Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-26
National Farmer.' Alliance.

There was a convention of farmers at Chi
cago on the 14th and 18th of October, who
met to discuss various agricultural topics, and
primarily the subject of transportation.
Matthew Anderson of Wisconsin, presided,
and on assuming the chair referred to the
Potter law-the first legal steps, he said,
toward securing the farmers their rights
There seemed to be a prejudice against the
farmers among moneyed men, and it was
time they shook off the burden of oppression
Rev. Geo. H. Peake said that, in these days,
four ffths of the people lived in the country
that ninety nine-hundredths of the morality
was there, and all the justice and that the
hope of the country was in the farmers. If
they were their own friends and acted in
right judgment, they would secure just about
what they wanted. A. NJ. Pingree of Illinois,
read an essay on cheap and rapid transporta-
ton. He urged that the great drawback to
the advancement of the producer is the high
freight rates of railways. In order TO have
the people prosper, cheap transportation
must be adopted by some means. The RENE
dy is the construction by the government of
a railway to carry exclusively freight from
the grain growing States of the West to the
sea board Capitalization is necessary to
compete with private corporations which
pool their receipts TO the disadvantage of the
producer and the consumer. The expense
would be great, but the profits would soon
hquidate the debt, and then the road would
be a continual source of revenue to the gov
ernment An expenditure of $40 600, 900 a
year for five years would provide suitable ia
cilties for Interstate commerce, looking to
the future.
Mr.. J. W. Fowler of New York, spoke of
the organization Of the Farmers Alliance of
that State which was formed three years ago.
1t is not political though it made a fight
regarding transportation and taxation, only
supporting those candidates for the State
Legislature who were in accord with the OBJ
jects of the Association. Much, he said, had
already been done, and next year they ex-
pected to have q Legislature which would en-
act laws in the interest of the farmers, whose
interests were those of the people. The &C
ton Of the railroad" said he, lis arousing
dangerous element, that of Communism The
gist of these remarks was that the agrcultu-
rists of the country should unite against the
extortion or monopoly; that the State has an
unquestionable and unquestioned right to
regulate the railways within it's limits and
the federal government the right to regulate
inter state as well as foreign commerce; that
the Potter law in Wisconsin had been effect
i've in bringing railroads in that State 10
terms, and that such a precedent acted as a
salutRry check upon the extortions and dis
ordinations of railroads in other parts of the
work and its threatened decadence was much
TO be deplored; that farmers should unite ir-
respective of the old party ties and support
no candidates but such as were pledged 10
make specially of protecting the farmers
interests that this non partisan concert of
political action on the part of the farmers is
as hard to secure as it is contamination de-
voutly to be desired and that if farmers do
not get their rights they have themselves only
to blame.
A National Farmers Alliance was then
formed for the purpose of uniting the farm
ors of the United States 'for their protection
against class legislation and the encroach-
ments of concentrated capital aud the tyran-
ny of monopoly to provide against being
imposed upon by swindlers and swindling
advertisements in the public prints to OPP
pose in their respective political parties the
election of any candidate TO office, State or
national who was not thoroughly in SYM
pathy with the farmers interests to de-
mand that the existing political parties
should nominate farmers, or those who are in
sympathy with them, for all offices within
the gift of the people and TO do anything
in a legitimate manner that might serve to
benefit the producer" The following officers
were elected: President, VIM. j. Fowler
New York; vice president, L. S. Coffin
Iowa; secretary, Jas. W. Wilson, Illinois ;
treasurer, MAJ Anuefsoni WISCONSIN,.
A broad and liberal patriotism seeks to
promote the best good of the whole, not ex-
GLIDING from consideration the rights of any
class. There is something narrow and illib-
eral in any effort to further the interests of a
class in disregard of the rights of other class
es. A combination of people engaged in a
special avocation for the purpose of promot-
ing the interests Of their trade is perfectly
Legitimate if it seeks its own benefit without
injury to the common good. A National Al
lance of Farmers, such as has been initiated
at Chicago, acting in concert with similar
Alliances in towns, counties and states, might
do the whole country valuable service by
opposing monOpolies and class legislation if
il we're TO take care not to advocate the same
thing for our own class that it condemns in