The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-10-18
of obtaining members under false pre-.


lenses?
1t would lose us millions of members
in our order; the esteem, aid and SYM
pathy of thousands OF religious, news,
agricultural, and political papers that
have aided us in the past, and the con-
tidence of all the good men aud women
who have bid us God speed on the
faith OF our constitutions and demands:
and would place our noble order
before the world in any other than an
enviable position.
II ia my opinion, based upon my
experience gained in travelling
and lecturing in l06 ont OF ia
lecturer, that il our order should take
such step it would destroy the order
in Missouri in less than ninety uays.
We hardly think it possible under
the above statement of facts that All,
considerable number OF the fair. minded
brothers of our order, after due delib
Grafton will claim that we ought To
demand special class legislation for the
benefit OF few OF the wealthiesi
wheat, corn, oats, tobacco and cotton
owners that cannot be granted TO any
one else.
Nor do think that any of our broth
ers will favor our order declaring in
favor of such bill until we change Oui
own constitutions and demands 80 thai
they will read: "We demand special
tavors to the heat, corn, oats, tob eco
and cotton owners in the richest coun-
ties of the United States, which favor,
shall not be granted to the farmers in
the poorer counties, nor TO any one else
in the land' For no county can get
the ware house and sub.treasury unless
that county can first show that il raises
su' plus of $500. 900 90 worth OF these
products; and there are only few o.
The richest counties in our state thai
raise this amount.
| will therefore ask (snd this ia the
question now confronting us) shall our
constitution and demands be changed
TO conform to the sub-treasury bill, or
were we right when we framed them
as they now are? We now stand op
posed to all kinds of class legislation
this scheme demands that we shall
commit ourselves TO the worst kind ol
class legislation. And | eau see the
advocates of this scheme asking why
should the farmers condemn this kind
of legislation and why should our con.
stitutions ana demands so openly
} tenounce it2 | answer tor our believe
order as follows: Because il was class
legislation that robbed the tax payer.
of this country of hundreds of milliOnl
of dollars by making our United States
bonds PAYABLE In coin.
II was class legislation that demone
tized silver and made those bonds pay
able in gold, thereby robbing the TAI
PAYERS OF hundreds OF millions again
II was class legislation that createt
the national banking system,a Veste'
in them the power of controlling, to l
great extent, the volume of the none,
Of the country.
1t is class legislation that too
from the people OF the United Stale
millions upon milliOns OF acres OF In
public lands and vested It in railrOa
l corporations, and syndicates and allie
owners.
1t is class legislation that has bui
up the colossal trusts, inOnOpOlies an
combines of our country that are tll
curse of the age, and it is class legisls
! ton that makes il possible for them l.
continue their unholy callings.
II is class legislation that lays th
heaviest burdens OF tariff taxation upO
$ the neces saries OF life that the poor AL
needy of our land must have and place
the lightest tariffs on the luxuries I
life that the wealthy can do witho,
and yet not suffer.
II Ii is class legislation that has,
+ some cases, shut the ports OF foreig
markets to our surplus tarn product
9 and i'm others has forced us to pay a
= immense toll before we are allowed
/ compete, in the sale OF our surplus iarI
t productswithi The pauper farm product
z OF the rest OF the world in thei
| foreign markets.
j. 1t is class Legislation that makes I
| pay nearly double what we should fl
II all the machinery and implements "
. use upon our farms.
|. And it is class legislation that h,
made the abandoned farms in son
Il states, and poverty and distress anon
D the farming class all over our laht
i That has raised and Is now raisin
Il many of our children in rags, s,lgnoran'
u and poverty. and has plastered Il
farms of our country with mortgage
e that has made the farmer the butt
10 the Jokes OF all other classes OF peOpl
d The subject of scaDdaloua aud hume
3, Gus cartoons and has socially Ostracize
10 them.
Ie Or to sum the whole matter up, il
y class legislation that has driUen as IN
this organization 10 defend OurSetre
l. qriUeS, chtLCtren and homes.
is Then why should there be any wO
% der, at our denouncing our coIninO
G curse and mortal euemyr
II Brothers, we can never expect al
reliet from such Legislation, anu unle
l. lhe farming class puts IL down, al
u make il as odious as it deserves TO
= made, il will continue to sap the sui
q stance from the farmers and labOrers
Il this country until corporation iarmin
D, aud landlOrdisin and tenancy will TO
It ever displace the old time independel
l. American farmer.
3, And will now most earnestly wal
Y you against those who advocate ella
l. legislation, for the farming clas
y whether inside or outside OF our Orde
o tor while they are in many, If not
= cases, honest In their advice, they y
D, misla AIKEN, and are trying 10 have
1t place ourselves in such q position tn
es we cannot work, talk or vote agaln
national banks, unjust tariffs, raiIrO,
l. land grants, or any OF the other speci
q OF class legislation of which we no
8, complain.
Y Suppose the national banks, lai
)i grant railroads, bOndholders, tar
le barons, should have concluded that q
}; farmers OF the United States are gettii
W politically Troublesome, and becumil
id liable to take from them by legislati,
these special privileges which they ha
et so long enjoyed; how wOuld they {
IT about uuing it7 Not by buying us u
8, winning and dining us. Or any su
i. familiar methods as that, for our gre
es numbers anu thoI ough knowledge III
rs such are their general methods, wou
I'd make such an effort failure. But I
IN methOd they WOUld adopt tUOutd be TO !
of as 10 attUOcating class legislation J
RS OurSeireS. Ih,S WOaia most etectHaI
ie shW oar mouths against Meir class 1,
is iSidLtOH.
Ot course they would want us
I'd advocate, Tor ourselves, some spec
er OF class legislation that wOuld be i
he practicable and unconstitutional, b
ke nevertheless such d one ~ wOi
al thoroughly commit us To approval
al that class Legislation that has Uuilt tn
palaces from the unjust tolls on lab
et claim this sub-treasury scheme
H. just the kind OF class Legislation, abO
Ial all, that these favored classes wO,
N. most de ire us 10 approve and advoca
And snould our organization ever
sk dorse this scheme there will be gr
nd Joy in the ranks Ui those men that
ay now most severely denounce. For h,
10 can our order or our represent atives
al congress denOunce legislation OF