Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-06-11
FARMERS, ALLIANCE.

FARMERS. ALLIANCE.
Large Meeting in the Court house
Hall--Address by Prof q. !.
Whitney.
The meeting was called to order at
2:15 o'clock p. M, by G. w. Grimshaw.
President Of the Alliance.
J. G. Hawkins was elected Chairman.
Prof. Whitney on being introduced,
gave an excellent address, of which we
have space for only an abbreviated re-
port !:
He said that having been born farm
er's child, reared farmers son, and hav-
ing spent most of his life on farm and
with farmers, he had a deep sympathy
with them and their calling. 1 do not
come here to think for you. allow no
man to think for me. l do not presume
to think for any man. AS we have the
ability to use our powers 80 will God hold
US responsible for that use. BY using
the abilities you have, you will ACQUIRE
greater facility for thought and investi-
cation. have come to set you to think
ing. We must be always on the alert to
gather new materials for thought; to
reach out after new gems, and build up
wider and bolder thought. AS we hun
ger and thirst for natural food, so must
our minds hunger for mental knowledge.
have come to talk with you about
organization, and the need the farmer has
Of 1t. What is organization, and how
may we use it? 1t is composite and
compound body, of which every part
bears vital relation to each and every
other part. Let us consider
l. The relation between the parts.
II. The adaptation of these parts.
III. The object of such arrangements.
We see this relation of parts in the
simplest constructions. Out of wood,
you can make chair. You know it's
use. Other combinations of parts would
have made countless other objects of
utility, but all having different uses. The
chair to sit in, the table to sit at A boy
would choose sled to slide with, but not
a table or chair. We thus arrange or
organize our material into shape for use.
In an animal organization every part has
definite relation to every other part,
and all regulated by definite laws
Where one part is neglected or over
worked, and some one part is compelled
to do the work belonging to others,
disease results, and finally death. The
organization of society is similar to
animal organization, each member
bears some vital relation to others.
We have therefore constitutions and by
laws, articles of incorporation and the
like. Churches, business firms, ETC., are
formed on the same principle. There
must be close relations established be-
tween men, and mutual sympathy and
cooperation in order to accomplish def
adopted by the farmers, mutual sympa-
thy and cooperation. Read history.
Not page but what is recital of the
victorious power of combination, and
judge if you are exempt from the exper-
icnce of the teachings of 5000 years
You cannot do without it. Look about
you: Everything is being organized and
much of it to your detriment. Railroads,
business firms, banks, millers' associ-
ations, are all organized. If these are
successful through organization, why
may not cur class use it. Do you think
less OF the merchant FORE using it, and
why then may you not attain to higher
usefulness in the same way. You re-
qulre of your ministers, lawyers, doctors
and school teachers, the fruits of COM
bined effort, they must possess them
selves of the knowledge and methods
engendered by the experience of the age
everywhere. You demand skilled labor
IN others, but DO you require 1t of your
selves? How few farmers ever think of
this. SO per cent. of our population are
farmers, and yet how few of them have
any cooperation in the improvement of
their minds, and the soil God has intrust-
ed to their care. Henry G. Carey says {:
Among all men, the farmer is the last
you know all this takes brains? Brains
rule the world. In an early day you
walked many weary miles to Get your
papers for your land; that was muscle.
Now you can take the cars and ride at
your case, that is brain. The Indian
padded his canoe up and down our
rivers; that was muscle. Now the splen-
did steamboats, floating palace, bears
you over the waters; that is brain. Once
we grasped a handful of grain and cut it
down with the sickle; that was muscle.
Now the binder does the work with dis
patch; that is brains. We should have
q part in all this. Some farmers boast
that they have othing to do with organ
ization, and yet in all their business re-
lations they have to do with organiza-
tions, financial, political and religious.
However well we may be prepared for
our work, our children must have better
preparation or fall behind. There are
farmers who have no faith in co operative
and home protection combinations, but
have faith in something that is distant
and apart from their interests. 1 will
give you my experience. I have an in
surance in the old Phoenix for ISL, 600
which costs me 10 TOR 3 years; l have
nothing more to do with it's management
than have to do with the affairs of the
Chinese government. I have an in
surance in the Waterloo company, of
New York, for 81, 900 at cost Of Si0 for
years; have nothing whatever to do
with its affairs. Now let me speak of
our home Mutual Insurance companies.
We have 55 in Michigan with $1,000
ego in policies: Our country has SIG, 900,
600 worth of farm property. 1t costs So
cents annually upon $1,000. What
makes the difference? The first two are
organizations of capital for the benefit
of capital. The last one an organization
of farmers. You must put yourselves in
| the class that is to be benefited. But
you say, ''I cannot do this" Who will,
then. Can you not handle your own at:
fairs and serve your own interests!
Men who want office often serve as Of
flcers in Agricultural Associations to
secure the votes of farmers, and after
! they have obtained their Office it is but
little they care for the farmer or his in
terests. In one instance, an agricultural
| society in Illinois was run by saloon
keepers 50 as to secure patronage fol
their business. In proportion as farmers
| put time and means into these societies,
will they be successful. In Michigan,
not county but has it's agricultural
societies, and some of them are very sue.
cessful. 1t cannot be run wholly in the
interest of the people concerned. Keep
nothing out of it. Call it, if you will,
an Industrial Association. Put In sam.
pies of all kinds of work and production
Encourage manufacture, art and all in.
dustry. We must ignore the idea that
we must be paid in premiums Better
sometimes, that we do not get any, fol
it may stimulate us to more arduous en-
deavor to improve. Improve your time
and energies, and try again. We must
learn from the men ahead of us that there
is something better and nobler for us to