The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-03-22
Our Forum.
Necessity Of Organization.

organizations that live and thrive from
the labor Of the farmer. They directly
support the business mems associations,
known to exist in every city and town
in the United States, with perhaps few
exceptions. Farmers also directly sup
port combined capital that maintain or
carnations which unitedly use their in
fluence and money to continue conditions
that protect themselves and leave the far
ers absolutely defenseless victims Of their
greed and avarice. These conditions
compel the farmers to organize to protect
themselves.
When did farmers put thousands of
commission men between themselves and
the marketing of their products to the
consumer, and clothe them with power to
make prices that starve the farmer and
make the self-appointed ,middleman rich?
Organized railroad corporations have
forced from farmers dividends on watered
stock alone. sufficient to pay for the build
ing and equipping of every mile of rail-
road on the continent, besides farmers
money has builded four hundred thousand
miles Of solid blocks Of business houses
that they have no interest in but to sup
port the business of the capitalistic COM
bines. Also many thousand miles OF pal
atial residences in compact form have
been built and furnished with money that
should have come back to them for farm
productions.
Farmers! compare these colossal for
tunes with yours. Compare these palaces
and their furnishings with the twelve mil
lion farm residences, the homes of the
producers of this vast amount OF wealth;
many of them were cabins! Then ask
yourselves, is it because OF idleness and
extravaganza. poor management and
waste on your part; or is is the lack of
united effort as class to secure to your
selves the rightful remuneration for your
labor?
You hold the key that locks and un-
locks the treasury of the nation: you
make the commercial record annually OF
the first and greatest wealth producing
country of the world, by far exceeding
all other countries in producing agricul-
tural wealth. United in social and bust
ness relations you would control the
finances Of the country. So-called bust
ness that fences you out of their circles
to rob you, and declare legislation in ia
vor of the agricultural classes unconsti
tutional, should be dependent on you for
the job OF handling your produce, but on
the other hand. and you tell why, they
command and you obey.
They so completely control the move
ments and sale of the most staple prod
ucts of the world. that divided millions OF
men are kept at variance to enrich the
united few. Once thoroughly organized
you are masters of the situation, you
could demand and have your rights or
you could stop the wheels OF commerce;
YOU would be the lender not the borrow
err OF money. Kansas farmers have estab-
lished these facts. To use modern
phraseology the ei1slavement OF the
masses, is SO cle~erly manipulated by
modern, money catching kid gloved aris-
tocracy, that their corporation machines
take twelve million farmers, their wives
and their children by the neck and mop
the earth with them from fourteen to sew
enteen hours every day in the year, semi
annually rounding them up and COMPEL
ing them to shake every particle OF gold
that has adhered to their threadbare
clothing into the assaying receptacle Of
their rich masters.
| In the situation as it is now we have
! business mems organized business asso-
sociations to which no farmer belongs or
can belong, board of trade organized. to
which no farmers can belong, stock ex-
change organized to which no farmer can
belong, transportation companies organ
| lied to which no farmer can belong, all
Of these combined handle the productions
OF the farms. Farmers, only, do the work
and pay all the expenses of marketing.
Business men only" make the sales and
return the price fixed by them, to the
farmers, less the margin for marketing,
charges to grain by organized business
mems corporations, freight annually mil
lions of dollars, dockage annually mil
lions of dollars, samples handled annually
millions of dol lars, inspection annually
millions of dollars, inspection annually
millions of dollars, grading annually mil
lions OF dollars, ware house charges an
nually millions OF dollars, commission
annually millions of dollars, stealing an
nually millions of dollars AS appointees
to sample, weigh, inspect ETC., no farmer
need apply.
Charges to stock by organized business
mems corporations: Freight charges an
nually millions of dollars, yardage an
nually millions sof dollars, feed annually
millions of dollars, commissions annually
millions OF dollars. weighing annually mil
millions of dollars
Farmers raise and deliver stock to
be loaded on the cars and receive prices,
made by the exchange, less these millions
Stock yards are usually built by the
| citiee and ahOuld he owned NV The farm,