The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-08
A QUESTION OF POLICY.

It will be noted that In the draft of q
constitution submitted in another col
umn. we proposed to limit the member
ship as follows:
ARTICLE INTERCHANGEABLE person
shall be a member OF this association unless
the greater part Of his annual income Is
derived from grain and other products.
raised on a farm, owned or occupied by him
self"
This, Of course. would include ten
ants.
One Of our friends takes the posi-
ton that we ought to throw open our
doors to ANY person who af1iliates with
the aims and purposes Of this associa-
ton, whether farmer, mechanic, laborer,
merchant or editor, who advocates and
practices the policy of this association"
We are sorry we cannot agree with
our friend.
A grain-growers' association to de-
fend the interests Of grain-growers,
should be made up of grain-growers.
and nobody else.
What would be thought of bankers
society that admitted blacksmiths and
bootmakers to membership. How long
would they represent the interests of
the bankers?
There are mechanics, laborers, mer-
chants and editors" who are as good as
any men God ever made: and there are
others that will lower the moral tone
of the Internal regions when they
! tumble into them
The moment it becomes evident that
our grain-growers' association is going
to interfere with tho profits of the
wheat rings, gigantic efforts will be put
forth to break it up. The employees Of
the mills and elevators will be rushed
in by hundreds and thousands, and I'M
der skillful leadership they would
smash us.
The wheat and elevator rings with
their vast capital will control the banks
of the Twin Cities. These in turn will
control the wholesale houses, and these
will reach out to the retail merchants of
the towns and villages and instruct
them to break up our local organiza-
| tions-to fight them as many of them
fought the farmers alliances.
There are noble and liberal hearted
merchants who would stand by the far
mers through thick and thin, and re-
fuse to follow the Instructions Of our
enemies. But there are others who
would be only too glad to obey them.
When the merchants form a board of
trade, to increase the profits Of their
dealings with farmers, they do not in
vite the farmers to become members.
When the farmers organize to defend
| their rights, why should they open their
doors to those who are not In complete
and entire sympathy and accord with
them?
But there may be merchants who are
more interested financially in farming
than in trade; and the proposed consti-
tuition provides for them becoming
members. Where the treasure is
there will the heart be also. So that If
merchant owned farms, and drew more
! Of his income from his farm than from
his store, he could become a member of
the association.
But all these matters will be finally
adjudicated by the members Of the as
| ISOLATION, subject to revision at the
great meeting In June or July next
We may be wrong in our Newsstand
in the multitude of councillors there is
wisdom"
P. S. Since writing the above we
have received the following letter from
Mr. G. H. Hopkins, the president of the
Grain Growers Association. He does
not agree with US, and we take pleasure
| In publishing his letter. He may be
| right and We may be wrong Let the
members of the association consider all
sides of the question and do what they
think is right without regard to either
Of us. -
FAIRFAX, Mimi, Feb, 3, 1s99.-Hon
| Ignatius Donnelly, Minneapolis, Minn-My
Dear Friend Yours Of Jan. 81 at hand. and
! in reply will say that my experience has
| taught me that the farmers will never get
| together upon any plan other than 1t shay
| be built upon solid foundation. The very
| fac THAT they have been beaten so much has
educated them up to a condition that they
know that to succeed by any organizat ton
| it must be established just as solid as are
| the old line elevator companies or any other
kinds of business.
There never has been q time when the
wealth producers Of the country were more
ready to organize than now. We are on the
| eve of great revolution II we do not make
any mistake: and II we do not present a
practical, substantial plan 1t will fail and
set back the wheels Of progress for many
years.
In regard to article 3 in your plan sub.
mitteo. l will say that we can look back
over the past and we have seen the farm.
! ers organize and build wall around them.
| selves and fence out the business men, and
| 1t has always engendered jealousies with
| out any cause for it,; and the bushes:
| men at the inland villages have used their
! influence (unadvisedly) against all such or
CARNATIONS and on that account more than
| any other one cause the farmers have not
| been able to- establish any condition against
| leeches that have been farming them in ali
past times. Let the business men Join cur
organization in all the hamlets and villa es
In the Northwest let them own a certain
amount OF stock and have one vote the
same as the farmers; and they will readily
see under such conditions that the more
the farmer gets for his produce the more
business they can do: and In that way you
Will cement all the people for q common