The Ottawa free trader., 1873-03-01
Farmers' Convention No. 2.

F>ituTuuN ltS WIS liot SS huEiClouSlN dtt'uuNN
rs the former one, on account of the inclcmen
cy of the weather; and for that reason seemed
10 lack much of the independent, earnest spiri,
of the former meeting. The committee ap
pointed at the former meeting TO draft a cOnsti
tuition and bylaws had performed the duty as
signed them, and made their report, which was
adopted. But there the convention came to Il
pause The constitution thus adopted had
brought into being powerful piece of machin-
cry. One, two or more societies or oranges
stood organized in each town in the county,
and these had now knit themselves together in.
10 one body, consisting of delegates from each
local body, acting as central and controlling
power at the county seat. But having con.
structed the machine, what to do with it: Its
objects are declared 10 be to promote "the NOR,
al, intellectual, social and petuniary wef:re of
tie farmers" &c But how?
Mr. Andrew Lynch is man of clear, sound,
practical common eonse- The farmers come
together and declare the source of all their
grievances to be the railroad and other giant
monopolies brought into being and fostcrcd by
the state and national governments and to pro.
mote the welfare of the farmers, therefore, he
takes the sensible thing to be, to strike at the
monopolics TO this end he proposes to put
this fine piece of machinery to practical use in
securing such a position and influence for the
farmers in our government as will enable them
10 control their own destiny. The town or To-
cal oranges, he proposes, shall instruct their
delegates to the Central society as to their de-
>ircS in the way of candidates for Office; and
the central society shall, carrying out these in
structions, name the candidates for county of.
licers, and signify the will of the county to the
state society in regard to state officers In
short, Mr.. Lynch proposes that, as the gricv-
anccs OF the farmers result from Il want Of
enough men friendly to their interests in the
national and state governments, they shall use
their power thus organized, in putting the
right men into the right places.
He goes step further. AS no political or
ganizaion can hope to succeed unless based on
some clearly defined, ineligible principle, Mr..
Lynch lays down few propositions,
based on sound constitutional law and common
sense, and striking with startling directness
at the very foundation stones of the monopolies
against which the farmers are supposed to be
wagng warfare, and these he proposes shall be
adopted as the creed platform or basis of the
new party.
All this seems cmncntly Straightforward,
business like and practical. But unhappily,
while the farmers assembled seem earnest
enough in their purpose, and to see clearly
enough the way before them, and are unable
TO deny but that the course suggested by Mr.
Lynch is the only alternative short of square
back-down, the convention on Saturday was at
tended by Il half dozen of cunning local radi
cal politicians, who saw clearly enough that if
the practical ideas of Mr. Lynch were adopted,
1t would be all up with the radical party, not
only of this county, but it might he of the state
and indeed the entire west
The luminous Mr. Cullen, of the Ottawa Re
puJlican is therefore pushed forward. to dark
cn counsel by raising doubts and bubbles. He
was, of course, all eagerness to promote the in.
terests of the farmcrs-Of course. The farmers
were swindled by the railroads and other mo.
nopolics, and had sore gricvance-sore griev
ances-ah! But he had hoped that this grand
movement would be kept out of the muddy
pool politcs-thc muddy pool-a-ah! One
or two other radical politicians chimed in, and
the convention virtually stultficd itself. and
brought its deliberations to a sadly lame and i'm.
potent conclusion, by adjournng until the busy
season next May, without giving the splendid
machine they had constructed single function
TO perform Aimless and useless, it stands
monument of folly as conspicuous as water
wheel on church stceplc.
II this organization of the farmers on the
plan proposed by Mr., Lynch means mischief
to the radical party, docs it not also mean mis-
Chief tothc democratic party Suppose il docs
lhc principles laid down in the creed" pro-
posed by Mr.. Lynch are right and command
our approval, as they must that of all RIGHT
thinking, patriotic men. What care we then
Tor she Tame and prestige of the democratic
party, when the principles and objects we aim
at are 10 he obtained under another namcy NJ,
Ioye the old democratic party: we have iouyh,
under It's banner during the best days of Il life
no longer in the fresh, green leaf; bu, when
grand objects dear to It's hear, can he bo,,or
and more easily attained under different
name, none but the vcrics, party hack and
slave can hesitate as to the course to pursue.
We are democrat; but when the farmers ,,ro
pose to free themselves from the expressions
of the tariff, banking and railroad monopolis,s
in their own name rather than under III, NAM,