, 1873-03-29
FARMERS GRIEVANCES.
Suggestion OF q Remedy for the
" Transportation Evil,
A National ship-oanal Botweon La1sos
Erie and Ontario.

A National ship-oanal Botweon Lalzos
Erie and Ontario.
WAsnnunN, Woodford Co., ILL.,, A1arcll 90 1875
To the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
s1R' Can YOU flnd room III your crowded col
ufnls for n fow remarks from o Bubacribcr, and
working farmer, oil tho grievances Of tho clnns
to which Ibolong-a subject of vital Importance
to US, and Of
GRAVE INTEREST TO TIE WHOLE nAr1oN2
Agriculture, tho fret Of all industries in point
of antiquity, in also the frat In Importance It
ts tho granite foundation, tho solid masonry, on
which oil othora nro built; therefore, any COM
bnation which ontlangcrs or wca]zcnB that foun-
dation must, OF noeossity, oudangor the whole
vast supornsructuro roating upon II, and nil tho
tntoreats that cluster nround It. Il Ia not neccs-
sary TINT should take time to provo thnt tho
agricultural intoreats Of tho Northwest aro suffer-
lug aud III dangor, ns TINT subjco Inns been vcn-
tilatad by other and nblor men or tint should
traco tho cloao connection botwoon tho farmer
md all othor classes, US instinot-lot alone rea-
son-might point tint out. Permit mo, however,
to say fow words on somo Of tho methods Of
redress that arc now boing proposed, aB n means
Of outlet from Our difficulties. by tho number1eas
clubs and conventions In this and other Btatcs,
know 1t is gonorally conceded that drunken
man soos doublo; is it not truo TINT an angry
man Is ovon worse off; TINT l,o don't SEQ at ali;
that, In fact, llo is blind to Ills own intcrcsts7
In no other way can account for tho proceed
ingo OF my brothora Of the plow, WHO fruit mob
and board trains, contrary to law, and then, Mt
thor conventions, manufacture 1aw-abidlng
resolutions to indorso their own lnw-broaking.
IT Is USELESS TO IGNORE TAcTH.
No good cause was ever sustained by taking
untenablo ground and why, because VIC are
suffering, mad, and indignant, should wo DO
blind nlao,. and not sco that tho railroad compn-
ny, on tho 3-cent question, hns n decision Of tho
Circuit Court In ita favor, and that pending tho
appeal to tho Supreme Court, all high-handed
measures arc unlawful2 The.fact TINT from two
thirds to throo.fourths Of our surplus produced is
aoaboari, for want Of 4 cllcap and sufficient out
lot, is, aftor all. our greatest trouble. md
though, no doubt, VIC havo many otllors, wa
should Btill keep this In yiow. This war on con-
dqotorss, middlemen, and other small fry, to my
mosquito, and leaving m artery unbound that ia
bleeding him to doath, or tho action Of doctor
who, before bleeding 4 pationt for apoplo9y,
would first draw his rotten teoth to prevent His
taking tho toothache.
Tho farmers, wide enough awake to thoir own
private concorns, have boon asleop, 49,
AS PATTY,
to tile interests Of tho great industry they repre-
aont; and 1t is little Wonder if, liio Ou1liyor in
tho land OF Liliput, they now find that pigmies
hayo boon taking advantage Of thoir Htumbor.
But, now that tho Northwestern Samson is up in
ear1ost, and ready to turn his attention to tlle
rhilistinos, why should those mon who profess
to bo ls friends troat him ~ tho Spnninyd does
tho bull, ,-fluttcr n rod ting, md distract Ills at
tention from tho long, kccn blaGo thnt il drawn
to take his life2 would not bo understood, in
this connection, to moan.that thoro are not other
md SERIOUS grievances to bo rcdrcgaod; that We
hayo not many wants besides tho want of cheap
aud eu0lcient outlet to tho sea but simply
aasort that, until such mn outlet is granted 10 ls,
tho romcly Of every other owl would bo
COMPARATIVELY OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE.
Tho fow trlns-linca from West to East arc
gorgea and overcrowdod at preaont; and should
tho Great Northwest 80 on increasing tho area
under cultivation, thoy would bo wholly unable
to fill tho bill yVhilo they hold Il virtual monop-
o&s VI tl!o carrying trade, they eau blood their
gteas victim 10, on thy m9st scientific i, principles
rates so as to rob both producer and consumer,
appropriating tho profits Of tho ono md increaa-
tic cost Of living to tho othor*
It requires no prophet to forotcll tho conse-
quonces to tho Northwest il this state Of things
il to continue
GENERAL wnEcn AND nurx MUST FOLLOW.
It ia only question Of timo. Land las already.
boon borrowed which can never DO repaid but
Under foreclosure OF mortgage. But tho farm
ers will not fall at once; tloy will work hard to
keep tho homehtcads thoy havo earned by their
they will twist, and turn, and try to stavo or to
the last tho bitter end; but como It will farm
after farm will 60 ut auction; and, capitalists
owning the land, the former owners will become
the renters.
God grant TINT the day may mover dawn when
tho t1residos Of the Northwest shall bo diamau-
tled,-whcn tho monopoly Of profit by railroads
shall have caused the monopoly Of la1ltls By cap
$tn1sr sto1 u1s. 1.r,1n
laud. whom tho homoatoads Of tho West ahall ho
viii 30 e's"'''' '''@'' @''i''t's''' s'l''4'
nut AN ENTITY NAME.
We will then hayo foiBtcl upon us IN aristocra-
cy, entrenched on the FREQ soil of Amorica,-at
best poor, Bholdy caricatllro Of the landed pro-
priotors Of England, having all OF their faulta
and fow Of their virtues.
that ronds tic foundation must shAttor tho
building also. This is question OF vital i'm
portanco to all Of us,-tho farmer, the trades
man, the mechanic, tho merchant: All tho iu-
dustries and businesses in the land arc moro or
less bound up aud connected with each othor
aud should oil combine for tho preservation and
prosperity Of tho whole.
1s THE BEST METHOD
of preventing these evils? Is it to mob rnil-
roads; fight conductors, midllomen, store
keepers, grain-buyora, &c.? Is it to form clubs
and conventions excluding oyery class from
steam in loug-windel resolutions. resolving TINT
railroads bo run lko lyory-Btablos; that rail-
rond belongs as much to tho public asa wagon
road: and that, consequently, oyely farmer can
put on Ills own car, with power to orlor tho |
hyory-stablo man to trot out lis iron snortcr
and hitch to iii In short, in our efforts to do |
jnstice to ourao1yeB should We bo unjust to |
others: and, in our indignation, should wc bo- !
como blind to common EonBo and our own ip- |
forests?
Az has been stated,
OUR GREAT WANT |
is cheap md sufficient outlot 10 tho soaboard.
THIS IL Q national waut,-a national necessity. |
To obtain this outlet all parties should unito,
as I'LL nre interested. Thin just aud grcnt point |
gained, this first step takou, tito soVastipol Of
tho trunk,sailroad monopoly. would surrender |
md any other lesser monopoly would, in time.
follow.
And now, whore is tho natural outlet to tho |