The Ouachita telegraph., 1877-09-28
THE FARMERs STRIKING.
F0vnaai0n Of . Cooperative AssOcta.
tion AnOps Farmers Of Southern
Mississippi.


tion Among Farmers of Southern
Mississippi.
~ fBrookhaven L0dGof.]
There was q meeting Of the farmers
at the courthouse last Saturday to form
an association. Mr.. Luther Blue was
elected president, Mr.. w. III. Hartley
vice president, DR.. v. b. Watts secre-
tary, and Mr.. Magee treasurer.
We publish below the preamble and
resolutions adopted at the meeting
AS citizens Of free and enlightened
government, secured by the fundamen-
tai law In the right to assemble peace
ably and petition the government upon
all subjects which pertain to our vel
fare, we meet to-day for the Peaceable,
honest and lawful purpose of Provid-
ing for the redress of grievances too
heavy to be longer borne, inflicted up
on us by system Of extortiOn never
before known in we'll organized anu
civilized communities. y....f.........s. =.
BY the operations of the agricultural
| lien lava species of class legislation
| the merchant has secured an advantage
and mastery over the planter, at once
unnatural and baneful, and through his
mortgages and deeds of trust he holds
lien upon everything the working
| man possesses to secure his advances,
however small or disprOPortioned in
value they may be, thus enabling him
from the necessities Of the working
man to rule him with a rod Of iron, and
to oppress him beyond endurance.
This is tyranny in its worst form. -
! Not being content with this extraOr-
dinary advantage thus attained over
their fellow. W.countrymen who havebeen
struggling to keep the wolf from their
doors, they have added insult to injury
by securing provision in the law,
(wholly in their interest) making it II
felony to dispose Of or sell any of the
property Hnamed in said deed Of
trust" though in many instances the
mortgage could sell off one piece ofprO-
perty and cancel the mortgage, and
thus save the balance of his property.
But he must not do this for fear of u
felon's cell In the penitentiary. The
despotic eyes of the petty lordlings are.
distrust every shiver of the corpses
which they have so sadly mutilated.
BY studied system of extortion
of the agricultural industry, and
through that virtually suspended the
business and interests of all other classes
except themselves. All know that
the preacher, the lawyer, the doctor,
teacher, carpenter, blacksmith, brick
mason, painter, Joiner, shoemaker and
all other artisans must draw their sala-
ries, fees or wages directly or indirect
ly frola the industry of agriculture.
Palsy that, you stitie the rest. .Yu.
The farmers and working men OF
this county have submitted to injustice
in every form, and endured privations
too numerous to mention. Many OF
them have been reduced from oputence
to competency-from poverty to OK
treme want of even the necessaries OF
famine in the face. Confidence has
been destroyed, honor has been assail-
ed, we having been distrusted and
even accused of dishonesty. This sad
condition comes chiefly from the grind
ing system of extortion which has
been practiced upon the needy aud un
fortunate for the last five years, sus-
tanned by and enforced to the letter,
with no sparing hand, the mortgages
and deeds of trust held upon the pro-
perty and homes of the working men.
Under this system the property of the
people has been sacrificed to a degree
never before known, and their produc-
tive capacity lessened in proportion /;
NAlCEcAolo1
Resolved, That we, citizens of Lin
coin county, do form ourselves into an
association to be known and designated
as .sThe Farmers and Workingmen's
Association" for our mutual protec-
ton, and we do hereby pledge our
lives, our property and sacred honor in
carrying out our principles.
Resolved, That the officers Of this
association shall be a president, a vice
president, secretary and treasurer, who
shall perform the duties usually incum-
bent upon such officers.
Resolved, That we do hereby declare
that the price placed upon our cotton
shall correspond to the credit price of
merchants on their goods, wares and
and merchandise sold to us on a credit
Il. e., that we demand the same per
cent, over cash prices on cotton that
they demand over cash prices on their
commodities when sold on time (al-
lowing them of course a fair percentage
for deferred payment), the adjustment
of our accounts with them and no fur