The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-10-31
A BIG MOVEMENT
CONVENTION OF THE WHEAT GROW
ERs AND FARMERS OF THE
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Object to Control the Price Of wheat-The
Farmers Federation With Capital
of s2o,oOO,Ooo.

ST. LOUIS, October 23.-The wheatgrowers
of the Mississippi valley assembled in
convention in this city this afternoon to
organize for future action. Walter N. AL
len, president of the Farmers federation,
called the meeting to order and made a
long speech. Hesaid it was the first meet
ing of the kind ever held on this con-
tineut.
1--WE are not here" he said, "for the pur-
pose of denouncing trusts and combines
but to meet the issue of some new sys-
TENS and conditions in trade, realizing our
individual feebleness ana the great i'm
portance of unity of action as a class. We
have been called together to consider the
proposition to delegate to power of our
own creation the exclusive right to mar
ket the products of our farms and to take
such measures as will afford present re-
lief and future protection to the agri-
cultural interests of the Mississippi valley"
The farmer is the only producer who
sends an over supply of his wares to
market to be sold by some one else, and
like the goods of the bankrupt, at some
one else's price, and when he dares com
plain of the sacrifice, the answer of the
master is lover production" over pro-
duction" can not in justice, be wealth for
the nation and slavery for the producer.
If the farmers would organize like the
manufacturers to control production and
regulate output in the public markets,
they could in common with all producers,
set the prices on their own produce ire
spective of over production or the power
OF Liverpool markets.
The unavoidable tendency of the present
established trade system is to drive the
price down to the lowest limit at which a
good supply can be produced under the
most favorable conditions of soil, season
and climate. Now, in order to avert i'm
pending ruin, we must reverse this order by
substituting new system fixing the price
of farm products at the cost OF production
on lands that only produce thirty, fold.
This will restore the natural law OF exchange
with equal and exact justice to all.
In other words the difference between the
present trade structure and the system pro-
posed is the one tends to the minimum
price that food supply can be obtained
for without checking production, while the
other seeks the maximum price that food
supply can be sold for without diminishing
consumption. The power to establish the
value of one bushel of American wheat and
one barrel of mess pork can control the
markets of the world. This power is to be
found in the centralized agency of the
federated farmers of the Mississippi valley,
company legally chartered with capital
of $4,000, 900 and as your servant this COM
pany awaits your bidding to enter upon its
work of redemption.
Ex-Gov, Charles Robinson, of Kansas,
was made temporary chairman, and he
addressed the convention, strongly urging
unity of action and organization of the
farmers throughout all the grain growing
states.
Hon. Norman J. Coleman, of Missouri,
exsecretary of agriculture was made per-
manent chairman; Walter N. Allen, OF
Kansas, viee-president; y. G. Wilson, OF
Minnesota, secretary, and J. p. Limburger,
of Kansas, assistant secretary.