The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-01-09

Annual Meeting of Farmers Club
According to announcemen mt, the County Far
mers Club met at the Court House, on Satur-
day last, DR.. Ferguson in the chair. The
question arising as to keeping up the organ
ization, the general sentiment seemed to be
in favor Of 50 doing, and motion to that eff
feet was made and carried. 1t was then NOV
ed that the Club proceed to the election of Of
icers for the ensuing year, which was unani-
mously adopted, whereupon A. R. Ferguson
was chosen President, Edw. TindaIl, vice Pre-
idsnt, Jacob Burgner, Secretary, and Henry
Bowlus, Treasurer. A. H. Balsey was invit-
ed to act as Secretary pro tenn.
The reports of Secretary Am sde4 and Treas
ursr Tucker, were deferred until next meeting
neither gentleman being present.
Pesident Ferguson then took the floor, and
said that according TO the eonstition; the
President was expected to deliver an annual
address. But owing to matters which had
transpired and the probability of a slim at
tendance, ne had not expected to speak. The
attendance was slim, but he was glad to see
that the feeling manifested was favorable 70
the continuance Of the organization. The
Club was organized last March, under unfa-
vorsble circumstances, but had met with rea-
sonabls success, and it should meet with SUE
cess, as there was not the objections to be urg-
ed against II, that were urged against other
systems Of organizations. At the time OF its
organization the great Farmers Movement
was in progress. Of organization, and had
drawn the minds Of the people to the subject.
The farmers of the Great West had long felt
that railroad monopOlies we're eating them up;
that the expense Of getting their products to
market, left them but q poor remuneration
for their toll, and hence the need Of orguniza-
there, as was thought, for the purpose Of bring
ing down the price Of freights. It was q
movement in opposition to monopOlies. But
however much such movement may have
been needed there, the Eame necessity for
such an organized movement here did not sx-
ist Freights were not 50 exorbitant but what
farmers could sell their grain and realize a
fair profit upon its production.
One leading idea presented in the Grange
movement was that Of diipeusing with mid
die men. It was nice thing in theory, but
not 80 easily adopted in prsctice. We have
discussed il in the Club, ano many have ex-
pressed rather radical ideas in regard to mid
die men, while others regard them as neces-
sary. BE had himself said some things which
more matured consideration had enabled him
to see were wrong. He regarded middle men
a. necessary. There must bs some one in
every community to purchase produce, and 30
| long as their profits were not unreasonable
the farmers could not object. The farmer
could not be farmer and shipper to any ad-
! vantage. Hs would neglect one or the other.
He should stick to his own branch Of business,
raise all he can and get The best price possible
for his prsducts. All trades were being short
sned up or divided up. He could reccoHect
the time when shoemakers did all their cut
/ ting, fitting, sewing. pegging and even made
their own pegs. But now it was not nsces-
| uary for one man to do all this. The shoe
maker bought his pegs by the bushel; peg
making was branch of business by itself.
In shops now, they usually have a filter
that might be called a seperats branch; then
there was the workman on SsWed work and
the workman on pegged work, each important
in his place; but all for the advaI tage of the
public generally. and to the advantage Of the
workman or producer. So with the farmer,
the fewer details there we're in his business,
the sooner he would acquires knowledge of it,
I although it requires long training and study to
acquire q thorough knowledge Of the business
! He had not time to branch out into other bus
inesses, and had not acquired that knowledge
/ necessary to bsseme successful shipper. he
must have recourse to the middle men. Ey-