The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-05-23
ADDRESS TO THE FAHsrERs OF ORE

CON-
Gentlemen. In obedience to our ap-
pointment by the State Convention Of
Farmers, which met at Salem on the
the 10th of April, we address you this
circular, soliciting your cooperation In
the present attempt at organization
for the purpose of mutual enlighten-
ment, pecuniary advancement, and
protection. I'm union there Is
strength Is an old aud true maxim,
but, at no time In the history of the
world has 1t been so generally applied
as I'm this latter part of the nineteenth
century. Anciently, 1t was deemed
appropriate in the church and state or
army, but, Of late years, the rule Is Or
ganization for most purposes. Indi-
viduai or disintegrated exertion Is ac-
counted but little, and really amounts
to but little, except as 1t tends toward o
vigorous concentration. "0RaANIzE,u
Is the word. II political purposes are
TO be accomplished, organize; II a fam
ishing city Is to be saved, organize; Ii o
wild and uniuhabited country Is de-
sired for settlement and cultivation, or
ganize; III money is to be made or
saved, IL people are to be killed, or
wounded and dying 10 be nursed and
their miseries iessened, organize; II
people have anything to Sbe given
away, or ideas worth promulgating, if
there Is any purpose, at oil, which has
rational connection with the human
mind and heart, organize, and put 1t
insor successful operation. And, fur
ther, organization compels organlza-
tion. Combination and concentration,
whether OF mind or matter, for the ac-
|compiishment of a parpose, necessisate
q like concentration In order TO make
resistance practieahle. Technically
considered, there are no legaliZed. mo-
nopolies In America, and yet we have
practical monopolies, by the death of
competitions, through the crushing
power of concentrations. Great CON-
panies, great interpretations, and, with
them, great capital, are more potent
for COOL or evil, In the common busi-
ness affairs of life, than are govern
ments or communities. Great steam
ship and sailing lines upon the ocean,
great railway organizations upon land,
manufacturers unions, boards Of trade,
and other great combinations of capital
and brains, have compelled the organ
ization of trades unions, working
mens' cooperative societies, farmers
clubs, patrons of husbaudry, and inter-
nationals, and still we hear the cry of
the oppressed but iisunited many, Inn
ploring the State and National Gov
erninents for protection.
The agriculturalists of Oregon, how
ever, are numerous enough, Intelligent
enough, and have means enough, to
take care of themselves, IL they will
only unite In brotherly and effective
n.
they will continue TO be, as they have
been, the victims of combinations
which wich will be more heartless aud
exaetiug as their capital increases
There is no reason why the people of
Oregon should be tributary to Caiifor-
MIA, only that weare indoleut enough to
permit such q condition. Or, is it nec-
essary that our wheat and wool and
everything that we sell, as we'll as
everything that we buy, should be
oyerhauled, wasted at our expense, and
re-taxcd to augment the already over
shadowing capital of San Francisco.-
The people who consume our wheat
give credit to CALIFORNIA;; those who
manufacture our wool, say that IL came
| from California;; while the inferior
products of that State pass TO the det
riment of O-egon. It Is useless % ex-
pect fair prices for our products or To
obtain our goods at a fair profit, 50 long
as we pass them Through the hands Of
the merchant princes OF our sister State
who neither consume what we wish to
sell. nor manufacture what we wish to
buy. Neither can we hope for mate
rial reduction of ocean freights SO long
as this state OF things remains. For
the ship which brings our foreign
goods from the home ports, ieayes them
/ In IA N Fa nffaf In lac .tnx xsAst nd
then comes to US "in BALLAST upon
which Indirectly We pay freight, as
also upon the merchandise soon after
]! brought by the line of California line
| steamers.
| At present, there are, indeed, alter
Jiatiues: either to pay freight, indirect
/ Iy, on ballast, or 10 send our wheat TO
be re-sold In Caiifornia-both OF which
are ruinious to the farmers OF Oregon.
| Either OF them Is as sensible as IL
would be for the farmers to sell their
wheat in New York, TO be re-shipped
to England thing which, be it said
to their credit, they have not done
They have direct commercial relations
with England, as well as New York,
and their surplus wheat Is taken di-
rect1y to the market for which 10 Is In
tended, thus saving the expense of all
| intermediate sales and exchanges. The
lumbermen of Maine have q direct
trade with foreign countries, and they
build, freight, and man their own ves-
sells. There Is no port on the Eastern
coast, and not many in Europe, where
these slirewd managers do not drop
| anchor and exchange their lumber for
coin or such manufactured articles as
they need az home. They. are not so
| green as to take everything to New
York for re-shipment, thus giving an
extra profit to the merchants of that
/ great city.
True economy, the world over, con.
i sists III saving unnecessary waste and
expense, and why should not the peo-
pie of Oregon, as well as those of other
/ states, conduct Mei,sbusiness In obedi-
ence TO the well known rules of econo-
my. The people of this State consume
goods purchased of the retail dealers,
who bought them of the Portland mer.
chants, who got them of the San
them of the New York merchants, WHO
| In turn, bought them of the Liverpool
merchants, who purchased them ofthe
manufacturers, who employed men
that were fed upon Oregon wheat,
which had passed through the purses
| of the Englif Ii capitalists, the California
capitalist, the Portland capitalist, and,
maybe, one other speculator; but still,
we talk of having been encomicai.-
What economy! Certainly of the
"penny wise and pound foolish" sort.
We pay sir profits, amounting to more
than 100 per cent, upon cloth, and fou,
profits, with freight, amounting to 20C
per cent, upon WHEAT. SO that, In eff.
feet, cloth costing 20 cents per yard Is
laid down to US, upon the retail coun.
ter, for S2.25 per yard, while the inter.
mediates pocket the difference of S1.5(
/ per yard. To great extent, this has