The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-06
THE FARMERS MEETING.

meeting, though subdued and moderate In
actual expression, yet betrayed a shoulder
ing fire underneath that was hopeful OF
breaking out some day INTO an effective
blaze.
Thus the meeting followed the beaten
track Of the numerous meetings held else
where on this subject, by denouncing the
binder trust as an unjust extortion," and
recommending that the farmers of La Sale
county ioin those elsewhere who have
given expression on the subject, In uni
versal boycott of all Irvine at an advanced
price over that paid In 1888,
Yet there did In this meeting just one
little tongue of blaze shoot out from the
"smouldering fire" at which we have hint
ed, and that was In the following resolu-
ton, when was adopted;
Resoloed, That we, the farmers of La
Sale County, request our Senators and
Representatives In Congress, to use their
influence for the free admittance 70 this
county, free of duty, OF the material neces-
sary In the manufacture Of binding Irvine,
And the chairman was instructed TO ap.
point committee, including himself, to
present copy of this resolution to "our
Senators and Representatives In Congress"
Now isn't this rather violent kick
against the great principle Of protection"
In favor of the perpetuation OF which most
of you gentlemen farmers, voted with 80
much enthusiasm at the last presidential
election? The present duty on sisal grass
IS IA and on MANILA hemp 81 per cent, and
as not a pound of either Is produced In this
country, the twine trust takes all that Is
imported. Remove this duty, and, Of
course, plenty of "independent" factories
would spring up to furnish such Irvine at
half or third of the pre- ent exhorbitant
trust price But what then would become
of the "protection" which congress so gen
erously extends 10 the present factoriesy
1t is true, they show an inclination to make
of 1t pretty hoggish use; but is there any
other great protected interest that doesn't
manifest the same swlnish disposition
Now the Mills bill, in the last congress,
proposed not only 70 remove that duty on
sisal grass and MANILA hemp, In the inter
est of the farmers, but also to so CT down
the duty on foreign manufactured twiDe as
to render II impossible for our home manu-.
facturers TO get up any such trust scheme
as the present to rob the farmers But the
protectionists congressman, and partially
the majority In the senate, merciles,ly sat
down on this plan to help the farmers, be-
cause 1t amounted 20 a serious assault upon
the great principle of protection" which
WAS the corner stone of the platform OF the
republican party, and to remove any part
of its underpinning would bring down the
whole structure. Ii the great Irvine indus
try was smitten down In the interest OF the
farmers, what could save the salt monopoly
the lumber robbery, the India rubber trust,
the great wooden goods combination, the
nail trust, the steel trust, &c, NC, down the
whole long line of protection built-up rob
Der syndicates, monopolies and trusts?
Many honest, we'll meaning old La Sale
county farmers doubtless remember how,
In the earlier days, they were wont to fight
prares fires by starting back fires, and in
their innocence may Imagine that the
binder trust combination (or fire. can be
fought by the quiXotic idea of getting up
a counter combination Tor back iire) on the
part of the farmers. Jay Gould says no
of over 20 members was yet
able 20 hold together year; what more
fantastic dream then was ever conceived
than this of combining and holding to-
gether FIVE millions of farmers Here
and there the small ten or twenty acre
farmers can afford to dispense with i'm
proved machinery and bind by hand, but TO
the big thousand and ten thousand acre
farmers, what Is an advance of few hun
uTeu uOlluTS III tuS COSt VI tNlut W IlcIl
to dispensing with their slendid
new machinery and falling back on the old
primitive ways? To them 1t would simply
mean not to harvest their grain at all.
No, gentlemen FARMERS, your threat of
a wholly impracticable and visionary boy
colt will only be laughed AZ. You have
Ito change the tigure) struck a better chord
in the modest little resolution quoted above.
Hammer away on that until the noise shall
make the welkin ring! Act on our sug-
gestlon week ago. Pass resolutions, not
only against protection for the Irvine
menoply, hut against projection for any of
the other hundred trusts and monopolies
that are robbing the farmers. And back
up your resolves by your votes! Replace
% western protectionist congressman year
from next fall by % anti'protectionists, and
our head on 1t, not only this Irvine trust, but
the whole trust business will collapse as If
overwhelmed by an earthquake! Gentle
men, the cause of honesty and reform in
A. Lad l,.o,,a m, orrapry mara rntapt H.,