Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-04-03
Farmers Association.


lowing the example of the mechanics
in forming trades Unions, are organ
izing for the purpose of securing the
benefits of cooperation and combina a.
ton in Reform in the system of Tax
alton and resistance of Railroad frauds
plundering and tyranical assumptions.
In a short time this association has
gained great strength, especially in
the Western States. 1t is being form
ed i'll Ohio, and in this county. The
members call themselves Patrons of
Husbandry, their societies are called
oranges, and their proceedings are
kept secret, except such portions of
them as they choose to make public.
The State of Iowa contains not less
than S54of these oranges, with a mem
bership reaching nearly $4,000 and in
the whole United States there are said
to be 1888 oranges, of which Mime
sofa has 1l2 and South Carolina .1O2,
the remainder being distributed over
eighteen States. New England has
only two. oranges, both in Vermont.
The order lately held a convention at
Des Moines, Iowa, at which 1,1o0
DELEGATES were present, the principal
topics of discussion being railroad
competition, reasonable freight rates,
narrow-gauge roads, and the like.
We wish them success all over the
country.
Who can blame the farmers for thus
organizing? We know some wise
people sneer at farmers aud mechanics,
and say they know nothing. Others
turn up their noses at them, and con-
slider the tillers of the soil and the
makers of the country but little better
than the cattle they drive. 1t is an
old saying: can honest man is the
noblest work of God" And where
do you find honest men, if not in the
country, in the rural districts-on the
farms, and in the happy homes made
beautiful by labor? But why are the
farmers organizing in every neighbor-
hood, all over the western country,
and to-day, rally a force of thousands
of good and true hearts? We ans
wer: Because they are hard upl
The cry goes forth what shall be done
that the people may get relief from
oppression? The farmers answer
back that they will organize for the
right. And who will object? Look at
the past history of our country, men
have been kept in office for years, who
have plundered the people through
the Credit Mobilier. They have enac-
ted outrageous tariff laws to swindle
the abering men, and to enrich the
already wealthy o~rristocratic maufac-
turer. The people are tired of a party |
that howled down honest men as dis
loyal to boost up seoundrels who
stole under the cloak of patriotism.
They are tired of voting men sinto
power, who by class legislation ex-
empt the rich from taxation, and put
all the burdens of the government on
the laboring class. They are tired OF
a Chief Magistrate who connives with
Wall street thieves to plumber the
people, and who proclaims to the OPP
pressed and down-trodden that he
must have FIFTY THOUSAND
DOLLARS year to support himl
They are tired of members of Con-
gress who cannot live upon FIVE
THOUSAND DOLLARS. a year,
while, in many instances, les than
one fifth must sustain them and their
families! 1t is time something was
done to arrest this wholesale scoun-
dreiism and plumber of the laboring
classes, and we are glad thatthe tiIlers
of the soil, irrespective of old party
affiliations, III moving in the matter.
God speedSthem in this work, and en-
couragethem to act promptly, OIL they
will continue to complain of hard
times, and continue to mortgage their
little farms or houses to pay taxes to
keep up their heartless oppressors.