Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-12-02
a STRONG PLEA

For Resolving in Favor Of Trades Unions
by the F. A. and L U.
Now that the Farmers Alliance of
Kansas has passed resolutions cham
pioning the cause of united labor, and
the farmers everywhere show a DISPOSE
ton to take more kindly to the wage
workers of the cities it is but fitting
that the causes which contributed to
this desirable end should be made
known and that the arguments which
brought it about be laid before
organized labor in order that it NAV
note the trend of sentiment in alliance
circles In conjunction with personal
letters to the leaders of the Kansas
alliance the following extract from an
article in the Topeka Advocate of
September 16 by George c. Ward, of
this city, probably had as much intiu-
ence on alliance as any other:
"And now, Mr. Editor, let us elimi-
nate from this discussion the supposed,
or, perhaps, 1 should say the desired (?)
antagonism between the laborers in the
cities and the toilers on the farms
There is and can be no antagonism.
The interests of honest legitimate
labor are identically the same every
where. Specially is this the case with
the farmer and the city laborer With
them price is simply an exchange of
products. All industries are based upon
the farming industry and the farmers
and their dependents form two-fifths of
the consuming customers of the city in
dustrles. A prosperous agricultural
community always builds up and main
talns prosperous city or town. The
more money the farmer has the better
customer does he prove to the city
manufacturer. This is not fight be-
tween city and country labor, but
fight between united labor on the one
hand and usurers, gamblers, specula-
tors, eXploiters and labor's despoilers
and oppressors generally. Whatever
of good the farmer gains will result
beneticially to all those engaged in
honest legitimate labor, whethre of
production or distribution.
THE farmers and their dependents
number at least two-fifths of the popu-
lation of the United States, and an
other two-ffths depend upon the pros
perlty of the farmer for means of sub
sistence. The farmers, if all enioved
equal opportunities and privileges,
should purchase, use, consume and en-
joy two-ffths of the total products of
manufactured goods and merchandise
produced in the United States, and the
same proportion of all imported goods.
For these commodities the farmer has
nothing to offer in exchange except the
product of his farm (grain and stock).
When the farmer ceases to produce, ali
trade and commerce must also cease, as
the product Of the farmer feeds the ma
tion and pays for all goods, wares, mer-
chandise aud commodities consumed,
used, worn and enjoyed by the whole
people. Whatever portion of the farm
er's produce is diverted and absorbed
from the direct channel of commodity
exchange, while it may tend to enrich
few individuals, has a tendency to inn
poverlsh the bulk or masses of the peo-
pie. Why? Because of one simple fact
in political economy, i g., that were all
labor profitably employed, there could
and would be no surplus In other
words, there is no such factor as "over-
production. The trouble is faulty dis
tribution and under-consumption. The
interests of all are reciprocal The
amount of merchandise, commodities.
etc, that the farmer can consume is
gauged and limited by the amount of
net proceeds he realizes for the products
of his farm. The more he buys, how
ever. the more work is furnished the
laborer in manufacturing pursuits It
even takes more clerks to wait upon
prosperous than unfortunate farmers.
On the other hand, the laborer's ability
to buy and consume farm product is
is limited and gauged by the amount of
work he procures and the wages he re-
ceives. But the root and basis of this
whole reciprocal arrangement is the
net price the farmer receives for his
products If transportation and mid
die men absorb unnatural and unrea-
sonable toll and fees, then, while few
railroad magnates and ''bulls and
bears" may become millionaires las,
indeed, many have become), yet the
masses of the people will suffer and
become impoverished while legitimate
business will languish and die. kan
sas City Midland Mechanic