The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-10
FARMERS AS LEGISLATORS

An interesting platform is promul-
gated by the National Farmers party,
through its temporary organization,
with headquarters at Avon, Ills.
In a communication to The Herald,
the committee on organization an
nounces the adoption of the following
declaration of principles:
| We hold that all men are created equal
and are endowed by their creator with
certain inalienable rights; that it is to
preserve these rights that governments
are instituted among men, deriving their
! just powers from the consent of the gov
| erned, and that whenever a government
! becomes destructive of these ends it is
/ the duty of the people to alter sor to
adopt such measures as will insure their
rights.
I We hold that the rule of minority is con-
! trary to the spirit of our institutions, and
! destructive to our rights.
/ We hold that the only free and just gov
| eminent is that in which the lawmaking
/ bodies are composed of direct representa-
! tives from such industries or occupations
! as have a majority of the votes in the con-
gressional and legislative districts defined
! by our constitution and the laws of our
( states.
! With an abiding faith in the truth and
| justice Of our belief we appeal to every
/ farmer the United States to join hands
with us in effecting our purpose, which
is the nomination and election of farmers
as members of congress and farmers as
members of our legislature. Agriculture
being the chief industry of the United
States, the immensely and Importance of
our interests demand prompt and ener-
getic action. To that end we urge an eX-
preston of opinion from farmers of this
country as to the necessity of holding
a convention at the earliest and most con-
venient timeiand place to discuss our con-
dition and to adopt such measures and
take such action as may seem necessary.
The committee further expresses a
wish to have a state organization in
each of the states, and then hold a ma
tional convention, composed of one
delegate from each district electing a
member Of the lower house of each
state legislature.
The platform outlined for the Far
mers' party is of special interest in
Utah, because this state is doing, 10
cally, practically what the Farmers
party wishes to do nationally. The
present legislature of Utah is COM
posed of men representing in almost
every instance the predominating in
dustries in their respective districts.
The mining camps are represented by
mining men; the sheep and cattle dis
tricts by practical stockmen; the large
cities by business men. Lawyers are
in a homeless minority
So far as the limited experience of
Utah may be accepted as a guide, the
work of practical men Of affairs in the
legislature is quite as satisfactory as
if the whole body were made up of
lawyers. There is certainly less dispo-
sition to experiment with legislation
for the benefit of the legal profession
than there is, in the older states where
the lawyers dominate; and the laws
have none of the bIackmailing. sand
bagging faint that is inevitably at
tached to the enactments of the legis-
latures of New York, Illinois and other
states where the large cities furnish the
controlling element.
Altogether, Utah's experience justi-
fies the belief that the agriculturist
and practical business man may be just
as valuable in legislation as the pro-
fessional man.