The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-04-08
FARnERs' AtnAxcE.

government, yet 10 America monop.
olles are rapidly consolidating and
strengthening themselves in defiance
of theacknowledged rightsof the pub
lie. The monopolists seem to be blind
to the fact that they are building ~
a public sentiment against them,
which will sooner or later precipatate
a conflict and inaugnrate legislation
which shall curb the lnsatlate corpo-
rate greed, reminding these mon
strous corporations that after all they
are simply creatures of the popular
VIII, aud must serve rather than
dominate over their creators.
In the West farmers are organizing
as never before. In the East new
organizations, known as the Anti
Monopoly Leagues, are being formed
by business men In opposition to rail-.
road and telegraph consultations,
freight pools, national bank combina-
tlons TO menace the government, dou-
BILE taxation and host OF lesser evils.
There Is u common ground of COM
plant upon which the farmers organ
lzations and the peoples leagues may
stand and corporate. The outgrowth
of this popular uprising may crystal
lize into new party, which regard
less OF political complication, may Sc
lect such men for representatives of
the people as shall demand and So
cure proper recognition for the rights
of the great majority as against the
extortionate demands of the few.
The farming classes of all sectious
who are bearing the brunt OF the
burden of taxat Ion, In the fact that
real estate pays much larger pro-
portion of the taxes than personal
property, arc interested In any gen.
eral and comprehensive movement
which shall promise the needed re-
lief. in this connection VIC give
brief extractor W. J. Fowler's speech
at the recent Autobiography Meeting
In Cooper Union. New York. Mr..
Fowler, u New York farmer, spoke
as representing the Farmers' ALL
anees, State and National, witt, which
he Is clearly identified.
What means this great uprising ::
In part it is doubtless u blind prot est
against exactions OF railway corpora.
tions which rob the producer Of his
rightful earnings. But IL j. also
something more. Such popular
movements are the means Providence
uses to accomplish great results. II
Is not strange therefore that men en-
gagged In them find that they have
been "building wiser than they
knew" 1t Is great mistake To sup
pose that the money losS involved In
corporation es<tortions l. all ar the
main cause for complaint. There Is
Il general or growing feeling that the
powers wielded by corporations are
dangerous tO popular liberties. This
touches the IN arrow OF this question.
The frnners Of our government de-
vised Il system of checks and counter
checkste guardpopular liberty against
popular interference. But against
the greater danger from large corpo-
rations and combinations Of capital,
welding public franchises aud con-
trolled for private gain, these checks
were not interposed because this dam
ger could not possibly have been fore.
seen. This duty remains for US, and
in entering upon 1t we are perform
ing labor no les, patriotic than that
Of the men who one hundred years
ago foughtand bled to establish Amer.
ican independence, or those heroes OF
later date who suppressed REBELLION
and secured the perpetuIty OF the
Union.
While Ii is true that motives of
self-interest and seIf-protection orig.
mated this moyemcnt,it IL II only what
might be expected. Only the philo-
sophical stndent OF history can fore
see dangers to popular liberties fr4m
the insidious growth OF dangerous
powers. On the other hand the way
faring man, though fool, cannot fail
to feel his interests are assaIled and
his industry oppressed. But the
principles OF this movement are at
last working themselves completely
clear. Any man can now see that
the protest Of the farmers of this
country against railway extortion is
no more a question Of money than
that our revolutionary contest was
fought out ON the question Of penny
stamp on paper or trivial duty on
tea. Now, as then, the principle Of
popular seif-government is involved.
You of the nti-Monopoly League
and we OF the Farmers, Alliances OF
this country are contending for the
same thing, the dominance OF the
people of this country over the cor
porations they have created. Hand
in hand and shoulder to shoulder we
enter upon this contest, and whom
God hath joined together let no petty
jealousies put asunder.
IN handling fowls AN expert says !:
II you catch bird leaving lis wings
free desperate struggle will ensue,
likely to injure exhibition plumage,