The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-03-26
TRAITORS MUST BE OUSTED.

Right wins.
TRAITORS MUST BE OUSTED.
From Ohio Comes Evidence that the Peo-
ple Ar. Awakening-Watch the Old
Party Fencs Fixcrs.
Since Ohio keeps such men as Sher-
man and Brice in the United States SEN
ate, do not, dear reader, jump to the
conclusion that nothing good can ema
nate from the Buckeye state. While this
is the home of more Doodle politicians to
the square mile than can be found else
where in the Mississippi valley, we trust
there are still enough righteous men
within her borders to save her from the
fire and birthstone of offended justice.
While thousands of willing workers
are suffering want through enforced
idleness, and many more thousands see
the fruit of their toll heaped up in wealth
by those who neither sow nor spin. the
masses are thinking as they never have
before. Not alone thinking of how to
grieve and complain of unjust burdens,
but how to hunt down the oppressor and
how to strip him of his power to op-
press.
AS the light of truth drives out super
stitious reverence for the prophets of
Baal, who ''prophesy for gain" so do
men begin to find the relations between
cause and effect. They find that soci-
ETY.. as whole, is responsible for laws
and institutions growing out of them;
that personal management alone cannot
overcome the difficulties raised by false
or unjust systems of production and dis
tributon of wealth, while the people,
blinded by party prejudice and careless
about public politics (because it is every
one for himself, anyhow. fail to see the
workings of the Hazard and Buel circu
lars aud the stately steppings in our
midst of the London money power. At
last, when the enemy's coils are about
us, through legalized plumber, we wake
up to find more than half the wealth of
the country captured by one-f0urth of |
per cent. of the population.
Not satisfied with their conqueSts they
are strengthening their lines by artificc
and force to capture the other half. The
American wagc-worker was first made to
feel the constructions of the Hazard an
aconda, controlling the wages of labor
by controlling the money.
The American farmer stood afar off
while millions of wage-men, out of work.
pleaded in vain for relief. He had yet
to learn that his own surplus was vau
able only as well-paid labor could afford
to buy-to learn that ''an injury to one
is the concern of ALL" The same cause
that para,yzcd enterprise and created
the American tramp has blighted every
honest business and is strangling the
farmer in its avarcious clutch.
ITO be or not to be" has become the
farmers question of the day. Even here,
in party y-bound Ohio, the farmers have
held three state conventions since Aug
ust to consider their situation and what
to do about it. Farmers in any organ
izaton of the class were invited to Col
umbus. Aug. 12, for this purpose, and
500 delegates responded to the call by
their personal presence. But the old
party fence-fixers were there the day
before and arranged to control and keep
the convention within the limits of
safety" A cut and dried platform was
presented, demanding economy in many
ways, but carefully ignoring the ques-
ton of corporation or government
money. 1t was also agreed to fight for
reform within existing party lines.
While the "resolves" were comparatively
tame, felt that good must result from
this meeting. Farmers had agreed to
do some thinking and investigating on
their own account. regardless of foolish
party lines.
The state grange met in our city, Titfin,
Dec. ., and, more bravely than the
August convention, demanded $50 per
capita of government legal tenders and
no banks of issue. We thanked God and
took courage.
Jan. 20 our state alliance met in
GALLON, also our Knights of Labor broth
ers, Worthy Foreman Cavanaugh of
Cincinnati in the chair. The undersigned
was made member Of the committee on
resolutions, and could not hear nor par
ticipate in the general deliberations, but
the same elements were present that con-
trolled the Columbus convention in
August, and for the same purpose-to
hold alliance men within old party lines
and to prevent any action that might
break shylock's grip upon labor. Our
committee submitted report favoring
government loans at 2 per cent. on landed
security double in assessed value to loan.
This was met by minority report against
it. Three minutes were allowed for the
discussion of the most important matter
before the convention, and the Opposi-
ton would not suffer this much without
we had pierced the heel of the modern
Achilles. who wields the sceptre of a
king of kings. The convention boiled
as right and wrong faced each other in
three-minute speeches.
Fifteen years ago we said to shylock:
BE content with your bond. Don't eX-
act the blood and all the flesh, or we'll
strip you of all power to oppreSs!" But
the money power, elated with continued
success, has aimed at complete and
absolute dominance. 1t seeks to make
the masses SO poor that they will lose all
se]f-respect and bear the yoke without
resistance. The joint proprietor of the
big farmers paper in Ohio, though not a
member of the convention joined in the
outcry against government loans to the
debt and tax-cursed farmers. The Buel
circular had been effective. The chair
declared the minority report carried.
During the evening and next morning
this was the topic on the street. in every
hotel and boarding house, and Brother
Rankin, Knight of Labor, in joint and
fraternal meeting, gave us kindly lift.
With three important amendments, the
same question was submitted next day.
Such had been the manifest change in the
temper OF the convention that our wary
opponents dared not trust another vote,
and persuaded the chair to declare it out
of order. Brother Charles Jenkins. who,
as member of the committee. had advo-
Gated government loans and had been
advocating it in the lecture field, was put
in nomination for state lecturer, the edu-
cational. Office above all others. Three
others were named, and a rule adopted
declaring him chosen who received a plu-
rality of the votes. In the midst of the
count it was discovered that jenkins
was ahead. Then the rule was changed
requiring majority vote to elect. and
the field united against the government