North Park union., 1900-05-11
NEW FARMERS LODGE
KANSAS PLAN OF MuruA. HELP


Dasiness Organi.atsea wisho.t Psassss
bsins Formed to Raise Price Of
wheat and Other Farm Products -Cs-
Opsratioa . saecses.
A dispatch from Abilene, Kansas, to
the Chicago Record says:
Kansas farmers seem likely to enter
on another farmers alliance movement
under another name. They have for
years since the disruption of the old
organization been without any method
of getting together. and the starting
of new lodge is taking with great
favor. In this county has begun the
organization of the Knights OF the
Soil. mutual organization to which
only farmers nre eligible and which
proposes to act as gigantic trust for
the management Of the affairs in
which the farmers are vitality inter-
ested. The first lodge in the state
will be In operation In n few days and
there are hundreds Of farmers in ad-
Joining counties ready to follow 1t with
further lodges.
The institution is very new. Not
more than two months ago 1t was
started In Iowa. but there are now
1,5OO members and organizers are
working In this stnte, Iowa, Nebraska
and the Dakotas. The objects are DIFF
ferent from any other institution
among farmers that has been organ
lied In the West, and II It nttains the
requisite membership 1t will have u
wide effect on the business interests.
1t Is particularly intended to extend
the organization through the grain
growing states and to make the union
OF the farmers 10 strong that 1t can
comma nd fhsk nrtrpG nf n md
pei the holding of grain for sixty or
ninety days over the whole middle
West. To do this there will be needed
large reserve fund. and 1t is pro-
posed to supply this from the lodge dues
and assessments.
The chief organizer. who IL here
making arrangements for the opening
of the first lodge In the state. said of
the objects and purposes of the insti-
tuition: ''rhe knights of the Soil is
strictly lodge. II is secret organi-
zation and its purpose is to enable the
farmer to combat the Industrial trusts
that are pitted against him. For this
reason II Is sometimes denominated II
farmers trust, though that is u mis-
nomer 1t is merely Il friendly union
by which there shall be concerted ac-
tion on the principal business inter-
ests Of the day.
How may this be done? Why. in
this way. for example: Some poor
farmer finds that he must. for one
cause or al.other, sell his crop on n
low market. He realizes that II he
could hold 1t for little while he
could make n fair profit, while IL h.
Is compelled TO sell Ii otf-hand he must
make nothing or Mt most small
nrpfif NnV. ts N.barxA hn "a r.t,,
ers' organization comes in with Its
beneticient assistance. Through 1t the
poor farmer Will be able to borrow
from his richer neighbor sum suf-
ncient to tide lin over the time of
need and the lodge will see that the
lender Is amply protected. Likewise,
by this mutual agreement to hold for
IL higher market the farmers will be
able to regulate to Il degree the
market rather than have the prices
that they are to receive for their grain
regulated by the market manipulators
In Chicago and Liverpool. 1t will
give them more Of the necessities of
life and will protect them from the
violent ups and downs of the markets
which take from them large portion
Of their earnings when they need II
most.
AN organization of this sort Is abso.
lutely essential and believe that II
fills Il long-felt want. The eagerness
with which the farmers are taking
hold OF 1t indicates that they think SO
rs well. 1t is not the purpose Of the
organization to dabble in politics. That
was what killed the Grange and the
Farmers Alliance. which purposed In
their beginnings much the same things
that are the objects of this organiz,l-
tion. 1t is the rock on which the
combinations of the farmers of the
West have split and 1t is our intention
to avoid 1t as far rs possible.