, 1873-04-17
fsoncxoo and t1ac Fnrmors

1onosoo and tho Fnrn1orss
10 khs Editor qf Tho Chicago Tribune:
B1n: The question haa boon ofton asked,
during tho past fow wookH, Why It Is that tho
most Important town in Horny County-ono Of
tho oldest, tho 1argoat in population, doing tho
greatest amount Of buBinosH, and paying tho
largest tax-llns boon 80 aoomingly reluctant to
tako decided stand with noighborlng towns In
tho groat national reform movement now por-
vading oyory rural district IN tho State and
nation2
Tho Town Of Gcneaeo enjoys peculiar ndvan-
tngoB over most Western towns. Perhaps no
tow situated upon any railroad running out OF
Chicago has moro exclusive and entirely mo-
nopo llzing powor over trade and produce-buylng
Oh q market and shippinR-point than Gonoaoo
has enjoyed for tho past twonty years.
Her merchants hayo become rich and inde.
pendont her grain-buyera hnye, with worry small
beginnings, becomo wealthy owners Of bank and
other monopolizing stock, md 1t may bo aaid
money market and noarly ovory bnsinoss intor-
est in tho northern part of Henry County.
This fact tho working g-claBsea and farmers
hare very vol understood for long time; Tho
% roandsa Wi gRasay y and m s'ss oqaai Tho
ssooHts rig, sl,, md productive Tas early
and well l.cu1tvntod, productive farms woro soon
found taking tho place Of wild, open rrnirios,
! and tho country around GoneBco has become
ena ap eroaeo
\ for many miloa around, without Q single compot-
| itor, and has done 80 for ncarly twentJ yoars.
Twenty-Five miloe from any large trading centro,
| she has tho exclusive control OF this immense
for such o populations. Her TRADE IN farming I'M
plomontB ID almoat without limit. This trade has
como exclusively from tho producing classos
Tho farmor and the avails Of his labor hsvc
| I'm linn uu tHh{ A
boen entirely dependent, and III no town In tho
northern part Of tho county Inns thore been bot
ter progross, better improvements, Or moro
thrift: And It is 5ustly due hs,o to ,osf shf
manfully, all through those past twenty yoars,
against fearful odds, until ut last not quito dis
conraged, = crfes laa como, aud they feel they
can no longer atand tho unfair and unjust dis
nrimination imposed upon them by tho COM
binod influence Of the common carrier-tho rail-
road corporations-and itB ally anlasBociato, the
Protective Tariff, which havo enjoyed tho Of
elusive privilege of charging Just what they
bringing to US tho merchandise and other
freight we require -thus fixing tho prco for our
produce, as vol aa everything wo must buy, to
suit themselves, and to-day should you mix how is
into e1iatonco, aB II by magic powor aImost, you
would hear the answer from eyory Intelligent,
l1onost man It is the availa Of tho hard Toll OF
the farmer, his wife, his hons and his daugh-
tcrs.
Yet, in almost every instance, during this long
period Of monopolizing power those special
privileged mon have exercised over us, when we
have nade m effort to counteract and got rid Of
this crushing monopoly, wo havo beon mot with
cold indifference, or cnmbined, determined op-
position, by tho very men who have hoen made
ricl by our labor, and we hayo been sometimoa
seriously told wo wero doing we'll enough md to
lot we'll enough alone, thoy saying, at tho aamc
timc, "We do not wish to movo cir warehouses;
aud elevators us We most liholy should be
obliged to III case Of m incroaso Of railroads, o.
, competing linoa of transportation facilities.
This sentiment liaB prevailed and controlled the
: | MASSES.
! Some months since, when tho preaont roforrr
, .novenant waa commenced BY the farmers o
! nlinoie, aovoral leading. wc-to-do farmers, wht
rcaldo In tho corporation Of Gnnosoo, werc callet
. nnnn by mon engaged in the enterprise, ant
for o N }oWa Of sg SgHGz g
\ meet with that cordial reception sufficient to In
duco thom to mako tho attompt. Tho corpora
ton was not aware, with tho exception Of those
%o a%ayg " aS to ae9p Ne raad
' half, until quite largo number wont out intt
: tho adjoining towns, bccomo members OF asHo
ciations, caught tho enthuaias,n and spirit o
4 thoir brethren In other towns, como homo ant
i went to work with their neighbors, and tic ro
= suit hnB bcen that large onthuaiastio meotin;
q was hold at school-houso in the oaHtorn part o
= tho town, at which nearly all the leading farmer
a woro present, and unitodly resolved to take I'M
a mediate measures to organize the Patrons 0
y Husbandry in that part of tho town.
d Tho meeting, after attending to preln1inar
buslnoRa, listened to M able address BY W. San
ford, Esq, prominent and successful farme
and able legal adyisor,-tho author, also, Of tn
/ elaborate rosolutiona recently passed. at Cam
= bridge by the farmers Club Of Horny County do
J. manding tho ropoal Of tho recont Congressiona
i act known tho Butler salary robbery, in whicl
n nearly all our mon in Congress took part b
IA pockoting their shnro Of the money.
Tho mooting WIS addressed by several farmers
"a and very general interest WAS manifested |,
Ia favor Of tho united efforts of farnora for rodrcs
There having boon no tirno for ombodying tn
d sentiments considered and discussed into th
"a form Of resolutions, append soma Of tho NOR,
4 important points discussed, as followB:
s first-Wo atand upon tho reserved right
handed down to us by tho patriotism and b1oot
OF our fathors.
Eecond-That railroads must DO made to sub
. gerve the PURPOSES for which thoy wore created
Interest Of oil tho American people, tho vast ma
q jority Of whose business il the tllling Of til
= Hoil
h Thtrd-ours is n1oBt cmphatically an agrfc,,l
O tural nation, and will remain such for genera
a tiona to come.
= Fou,M-That tho honor and dignity Of labor
. the only true basis upon which q nation ca1
. prosper demands tho united and determined
a support Of eyery American citfzon.
q F!fM-That combinations Of men craatod b,
Legislation for tho special purpose Of securing
for capital special advantages aud privilege ove
the 1nasses ind the mails Of their Tabor are con
/ trary to tho express sentiments md purposes O
i our national compaot,
a siath-Tlat all corporations, whether for rail
Paposo cgfostoa wheh syo or secured eea T
themselves special privilege, aro direct viola
ton Of tho spirit and intellt of tho America,
a Constitution, md are anti-Amorican in al thel
consequences. :
Gcucisth-That our National Government ha
a within the past fow months developed the mos
# alarming symptoms Of decay and dogoneraoy.
= Tho mnoting adjourned at d lato hour, to moo
at tho call Of tho Secretary for permanent organ
= ization. ONE or TUE PEOPLE.
Nliddlcn1cn and Their Function 1T
t. the World SO. Tho FlillleMnn
y Worker and a Pr0iIucor---.rl.o MI
l" dleliinrl nnI tho Producer Each
Necessity In His PiuCD---TGrmtMAl l