The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-23


| those who are not engaged in agricul-
ture against all farmer organizations.
They may and do form their various or
ganizatons for the promotion of their
own special interests, and little or no
thought was given such action in the
past. 1t seemed proper that those en-
gagged in the same pursuits should meet
| and discuss those matters affecting
| themselves. Just how far they should
go in using these organizations to in
fiuenee public sentiment in their favor,
or to secure legislation especially favor
able TO themselves, is a question that
| all may not answer alike, but the ma
| jority of these organizations among
mona gricultural classes have been used
in these ways to a greater or less ex-
tent. This fact none will probably deny.
But whenever the farmers have pro-
/ posed organization, to be used for the
promotion of the interests of all who
| till the soil, there has been a note of
| i'll nature in the comments of other
( classes. This is due to two facts %
| The farmers furnish the worlds food,
| and any movement looking toward high
| prices through systematic distribu-
! ton or restriction of produce is not
welcome, and, CD The farmers fur
nish the market for great part Of
the products of other classes, and their
organization gives opportunity for edu-
| cation. IN business lines that may lead
! to shrewder buying and selling and con-
| sequent diminished profits for the mid
| die men. These two reasons will &C
count for the most of the old prejudice
against farmer organizations.
But there is a third reason, more
potent than the other two just now,
for the existance of unfriendly feeling
| toward organizations among us. 1t is
not difficult matter to bring over
whelming evidence that many classes
| have used their organizations to secure
! legislation at the expense of the people.
| This refers not only to classes taken as
a whole, but also to combinations of
limited number of individuals for a.
| special object.
The farmers have made it no secret
that one of. the chief objects of their
| organization was the thwarting of
| these selfish aims and the repeal Of
all legislation that gave special privi-
leges to a limited number of people.
They have gone even further and pro-
posed to secure legislation that would
prevent the combination of men into
cliques whose object was the elimina-
ton Of competition as a regulator of
prices and the fixing of prices without
regard to demand and supply.
Glass organization for social and edu-
cationaI purposes cannot be condemned,
| but beyond this believe the existence
of any class combinations is indefensi-
bic. Under a republican form of gov
eminent every man should desire to
see the government administered for
the benefit of the people as a whole,
| and he should not be a party to seeur-
| ing class benefits He should desire to
| see class spirit subordinated, and di-
| vergent business kept out of politics.
| Our republic will be strong only SO long
! as class lines are family drawn, and a
| mans vote is cast for his country
good rather than for undue advance
ment of his class interest at the ex-
| peuse Of his fellow citizens. In a word
| class organization in a republic is a
| dangerous tool in the hands of I'M
! patriotic men. and the country would
be more stable if we had none Of
| them.
However, any one class of men cannot
| control the prevailing conditions and the
! farmers have had little organization
| other than that of purely social and
business character, until most other
| classes were organized and had become
influential in the committee-rooms Of
our national Legislature. 1t seemed nee
esssary that the chief agricultural inter-
! ests of our country should be heard in
| protest against the submission of law
| makers to the dictatiOn of some domi-
| neering and selfish combinations. 1t
| seemed TO require the organization of
/ farmers to secure any balance or equi-
/ librium of the various interests of this
| great country. It would be far better if
| others had not made class organiza-
! ton necessary, and the situation in our
republic is not satisfactory so long as
! such organization for political influence
| IS a necessity.
The study of questions that arise in
| our government is not incompatible with
A few men like to talk as if those farm
ers who believe in organization are "peO-
pie waiting for the government to make
them rich" when the fact is, often
| times that the crop yields of the critics.
fields might not show any more study
on the owners part than other farms are
getting. Our organizations should arouse
the intellectual side of their members,
| so that they will read, study their crops
! more build UP the fertility of their
farms buy and sell in more business
like manner and vote more intelligently.
! They should promote class feeling only
sufficiently to counteract the influence
of others who have interfered in the
government too much and this feature
should be dropped when the cause for
its existence passes away.
The Season.
Drought and extreme heat have marked
this season. Last week we noted the
fact that in some sections corn was al
I mi oil