Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-05-25
FARMERS REVOLUTIONS
History shows That the rulers Of the soil
Are IRE dstibie When They Move.

History show That the Tiiiers or the soil
Are Irresistible When They Move.
II Is hard 10 believe that the quiet.
long suficring and conservative farmers
are ever revolutionary IN their ideIs and
methods
They submit 20 a good del 81 opptes-
don and plunicring. bot Il q dangerous
10 crowd them to the wall
In ut least Two great modern rovolu.
honary movements the farmers took the
lead aud came ont on top
In England, IN 1881, The farmers and the
mhsacs generally bad scarcely any rights
that worc respected by the governing
rlassea The story Is too long 10 tell IN
detail. but something like Farmer
Alliance was organized. with Wat Tyler
at the head The movement rpfcad 10
tho towns and cities, and the people
wero soon banded together u resist IN.
just taxation and oppressive laws The
counirymon with their town allies got
together IN n compact body and swept
over the land like prairie FIRE. From
county 20 county and from town 10
town they pushed their rapid march
until they reached London, where. after
loGing their leader In y skirrnish. they
dispersed whom the king had made thom
certain promises
The government succeeded In punish
Ing many Of tho ringleaders, but tho
solid fruits Of victory rested with the
rcvolutiouistl From that time for
about century English farmers and
ur.t,.... Ia ft.a a.. a -. ......I. III
A. thoy could cultivate. aud were free 10
combine together for self protection.
That period was the golden age Of Eng.
laud. Then there was no poverty All
were well led. well clothed aud well
paid. After that, in the Sixteenth cent.
ury, the inonopollsta or privileged classes
forclbly gained control. and the concon.
iraiion Of wealth In tho hands Of the few
plunged the many into poverty.
Another farmers' revolution was the
one Ia France In tho latter part Of the
Eighiccnth century. The French coun.
iryinen were rs much oppressed NJ their
English brethren were in the Fourteenth
century. They organized local societies
with a central society. and In the course
Of a bloody carnival Of several yearB' do.
ration brought their king and queen aud
Thousands Of their opprcssors 10 the gull.
lotine. Generations Of suffering made
them unrewonably violent. and thoy
gave France what is known In history as
the "Reign Of Terror Yet this rryo.
tuition was great triumph for demoo-
racy, II greatly modified monarchical
rule IN Europe. and paved tho way for
tho present French republic, under
which the farmers arc the most prosper
Gus people on the face Of tho earth.
These two revolutions were essentially
farmers movements Thero IA much In
thcm that will shock tho readers Of 10.
day, hut Il should he remembered that
In thosc days the people did not have
tho ballot TO right their wrongs, and |
thcy had TO resort 10 force In both
England and France these popular up.
heayals resulted In substantial victories
for the farmers.
The uprising In this country nj tho
present tilno Of the agricultural popula. |
ton recalls the historic events which we
have briefly outlined. Like tho tillcr. |
OF tho soil Ia England and France, our
farmers arc kept down by unjust taxes,
oppressive laws and monopolists, who,
In their way, arc ~ dangerous az IN.
fcndal barons Of oldi but our people,
armed with tho ballot, understand the
power OF organized action. and they
know the full significance Of tho "a.
prcmacy Of numbers. Yet. white this
great struggle for reform Is thoroughly
peaceful aud In tho interest OF peace, Il |
bids fair to DO AZ sweeping u revolution
~ tho others that We have mentioned.
Tbs cause OF the united farmers il the
cause OF domocncy, II is an effort 10
restore u government Of the people, for
tho people and by the people, with equal
rights for all and special privilege. Tor
none. IL Is n cause that will win, aud |
It's triumph viii DO all the moro glorious
because II win be q victory Of peace, a
victory Of honest labor, won through
ballots instead Of through hayonets, won |
at tho polls and not on battlcholds.
THIS hurried glance at tho past IL sue.
Eeatiye. 1t shows what organized fam. |
era have done. and forcshadows what
they will do.-AtlnntA Constitution.