The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-03-08
FARMERS REVOLT.
HAVE ALREADY BORNE THE
-. YOKE TOO LONG.
Corruptlonists Have Lain Hold Of the
Halls of Legislation While the Farmers
Kept ON Saving WOOd-The Last straw
Has Broken His Back.
Time for IL Change.

Has Broken HIS Hack.
Time for u Change.
Some surprise is manifest that a
deep-seated revolt should exist against
the old parties, and be so deep-seated
in the agricultural sections. If the
history of legislation for the past de-
caie is taken into account, and care
fully scrutiniZed, the reason ought to
rise up like ghost before the mind
of all who make the search. The
! more complex question is. why have
the farmers so long borne the burdens
OF class policy and adverse Legislation,
and remained loyal to their parties.
All wealth comes out of the ground,
and hence the farmers are the class
who create, while all others destroy.
The farmer is the only source of SUP
ply for the continued waste going on.
His interests, then, by rights, should
be paramount TO any other class. At
least the farmers and actual wealth
producers ought not to be discrimi-
mated against, if not to receive any
| special fostering by the Government.
Instead of this being done, the policy
.of both parties has been to ignore the
farmers and shape the Government
favOrs in the direction of the money
classes and combines, who are but
little less than organized robbers of
production. These combines and
money gamblers have always been on
f; the alert, and have never hesitated to
! ask Congress for favOrs that they
| might receive. They have lain hold
of the halls of Legislation by organ
; lied Hobbies and combined bribery, and
+, it goes without saying that their
PRAYERS have been answered.
The farmers have voted for the
| party of their choice, and kept on saw
! ing wood and chopping cotton. They
| We're unable TO leave their avOcaticns
and go up to the mecca of corruption
to look after their interests. They, as
Il class, We're honest. and supposed
| their representatives to be honest also,
end would not be susceptible to cor
rupt influences. After electing Con-
gress, the farmer turned to the pillow
again, and tickling the earth that it
might laugh its bounteous harvests,
and thereby supply the natural wants.
He did no think it necessary to send Il
censor along with the Congressman to
see that he did not act contrary to the
interests of the people he represented.
In fact, they were unable to support
q lobby in the Capitol if they had
thought such n thing was necessary.
Thus the farmers elected the Congress,
and while they were quietly farming
the soil, the money power was dill
gently farming the Congress. The
results of past legislation shows that
the money power has been much more
successful, financially, in its farming
than the farmer. The money power
has been able to realize large profits,
while the profit of the farmer has
gradually declined until it now actual
ly fails to meet the expense of produce
ton economically administered.
In addition to this destruction of
the profit Of production, has come the
increased expenditures and decrease
of the means of paying interest, and
debts generally, until the farmer IS
confronted with such an unnatural
condition as to land him in maelstrom
of adverse winds. This last straw has
broken the farmers back. He is now
actually unable to earn a living for
his family on unencumbered lands, and
where mortgages are to carry he is
amid total wreck.
These mountains of impossibilities
rising up i'll the path of the farmer
have caused him to stop and think.
He has suffered long, faithfully. and
Loyalty for the old parties and with
stood many adverse winds. bu: now he
has decided to organize for a change of
some sort. He has been pillaged and
robbed, and he has at last decided
to investigate matters and see if there
is not remedy. Very naturally he
concludes that legislation is at fault,
and he proposes to direct his first ef-
fort to reform that branch of the pub
lie service. While he has crude ideas
of what Legislation would remedy the
existing evils, he will be content if
justice is meted out to all classes. For
the present the farmer is compelled to
face adverse circumstances, but he has
determined upon an organized effort
to right these wrongs, even at the sac
rifice Of his ancient party affiliations.
Its Abeurdtty Demonstrated.
The balJerlash of Secretary Car
Isle about making his proposed I'M
necessary. Illegal, and infamous bond
issue in denominations as small as $40,
in order that laboring people who
have not. in many cases, enough to
buv comfortable meal. and in most
cases are unable to meet their bills
may invest their savings in Govern
ment bonds, is shown in its true light
by the list OF subscriptions and sub
scribers received up to Jan. 81. At
| that time New York City banks and
| l.nk ers bad sent In bids arC-ecatin c.