The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-08-25
Che SSl1ailg Ar9ns,
The Farmers in --Irenuois

The farmers of lroquois county in this
State, seem to have a very distinct coneep-
ton of what they want, faculty to say
what they mean, and determination to
mean what they say At Gilman, on
Thursday, there was gathered an assem-
blv of five thousand Of them. They lis
tened to the reading Of the new Declare
ton of independence, by Mr. David Kerr,
and to vigorous address by Mr. s. NJ
Smith. They appointed a committee Of
| their number to prepare some resolutions
| dechratory of their views and purposes in
the new strike for emancipation and hide
pendence The resolutions reported bv
/ the committee, and which, it is stated.
were adopted with great enthusiasm and
entire unamity by the gathering, are Ger.
tainlv among the most definite. coherent
positive, and outspoken declarations
against the monopoly system. root and
| branch, and in favor Of the free or ec0no-
mic system, that have yet appeared any
where. Compared to the usual products
of the professional platform builders, they
present remarkable contrast. There Is
no eduiyocatian, no hesitation no India
rubber phrases capable OF long or short
meanings, DO Good Lord and Good
Devil about them. They declare that
the farmers of Iroquois are opposed to al
class legislation, either State or National
and to monopohes Of every kind monop-
olies being the legitimate consequences d
special or class legislation. They declare
that "a law compelling one man to pay
taxes to support the business Of another is
nothing less than legalized robbery al
unavoible conclusion both Of reason aud %
fact. They come down from the genera
to the particular, and affirm that "A pro
tective tariff is the basis of monop0lies ant
tie sum of al cd,aintes a proposition
which, considering that the protective
system" and the ''paternal system arr
- substantially convertible phrases, can 10
be successfully controverted. They de
3 clare that they are I'm favor of free irJI
: and steel, salt and lumber, sugar, cofie
and tea, WOODEN and cotton fabrics, au
b that II ta5Tf ts jpStifa5le at aH'-o
which they manifestly entertain gray
doubts should be for revenue pun
h poses only" They denounce the ire
deemable shinplaster system Of so-calle
national banks as amoney monopoly Great
ed by special legislation, whose conse
T quences are special robbery of the peopl
for the benefit of aggregated wealth in tn
- hands of the favored few And COZ
b corning that other member of the trinit
of money monsters that threaten 10 usur
e the liberties of the American people, tn
II railroad corporations, they say:
a THAT we recognize the great benefits 10 be d
i rived from railroads in the transportation of freg
: and passengers in developing sections of comm
that would be almost useless without them. yet v
deny that the corporations controlling them a
! superior TO the powers that gave them legal eXi
q tence, but that they subject to LEGISLATION
II much so a. individuals.
- They denounce, most Justly and ratiol
ally. the board of railroad and warehou,
u commissioners as "a useless appendage
u the host of Office holders now quarterC
= upon the people,-a kind Of wart on Il
- body polite, of great use to themselye
but Of none to the people an outspokt
enunciation of the plain truth. And thu
condemn, without qualification, the bac
= ward and forward salary steal, and Il
salary thieves without exception-tl
President Of the United States, who &c
signing the bin and putting 100000 in
own pocket, evinced a morbid avarice u
paralleled in the history of America, al
the present Governor Of Illinois, who
acceptance Of the salary grab while acti
Governor Of the State and receiving p
- therefor, was a .wanton and aggravated j
: suit to the people
- These are the salient points in the dec
ration adopted with great enthusiasm a
entire unanimity at an assembly Of f
thousand Iroqu0is county farmers. A
7, other point in the declaration should a
be mentioned Though heretofore II
have acted with different party orgam
tons the Iroquois farmers forswear allie
ancc to all old parties, and declare for
5. dependent political cooperation in the
ture, upon the basis of the views and 7
poses here set forth.