The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-08-29
THE FARMERS CONVENTION.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20. 1879.
THE FARMERS CONVENTION.
We publish elsewhere the call of
the central committee of the Lyon
County Farmers Cooperative As
ISOLATION for delegate convention,
TO be held mt this city on Saturday,
18th, to nominate coun-
~ ticket to be voted for at the No
vember election.
So thrt it will be seen that so far
AS this county is concerned, the
farmers Intend to do more effective
work than simply to meet and pass
resolutions. They intend to make |
themselves felt. One of the chief
faults with the agricultural classes
has always been that they kept
aloof from politics, especially so
far as The preliminary work was
concerned. And we are heartily
glad that they have concluded to go
to work. AS to whether the plan
they have adopted is the best one,
we cannot say. For some years the
farmers of this county have been
very generally opposed to delegate
conventions. Whether they can
make them work better than those
who have heretofore managed them
remains to be seen.
II one set OF men, or any one in
terest, is to run the politics OF the
country, we had as soon trust the
farmers as any other body of men,
but this paper las always opposed
all attempts on the part of any one
interest to run the country. There
is room enough for all, and no one
interest absorbs either the ability
or honesty of the country. Nearly
all classes of society embrace men
who are in favor OF reform, ard all
should be allowed 10 participate in
the atteInpts TO bring about those
reforms so badly needed, which we
need not now enumerate. The
movement here is in a formative
state, and we scarcely know what is
intended by this call---thet IL,
whether it is to be confined strictly
10 farmers, or whether all who are
in favor of reform are to he invited
to participate. The call is address
eel "to farmers clubs" and "each
club, grange, cooperative union,
aud each school district that has no
organization of any farmers club
or grange will be entitled to one
delegate in said convention" We
suppose all political opinions are
to be dropped. Will any of the
voters want to know, when they
vote for the nominees of this con-
veniion for representatives to the
legislature, whether said representa-
tives will vote for a Democrat
or Republican for United States
Senator? Here in Emporia we have
no organization of the kind alluded
to, that we are aware Of Neither
are we a school district in the mean
ing of tie call. Yet we have about
five hundred voters, more than is
contained in any half dozen school
districts, perhaps, in the county Is
il intended to leave Emporia out,
and If not, how many delegates
shall she have in this convention
A large proportion of the voters OF
Emporia fully sympathise with
the farmers movement. Are they
to be ruled out? Is school dis.
trict with ten voters to have the
same representation as q district
with fifty voters? Will this sort Of
thing be submitted to all around
These are questions which suggest
themselves TO us, not out of any
spirit of opposition to the farmers
but from Il feeling of justice ant
right, The farmers must not be un
Just or unfair or proscriptivc. W.
don't suppose they intend to be
but the call, it seems to us, will
work that way, unless it can be Civ
in q different construction from tina
which Il would seem to bear.
We have received the impression
that this matter was gone into By
the last farmers convention with
out due consideration. There are {
few persons in the organization ant
out of it who are figuring fol
their own benefit, ana have beer
anxious for this call. Now that il
is made they think they are all
right. If the farmers should 60 OF
and nominate some of these fellows
for important offices they will make
a mistake, and one that will be Diet
rimental to their interests. 1t would
be mistake we don't want them t.
make, because we are in full sym
patty with the movement in it,
legitimate objects, and fully Intend
TO aid it all in our power.
As we said before, we are glad thu
farmers have awakened from theil
former lethargy, and intend to tax,
n leading part in politics. Coco
will come of this, and we arc salts
fed that whatever they have done
which seems to be erroneous will b,
speedily righted. They must no
do the things which they have blam
others for doing. They must b.
broad and liberal in their actions
and then they will have the symps
thy of all who are working for ,
better condition of things in oul
State and Nation.
We will close this article by ca
ling the attention of our farmers Il
the following resolution adopted
by the Leavenworth farmers, who
propose TO put ticket in the field
ReSolced. That while we. as farm
ers of said county, have certain
aims and ends to accomplish a.
larmres, that we fully recognize al
equal aud joint right of each aud
every citizen to representation in
q nominating convention for county
officers.