, 1873-12-25
THE ILLINOIS FARMERS CONVENTION.
Com nnouts of the prcsss

IRON the Springfield tiH) tfe9fa{fr tUffnocfdtfc).
Decatur waB ono Of tho most gignii1cant gntlier-
ings eycr held In this State. Takon in eonrcc.
tion Will, tho Into 1ncotiug Of THO State Grange
ut Bloomington, 1t shows Tint tho vast prodtic-
Ing interests OF tho State aro nwalo to tho faot
that tho Gonornl Government Inns boon used as
m cngino to Cypress tho agricultural and to
fostor aud asBist tho non-producing claaBcB. Tho
platforms adopted by tloBo swo conventions show
this, aud 60 to Indicate TINT farmors ,citlsor In
any party which faiato moot tho wantu and servo
the tnteroHts Of tho whole people. III tho
GrangorB' platform, Indeed, tthoso idcas aro OH
acured by many words, Indicating: apparently,
that tllo convention was influenced. net to say
iii tho interests of tho dominant party. In tho
resolutions adopted at Bloomington there aro
solno hints towarda tho existence Of tho rights
Of tho people mud tho necessity Of thoir exor-
ciao. but tho language Ia weak, and tho oxpros-
ssou Of purpose is tn ovory caac omaHculatcsl by
tho statomont Of alternatives. Wo groatly foar
the trno sentiment of tho mon who mndo up tho
body Of the. bloomington Convention IL OBJ
so,lrcd by d form Of aol1ndtng words, wliilo
doctrine. Tic true tost Of tho yalua Of any OK
prosslon Ia tho application OF it to the Honti-
ments md neoda Of the people, and, Judging tho
two platforms by this toat, wo find tho Decatur
TINT formulated at bloomington. Wo
commend tho cntiro [Decaturl platform to tho
careful consideration Of a!l the nooplo Of tho
State md country. It applicR in all Its parts to
questions Of paramount iusoroat, ana upon eacl
bofiof and tho most direct aud foasiblo method
Of action. Tho OWLS Of tho present condition
and tho calsos whicl, have produced those OWLS,
as we'll rs tho remedies therefor, nre plain, mud
fully declared, Upon such platform as this NIL
tho honest mon Of tho country can unite against
the monopolists.
From, tho .ilbany Ercntug Journal tRtnublican).
Farlnora' AauocIation, ield at Decatur last wook,
Is important becauso it's action forcahadows
another now departure mud tho attempted
formation Of 4 farmers' political party. 1loroso-
foro 1t las been clainled by largo number Of
were not political except to throw their intlu-
onco upon tho sido that presented candidates
most in harmony with their views. Indeed, 80
prominent wns this nlado to appear that ono Of
tho highoat officers In tho organization declared
Inst fall IN Minnesota that their members were
bound by oath to steer cloar Of politics.
There le, however, no longer any doubt as to
what now is, md nll along l,aa been, the ultmato
design Of tho leaders in this movement It Inns
been cun'lingly. mud persigtently proclaimed to
party, they could throw their bnlauco Of power
to suit varying circumstances. 10 toll those
TURNER'S tlat thoy woro being made tools aud
dupeB of by crafty, designing mon, aud tint old
Democratic leaders and brolon-down politicians
wore using them for BtoppinE-Htones to reach
place and power provoked smile of incredulity.
But NJ tt1ne progresses, md haH progressed, it
hns been oasy to 500 that the cunning leaders Of
tho Oranges, the Farmers Clubs, Pr
for their own Boiish purposes.
The farmers AAvc been nlade to bo!iere tint
thoir movement originated among themselves.
But this Is not 30. It did not start upon tue
praires Of tho West, nor along the banks Of tho
AlissiAsippi It came not from tho corn fields
Of Illinois, nor tho wloAt folds Ut Minnesota.
It vas got up in tho City Of Washington, by
lot Of mon whoso political fortunes aro NJ
shabby as their political principles. 1t was
except to firm out in advance places and
positions they are never likely to have at thoir
disposal
The farnlers Of tho West, like tho turner's
Of this country generally, arc u most worthy
trotic. a thrifty, ontorpfpins, r and intelligent D
And it Is truo that thoy havo reasonable
cnuao for complaint Tho railroads hayo not
done them justice. But it is now clearly Hcon
tint tho transportation problem ia a very hnrtl
railroads throughout tho West has really doyel-
oped but ono tangible fact-it Inns demonstrated
tho need of moro railroads. So thoao fiery lead
ora In tho Farmers movement who talk about
tearing the rallroada up by tho roots and casting
tho,n into the depths Of the sen, furnish strong
evidence Of their insanity, md Intelligent farm.
ora oughs not to follow their loati for moment.
This Erent problem OF transportation il now en-
gaging the time, care aud patriotic investigation
OF H0na OF tho nbluHt me1l III The country. Will
the oppressed farmers Of tile WoAt listen to Gull
ming demagogucs md reiuao to liston to these
men ? It does not seem possible.
Among tho resolutions passed ut tho Decatur
Convention, the ono which resolves that tho
farmers aro absolyed from NIL allegiance to old
political parties," shows TINT tho donlasogues
and placo-huntors begin to think they have got
tho farmers in their clutches, and aro getting
ready to spring tho not upon them. Will tloy
nucceoa? Can theso men, crafty and astuto
leaders though they be, accomplish their pur-
1lose Can tlloy convince tho Intelligent farmers
OF Illinois or elsewhere, that tho interests Of
farmers aro entagonistio to thoiutorests of other
industrial cassos in this country, and tint n
political party founded Oil class distinction is
either prudent or patriotic2 CcM thcso leaders
force tho turner's into committing the huprcmcst
folly OF tho ago?
A cno to tho character Of the lenders IN tho
Farmors' Movement is seon iu tho fact that 8.
II. Smith. tho orator. who was going into forest
culture last summer. aud produce trees /" that
certain things his friends wanted wero not dono
speedily" was reelected Secretary.
From tie Jfa.isOn tlEfs) Democrat {pen,ocrai'c).
Tho action Of tllo fhrmers OF Illinois, Mt thcir
great moeting ut Decatur laAt week, in deuounc-
Ing both tho old political partioB, WIS OF tho
n1oat positive aud outapoken claracter. Tho
bold action Of the turner's il 4 hopeful sign; it
ia forecast OF new era of political action
among this respectable and numerous olass Of
society. In the future we shall look for moro
Independence, and consequently more intolli-
CONT action, among these mon who for yours
haye assumed to l,aye no controlling influence in
matters Of political concorn.
From the Jacksonville {fli journal fH<pH5fica,i}.
In tho platform adopted ut Deeatur there aro
seventeen resolutions. OF this number, twelve
rotate to subjects upon which the old parties aro
not matoralIy divided. and which, moreover,
hayo alrcady been onnnciated OH the platforms
of both political parties. OF tho remaining five
resolutions, ono relateH to the patent laws two
to annual instead Of b;onnial sessions Of tho
Legislature; tho fourth 1lings defiance ut tho
devoted leada Of Western plow-lnanufaeturors;
md tho fifth pnrports to donouncc tho old poll
tical parties. Digacotcd in this manner tho plat
form OF tic Dccatur Convention yields n very
small crop Of principles which have not already