The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-06
AFTER MORTON'S SCALP.
THE f. VI. ID. A. DENOUNCEs THE SEC
RETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
and the Resolutions Committee
Takes 1t Up-AmIa GA nation with
other Farmer Organizations Meets
with Much Favor.

In pursuance of constitutional provi-
sion, the general assembly of the Farm
ers' mutual benefit association assem-
bled in room % of English's hotel Tues
day afternoon in it's annual two
days session, and was called to order
by President C. A. Robinson Of Fount-
aintown, Ind. J. s. Barnum of Illinois
was appointed sentinel
There were present all the officers of
the general assembly as follows: Presi-
dent, c. a. Robinson of Indiana; vice
president, H. c. Lockney of West Vir-
ginia: secretary, w. Z. Robinson of Illi-
nois; treasurer, T. NJ. Poe of Missouri;
and lecturer, John p. STEELE of Illinois.
The delegates present from Indiana were
John A. Lowery, Thomas WadswOrth,
F. ]. Claypool, L. A. Stockwell and A.
L. Adams; from Kentucky, w. F. Wilson
and Thomas w. Haynes; from Illinois,
c. ]. Lentwiler, ]. S. Barnum, II. E.
Taubeneck and T. w. Wilson; from West
Virginia, a. B. Davis and E. b. Parson;
from Ohio. w. S. Starcher; from Iowa,
s. S. Cause; from Missouri, c. E. Mar
kert.
Thomas Wadsworth Of Indiana was
appointed chaplain.
President Robinson announced the fol-
lowing committees Immediately follow
ing the reading of his annual address:
Credentials-W f. Robinson of Illi-
nois, F. J. Claypool of Indiana, and A.
B. Davis of West Virginia.
Rules-C. A. Robinson of Indiana, H.
C. Lockney of West Virginia. and
Thomas WadswOrth of Indiana.
Laws and Cnwritten Work-Thomas
Wadsworth of Indiana, G. +. Markert of
Missouri, a. b. Davis of West Virginia,
A. b. Parsons of West Virginia, and j.
s. Barnum of Illinois
Finance-T. w. Wilson of Illinois, L.
A. Stockwell of Indiana, G. j. Lentwiler
of Illinois, w. S. Starcher of Ohio, and
+. J. Claypool of Indiana.
Resolutions-John p. STEELE Of Illinois,
J. A. Lowery of Indiana, E. b. Parsons
of West Virginia, S. S. Cause of Iowa,
and II. e. Taubeneck of Illinois.
Organization-J. S. Barnum of Illinois,
w. F. Wilson of Kentucky, F. ]. Clay
pool of Indiana. John p. STEELE of Hi
nois. and w. S. Starcher of Ohio.
Comparatively. L. Robinson of Illi-
nois, w. f Wilson of Kentucky, f. ].
Claypool of Indiana, E. b. Parsons of
West Virginia, and C. A. Robinson Of
Indiana.
RObinsOn's Address.
The address of President Robinson
consisted of a bitter arraignment of
Secretary of Agriculture Morton and a
recommendation for the amalgamation
of all farmers associations, as was an
nounced exclusively in The Sentinel yes
terday morning 1t said:
There is hardly a limit to the good
that has been done by this order for its
members. Only a few years ago the
farmers were at the mercy of a corpora
tive enemy that controlled one of the
staple necessities of the farm. A trust
that cared not if the farmer and his
family We're clothed in rags so he could
be plucked for the benefit Of vicious ex-
travagant stockholders in this gigantic
swindling concern. This octopus was the
Irvine trust. So fat did it become and
so viciously extravagant that its pro-
motors openly boosted of maintaining
the most expensive and wickedly luxuri-
Gus dens, which they named club houses
in the great cities Of the land, and they
became so arrogant and self-confident
that they thought no power could wrest
from their grasp the toiIing farmer
Ere they We're aware Of it. however
they were met face to face with band
of yeomen who gave no quarter nor
asked any and in less than two years
the great Irvine trust, whose power was
supposed to be unlimited, fell with a
dull thud which meant its death and
there il lies and there will lie all others
OF its kind until the farmers disband
their organization. If they disband it
will again rise up and sink the chain
deeper into their flesh than ever. A
slave that makes an attempt TO free
n or,I fof1c -fcl,.,
an excuse for practicing greater tyran-
ny over him. Organized farmers alone
deserve the credit for destroying this
monster and the f. NJ. b. A. was in the
front rank in the movement.
Again, we had been all along isolated
from the city markets on account of a
lack Of confidence in ourselves. which
condition men took advantage Of and
grew rich as distributors Of the wealth
we produced. 1t is not enough for the
farmer to go into the fields and produce
food and raiment for consumption nv
fulfilled. To be an intelligent manager
of his business, he must see to ii that
his products are placed in the hands of
the consumer with the least possible ex-
pense TO himself. AS a member Of the
Farmers mutual benefit association
he has learned to do this until now
there is not a member of the order who
need complain Of the distribution of
his products. Every lodge in the coun-
try, through the efficiency of our trade
arrangements, has been able TO secure
the cooperation of commission mer-
chants and others engaged in the dispo-
sal OF farm products until we are able
to raise our grain and live stock and
send IL direct to the market
I'm the beginning of it's history the
Farmers mutual benefit association set
forth a declaration of principles. a series
of demands which it was pleased to call
its platform. A glance at these demands
will show to the investigator that they
could never be secured except by politi-
cal action. 1t is not for me to question
the wisdom Of those who promulgated
these principles or to doubt the pro-
priety of making such demands; suffice
it to say that these demands were in ex-
istence when l accepted my present po-
sitiOn. and as the servant of the order
the only thing left for me to do was to
defend them This / have done to the
best of my ability, and have no apology
TO make to the outside for my actions.
If the declaration Of principles is wrong
change it, or If it be the part of wisdom
to abolish any such declaration entirely
then do so, but do not make a platform
for me to stand upon and then ask me
to become an apologist for IL. But just
now, when we think we begin to see
where we may extend our usefulness and
become a greater factor for the up
building Of mankind, the order comes
from the national capital for us to dis
band. The Doodle politician and cor
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