Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-04-25
THE AMERICAN "FARMERs."

Omaha WOrld-Herald:-Last De-
cember William Mckinley declared
that it was our ''plain duty" to give
Porto Rico free trade with the rest of
the United States. When that declar-
alton was made Serene B. PAYNE,
chairman Of the house committee on
ways and means, announced himself
in favor o: free trade and said that
the committee would report a bill to
that effect. Indeed, Mr.. Payne was
even more emphatic than the president
in demanding free trade with Porto
Rico, and a bill was prepared provid-
ing for free trade. But in the mean
time a petition was being prepared
asking congress not to permit free
trade with Porto Rico, and when that
petition was presented Mr.. Mckinley
changed his mind, and the ways and
means committee of the house changed
it's collective mind. This petition was,
we we're informed, a ''farmers' petit
tion.' That it was effective is evil
denced by subsequent events. But
who were the ''farmers' who signed
this petition which had such a won
derful influence in Washington? The
petition was printed on vellum and
bound in morocco-an edition de luxe
and. on the cover appears in large
gilt letters the label, IA Memorial to
Congress From THE FARMERS OF
AMERICA" There are seventeen
signatures to this FARMERS" petition,
that many and no more. Let US see
who these seventeen farmers are. We
give their names and the words fol-
lowing their signatures on this "farm-
ers' petition:
Herbert Myrick, chairman the League OF
Domestic Producers
George Frost, president Citrus Growers
Tariff Association, representing the combined
horticultural interests of the southwest and
Pacific coast.
H. S. Frye, president New England Toba ccc
Growers association.
George Richardson secretary Texas Woo
| Growers association
Henry T. Oxnard, president American Bee
Sugar Manufacturers association.
R. NJ. Allen, president Nebraska Sugar Bee
Growers association
Il. E. Rose, president Florida Agriculture
| society, q coalition of the tobacco, orange
| lemon, pineapple and sugar interests of Flo
| rida.
| Henry Mccall executive committee League
OF Domestic Producers, also Cane Growers
association.
Charles b. Baldwin, secretary New Yor
State Tobacco Growers association.
| z. G. Hardin, secretary New England Tt
bacco Growers association.
| J. w. Robe, secretary Indiana Wool Grow
ers' association
Julius Stroh, Michigan Beet Sugar associa
| ton.
Charles N. Cox, Colorado Sugar association
f. B. Noodle, president National Cigar Lea
Tobacco Growers association.
Emile Rost president Louisiana Sugar Plant
ers' association.
H. S. Moody, secretary California Woo
Growers association.
We can imagine these seventies
FARMERS" appearing before the way
and means committee bearing in thei
toilworn and calloused hands the nc
rocco-bound and gilt-decorated peti
ton, their sun-tanned faces bearin
evidences Of their earnestness, tn
smell Of the soil clinging to their owe,
alls, tobacco stems, straws, shreds {
wool and dried beet pulp clinging t
! their Whiskers. 1t must have been
sight worth going miles to see. TIL
spectacle of Henry Oxnard and He,
bert Myrick posing as FARMERS
must have had a wonderful effect O
the committee. At any rate the con
mittee turned f1ip-aop and immed
ately proposed tariff for Porto Rice
"Farmers' Petition' forsooth! Al
; the genuine farmers in the Unite
States could not secure from the pres
ent congress what these seventeen req
resentatives of allied monopoly 81
cured with a single petition-bound
morocco and adorned with gilt letter
ing.
It is gratifying to learn that the,