Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1890-01-30
A FARMERS ALLIANCE.
DIR. q. Il. ATKINSON ADDRESSES
THE FARMERS.
An Effort Made to Form q Farm.
ers' Alliance in Cumberland
County.

1AcIS was d LueolluS OIL FARMERS OF
this vicinity Friday in Court House.
The meeting had been poorely adver-
tised, and as result only a few agri-
cultural workers were in attendance
The meeting was called for the pur-
pose of considering the advisability of
forming Farmers Alliance, or Pro-
tective Union. These Alliances are
springing up everywhere, and the far
mers generally believe that the organ
ization is of much practical benefit.
1t was expected Friday afternoon
that Oswold Wilson, of New York,
would be present to make an address,
but owing to illness, it was telegraphed
that gentleman from Washington, D.
G., would be here in his place. For
some reason, however, this gentleman
did not put in an appearance, and the
farmers were about to go home, when
DIR G. P. Atkinson, of Pittsgrove, Sa-
lem county, arrived. He was called
| upon to make an address. DIR. Atkin-
son remarked that he was a recent
| convert to the alliance movement, and
| while he very much regretted that the
distinguished gentlemen were not
present, he would endeavor to briefly
and as plainly as possible, put the OBJ
jects before those present. He said he
was much fatigued, having been work
ing very hard during the past two
weeks and begged to be allowed to sit
down, and accordingly sat down in the
big arm chair, usually occupied by
| Court Crier Lewis Young.
He said the present depression in
agricultural circles was not because
farmers did not know how to farm.
For the past twenty years, farm jour
nails and agricultural speakers had
been endeavoring to show the farmers
how to increase their product, and in
the last twenty years the product had
been trebled, and while the crops now
were three times as large as score of
years ago, the prices for the crops re-
mai4sed at the same figure as when
only one-third was sold. What the
farmer wants to know now is how to
get paid for what they produce.
The alliance, the Doctor said, was
for the salution of that question. 1t
was stated at one of the sessions of the
Farmers Institute recently held in the
Court House, that the farmers of New
Jersey pay four-tifths of the taxes of
the State. Yet the speaker said it had
been conclusively proved that the far
mers did not own more than two-fifths
of the property of the State.
The speaker then told of the extrav
agance of the legislators. Last year
the salaries of the Lay Judges were in.
creased from $5 per day to $500 year
The Doctor thought the Lay Judges
were over paid. $500 was too much
for about four weeks service, consist
ing of sitting beside the Supreme Court
and Law Judges and merely looking
wise.
The Governor is now drawing a sal.
ary of $4,000 per year, land yet if So, ,00C
a year was though for a Governor
when wheat was $1.50 per bushel, ii
ought to be now when wheat was not
above 70 cents. Farmers can change
all this, the speaker said, as they repre-
sent one half the people, and yet they
own but one fourth of the property.
What is to become of the farmers? The
only way is for farmers to unite and
care for their own interests In other
states, Mr.. Atkinson said the alliance
meets the requirements. He cited
Texas as an example. There the alli-
ance was first organized, and now it
embraces quarter of million of peo-
Pile. They never petition the legisla-
ture to do anything, they simply de-
mand it, and every time it is granted.
In our own State, the speaker, did not
think that an hour of practical
thought was given the farmer during
an entire session.
The alliance is now firmly established
in twenty-seven states, and numbers
three million members. The alliance
was first started to protect the cotton
interests. Since the first organization
the producer has made two cents more
pound than formerly, without rails
ing the price one iota, by simply doing
away with the speculative worker.
What has been done for the cotton in
terests, Mr. Atkinson continued, can
be done for any other interest.
The speaker then read from a
pamphlet a law, which the National
Alliance was endeavoring to force
through Congress. The special fea-
ture of the bill was the abolishing of
the National Banks as repositories of
the public money, and the establish
ment in every county of sub treas
ury, which would be the erection of