Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-01-30
Farmers and Politics.

A member of the Virginia Farmers AS
sembly said to newspaper man the other
day:
eve are going to make the politicians
feel our influence. The farmers of Yir-
ginia are determined not to be longer pull
off by the politicians. Before the election
this gentry are full of promises, which are
forgotten as soon as the election is over.
But this year we intend to make the can
didates for Legislature of both parties come
out suuarely and declare themselves upon
the legislation we insist that the agricul
turists are entitled to. For several years
we have been fighting for a railroad law
that promised the faamer some sort OF
fairness in rates. a bill was passed by
the house last session, but talked to death
10 the senate committee on roads When
the campaign opens this year l predict
that we will press the candidates for the
legislature so closely that they will not be
left room for lodging"
This is very well, but there is 8 danger
10 view to which we would csll the special
attention of the farmers.
In the first place, tho assembly should
be very careful not to Go anything that
would create the impression that it pro
poses to be political organization, for just
so surely as that impression gets abroad,
the influence of the farmers assembly will
be seriously impaired. The temperance
people have made this fatal blunder and
the organlzation has been seriously hurt
by the political question. The third party
idea won't do at all ip this State and it will
ruin any organization that takes it up.
Again. If the idea gets abroad that the
farmers assembly is bidding for candidates
and is willing to give its support to the
party which will champion the peculiar
measures it wishes to have passed BY the
legislature, republican politicians will
creep into the farmers organic alton and
get promises aud propositions from the
Malone party and thus seek to secure the
vote of the farmers for the republican can
didates. Let this be attempted aud the
farmers Organization will be split all to
flinders.
Democratic farmers will have noGhing to
do with it and the assembly will come to
grief.
We say this not so much in the interest
of party as in the interest of the assemb oily.
1t is a good organizs ion and is capable of
doing much good if properly conducted.
The object Of the farmers should be to
create a hearty public sentiment ID behalf
OF the measures they want and with
strong orgaulz alton they can easily BRING
the p5lticiaps 10 terms When tie demo
cratic county convention was held at Chat
ham some years ago to nominate canoi
dates for the legislature, the farmers asked
the nominees to pledge themselves to sup
port certain measures whioa they believed
10 be to their interest aud the nominees
before the convention did not hesitate to
do so.
Aud so it will be hereafter. Let the
farmers decide among themselyec what
they want, then submit their claims to the
regular democratic conventions aud there
will be no doubt of the result. But the
farmers must be very careful not to create
the impression that the assembly will sup
port, regardless of party, those candidates
Who will advocate peculiar measures
Danrilte Register.