News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-06-11
Farmers in Council.

Cotton, of Irasburgh, called the meet
ing to order, and prayer was offered
by Rev. George P. Beard, editor of
the Farmers Advocate, st. Adams.
The chair appointed the following
committee on resolutions
George p. Beard ST. Adams P. s. Cham
berlin, Bradford C. F. Clough, Waterbury
S. W. Mead, Proctor; A. D. Matthews Bar
). ID. Whiting, johnson; A. j. Somers, Bar
| net A. j Lowrey, Jericho c. D. Whitman,
Brattleboro.
Hon. VIM. Chaplin, of Middlesex,
made an admirable address of well
come, introduced with some charac-
terlstlc facetious remarks. Among
other things he said =" We welcome
you farmers to the central county of
the state, named after the illustrious
Washington we welcome the stur-
dy rank and file of Vermont farmers
to devise some plan of united action,
to the end that our young men and
maidens may be more contented with
farm life. The speaker referred to
the early days of Vermont when the
state grew and prospered now the
capital of Vermont is going west,
while with our fertile soil and good
people, Vermont ought to keep to
the front IN the line OF human pro-
gress. In this connection he said
Politicians have changed the laws of the
State until the present tendency is to make
the rich richer and the poor poorer, and
crowd out the middle classes. Weexpect from
congress respect for those who clothe and
feed the country. In my travels up and down
the State | have visited the early battlefelds
of vermont, butwe cannot relieve the farmers
of Vermont on histories and memories. The
times of 1891 call for patriots as well as in
1776. The present state of affairs is not
wholly due to politicians Party leaders have |
cracked the whip and we have followed. they |
have piped and we have danced, and they |
want us to pay the fiddler. Agricultural |
meetings, fairs and leagues have brought the
farmers nearer together and set the farmers |
to thinking. Now they think of acting |
Many questions of vital interest are now be- |
fore the people of the country reciprocity |
seems to be the favorite theme with the ad-
ministration Just now, but if it allows Cana |
da to bring its products equal with us, the
whole belt of the northern farms will be in
iured, and they will call reciprocity a humbug. |
Do we owe Canada anything? Do we owe
England anything? Canada has been the
refuge of thieves and defaulters from all the
states, and why do we want reciprocity with
them? Why are banks taxed one seventh of
one per cent. while the farms are taxed one
and one-half per cent? Why should we sup
port an agricultural college that has done no
more for Vermont than the wooden goddess
on the top of the State House?
Mr.. Chaplin heartily welcomed all
to the meeting, and expressed the
hope that God would more andmore
abundantly prosper the agricultur-
al interests of Vermont.
President Cotton cordially respond
ed, thanking Mr. Chaplin for his wise
and urging the farmers
present to take the issues of to-day
and make the most of them. Hon.
II. NJ. Arms of Springfield was next
and spoke on the topic,
. Why Should Farmers Organize. y
He referred to the fact that the far
ners of to-day have been pulling in
iependently, and lack organization.
Farming is noble profession, and
effort is lacking. Mr.. A.,
lad just returned from Franklin :
county, where the farmers had or !
sanized in the manufacture of dairy
and had seen the beneficial
of such an organization.
l am not in favor of farmers organizing for
'olitics. | don't care for a mans politics,
md Kansas has shown us the fallacy of such t,
N organization. God Almighty made Yer
mont for purpose. | never was in a state +;
II territory but what | was proud to say
hat L was Vermonter. She is a grand
tate, her beautiful scenery and everything {
o attract outsiders She has the best farm
ng land of any state in the Union. No state
xcels Vermont in the production of wheat
nd cereals, or good grass, and we ought to {
'e the most prosperous people on earth.
The necessity of careful organiza- :
ion Was dwelt upon at some length,
md that it rests with the farmers of I
Vermont to say how long the hand
# our felloWman shall rest upon US.
IS individuals, we show our weak
ess, but organized there is no pow t
: but what we can use, and thus y
ecure pure legislation. Alpha Mes I
II of Rochester followed at great v
myth on the same subject. He re- u
FRED to the educating power of the
range and league, and did not be- a
eve that farmers should organize lt
4 partisan basis. He cared not t.
neither a man was a republican, II
greenbacker, prohibition e!
t, or third party man, if he meant Il
, do right as a legislator. Let the
rmers organize. and anything in k
ason they ask of the legislature Ii
i'll be granted. Hon. Victor |. W
pear of Braintree was introduced Il
speak on " Vermont's Abandoned t;
arms. " He said in part. b
Abandoned farms in Vermont are pretty W
lrd to find. l don't know where there are fl
1tpapa I |
me that are not being used to their great
t capacity, but | know of no abandoned II
rms in the state. T
He showed that there are in YER [.
ont 406 unoccupied farms and ABS G.
rms for sale. There are in the Vi
ate more unoccupied mills, facto v
es and quarries than abandoned T
rms and these ought to be worked b;
their full capacity. Let us dis 81
ay the spirit that has built up the
est and speak a good word for T,
wherever we go. bf
Col. Geo. W. Hooker of Brattle- I,
)ro was introduced to speak on w,
The New Era in Vermont. " He re
lew of nothing to complain of in he
9rmont. The people were happy tb
Id prosperous and the feeling that w,
e West was the only place for far be
9rs, had subsidized give many of he
ose western farmers boots and
ey would walk back to Vermont. 70
rmont needs to be developed. Col. ~
poker dwelt upon the health-givinp Pu
mosphere of Vermont as a strong I In
tor IN attracting strangers to the 20 70
tie. The trouble is, farmers in Vi
ad OF leaving their money in YER e'li
mt have sent it to Fort Payne and a a1
t 1t, aid the speaker was glad of O. O.
lie predicted that in 1895 the ~
ces OF farm products would be as m m
n as IN war time, owing to the in -, -
ase OF population. In eloquent s,iS
guage Col. Hooker urged every ~ ~
per IN the state to advertise and
ny man to talk that Vermont is Ly
healthiest state in the Union. die
l never take paper that will not pro
7ertise the advantages of the Ca
tie. He urged the necessity of a COZ
arate agricultural college, where grf
boys can be developed in their IN
n directions. Col. Hooker's re- ant
rks were heartily applauded. wa
gorge L. Powell of Client. N. Y. Ih'
sident of the National Farmers ant
lgue, the speaker for the after oo'
IN, was introduced and made 10
ofle1 remarks, after which an ad- A
was taken for dinner. mel
AFTERNOON SESSION. Mo
n re-assembling at 2 O'Clock Mr.. Off
veil was again introduced and yea
ke Tor an hour and a half to q Eds
NV intn1.nctod II - "