The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-02-09
SHALK WE HAVE A FARMFpe,
~ TRUST7

becoming a matter of great interest 70
the people, and especially to farmers
They suffer more from monopolistic
combinations than any other class. Tho
problem Of how to combat these trusts
is then a matter of profound interest
to the entire farming population. Il
is proposed by the Western Rural that
the farmers undertake to solve the
difficulty by forming a trust themsel.
yes. We quote the remarks of the
Rural in full; they are interesting
reading;
Everything is going into trusts except
farming. Suppose we "trust" farm
ing too. The trusts that have been
organized mean to charge us farmers a
higher price for everything we use.
Salt will be higher, coal is higher,
machinery is higher, sugar goes
up, everything costs, or is to cost
a price that is much higher than the
laws Of supply and demand warrant,
simply because there is combination
under the style of trusts. We must
pay big prices for what we buy, and
get small prices for what we sell. How
can we maintain ourselves under that
kind of an arrangement There is
nothing left for us to do but to organ.
ize a trust, and we can organize one;
if we choose, that will knock all other
trusts silly. How shall we do it Just
organize. Let there be an Alliance
formed in every district. Let the
work go rapidly forward until every
farmer in the land is enrolled under
the Alliance banner. Then let the
National Organization issue from time
to time the advice to withhold this
crop or that crop from the market a
few days, or to cease purchasing this
article or that, and let the advice be
strictly followed. There is not an in
dustry in the country hat could not
be brought down on it's knees in short
order if such a trust was in opera.
ton. The barbed wire monopoly
could be bursted; the railroad monop,
oily could be twisted into decency;
grasping capital could be taught a
solid lesson that it would never forget,
and while all this was being done, the
excellent advice could frequently be
given to withhold the solid farmer vote
from this candidate or that, because
he is not worthy of confidence, and if
such advice were followed, there would
be an end at once and forever of all
the evils under which we suffer. In
deed the ballot box is to be the chief
reliance of the farmers trust, and the
sooner we organize the trust, the
ooner we shall be able to utilize the
ballot box for our own and the general
good.
Seriously, a great deal might be done
in the way Of protecting ourselves by
withholding our products from the
market and Withholding our patronage
from monopolies for a season, if we
were we'll organized. The thing is IN
a measure practical. 1t is just as prac-
tical for us to hold our products, or to
limit the production of a certain crop,
as it is for the coal barons to limit the
output of coal. All we need is organ
ization and a will to accomplish our
purpose, even if it requires some tenn
porary sacrifice. There are many or
CARNATIONS in the land that extend
ove the whole country, and are rep
resented in almost every hamlet. Or
ders r frequently issued from the
headquarters of these organizations,
and in a weeks time every lodge in
the country is working in accordance
with such orders. The Alliance can
do likewise if farmers will go into it,
and unite their efforts for the accom-
plishment of a common purpose. But
as we have said many times, there IS
absolutely nothing necessary to do, but
organize. The very moment that
other industries and the politicians
found that the farmers were closely or
gained, they would say, like the coon
in the tree, "Don't shoot, we will come
down" W. have either got to organ
ize a trust or else we must burst the
other trusts.
This position is good az far as 1t
goes, but it doesn't go far enough.
There is no need to confne the opera
tions of such a scheme to one organl'
cation. Let not only the Alliance but
all other farmers organizations unite
in forming a trust covering the en-
tire country. The Grange, the Wheel,
the F. M. B. A. and all others should
come in and make the trust universal