Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-04-27
THE FARMERS TRUST.

We see that the project of farmers trust
is still being discussed, and in Kansas where
the matter seems to have originated, the
press and its friends are making strenuous
effort to weld the producers together in
compact mass.
How will they overcome the difficulty2
Farmers are separated from each other more
widely than men of other classes. They
differ more in their habits of mind and ways
of doing business. 1t is no easy matter to
get a meeting of farmers in a county for
any purpose with enough attendance to
make its action binding upon the whole
body in the county.
The leaders in the farmers trust will have
to convince the agricultural classes that the
trust will be beneficial and that it will be
feasible. Then after convincing will come
the difficulty of stimulating to such interest
that they will attend meetings and bind
themselves to obey the orders of the trusts
officers The organizations have supplied
sufficient proof Of the difficulties constantly
in the way of complete success. Though
the men who make up the membership OF
labor organizations generally live in cities
or large tewHs, where meetings are easy and
where there is always solidarity of inter
est, though the reasons for organization
have been discussed until no division OF
opinion is present, though the principle has
been applied 80 long that the men are famil-
lar with all the details of practical applica.
ton, yet no serious pressure has yet been
brought to bear upon one of these organize
tions without menacing its cohesive power.
The petroleum trusts, sugar trusts, gun and
cartridge trusts and all trade manufacturing
combinations which have been successful
have had to deal with but few men whose
interest all pointed in the same way. In
the Western States much more than half
the population live on farms. They pro-
duce corn, wheat, hogs, cattle, rye, oats, fruits
and hay in varying quantities. They deal
with merchants in all sorts of different ways
The sale of their crops depends on many
different circumstances. One may have to
meet payment on mortgage. Another
may need new farm machinery or new
building. Another may want a new breed
of live stock. Another may want to put up
new fencing. These requirements cannot
wait, and the desire to look out for them
will, in the majority Of cases, be stronger
than the inclination to depend upon the con-
tingency OF trusts command ofthe market.
The conception is based upon correct
proposition. The farmer does have to en-
dure asuccesson of Determinations in favor
of other classes. If the executions were SIM
Pile and reasonably sure of success the ex.
pertinent should be tested. But it is neither.
If farmers were sufficiently alive to their
own interests to organize and to perpetuate
trust, they would be able to direct legiss-
ton SO as to obviate the necessity of combi-
nation. They would cleanse Congress and
the Legislatures of the Adventures and
blockheads who are the tools of corpora
tions and other specially favored classes.
The tariff would be revised and settled along
the line of economy. Taxes would be low
cred and the cost of living put where the
consumer would have the chance TO enjoy
life.