The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-05
FARMERS WIVES ORGANIZED.
Methods and Objects OF the Ladies
Guild of the F. III. B.A.

Methods and Objects OF the Ladies
Guild of the F. III. B. a.
! AUSTRALIA, Ill, April 24-The Farm
ers' Mutual Benefit Association, which was
/ organized in southern Illinois less than four
years ago. is now one of the largest and
/ most powerful organizations in the country.
1t spread from county to county until a
state organization was necessary, and now
it exists in several states and a national as
sembly has been formed. The order is COM
posed entirely of farmers, and its objects
and purposes are to act as body, and by
mutual cooperation buy and sell TO better
J advantage, to exchange views upon topics
pertaining TO the farm, and to devise and
carry out plans and purposes to
relieve the burdens of the agri-
cultural masses. Although the order is
non-political, the members usually vote for
only such candidates as are in sympathy
with their wants. regardless of the political
| belief OF the candidate, and sometimes in
local affairs they find it necessary to NOM
| mate candidate of their own. At a gen
ersl mass meeting held in this city in
March, a resolution was adopted favoring
the admission of all farmers wives and
daughters to full membership in the order.
and when the state assembly meets in
Springfield in October next, the friends of
the resolution will ask that the rules of the
order be amended so as to admit them.
In view of this action, and the unanimous
favor with which it was received, some of
the leading farmers wives and daughters of
this locality conceived the idea of creating
an organization of their own upon the same
basis as the regular Farmers Mutual Bene-
fit Association, and on the afternoon of
April 4, 1890, fourteen farmers wives and
daughters assembled at the residence of ex-
Judge John s. Harvey and organized the
first lodge of the Ladies' Guild of the
Farmers Mutual Benefit Association of the
United States. Mrs. S. NJ. Gordon was
chosen as president; Mrs. Will Rankin, vice
president: Mrs. James T.. McKibben, secre-
tary: Miss Hattie McClelland, doorkeeper
These ladies are all women of enegy, well
informed, and are able to cope successfully
with the problems of social reform pertain
ing to their sex and families.
In the preamble to the resolutions adopted
by this pioneer society its organizers say:
while in times past the weaker members
of the common people of the human race
have suffered most from oppression, tyran-
ny, and barbarism, we rejoice in the prog
ress of modern society toward the equaliza-
ton of burdens, and are in full accord with
our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons, in
their effort to secure the betterment of
human conditions. The rigid economy and
selt-denial forced upon us, having to begin
at home, falls most heavily upon
woman, and as the American home
is the hope of the nation we realize the need
of the education of American women
on a broader basis in the practical every
day business of life, as we'll as in things
which pertain directly to the narrow sphere
heretofore assigned to them. A perfect CO.
operation between all members OF a class is
necessary TO secure the best results, and the
Farmers Mutual Benefit Association, hav-
No. g. L.
now believe that, for ourselves, self-help
and thorough organization are the first
adequate means to be used for the better
ment of our condition and the improvement
of our hornes.n
| The resolutions adopted read as follows:
Resolved, That we organize ourselves into a
| society to be known as the Ladies' Guild of the
| Farmers Mutual Benefit Association.
| Resolved, That we earnestly request the
| wives, mothers ard daughters of all other sub
ordinate lodges to organize themselves similarly.
| Resolved, That we defeat the Anticipated in
| itiatory process so common in all secret orders,
| and request tire ladies everywhere to ignore
such useless repettions, and use in place fresh,
| modern educational matter.
| Resolved, That we claim the right to the use
of the ballot in the exercise of citizenship in the
decision of all questions affecting the conditions
| of mankind, on the clause of section / of the
fourteenth amendment and in the first
section of the fifteenth amendment to the
constitution OF the United States; from which
| right we are now shut out by an antiquated GUS
| tom, which may be removed by the states,
under article 10 of said constitution.
Resolved, That on all questions, local, state or
national, moral, social or otherwise, we will ad-
vocate progression, and put forth our utmost
endeavors to defeat the present threatened de-
cline of our civilization; and we will advocate
equal wages for equal labor for both sexes, -
and equal opportunities for all, " and that our
motto snail eyer be: ''Our Homes Shall Bless
| the Land"
| Tha oh &c IF ha Fa1
| II. To put ourselves under training for
| the future before US, and in a position from
| which we can contribute advisedly all in
| our power to any of the much-needed re-
| forms.
| q To prepare ourselves for membership
in the Farmers Mutual Benefit Association,
in case said order wills to admit u.s.
3. To visit the sick, help the needy, and
relieve suffering as far as possible
A. To encourage all good men and
women IN whatever line of reform, in bust
ness or society, they engage, and to dis
| countenance any one given to any vice or
corruption, and to assist in the education of
the masses in all that contributes to human
happiness.
Although this lodge has been organized
less than one month, it is one of the mos
! widely known institutions in the county
The action of this handful of active wo.
men has been discussed through the news
papers far and near. They have been re
ferred to by the representatives of oul
government at Washington, and letters Of
inquiry are pouring in from all quarters
asking for an organizer to institute similar
lodges. These ladies are proud of theil
work, and gladly accept the name of being
the mothers of one of the most promising
orders ever originated in this county, espe-
clally by and for the women, and should th,
state assembly refuse them admittance int
the regular order, they propose to have al
organization of their own.
Base Ball Y esterday.
At Toledo-Toledo s, Columbus II. Bat
teries: Healy and Rogers. Gastright anf