Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-10-22
A FARMERS CONVENTION.
A Protest Against Railroad and Other Mo-
nopolIea.

and other organizations was held in Chicago
on the 14th Of October. There we're about
three hundred delegates in attendance. Matt
Anderson wisconsin, was chosen President;
L. Prince CMassachusetts), W. J. Fowler New
York;, A. b. Smith (Kentucky), Milton George
Qllinois), }. f. Cobbey Gowa), and J. ]. Fuss
Mich gam, ,Vice-Presidents; Jonathan Periam,
]. NJ. Chambers and w. W. Corbett Qllinois),
Secretaries.
Mr.. Piugree of Illinois, read an essay
on "Cheap and Rapid transportation"
He urged that the great drawback to the ad-
vancement of the producer was the high
freight rates of railways. In order to have
the people prosper, cheap transportation must
be adopted by some means. The remedy was
the construction by the Government of a rail-
way to carry exclusively freight ffOm the,
grain-growing States of the West to the sea-
board.
Mr.. Fowler, Of New York, was called on for
an address, and told about the organization Of
the New York Farmers Alliance, which was
formed three years ago. 1t was not political
in National sense, though it made fight re-
garding transportation and taxation, only
supporting those candidates for the State
Legislature who were in accord with the OBJ
jects of the Association. Much had already
been accomplished, and next year they ex-
peoted TO have a Legislature which would
enact laws in the interest of the farmers,
whose interests we're those of the people.
That they did not get their fair share of the
wealth they produced was owing to the neg
lect of their political duties. They should or
ganize to secure their rights. After they had
obtained the transportation reforms demand
ed, and secured equality Of assessment and
taxation, there still remained the necessity of
some political organization of farmers as
farmers to operate upon both parties to check
them in their extravaganza, which led to cor
ruption.
The following preamble and resolutions were
reported from committee and, after discus
sion, unanimously adopted:
This Convention, representing the industrfa
and shipping interests, Oranges, Farmers
Clubs and alliances, affirms as incontroverti-
Bile facts that the railroad system of this coun.
try has become virtual monopoly which is
defiant of all existing law bearing upon the
management OF railways, oppressive alike to
the producer and consumer, corrupting to our
politics, hindrance to free and impartial
Legislation, and a menace to the very safety
of our republican institutions; that our rail-
road corporations, while having secured an
existence and their franchises through the
plea of being necessary for the public good,
and in the belief on the part of the people s
representatives that the public good demand
ed il, having been granted the right of way
through public and private property, are oper-
ating their roads as an entirely private en-
terprise, without regard to the rights OF
the people, and needless of their pledges
to, and contract with, the state; that they
have have been aided in the construction Of
public land grants, and subsidies and Ioans
aggregating i'll value over billion and half
of dollars and by town and individual sub
scriptions to an amount which cannot be ac-
curately ascertafned, but is known to aggre-
gate hundreds of millions, and that although
| no part OF the principal and not penny of the
interest has ever in a single instance been
| paid, these corporations utterly ignore the
enormous assessment with which the people
have thus voluntarily burdened themselves in
! their behalf and assume the right to impose
rates for freight and passenger transportation
| as If the roads had been wholly constructed by
! the contributions of their individual mem
| bers; that their publicly-announced principles
| OF business is to charge rate as high as the
business will bear, which means that freight
| tariffs shall be maintained at just as high a
| figure as will not make the shipment of farm
| produce and merchandise absolutely object
lesS-a principle so unj Just and tyrannical that
those engaged in private business enterprises
would not dare adopt it; that they compel the
| producer and shipper to contribute sufficient
! TO pay large dividends not only upon the fair
! value of the bona hde stock, but also upon the
| full value of large and repeated issues of wa
| tered stock; that they organize within them
selves independent tcompanies-which manage
what are called fast freight Hnes-to do the
business which they were organized to do, and
thus are enabled to assess the public to pay
dividends to two companies, when one could
| do the business; that they discriminate against
| individuals and communities, assu ming the
power, and using it most disastrously at times,
to ruin merchant or mercantile or farming
| community; that these corporations have
either remonstrances or entreaties, and that
! state legislation is wholly imperative to
! thWart their designs or to enforce the right of
! the public In view of these startling facts,
and in accordance with the decision of the Su-
| preme Court of the United states, affirming
the right of the people to regulate the man
| agement OF and charges upon railroads, this
| Convention resolves:
l. That the producers and shippers of this
| country in their contest with the railroad
| monopoly desire only what is right, that they
| demand that, and that they will have it.
