Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-20
FARMERS INSTITUTE.

S<siAeo w "lueE SATURDAY, Dec 7th,
at o'clock, p. n.. by President Erow--
nell, Jay Thomas acting as secretary.
le reporter DIG not hear the first part
OF the program but heard some very
complimentary remarks concerning
Frank Phillips essay: one farmer
stating that it was tine best thing on
the program. 1t was followed by
Aettle G. Hall who gave an interest
ing talk on "Hyglene::' SAID that
while the farmers were thinking of the
best way to take care Of the pigs, in
regard to food, ventilation, etc, they
sometimes forgot the children. and
the homes were not well ventilated!
Food should bestudied for children as
we'll asforstoch. Advised the farmers
to take Good Health,.' magazine
which tells how to have comfortable
healthful homes, what IS the best kind
OF food and how to scook it. Mrs.
Hall made some gooi points and called
forth hearty applause. After a song.
which was very We'll rendered, Hon. !.
+. Huntley was called for who talka
few minutes on tha subject of "C,-
operation for the Farmers" He sad
when great companies combine it WIS
necessary for farmers to combine Ii
self defense. He thought it wrouk
for labo.ers to combine so as to raise
wages higher than companies cal
afford to pay; There is a "Goldea
Mean OF justice, for both sides. and
this is all farmers should ask. FAR
mers could starve out all other classes
Of business. This would be wrong as
no class should work for self at the cx-
pense of the rest The middle men.
after all, are the ones who have the
easiest he and largest profits. Man
ufacturers are not always prosperous,
they carry heavy risks and sometimes
fail. If farmers would combine and
buy from manufacturers they would
reap the profits now going to the
middlemen. Railroads now discrlmi-
nate in favor Of the mlddlemen. We
could not get freight rates as low as
they 90. Even certain towns are
favored, II is reported that Sioux
Falls now gets cheaper rates than any
other town in Dakota. Ii farmers
could only cooperate on ii large scale
Whole counties, forlnstance, they could
get large benefits. One reason Why
this is not done is because SO few
have cash enough to buy for the future.
lfthey could buy Il years supply in
advance they could be independent.
Farmers are making Il mistake in
thinking that because they can get
things just as cheap as through the
Alliance that the Alliancels doing no
good 1t has brought the prices down.
Stand by the Alliance. \ good fair
peice is all farmers should want.
Constant demand should control prices
and not spectators who put up fancy
prices or lower them to suit them
selves. MI. Huntley then closed by
saying he would heglad when all far
mers could vote, regardless of sex.
After piece OF music Mr.. Corbin was
ralled for but was not present. Judge
A. Converse then took the floor and
spoke on the Origin ofthe Alliance
1t has Leen said 'A rose would smell
as sweet Ly any other name" So any
combination OF farmers is an Alliance
whatever the ZANE. From the earliest
ages there have been combinations or
alliances. The early Greeks and
Romans had their farmer bands or
alliances. 1t has been said that there
is no need of far.ners combining. 1t
is necessary because no reform, moral
or social, can be brought about With
out concerted action or alliances.
Good Templars, Free AIasons, all our
Churches are alliances. Could the
gospel OF Jesus Christ have been
promulgated over all the earth without
alliances or united Christian efforts
The Farmers Alliance should unite on
some certain thing on which all agree,
and work to accomplish a certain re-
suit. What we want is no discrlmina-
tion. We want Equality before the
law" not discrimination, even in our
favor. Every man who fills !, car
should have the same advantage as
every other man. There is no moral
right and there shoulu be no legal
right in exacting more freight cn q
single carload than Tor each OF iOO car
loads. Farmers are willing to submit
to the law OF supply and demand, but
not to th:.t exchange in Chicago which
raises the price when there is a surplus
and lowers it when there is a deiicien-
cy. paying no attention to the law Of
supply and demand. We should de-
mand that such gambling shall cease.
We should forget tS;t there is such Il
thing as politics and work together for
our own good. @& @&
This completing the program, the
chairman announced that the annual