The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1890-03-15
THE FARMERS, PRoaaAAMe.
They Oppose Trusts ami Want q More
Equitable Arrangement OF Tariff
Duties.


iquitabls Arrangement OF Tariff
Duties.
The first annual convention Of
the Patrons of Industry, the ncW
farmers offensive and defensive
organization, held last week at
Flint, Mich, has gwen the pub-
Inc the drst idea Of what this
scmi-pontical ana semi-commers
c!al party promises 10 do and be.
There were 200 delegates - ats
tendance, claiming 70 reprcseu,
an enrolled constituency already
of 80, 900 members IN 80 Of the
81 counties If the state, a large
percentage of whom arc voters.
They claim also To hold the
balance Of power IN many locali
tics, and openly proclaim their ln-
tenlon 10 use their influence TO
s sscure farmcr nominees for office
and all other practicable ways
to promote the interests Of the
agricultural class. The head Of
patrons IN Michigan IS an cx
elefgvmen, namcd L. w Nettl
caa lie came over from Canada
some years ago. He has been
busy travelling about the state lor
u year past organizing lodges, a
thing which has not been wItsout
its profit to him, as he has iecely-
cd s3 per day and his travelling
expenses besides.
The report of the finance com
mittee. which came up carly 10
session. showed that il the Yari-
Gus fees aud changes hal been
paid 10 the general officers they
had received not less than Sl7,-
900, while thur reports disclosed
no such amount handled by them.
There vas a stormy time over
these and other discrepancies, and
no clear and wholly satisfactory
adjustment was made Of The
tanglc.
Resolutions were introduced w
the bushol, covering all eoneelY4-
bic subjects from woman suiftaee
and prOAiblllon 10 subsidies. G0Y-
ternmcnt loaning Of money on
farm mortgages, popular election
of Senators and Henry George 5
single tax theory. Al the latest
theories of tie most ingenious
and cranky OF modern rcformers
had their believers. and the won
der is that the committee on plat
form were able to secure the
adoption of Us sensible a dcclara-
ton Of principles as thcy finally
did. Fortunately, this commit
tee had some experienced and
| hard-headed men on it.
TIE resolutions demand legls-
lation that snail check theadyance
III financial and political power of
all classes Of corporations, mono-
poles and trusts; insist that
stockholders be made individually
liable for corporation debts, and
as ian as possible under existing
Constitutions, that corporate
property shall be subjected to
local aud municipal taxation
that pools, trusts and watering Of
stock shall be prohibited; that
official salaries 10 corporations
shall be limited 10 reasonable
SUNS, that dividends and profits
shall be confined within interest
limits, and that Legislatures shall
have the power to regulate the
frelghts and fares Of railroads and
other commoa carriers.
Passing to the question Of tht
national domain they insist that
not another acre Of Lard be giveL
to corporations, spectators oi
syndicates, aud that what Is left
shall be granted only in home
steads Of l60 acres. The exist.
ingpIvileges Of n,iuing companies
aud ranchmen, It 10 affirmed
should be abridged aud the ffe,
use Of large tracts by stockmef
prohibited. IndIaD grants shouIc
be carefully protected, and ne
transfer Of lands owned b. 1hen
IN seyeral;y should be allowed, eX-
cept with the consent Of the Gov
ernment, while all unearnec
grants to States or corporation:
should be at once forfeited.
As to the tariff, they say: eve
are IN favor of such a revision d
our national revenue laws as will