The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-05-21

been requested to publish explains itself:
10 THE FARMERS OF THE NORTHWEST:
The Convention Of Farmers, which as
sembled at Bloomington, April 20, after q
full discussion Of the objects which called
them together, presented, among others, the
following resolutions
Resolved, That the claim of vested rights sci
up the chartered companies, bv which they az
sumo that the people have transferred any
essential portion of their sovereignty, is an as
sumption which cannot be safely tolerated in !
free government
The corporations which set up this extra
ordinary claim were, but q few years ago
suppliants at your hands for charters and
highs Of way by which to construct high
ways Of greater capacity, and subject in all
their details to legislative direction and
control; but now the franchises so obtained
are used to extort from the peope the mean:
Of carrying on war upon their interests, t.
render themselves independent Of Legislative
action, and procure for their pretentioui
theories and outrageous practices the sane
ton Of the courts
They now claim to be private corpOra
tons, to be dealt with as individual common
carriers, and the courts sustain them:
They uurp the functions of government
BY refusing to assessors the right to estimate
the value Of their property for taxation
listing it themselves at mere 1.-THE Of its
value, and again the decision Of the court,
is in their favor: 1855 o r
They contract to deliver property at Ger.
tain points, but refuse consignees possession
unless they submit 10 arbitrary exactions d
storage which never accrued: e-.-a
They consolidate competing railroad lines,
place unconstitutional impediments IN the
way Of improvements of water courses, and
gobble up canals and lake marine already
established, thus preventing competition on
the one hand and increasing indefinitely
the rates of transit on the other.
These are but samples Of the doings Of an
overshadowing monopoly which dates liz
origin but little back Of tns present genera
tion-scarcely halEHedged-but welding a
capital Of $4,000, 600, 900.
TIE farmsrs Of the Northwest from their
position, must become the first victims and
should. therefore, organize at once if thew
would not become tenants on their own sci
By organization, do not mean the old
wirepuling machine % long used to BE-
SLAYER you with it's fulsome nonsense ius,
before election, leaving the soullcss monster
to thrive equally well on the keeping of both
parties-I mean q cooperative business
effort which can burr upon any point the
Cotes, inf uence and means Of millions or men
Of similar interests and pursuits; which
shall say to party politics. Give us q fair
field, and We will demonstrate what your
honeyed speech has 50 often told us, that we
are at least portion o. the bone and sinew
of this fair land that the words of promise
so long and sweetly kept to the ear can no
longer be broken 10 the sense with impunitv.
And to this and, in discharge Of the duty
devolved upon me by the convention, re.
sPectfully submit the following call fOr
action:
The farmers Of the Northwestern States
and Territories are requested TO meet ii
their respective school districts on Saturday
the 4th day If June next, at g O'clock IN
the atteFnoon, for the discussion of the ia
sues here presented, and to appoint com