The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-19
TIE FARAERS' 1 RUST.

more particularly those of them who are
members of that numerous organization
known as the Farmers Alliance, are not as
good politicians as they would like TO be;
and then If they should come to be good
politicians we fear they would not be good
farmers. The Alliance was the outgrowth
of very wide spread knowledge among the
agricultural classes that there were corrup-
ton in politics, dishonesty in government,
favoritism in enacting and enforcing laws,
and that much of the evil complained
of fell upon the farmers themselves,
they being quiet, non-combative people
who liked peace and quiet ana did not take
kindly to the strife aud turmoil and
schemes of the politicians. The farmers
knew of the existence of these evils and
how they suffered from them, but they
didn't know how to cure them, and it may
be doubted that they will ever learn. In
Kansas they formed themselves into a
political party and set out 10 bring the re
lief which they wanted, but they set out to
do this much as bull would undertake tc
arrange the goo1s in CHINA shop. They
sent wide -mOuthed batherskite, the now
notorious Sockless SIMPSON, to Congress.
where he will be the laughing stock OF his
brother Representatives aud the butt
for their Jokes. They elected to the
Senate the long whiskerei PEFYER
whose only Recommendation for the place
seems to have consisted in the fact that he
had edited country weekly. in the col
umns OF W hich he had portrayed the Friev-
ances and sufferiugs of the farmers. Both
these men are cranks, in the popular &C
ceptation of the term, and they will De able
to do nothing for the cause they represent.
even if they know what to do, which is
doubtful. Thus far the farmers in politics,
so fer at least as Kansas is concerned,
have been a failure, not from lack OF num-
bers, but because they were ignorant OF
what to do and how to do it.
Now the Alliance leaders have devised u
scheme for their ''relief' which they
are pushing in several states, ana
which is more ridiculous than The sending
of PsFFER to the Senate and SIMPSON 10
the House because of che whiskers of on
and the avoidance OF SOCKS by the other
The schemexo which we refer IS that of 1.
sstrust" the farmers 10 withhold their
wheat from the market until sucn time a.
the necessities OF the people will Compel
them to pay fair or even exorbitant prices.
This would be very shrewd and would soor
make the farmers rich, provided the plan
would "work." But how laughaole it
seems when looked at from the stand point
of common sense, and viewed from the
position OF ordinary and weil-unGerstood
business rules. The wheat growers il
this country number millions aud they
extend from New York to California ID
Washington. Now, how is it possible Tor
t-.--- ~ form com olne". HOW could
any considerable number OF them get to-
gether and organize a trust which could
be effective. The farmers of Kansas might
hold their wheat for time, out il could DE
for only little while, for those OF Colo
RADIO and Nebraska and Missouri and Iowa
would soon send enough wheat into KANSAS
to supply the demand. Unfortunately, the
great majority of the farmers are nol in a
position, financially, to withhold their
wheat from the market In too many cases
the grain has been mortgaged before IL ma
lures ana must be turned over 10 creditors
as soon as harvested TO pay debts AMI stop
interest. Ii too many Other cases the
farmers have to sell promptly or their
families will suffer for clothing and other
necessaries. Do the Alliance politicians,
who nave devised this wonderful scne.ne,
propose that a central bureau sna.l carry
the farmers during this ;kiug JsrIoI,
loaning them money for ex pen>es until tne
wheat can be sold for saJistacsori prices.
This would have 20 be done in order 10
make the plan success. and II would re-
quire more money than all the farmers n
the country could borrow. In this matter,
as III the election OF PEPPER and other
things. the farmers VINO are turn
ing politicians are displaying al ig-
norauce which would De iau shable
were it not for the depiora5le c)ndt ton OF
the agrculturists themselves. Taey as
sumo that because men can get together
and form an oil trust, a sugar truss,
whisky trust or trust Of any other kind
for controlling and regulating the price Ut
any article they can also forni ''comDine"
and put up the price of their products. 1t
is simply ludicrous.
What the farmers should do and in doing
that will they find the relief wnicl they
seek, is to unite with the political party
which is trying TO amend the infamous
tariff laws which tax the agriculturists for
the benefit OF tue trusts and the protected
few; to unite with the party which is
bent on finding a market for the surplus
which the farmer raises. market in which
be can get fair price for what he has to
sell. ard where he will be required to pay
only fair price for what he has to buy.
The farmers will get relief through the
Democratic party. but never through the
oranges and alliances, or other organiza-
tons OF q similar nature.