The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-03-14
Farmers should Have Their Say.

The time has now come when farmer
as a producing class should have some
thing to say in reference to fixing tn,
price ON whatever they raise for market
Other trades and occupations have thei
organizations, and fix the prices, whicl
are, TO all intents and purposes, as unal
lterable as the laws Of the Medes ant
Persians~ Look at the Manufacture
Docs he ask the farmer how much h,
will pay him for plowi Not at all
On the contrary, should material or labol
advance in price, straightway FIVE ol
more per cent. is at once demanded
Mechanics representing every depart
ment Of industry have their unions, anC
fiI the price of both labor and products
In fact, union and cooperation are th'
rule, and not the exception, in all trade
and professions except that of the farmer
Farmers have too long cherished tn,
futile hope that times would be bette
and that better prices would soon be OBJ
tsined for their products. This has re
suited in nothing. The mastery inac
tivity Of the farmers in this direction
has literally bound them hand and foot
and they lie, as it were, at the mercy O.
the organized combinations now so com
mon wherever wealth and population
concentrate. Thanks, however, to an
enlightened and liberal agricultural press
a new order of things is being inaugu
rated. Farmers unions, oranges, anC
clubs are being rapidly formed.
The time is now at hand when farmers
as a producing class, should have NOR,
to say in reference to legislation, for and
against them, than they do at present
Heretofore they have been content with
electing men to Office whose fitness fol
representing the agricultural interests Of
their constituents was not taken into
serious consideration. But that day i:
rapidly passing away, and the represent.
ative or senator who wilfully betrays the
interests of the agricultural community
will never have second opportunity Of
doing SO.
Whoever says there is no need of Or
ganfzation among rhrmers,is either an
interested party or mentally incapable Of
comprehending the situation. In build.
ing up new order Of things we should
build honestly. Captain Eads, the archi.
tect of the great bridge, did not start
the foundation of the piers on the shift
ing sands, but upon the bedrock. On
this rock of truth let the farmers build,
if they would bridge over the present
difficulties. 1t is.useless to hope longer.
The time for action-honest, earnest en-.
deavor-has now arrived. Deep as we
are in the slough of dependency, unity
of effort will lift US out of it. Faith in
the future is good thing as tonic, but
worthless when the bread and meat OF
positive endeavor as motive power is
wanted.
Farmers must unite in order to obtain
fair price for what they raise, and in
order to get what they purchase at prices
corresponding with those they obtain for
their farm products.
Why are farmers still doubtful about
the propriety of associative efiortY II
there can be any question as to its utili-
ty, why is it that those communities
which take the greatest number of agri-
cultural papers and books, are the first
to organize? 1t is useless for the manu-
facturer to expect that the farmer will
support as many middle men as formerly.
1t will not be done. There is a growing
on the part of farmers to
buy directly from the manufacturer.
If other classes combine and establish
monopolies to oppress other classes, why
should not farmers do so in self-definseY 7
No matter what our individual opinions
may be, there is no other alternative.
Nearly all farmers admit the necessity of
and are steadily and rapidly
falling into line. Why hesitates
The present depression in monetary
affairs seems TO have been caused by
other influences than those which led to
the disasters of 1887, AZ, and 81, and
which produced such universal strin-
gency in the money market at that time.
As TO the cause of the hard times and
low prices now existing, diversity of
opinion exists. That they do exist is
selfevident fact. Wherein lies the REM
edyy In what way can better prices be
obtained3 BY what means can We bet
ter secure the cost of production for our
crops, and be enabled to fix and main
tain q fair rate for themS-Colemans
Rural World.