= That while agriculture pays less than four
| per cent. upon the investment, and legitimate
| business enterprises of any character seldom
reach ten per cent, we will not pay rates tor
| the transportation of the produce of our farms
| 10 market which enable railroad officials TO
amass princely fortunes, live in extravaganza,
| and pay large dividends upon the fair value of
| their stock, besides saving enough from the
| profits of their business to make improve
/ nents and extensions upon their lines which
/ are often more valuable than the aggregate of
/ full dividends.
3. We demand of Congress a remedy; that il
| shall place the railroads of the country under
| Government control, enacting laws that will
| certainly protect the producer from the terri
| bic eXtortion under which he has so long suf-
| fered, and we will hold our Representatives in
the National Legislature to a strict accounta-
! Dlllty Tor their action in the premises, pledg-
| ing ourselves and our constituency to exert
| ourselves to the utmost to defeat the re-elec-
tion of any man TO any Legislative or Execu-
| tive once VINO does not actively favor in his
ohcial capacity the subjugation of railroad
| corporations to the will of the people.
DOIlTlGal
parties that hereafter they shall nominate for
| the State Legislature and for Congress only
such men as are in sympathy with the indus
| trial and commercial interests, and who, il
| elected, will work and vote to place the pro
| ductiCn upon an equal footing with monopo-
| lies of every character; and if our respective
| parties neglect to do this, we pledge ourselves
| TO nre every honorable means to defeat the
eanaidates which they present for our suf-
| fragh.
s. We congratulate the Grange and Farm ers'
| Clubs upon what they have done to emanct-
| pate the labor of the farm from slavish drudg-
cry TO monopolies and urge them to contin-
| uance of their noble work, which has been so
| effective in the education of the masses, and
such an obstacle to class legislation.
q. We bid a welcome and godspeed to the
| Farmers Alliance, which joins hands with the
! Grange and Farmers Clubs in demanding these
| reforms which are requisite for the prosperity
| OF the farmer and of the country.
Z. We pledge our support to those journals
which shall support us, and urge upon farm
ers the recognition of the duty to support no
| paper which is not outspoken in our interests.
THE ALLIANCE.
After the adjournment of the Convention a
number of delegates remained in the hall and
organized National Alliance. The constitu-
ton adopted sets forth that the National
Farmers Alliance of the United States 4"
should have power TO make laws for the gov
| enment of the entire organization. The OBJ
| jects were: TO unite the farmers of the Unit
ed States for their protection against class
legislation and the encroachments of coucen-
trated capital and the tyranny of monopoly;
to provide against being imposed upon by
swinders and swindling advertisements in
the public prints; to oppose in their respect
I've political parties the election of any can
didate to office, State or National, who
was not thoroughly in sympathy with
the farmers interests to demand that
the existing political parties should
nominate farmers or those who were in
sympathy with them for all offices with
in the gift or the people; and to do any
thing in Legitimate manner that might serve
| 10 benefit the producer
The following officers were elected by
the Alliance: President, William j. Fowler
| New York; Vice-President, L. S. Coffin
qowa), Secretary, James w. Wilson Qllinois),
Treasurer, Matt Anderson wisconsin,. After
| speeches by several delegates the Alliance
adjourned until the first Wednesday after the