The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-08-14

have, "a a county, too many cfhces-that the
number might I've reduced, and the salaries
of the remainder lowered at least one-half-
that for the purpose of satisfying the people,
the President il hereby instructed TO appoint
4 committee of FIVE u investigate the subject,
and report To the convention called by these
resolutions.
Rsstcsd, Tha; one Of the great obstacles
TO a confidential union of farmers ia their
unwillingnp-s To lay down old party preju-
dices and sel!ishness-to emancipate them
selves from the Iominion of the two great
parties which act IA the upper and neither
mill stones, grinding them to dust; and for
the removal of these baneful membranes
we pledge ourselves to exert every honorable
influence We can bring to bear.
Beside. the res buttons the fpliuwins az
ton was taken:
CALL FOR A CONVECTION.
| By order Of tle Executive Committee a
delegate convention under the auspices Of the
Farmers Cooperative Association is called
| 10 NEE, AT the Dis,ric. Court room, in this
city, on the 81 day OF August, 1873, at 10
O'Clock a. m, TO take action concerning the
| calling Of Il convention 20 nominate the dif-
fersn: county officers at the coming election,
and for tie transaction of such other bust
ness my properly come before the con-
vention. The basis Of representation shall
be two delegates from each auxiliary CLUB
or grangs) in the county.
No al,ernates or proxies will be admitted.
During the days exercises speeches were
made by prominent agriculturalists. DIR.
A. G. Chase spoke on the management OF
county Offices, and Senator Winter on the
folly of the farmers attempting to organize a
political party. Below weeive Mr.. Winters
speech in full.
On Article 10. of the Amendment to the
Constitution by Mr.. GOble, that the Asso-
cislion shall have no power to nominate can
didates for municipal offices, or to take fur
ther action upon any questions purely poit-
ical, I" Senator Jacob Winter delivered the
following brief speech:
Mr.. PREsIDEYE-My conceptions of the
prime Objects Of the institution of Farmers
Clubs, Farmers Unions, and Agricultural
and Horticultural Societies were:
LIST, For the enlightenment and elevation
of the rur Al classes Of our people. Through
the medium Of ass ci ,ton We hoped to I've
enabled 10 furnish 10 ourselves, our sons and
daughters such facilities for acquiring sci
IN iiic and pr; cical knowledge of geol gy,
minero!ogy, chemistry, cereals, fruits, vsge-
tables, era 'ses, animals, birds and insects,
which would enable Us to prosecute the BUSH
ness of our profession with such intelligence
and skill that farming would become more
certain, more pleasant and more remunera
tive than in times past.
2nd, By association we alec h01~
more fully learn the relation tia -. vusI-
ns-s su-tains to commerce, the present sys-
TEN of conveying our surplus products to
those who must consume them, and rics rosa,
to convey the products of our customers TO
us, which we must hsve; TO devise some sys-
tenn by which We could cell our products, az
well As TO buy the products of others, which
we cannot do without. Our sad experience
is that these desirable things cannot be &C
quired in an lsoIatei condition such as now
exists and has ALWAYS existed amongst the
''tiler. Of the ground" In short, | under
stood that these associations were inaugural
ed for the express purpose Of elevating the
rural population IN, ntally, morally and
financially.
Not till recently did | know or imagine
that any farmer thought of converting these
associations into a political party or TO Or
ganize new political party upon the ruins
of the Republican, Democratic and Liberal
parties, or make a new departure.
Notwithstanding the fact that these
Farmers Unions must look closely
into the effects produced upon their inter-
ests, 10y all the organized wealth, all monop-
olies, all clsss or special legislation, all the
wrongs inflicted upon commerce by exhorb-
liant freight rates, all evils growing OIL. OF
fostering horde of ''middle. men," that il Is
their dn,y 10 nee to it well that all such
wrongs be speedily righ,ed, and that all fu-
ture legislation shall he just and equal upon
ALL And further, no man can be good
citizen who has mo politics at all in the
true and strict sense Of that word; in fact, ] |
doubt the moral or civil right of any man
to exercise the right Of franchise who is en-
fireiy deatifafe Of politics in the sense already
defined. But when we speak Of politics in |
the present conventional sense, by which |
men are associated together for purely polit- |
ical and party purposes, then We have q
very different proposition before us; then, |
say, 40 far a. can prevent it, these farmers
associations shall not be merged into po-
li,ical party for the following reasons:
LIST. have not lost my faith and hope in |
the Republican party. don't believe that |
any political party can he formed in Kansas, |
nor in the United States that could or would |
do more for all claaees, trades and occupa-
tions of men in this country than did and |
still does the Republican party. No politi-
cal party in this country has been as prompt /
in purifying itself by bringing corrupt off
Gals to justice As the Republican party. ii
am unwilling to swap of the Republican
party just nov for any new and untried par
~, especially since no real bona fde exieency
for such movement exists.
81. The farming population Of the United
States il about one seventh of the entire vot-
ing population. In Kansas and in the en-
tire Wet the ratio is greater probably one
fifth. Whenever the farmers organize and
form themselves into political party and
make the chief planks in their platform
The Farmep' Intarestf," ''Legislate for
Farmer" "Send Only Farmers
to the Legislature" etc, the mos;
superficial thinker will discover in moment
that all other trades and professions will i'm.
mediately form themselves into contra 20.
litical parties ~ . necessary matter of self
protection. Can Farmer party hope to
succeed when six-eevenths of the voting pop
ulaiion stand organized in hostile array
against them? The scheme il Ethiopian.
Sd. Such political party would be too
con racted and selfish. Class legislation would
be demanded strictly in the interest of farm
ers; and that 10 strictly against the spirit and
essence all four Republican Constitutions.
whether State O. Nasiooal. ALREADY are Ne l,
cunsd viii TOO nneh .e2aa o. special lsgis-