Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-02
SOCIAL FARMERS
Yesterdays F. NJ. b A. Picnic at
BarstOw.
spc eches by Hen. n. +. Tanbsns elk
and 9th. r., and a Good Time
The Barb cue Near Coal
Ees.eH.

OF the F. NJ. B A. picnic opened
threatening. nevertheless il turued
out beautiful, and the Plow City band
commenced playing soul stirring airs
about 1920 J. G. Osborne called the
meeting to order and csiled upon Rev.
Baker to open the proceedings by prayer,
after which there was singing of The
Farmers Song" with solo and chorus.
DR.. Reider WAS introduced and m ide
short interesting speech, recommending
that tine farmers keep aloof from politics
and remsin non partisan.
Music by the band followed, and Rob,
ert Bennett, of Rock Island, was intro
duced. who said that he was not an alli-
ancs or an f. NJ. B. A MN. but he WAS
vita them n sentiment. He considered
the farmers movement very opportune
and necessary. aud advised the to stand
by their organization His whole speech
was in defense of protective tariff, and
was cons dered entirely out of place at an
F. NJ. B A. picnic. The Glee clab then
sang Marching From Bondage" and
there was adjournment for dinner
After dinner the gathering was enter.
tanned o. Tie play ing of sevels! pieces by
the band, after which song was given,
'hfi'ltiS Sbt'' Snui . iAO -sto' Is H.
Keapster. of Whiteside county, being
Introduced. said: This gathering has
come mostly for recreation and not to
introduce special partisanship." He ttel
dwelt largely upon the great injsstice
perpetrsted upon the people in the first
place by the large grants of lands TO rail-
road companies, and in the next place in
our government allowing these great
monopolies to enrich themselves by wat
e'il, tue stc,k SGD tAsu charging out
rageous rates for freight. The farmers
have no idea of raising the price to the
consumer, bat rather of lessening the
price of farmers sup plies. and if our leg
islators will not legislate for the farmers
interests in these matters, We will give
them to understand that we will form
and organize new party.
Music by the band followed. Hon.
II. E. Taubeneck of Clark county. on be-
ing introduced, said that although he
was an F. NJ. B. 4. he las also a mem
Der of the grange aud other organic itions
and he wished it understood, that he
alone was responsible for that which he
should do. He did not think that we
were burdened with wrong that could
not be remecied ct the ballot box The
farmers are not protected IN their rights
as other classes are, The greatest ques-
lion that stares every American in the
fare t"dsy is, how TO prevent the great
centraliz alton of wealth. We are grad,
uslly coming down to the two classes. the
one immensely rich, the othe correspond
ingly poor. What was France previously
to the great revolution, but simply
a-A ha
II is said We as nation are becoming
vastly rich, tut tle question is, who has
got the riches? Whose vaults contain it?
He then quoted from ex Senator ingalls,
statistics, showing who had got the
wealth. We are accustomed TO speak of
our country as the home of the brave aud
land of the free, but it will soon be. if this
state of things continues, the land of the
rich and the home of the slave. What is
the condition of agriculture today, all
brought about by class legislation, but
simply q gradual impoverishing of the
farmers. And he quoted statistics which
substsniiated his statement
The average farm of the United States
is 1874 acres and the average gross income
from that farm is $3.50 And he would
like to see the average city politician un-
dertake to lift mortgage with such an
income. In meeting the argument that
overproduction has been the cause of low
prices for farm prodacts, he read sta.
tistics showing that there ia not any more
raised today then in 1880 according to the
number of population. He claimed that
insufflciency Of money had more to do
with the depression of agriculture than
anything else. and in comparison with
the tariff sinks into utter insignificsnce.
He quoted from eminent m n showing
that The price Of property and labor will
rise aud fall with the volume OF currency.
Eight per cent of the business of the
country is done with money, 90 per cent
with paper, upon which interest has TO
paid, the burden of which falls upon ag.
riculture. The remedy for our depressed
condition is, increase the volume Of cur
rency and the free coinage of silver, and
cheaper money and repeal the banking
law. and then let the government loan
money to the farmers al low rstes of in
terest, and when you benefit the farmers
this way you confer benefit upon every
other class. He concluded On eloquent,
well-delivered speech by saying that the
farmers must work oet their own saliva
ton at the ballot-box.
Mr.. Taubeneck was well received and
loudly Cheered.
THE BARBECUE.
Coal VALLEY. Sept. 1.-The barbe>
cue opened yesterday morning suspicious.
ly. The early morning was bright and
clear, but about o'clock the sky became
overcast with clouds. Tue elements
seemed to threaten rain and continued so
till noon, when the clouds gave way to
| the sun and the afternoon was bright and
| pleasant But in spite of the lowering
clouds the activity of the managers was
not In the least arrested. At 8 O'Clock
the procession commenced to move and
proceeded through the streets and
thence to the grove just west of the
village corporation. 1t was all that was
promised. The children on the floats, the
mechanics representing their trades,
| butchers, miners, etc. The grove is a