Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1892-08-11
Farm Organisation.

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the discussion now going on
concerning the agricultural classes, their
hard life, and neglect Of general culture
and knowledge, writer in the North
American Review says:
He has lately awakened to the fact
that while labor in every other depart.
ment is organized. while the combina-
tions Of capital are firm and invincible,
he alone depends upon himself; and here
lies his much-extolled independence. He
alone is at the mercy of all other, and to
become able to compete in fair field
with his oppressor he must unite with
those who are in the same sltua-
ton. Already has the wisdom OF the
farmers choice been seen in the unusual
interest taken in his demands and
opinions, in the efforts OF political parties
and others affected to either placate
the organization OF farmers or to cry it
down. We hear prophecies OF the or
ganization's Inevitable shortness OF life,
and all sorts of statements as to its ln-
ability to cope with the questions and
issues it proposes to handle. It is said
that it does not embody national idea,
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founded upon national principle can
a class, and therefore bound to 60 down.
TIE truth or falsity of all this must
depend upon what We consider our
nation to be. Is it rot for the people,
and DO We not claim equal rights for all,
special privileges to none?
Look at our body OF laws today. What
are the farmers rights and privileges?
He has the right to sell his products at
prices fixed for him in New York and
LIVERPOOL; the right to buv what he can.
not produce at prices dictated to him by
manufacturers and middlemen without
limit; but no voice in either case in de.
term;ning either price Or profits. He
pays one half of the taxes, but a
glance at our national congress shows
that he has small influence in making
the Saws.
Not few of those who write upon the
subject would have us think that politics
is not in our province; that the farmers
place Is on the farm, his work the tilling
of the soil, and that to the intellectual
and monled class belongs the ability and
therefore the right TO construct the laws
and "take care of the country" Too
long have the farmers by their conduct
if not III reality, consented to this state
Of things; but those good days of pro-
priety are gone. The farmer of today
insists upon meddling with politics. and
even demands that those who legsslate
shall recognize his existence aud the
agricultural interests of the country.
These interests have to some extent been
recognized and these demands partially
considered. That this is true is either
directly or indirectly due to the farmers
agitation. In even so short time have
good results to the farmer followed the
work Of orgaEization.
The permanence of the alliance, the
effect of this reform. must depend upon
it's ability to accomplish its two-fold pur-
pose: FIRST, to arouse public interest
in the condition of the farmer, aud to
secure for him political recognition and
financial fairness; second, to develop the
farmer himself and incite him to intel.
lectual exertion and efforts in the way Of
social culture. to lead him to higher
broader, and more beautiful life. We
shall find that the results depend not SO
much upon legislation as upon enlight.