The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-11-07
NATIt NAL CONVENTION OF FARM
ERS.

The irst National Convention of til,
Patrons of Husbandry convened a
Chicago Wednesday, Oct. %. Dele
gates were in attendance from Illinois
Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska
Indiana, New York and Canada.
c. D. Beeman, of Iowa, was elected
temporary Chairman, and S. NJ. Smitl
and S. T. X. Prime, temporary Secre.
| taries.
Mr.. Beeman, before taking The chair,
made short speech, in which he said
that he was en route to New York to or.
ganize a State grange. This question
of cheap transportation is one of vital
Importance to the farmers of the great
Northwest, when it is considered that
400, ,0O0, 900 bushels of grain are yearly
shipped eastward, and that the farmers
pay for freightage to the seaboard twen-
ty-five cents per bushel more than they
should pay if the charges were honestly
registered. Cormorants in the guise of
transportation companies are preying
upon the producers, and farmers must
guard their interests well.
Appointment organization was effected
by the election of the following officers ::
James NJ. Allen, President S. NJ.
Smith and S. I. X. Prime, Secreta-
ries.
Mr.. Flagg read to the Convention O
telegram from Hon. William Window,
Chairman of the Senate Committee ON
Transportation, inviting them to confer
with the committee, at their sitting in
st. Louis, by delegates or otherwise.
Mr.. A. G. Searles, of Kankakee
County, ILL.,, offered the following reso-
lutions, which were laid on the table:
WHEREAS. Railways have been built by large
grants of public lands and by subsidies grant
ed them by towns, villages, and cities through
which they passed and,
WHEREAS, They have the power granted
them b. the State to run their line of road
through Cur farms. and even through our
houses ard barns, if they come in the way Of
their line OF road, and appropriate our prop
erty to their use without our consent and
against our wishes and desires: therefore,
Resoirei, That railways are public domain,
and AZ suci should be under the control of
Congressional law: and
E.soIrsd. That we call upon Congress to
a gepara1 rsilyop la,r nj
under the control of Department Of the Gov
ernmcnt, or Bureau of the Government,
called the Department of Railway Transporta-
ton, that shall establish uniform tariff of
maximum rates per mile on the roads, and
rates per ton on water transportation from
place TO place.
The following Committee on Resolu-
tons was appointed G. ID. Beeman,
Iowa; A. G.. Dalton, Illinois; N. G.
Lockhart, Indiana; j. W. Kellogg,
Wisconsin NJ. NJ. Hoonton, Illinois
J. S. Morton, Nebraska; Thomas L.
Smith, Minnesota.
Mr.. ]. S. Morton, of Nebraska,
offered the following resolution, which
was adopted by the Convention:
Eeso,rcd, That committee of three citizens
OF Illinois be appointed by tho Chair to report
to this Convention the effect upon producers
and shippers of the legislation on railways in
Illinois, and whether they advise similar legis-
la;ion in all the States.
The question of water transportation
was brought before the Convention in
the following resolutions offered by Mr..
CoiTeen, of Illinois:
Resolrtri, That the first duty of the people
is to subject all transportation companies or
corporations to the restraints Of law: and
Reso'ced, That it is their next duty TO urge
the making of ship channel from the Allan
tic seaboard by the way of the lakes and the
Mississippi, to deep water in the Gulf of
Mexico, by the National Government: and
Reso'rcd, That it is our next duty to urge
the Federal Government to assist in the build
ing Of double track railway between the
Eastern and Western sections of country.
A long, spirited, and somewhat desul-
tory discussion ensued, and the rcsolu-
tions were finally disposed of by refer
ring them to the Committee on Resolu-
tiOns.
After some business of an unimpor-
tant nature the Convention adjourned.
sEcoND DAY.
The second and last days session of
the Convention was largely occupied
with carefully prepared address on
railroads and transportion, by Mr..
Flagg, at the conclusion of which the
Committee on Resolutions made its
report, which substantially embraces
the following propositions: ]. That
Congress pass maximum freight and
passenger tariff between States, and
that Legislatures regulate rates within
States. .. That Congress open water
routes from the Mississippi river to the
seaboard. 3. That the people be urged
to support home manufactures. 4. That
the prospect of the early completion of
the double-track freight road from New
York to Omaha is matter of congratu-
lation. 3. Urging the people to free
themselves from debt. 6. Opposition
10 special legislation. Z. Thorough or
ganization of the farmers for self
protection. The first resolution was
passed. The second brought long
during which numerous sub
stitutes and changes we're made and
tabled, the final result being the adop-
ton of the following substitute:
ave demand the construction of
railroads and the Improvement of water