis labvr
that lie is tue producer aud that there exists
| between linn mud lie consumer uciass acttng Us
agents, merchants and commission men gene
tatiy,j whom they designate as "nonr pro-
| ;tuccts" nnd "lnillle nltu," who force them
III ssll their products at such rates rs thsy
| t}lca>c, aud often mnca urluw the actual
c"st Of production. The aahesents Of thi:
rule hid down by Wayland aud othe.
writers nn political or social cconotny. that sup,
! .1y and dcnLud govern prices, and affirm i1la1
scn-producer:," by well drvised combinations
and Inscriptions meuns regulate the pricr ol
| rrohuce.
| Having ratified this platform, the NEXT bust
ness was announced to be the dcvising some
means By which this evil might be re.aedied
They wnnt large prices thus ta!i aud proposetht
following plan: lst. Circula1r statements cui
traiictit. tue farorablc accounts published nov
in thu Influential jourua's uf the couutr, with
regard to the promise of good crops. ibid tht
Congress anticipate ttut awful frust Of tic 5tI
Of crops as 10 sub,tant.te these statements a,t
send circulars 10 tho cnt,e press ot thc cuuntr.
and tn 1t; the ltading a.Iicutura! jnurs@ls d
Enz'nnd. Local papers, it is said will not dar.
To refuse TO publish them, ea they tl1e papers,
arc in their power, meaning, ! suppose. tla
! they are dependent ou them for cs culatiou
You will sec low thoron., this census will bt
when you know that tlis labor Is contdcd to th'
Farmers Clubs, Of which some ninety ar
clai.ned in the whole north west Sometimes
rs many as seren are in q single county, and tht
greater part Of the whole would probably bt
louua in less than dozen counties Ut thi'
| State.
\ proposition to request the Supervisors ant
Assessors of each township to take the mattel
in hand. Was decided undesirable, as uany @
these officers are non-preduccrs, and theretur'
would not make reliable reports 4 reliance Of
known friends was the only safe course.
| was decided also, | believe, that It would onl1
bc necessary to take census Of one township
in each county, aud judge the whole county b!
this township. To detray the expenses Of pub
fishing and disseminating tie statistical ciicu
lars. IN Executive Committee was choset
ont Of the Clubs, whose business it shall b.
to solicit such sums as men may see 1T to con
tribute. This money is 10 be Forwarded to
Financial Committee. consisting Of scren mem
brra-threc from Illinois. anu ono each from
Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin aud Iowa. Th
appointment of this Committee was 4 curiosit,
III parliamentary business never saw equallet
but once: The original motion was to appoin
[
Chairman; then he WIS urged to nominate iii
associates, which lie saitf lie did not wish to do
but various motions for additional member
from other States were made till the COMMITTEE
had grown to seven, and Mr.. Medill had noml
mated all his associates. Fire hundred dollar
were passed, chief Of which was QUO gisin
special support to Mei;! rs paper.
The SESSION contiuuo& day and half. Som
Of those present werc well meaning men, whc
led by their success in two weeks Or ere
thrcr months trial Of "Cniuu Stores" to sc
something in the platform. forgot that the redd
pcy cash svstcn, was what Eave them what bcr
Cit they received, and were ready to iudors
o,ber measures Of still more doubtful bcnef
The burden Of taxation las justly elected som
feeling, but does not e1case an iudiscriminat
, attack upon merchants and other so-called nor
r producers. But there were lncn present VII
showed rather the spirit which would pull otl
cls down to have ul Oh level rather than rail-
themselves. Ii WAS proposed By some to tai
: 10 hand politics and elect their oxu men 10 o
Z 1ice, but 1t was thought best to wait uni
3 the organization is stronger. It vas ali
i proposed IL adopt Constitution and Bye, Law
S under the nan,e Of the Northwestern Faru1el
= Association. This WIS deemed premature
n might place tl,cn' in opposition to tue State A
# .icuttural Society; this would he IN unplcasa
Il position 1t present. 1t would be better 10 d
'. Ter this uction till more County societies We
If under their cnusro, when, if it was thong
l. best they could ''pertorn the part Of the nc
!. swarm of bees, in taking no.se>s;on Of the o
&c live, honey, DC" Soute Q: our people wl
g dropped in the first day to see Whit was like
l. 10 b. dune fur their interest were led to rega
tho movement as ."t up tor personal ends, III
lc did not consider it ut al! representing I
n Farmers. The prominent men IS speakers, III
st sou.e OF til. prominent Officers were If the III
d lgnel class ''ntHl producers" 1t ~eemed as
,e sun,e had diverted attention from, their own pt