The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-03-30
HOW TO DO 1T.

The proceedings of the farmers meetir,
at Dayton, of which call was publishe,
In our last, appear In another column. Thu
rural papers are full of the proceedings O
similar meetings elsewhere In the west, a
we'll as of editorials, communications, &c
all directed against the recently organize,
binder twlne trust, and suggesting way
and means to head II off.
The favorite plan thus far suggested
appears to be such com bination amonl
the farmers as shall amount to a boycott o.
all binder Irvine until the price shall be re
duced from Its present high figure of abou
% cts per pound to the IL cts at which i
was sold to the farmers ayear ago.
Is such boycott practicable9 There
are at least 100000 of farmers Interested
In the movement, owning, at a rough guess
$lOO,OOO0OO worth o. machinery that m US,
be dead property on their hands while the
boycott lasts, while TO harvest their crops
other implements must be used, involving
an additional expense, we will not venture
to guess of how much, but certainty of mil,
lions more.
Can whole, or a majority, or even a
large enough minority, be felt, If the five
millions of farmers interested be induced
to join such boycott, at an expense which
will certainly largely exceed the additional
cost of the twine to them at the present
trust prices?
We doubt 1t. To rs per cent of the five
millions binder Irvine is at best matter of
but ten or fifteen dollars at each harvest,
and why be put to all the inconvenience
which dispensing with the TWICE involves
to save the few paltry dollars of the In
creased price? Then the trust managers
are cunning knaves. They will scent out
every weakened farmer and even qive
him his twine for nothing to keep him
from joining the boycott, Such com ina
ton among few dozens, such as compose
this twine trust, or even among few huns
dred, like the combination of the millers,
that proved so short lived, may be possible
but to hold together millions in move,
ment beset with endless inconvenience and
pecuniary sacrifice, looks certainly on the
surface as promising nothing but wild
goose chase.
Let us suggest to the farmers another
idea This binder Irvine trust is but the
inception of one more of at least hundred
other monopolies and trusts that are now
and have for years been, fleeing the farm
ers at rate compared with which this pro-
posed Irvine robbery is bagatelle. There
is the cotton goods trust, the salt trust, the
wood screw trust, the nail trust, the wooden
trust, &c, &C. Why, you can't 60 into a
factory, shop or store and buy an article
from pot hook up to the last implement
on your farm, or piece of furniture or cloth
ing In your house, but you are taxed-tax-
ed-taxed-without mercy, to enrich mon-
opoles and trusts.
Now,let the farmers at every one of their
resolve that they will not again vote for any
man for congress, or any high political
office, who will not pledge himself to labor
and vote for such reformation of the
present tariff as shall give us free binder
Irvine, free salt, free lumber, free common
cotton goods, free coarse woolens, free
nails, free axes, hoes, rakes,-in short, who
will not vote for such reformation of the
present system of tariff taxation as shall
eliminate from 1t every vestage of the
principle Of protection, and shall tax the
people solely for the purpose and to the
extent of producing sufficient revenue for
the economical administration of the gov
eminent.
Pass such resolutions at few hundred
big farmers meetings throughout the west
this spring and summer, and our head on
it! the Irvine trust will have collapsed even
before the next harvest. But should they
be able to hold out against such an assault
to the end of the present season, then renew
your meetings next season with double
vigor, and not only pass resolutions, but
nominate out and out tariff for revenue
only" candidates for the Legislature and
congress and uote for and elect them!
Imagine a revolution from high protec-
tive republfcanism to free trade democracy
brought about by the farmers, in say twenty
five western congressional districts-gen'
tlemen farmers, you have not the remotest
conception OF the sensation, the excitement,
the dismay, of such cataclysm among the
trust>managers and monopollsts! Thewhole
trust business would be paralysed as If
struck by lightning or overwhelmed by an
earthquake!
Never fear that the revolution would
have any effect on the tariff legislation of
congress that would In the remotest degree
endanger any of the great industrial inter
ests of the country. That sort of tack has
served to scare weaklings from time Inn
memorial, but wise and sensible people
know it to be poppycock. II will lay out
N1.Nwv