The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-03-01
FARMERS N. Is. A.

OllJnWPSItTIl TdilllcIS ASSOCIdlIOlI'
including most Of the Southern states
and states west Of the Mississippi, and
50 on mention of late is occasionally
made Of "The Farmers Mutual Bene-
1T Associations" which, though barely
three years old, already boasts mem
bership of 10000 in middle and south
ern Illinois, as well as affiliated asSO-
Citations in five or six adjoining states.
According to correspondent Of the
Chicago Herald, the association had
its origin in the bush down in Johnson
county with two farmers of opposite
politics, who, after talking over the
low prices received for their produce
and the eXorbitant rates charged for
their necessarics, decided to make an
effort to get up an association among
their neighbors to see if their inter
csts could not be improved by some
plan to do more buying and selling in
the lump. The plan took so well and
the association extended its bounds so
rapidly, that in 1887 it had itself in
corporated under the laws Of the state
of Illinois and Feb. 4th, 1888, the
first State Assembly was held at De-
catur, Ill.
Like the Congressional District In
stitutes, which have lately been meet
ing throughout the northern half of
the state, the +. b. M. Association
started out with solemn resolution
in all its acts and deliberations to
steer clear of politics, yet, like the
Institutes, whenever it came TO the
discussion of any great economic
question touching the interests OF
the agricultural world, it is absolutely
unavoidable to trench upon topics
about which the parties Of the day
are divided and on which they are in
hot controversy. Thus the last meet
ing Of the Association gave utterance
to declaration like this: "As an Or
ganization to consider the present
status and future prospects OF agrlcul-
ture, we deem that an enunciatiOn Of
our views should be made. That ag-
riculture is in depressed condition
none will deny the causes OF this are
subject to argument. In state leglsla-
ton we recognize the fact that extra
ordinary charter powers conferred on
railroads by the Legislature, the pres
ent revenue laws, whereby the agri-
culturists of the state, with less than
80 per cent. of the wealth of the state,
are compelled to pay more than 90 per
cent. of the taxes of the state, work
great injustice to the farmer. The
greater part of the tax OF the country
must be paid by the agriculturists and
therefore we demand legislation and
to this end we demand repeal of all
class legislation whereby certain in
dustries and productions receive arti-
tacial aid from the national govern
ment. We demand greater economy
in the administration Of both the
state and national governments. and
that money be made cheaper; to ac-
complish this we demand bi-metallic
currency and the free coinage of both
gold and silver.
1--WE are opposed to all schemes of
national legislation whereby large
sums are taken from the treasury.
We are opposed to the proposition to
spend millions of dollars in the irriga-
ton OF western lands, the substituting
of vessels plying to foreign ports, and
all those organized raids upon the
public treasury, the final outcome OF
which is the enrichment Of the few at
the expense of the agricultural class"
or course much OF this sounds as If
it had been adopted at Democratic
mass meeting rather than a meeting
of non-partisan farmers, yet the pres
ident of the state meeting that gave
forth this utterance was DR.. ii. ii.
More, of Wayne county, who expects
to be the republican candidate in his
district next fall for congress.
The Association appears to be NOV
ing ahead and gaining membership
rapidly, so that in addition to its
40. 900 Illinois members it already
claims 5000 more in Indiana, Ken
lucky, Iowa, &c. In itself, however,
the Association still ranks below the
Grange, if not the institutes" Its
grand Importance, however, consists
in that which attaches to the Others,
that all are parts, still in some meas
ure unconsciously, Of mighty upris-
ing that is gathering in force day by
day against extOrtionate taxation,
lust as the Grange was an uprising
against railroad eXtOrtion-and may
it have the same triumphant out
come
Whenever tnat Pecksniffian black
guard Rose undertakes to hammer
some one else over our shoulders, and