, 1873-10-04
Immense N1ass-nIeoting Of Patrons at
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Farmers Meeting in Christian Ooun-
ty, III.
A Mass Convention oR Patrons In
Southwestern HItchiRnn Stirring


had, and tho fnir nlay be considered "a gratt-
Tying SUCCESS, Mt loaBe 1000 people boing pres-
Ont during t0-dny.
at 0 o'clock, by nn ntldrosa from
THE HON. ". O. fTAa1,
OF N1aroa, H., who was among tho oarlioat advo-
Gates Of the Tnrmers Movomont In that State.
Ho commenced BY stating tho origin Of thamovs-
~ tho limitation, ,savng TINT tho several lmonnpo-
lios with which tho farmers had to contond weto
sharply watehful and aggressive Us to their
rights and interests. mud these several monopo-
lfcs had conspirod together to dcfeat tho farm
err in this movement. lIo declared thas MI tho
railroad and steamboat lines Of the country wero
monopolios. as in tho beginning they had cost
little, lad oalned vast amounts that had beon
divided III money or in stock, aud wero 30 far
masters of tho situation as to impose thor
own terms, which were, without exception. no
high as to deprive tho producing clasB-the
lcgitimately entitled. OF this proposition sew
oral Illustrations woro given. Mr.: Flagg do
Hlou merchants, who secure largo profits that
ought to so to the farnlor, and tiley woro in tho
railway aud hteanboat conspiracy, using their
best efforts to keep farm produco as low as pos
siblo, themselves realzing handsome profits
from consumers. Ho assorted that tho nlidtllo-
mon wpro
CRUSHING THE TANNERS
and poorer cnsRes Of consumers to the oartll,
and reform must commence by destroying this
class Of men. The present system Of patents
and copyrights were o}.od as ,1nonorolies Of tho
most dangerous and oppressive cliaracter. E1-
tonHion Of patents should bo denied, tho public
interest requiring that 1abor-saving inventions
6S nd as e eMeapy % possible seT
for oue.half thor price III America, while agri-
cultural implemouta aro sold hore at extravaghnt
prices. Tho trouble was that
TOO MANY CORPORATIONS
fsn{y ntr1 1t9r E4nfn n+,S No$$ ~rn1
thority without proper limitations, tho result OF
which ia the continued oppression Of tho people.
He charged that tho railways wore not ,cconotni-
cally managed, it being the interest Of aome
that under proper management the rates might
be largely reduced for froightB, and still hand
some dividends be realized. Tho Northwest
raised most Of tho produce exported to Europe,
md yet the farmers OF tho Northwoat remain
poor becnuao OF tho
ENORMOUS FREIGHT TARIFFS
Of tho railways. Tho remedy for all this was
State and National supervision Of tho railway
and steamboat linos also, tho assuming Of tho
claiming that State md National i' Boards ~ Void
DO the moaus to reach the evil. hlr. F1agg de-
clarca froo trade to ho tho truo policy of t{s na
vol as every country. It might be necessary
Tor o time to have revonuo tarit1, but it should
tho
FREE TRADE
theory put into operation. Heavy taxes had
been ,mpohed upon tho public by many enter
priBos Of d private character, which had soon
grown beyond tho roach Of legislation. The vast
donations of land to railway corporations had not
becn limited to Congress-, but Ind boon limited
by state Legislatures. county, township, and city
authoriticB.
THE PRESENT MONETARY system
OF the country WIS all inflated aud consequently
dangerous one, md should be ramedied at
once; tho other evils Of excessive freight
fnS4 Ne 0F t1.-
the farnor, and should 10 remodiad arst. Tho
farmers should 500 to it that mon woro Bont to
tho Legislature who would soc that their rights
should 10 protected in tho future, rs well as
their prosont wrongB righted.
Mr.. Flagg's address, was listened to with great
attention. He was followed by
THE HON. MARX D. WILBUR,
State Senator from tho Allegan District, who
has boon somewhat conspicuous In connection
with tho transportation question. aud who last
winter delivered an addreBs before tho Michigan
Legislature upon this subject.
Mr.. Wilbur's rolnetly for the evils complained
Of by the farmers was wntar transportation, aud
tho yiaws expressed wero similar to those hero-
toforo presented by lin at Lansing md olse-
where Ohoap wat0r transportation would com-
pol the invention OF o now railway economy in
constructing, economy in operating roads, and,
consequently, economy in railway transportation
THE HON. j. Q. BURROWS,
tho member Of Congress- elect from the Kala-
mazoo District, thon mado short speech, which
was we'll received, though lo took issue with tho
theory that only farmers had wrongs to right.
should not itaolf become d monopoly by advanc-
ing only tho Interest," Of one class.
REVOLUTIONS
were presented oulbodying tho points mado in
Mr. Flagg'H speech. and wore unanimously
Tho rain, which commenced falling about
o'clock, prevented tho gathering Of as large an
audience as would otherwise Anyo listened to tho