The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-06-28
THE FARMERS, ORANGES AND
INDUSTRIAL UNIONS.

@NaNCss III VI kniAlhlk III PAOhSSNASAT
against the e1tortionate demands of the
railroad corporations, and the carrying out
Of their programme Of the ballot box, has
created a revolution III American politics,
and done more to effect a disruption Of
party ties than all the independent con
ventions" which have been held during
the past ten years Slow 70 be convinced
against their preconceived preludlces, slow
or still to act, their movements partSks
little Of a spasmodlc character, yet when
they DO more, it Is generally with no uncer-
tain sound, and with determination to
accomplish the purpose they have IN view.
The extent and power Of these organiza-
lions il immense. From the National
4 Grange we learn there are in Arkansas, 10
I organizatlons California 8; Georgia, 10,
Illinois. 43l; Indiana, 432, Iowa, L, 5O7 F;
Kansas, l2S. Michigan, "a, Minnesota,
PIG; Mississippi, ll2, Missouri, 245; Ne
brsska, 100, Ohio, A. South Carolina, ll8;
Tennessee, 10. Vermont, %; Wisconsin
l4O-makIng All organization III the United
States Of 1877 oranges with an aggregate
membership of over :, 900, O0O
These figures may be somewhat in excess
Of the actual statement, vet there can be
no doubt that they are sufficiently strong
TO form a tremendous engInery for good or
evil, and ranking as they do among the
of our citizens, the legitimate superstition
Is that their influence will be controlled by
Justice, and sIerted in the right direction.
And at a time when the blightlng influence
of monopoly and competition are sapplng
the very foundations Of our social and Pc
ltical systems, ana threatening the exist
ence Of Democratic government, the per
petuity Of our institutions hangs Oh their
patriotism and foresight The petty pre-
iudices which have heretofore, unhappily,
existed between the farmers and the me
chamcal element, and which has been
III fact Both are fighting, or should lie
fighting the same monsters the moneyed
power and corporate monopolies; both
are struggling for the practical recognition
Of the same purpose-that the farmer
who sows. and the mechanic, Who labors,
should reap the fruits Of their industry
But III order to secure this cooperative
effort mutual confidence must be estab-
hshed, AL IDENTITY " interest must be re-
cognzed, selfish, personal preJudIces must
be discarded, and good faith inviolsbly
preserved
We are led into this strain 81 argument
by the action Of the members IF the Hi
uoIs State Senate in voting against the
wage and lien bl.l, introduced oy the Hon.
John HinchclItFe. from st. Clair. both Of
which we're emmently Just and proper
] Strange as lt may seem, those bills were
defeated by the votes II the very men re-
I loudest IA the denunciation 4 the eKtor-
I ton practlced upon themselves and con
stItueuts. Us producers. We regret this &C
I ton the more because II vas taken at a
time when public sympathy was aroused in
their favor. AM when the mechanical ele-
ment Wa rallyIng ~ their support As a
matter II course. this une1 pected rebuff
! threw a daMper on their ardOr, and the
1 consequence j. that that the efforts Of those
who have been earnest workers, to bring
I them into a closer relationship, have, for
the time being, at east, proved snsuccess-
\ full
/ In striking contrast to this action, We
herewith present the resolutions adopted
Y by the farmers. at a district meeting recent
I ly held IN Lawrenceburgh, Indiana, which
have the ring Of the night metal, and which
cannot fail NJ have beneficial effect
4 They are as follows
Resolved, We hold that labor and capital
are equally AMI alike entitled % the protection
of law, and Will earnestly resist the claim Of
capital consolidated AZ corporations ny ssted
with exclusive franchises by Imprudent legs
latlun that such franchises are vested rights
which duetnHe We denOuuce and coniemn IS
against the spirit 81 free government, and we
demand that the power VI Congress To- 'regu-
late commerce be carried 10 the end that the
rapacty Of railroad Corporations. created by
public favor ana vested with vast franchises.
now ~ oppressive 70 the various interests of
the country. shall be restralned BY reasonable
legislation
Resolved, We demand that the public lands
shall be held 10 good faith 20 secure homes for
actual settlers only and that grants for lands
for educational purposes shall only be made
to promote system OF common schools, the
benefit Of which may reach all classes Of com
munIty
Resolved, Fully convinced u the justice
and reasOnableness OF the above principles,
We earnestly solicit the farmers and working
men Of Indiana u form similar organizations,
and for the purpose Of carrying them out We
hereby form ourselves into an association to
be known the Farmers and WorkIngmep .
Association Of South IN Indiana
The following resolution, among others,
was also adopted at a meeting Of the Cen
trail Association Of the Patrons of Hus-
Association, June 3.
Resolved, That the interests Of farmers and
mechanics are too closely allied to admit Of
any estrangement, and we deem it our duty
TO patronlze home mechanics in preference to
foreign ones, and would here say that ours 10
not al organization for the purpose of redu-
eng or degrading mechanical labor, but con
sider 1t our best interest to bestow liberal
patronage and fair and remunerative prices on
the mechanical skill Of the country Al
though we propose to dispense with the ser
vice Of Middle men, and buy direct from
the manufacturer Wa fail N IN ~ at W.
the mechanic is injured Our experience al
ready proves there is material difference be-
tween the manufacturers price and that Of
the retail dealer. That difference being in our
favor, we have money left to buy other manu-
featured articles, thus increasing instead Of
diminishing the demand for mechanical labor