The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-02-03
FARMERS COMBINE
Five Great Associations to Form
One Grand Federation.
PLANS FOR A BIG UNION
1T WIN Be Strictly NOnpartisan and WIN
Make One of the Most Powerful
Organizations Existing.

An important step taken at the four
teenth annual convention of the Ma
tional Farmers alliance, which has just
concluded a two days session in Chi
cago, was the adoption of a plan of
union of the five principal farmers
organizations in the country. These
are the National Farmers alllane, the
Farmers Alliance and Industrial union,
the Grange, the Farmers Mutual Rene-
fit association and the Patrons of In
dustry. A committee was appointed to
secure the adoption by the four other
organizations of the constitution which
was adopted by the National Farmers
alliance at its meeting Thursday. The
committee is composed of e. j. Bye,
West Branch, Ia. Milton George, Chi
cago, and Miller Purves, Cardington,
Ohio.
Alliance men are confident that the
proposed organization, which will be
called the Farmers union, will receive
the hearty Endorsement of every farmer
in the country. Already, it is said each
of the organizations has signified its in
tention to become part of the union.
The constitution adopted, and which
will be submitted to each organization
for ratification, provides that the Farm
ers' union shall be incorporated under
the laws of Illinois and that it shall be
a nonsecret organization. This latter
provision, the promoters of the union
say, is most important, as they hold
that the secret nature of many of the
farmers organizations has deprived
them of a powerful element of the
farming industry, especially the church
going class.
In regard to the political nature of
the new organization the constitution
provides that the union shall be strictly
nonpartisan. Only practical farmers
will be admitted to membership. but
women will be admitted on an equality
with men. The government of the or
ganization is to be vested in legislative,
executive and judicial departments.
The management Of the union is put in
the hands of an executive committee
composed of the chairman of the execu-
tive committees of the five organiza-
tions, with the presidents of all five ex-
oftcio members. 1t is also provided
that the charters Of the national state
and local existing societies shall be in
the gift of the union, but it is stipulated
taat the unioR shall not interfere in any
manner with the rules and regulations
of the five organizations as they are
now constituted and that the autonomy
of each shall be maintained, encouraged
and aided in its efforts to increase it's
strength as rapidly as possible.
A plan of balloting simimar to that
of the Australian system is provided
for the purpose of obtaining the senti-
ment of the organizations on the lead
ing question of the day, which shall be,
as the constitution says, ''free from the
influence of political campaign and heat
way it is propos d to obtain the opinion
of the farmers Of the country on the
question of tariff the issue of the cir
culating medium, the coinage silver,
the manufacture and sale OF liquors,
food adulteration, gambling in farm
products end the abuses of tronsporta-
tion and land systems. The object of
the union, as given are: ITO promote
social harmony and entertainment for
the families of isolated farmers, to
furnish means for better educational
requirements necessary for better
citizenship, for more practical tillage
of the soil and for more thorough
knowledge Of the question of govern
ment, of the laws of trade and the re-
lation of agriculture to other pursuits
and occupatsons which is necessary to
enable producers to hold their own in
the battle of life"
Walla Walla Savtnps sSanI. aes.s.