New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-18
SOME AGRICULTURAL RESOLUTIONS

SOME AGRICULTURAL RESOLUIIOFS'
The Farmers Association of Milks Grove
Township, Iroquois County, H., has recently
odoped a curious set of resolutions, setting
forth the grievances of the agricultural classes
and some of the methods by which it is hoped
TO obtain if not redress, at least satisfaction
These gentlemen say "the combination OF many
" other branches OF business " cOmpels them ito
Combine together for the purpose of buying
"yhere they can buy the cheapest and sell
"ing where they can sell the highest !"
which is a reasonably clear statement Of
their belief in the doctrine currently ac-
cepted and acted on, though not always
so frankly confessed, that the greatest num-
"bern whose greatest good" Is to be desired
is Number One. The first great object OF the
movement as they state it, is :" to protect
ourselves from the extortiOnate prices paid
"by the manufacturers and their agents for
nthe sale of farm machinery" and the second
is, "to compel the railroad companies to obey
" the laws of the State until they are repealed
or declared unconstitutional" They say the
railroads are no longer operated in the inter
est of the people but only that of moneyed
mOnopolies, and that they are dangerous enc
proper relations to the community but what
those relations are and precisely how they are
to be compelled to resume them, they do not
undertake to say. The nearest approach they
make to such definite statement is in resolving
to "use all legal and honorable means to sup
press unjust discrimination of railway monOp-
COLES, and to put down manufacturing Rings,
"aud all other mOnOpOles detrimental to the
"interests of the farmer.n And this after all is
only q reiteration of their heretofore expressed
hostility TO the railroads and the manufacturers.
Recurring to their unhappy condition they
resolved that they are " as n class subjected
"to the oppression and unjust determinations
"of moneyed monopolies," and that it is their
"incumbent dutyn to give their united sup
port to men only whose interests are theirs,
and who will devote their power to redress
of their grievances. And then they passed the
following singularly intoxicated tumble Of
Words
"Resolred That We will heartily cooperate with other
clubs country and State % revoke the detected
state into which cast, and which is shadowing
our future prosperity with cloud redundant with OPP
preston and harbngor that independence is in the
balance.
"Resolred That We ndorse the policy OF all papers
identified with great struggle against oppression,
and that We give our preference to such papers and
that we shall buy our farming implements OF manulae-
turers who first recognize caamitous state,
and willing 10 compete or assent 70 reduction OF
prices"
Well, here is the old story: Labor, blind,
unintelligent, and unreasoning, weary aud dis
couraged in the long struggle with the cum
ming and acquisitiveness and over-reaching
disposition of capital, throwing up its hands
in q wild protest, and calling upon the State
which means the politicians-to come to its
help. These men see that they haveIto pay
high prices for what they buy, and get low
prices for what they SELL They see a rank in
Justice in it. Without investigating causes or
going into the philosophy of the situation at
all, they strike at the thing nearest TO them.
The manufacturers Of farming implements
charge high prices and seem prosperous. The
first suggestion is to level up little
with them by paying lower prices for
tools and charging higher prices for pro-
ducts. kThen there are the railroad COM
panies-manifestlyp prosperous and rich: II they
could be made to carry grain to market at the
farmers freight tariff instead of their own, the
price would advance, and that would help to
remedy the present inequality and injustice.
And then they see that the manufacturing
companies and the railroad corporations derive
their franchises from the State, and are in
some sense the creatures Of the State. Then
that the newspapers and the politicians control
legislation; and there their reasoning stops.
It's short and rapid process. Nothing is
more natural than for them to hold out as they
do in the resolutions quoted, and in nearly all
their organized movements, to party politicians
and party organs the offer of votes and sup
port in exchange for help-some sort of help
they know not what-against the mOnOpOlies
which Cypress them.
BE assured tho politicians and the organs
hear them soon enough. Here are votes. And
it makes no difference to the practical poll
tican-wbo also is seeking the greatest good
Of the greatest number, with the same UNDER
standing of the greatest number-whether
there is reason or unreason in the complaint
or whether he has the slightest idea OF any
method of redress for them. He Is ready to
promise to cooperate, and if need be to give
bonds to "revoke the detected staten into
which these unhappy people are cast and if
there are votes enough behind it he is ready
to howl nightly that "the detected staten is
/" shadowing our future prosperity with q
cloud redundant with oppression and O har-
Ginger that our independence is in the
"balance," or any other ridiculous nonsense
that may DO huddled together for him.
Meantime the aggrieved and complaining par
tie, arc blindly beating tho air, struggling in