Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-11-08
Nar#4 KIT tetests,
Purposes of Farmers Associations.

Cor, Country Gentleman.
What with the Grange, Alliance,
Farmers Institutes and many other
organizations Of farmers, all questions
in which they are interested are be-
ing thoroughly discussed and kept
well before the public at the present
time. Several of our farmers organi-
cations have proved themselves by
years of valuable work to be we'll
managed and capable of doing much
good, but it is serious question if
many of the new converts in the AL
lance are not more conspicuous for
seal than knowledge" and in many
cases the prayer "Save me from my
friends" would he appropriately Of
fered.
1t is no time for ranting and ap>
pealing to prejudice and passion, and
yet this is undoubtedly just what is
done at many farmers meetings. 1t
is my conviction, based on observa-
ton extending over fifteen years, that
legislative bodies are ready to listen
to farmers, and willing to grant
them, as far as possible, reasonable
demands. The trouble with the
farmers has been that instead of
going before the agricultural commit
tees of legislative bodies with argu-
ment, and thus securing a respectful
hearing, they call a meeting and
some not>heated speakers proceed to
harangue the people in the most in
flammatory style. In many locali-
ties this class of men came to the
front in the history Of the Grange
movement. Where this was the case
a class was attracted to the order who
brought no strength to it, and soon
there was a great falling off, until in
counties where there had been fifteen
or twenty subordinate oranges they
dwindled to one or two. On the 9TH
er hand, in localities where there
were wise leaders and the grange was
started and run on an educational ba-
sis, it has continued power for good
The only Alliance meeting that ]
have attended as yet was addressed
by several speakers, whose object
seemed to be to make the farmers as
disconted as possible, and to create
the impression that no class was sc
oppressed and abused, and that it al
resulted from hostile legislation, anG
could be cured if farmers would unite
politically. One speaker paved the
air wildly, and shouted "Revolution
Revolution Revolution !" and ont
would think that the serfs of Russi;
never had such grievances. There il
a grain of truth to a bushel of false
hood in all such statements, and al
the men who thus attempt to inflam,
the passions of farmers against othel
classes, are their enemies, and Their
is more danger of harm coming to tn
farmer from those pretended friends
than from open enemies. Every or
ganization which helps the farme
must do it by the slow method G
education, and nearly all the evil
which encompass him are only to b
cured by the old time virtues of in
dustry and economy, by improvin
our methods Of work, by greater wis
dom in selling and the application {
thorough business principles to a
that we do.
There are some wrongs that can OF
ly be righted by legislation, but thes
should be discussed dlspassionately
and when we agree what is needle
we should send a delegation of il
telligent men to lay the matter befor
proper committees of our legislativ
bodies. In the mean time we shoul
Ego slow" in the organizing of me-
parties, understand what we wan
and then cast our vote irrespective
party for the men who will look aft,
our interests. The farmers of tn
country have a common interest wit
all other industrial classes, and tn
business of selling the products of OF
farms and furnishing us with needle
supplies is as necessary and legitima
as growing the crops, and that man
a demagogue whose rallying cry
"down with the middleman."
firmly believe that there are bett
times ahead for the farmer, that p
ces are to be better for some years
come than they have been for sever
years past. | also believe that if v
are wise and prudent we shall be ali
to shape legislation in most cases
as to relieve us of injustice.
In what 1 have said l am not crit
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