Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-03-16
FARMERS ARE ORGANIZING.
The Time Has Come Tor South
Dakota Farmers to Organize
For Self Protection.

last Friday, the farmers met to hear
Col. Fisk, state organizer, discuss the
necessity of county, state and nation
al organization by which means the
greatest body Of wealth producers in
the nation can fix price for their
product and thus protect themselves
against organized trust robbery.
A special dispatch to the Sioux
Falls Press said Of the meeting:
Never before was the court room
so crowded as at the Farmers Union
meeting today. Hundreds were I'M
able to obtain admission. For over
two hours Col. Fisk, state organizer,
held the vast audience in close atten-
tion, broken only by tumultuOus ap-
plause and cheers.
The speaker declared this was an
age of graft and corruption in high
places. That infamy and pollution
permeated every department of ma
ti0na!, state and municipal govern
ment. That every industry frUin boot
blacks to Standard Oil, except farm
ers, are organized. That the great
unorganiZed army OF tillers, tOllerS
and producers, known as farmers, are
mere mats over which organized greed
and plunder walk and spit upon. He
declared that every state and county
is being organized and that Canada,
too, is being organized. That this
overtop all other organizations COM
bined. That a minimum price will
be fixed, by a board of national d.
rectors, upon all the products Of the
farm. That this lowest or minimum
price will always be an equitable and
profitable price. That this minimum
price will be the thing for. which
farmers will stick. That under the
changed conditions brought about by
this organization of farmers, the
world will not question the prices
fixed by this board of directors, any
more than it questions the price Of
sugar, oil or farm machinery today.
That the price fixed by the board of
directors would stop specializing and
gambling in farm produce. That the
mere fact that the beef trust and
grain trust were able to place a
"corner' upon farm produce, was
from the fact that they themselves
fix the prices upon those products.
He answered all objections and de-
clared there were 100 reasons why
farmers should organize and no reason
why they should not.
A local union was organized with
29O members, and Mr.. Fisk went to
Bristol, where he held another big
meeting this evening. The farmers
are aroused:
The following officers were elected
at Webster: S. S. Yeager, president;
Hon. Peter Holmquist, vice president;
Fl. o. Wickie, secretary; D. B. Comp
ton, treasurer: J. A. McKibbin, local
organizer.
The foregoing dispatch indicates
that the farmers are beginning to
get aroused to the necessity of organ
ization to protect themselves from
being robbed acoming and agoing.
The trusts set price on what the
farmer sells and on what he buys and
his only remedy for protection is in
organization.
If the farmers of Lincoln county
are ready for work along this line
the Leader will secure Col. Fisk for
an address.
Why should the most influential
body Of men in the nation longer
suffer when there is remedy at
hand.
The Leader will be glad to hear
from farmers all over the country on
this matter, and the Leader will do
all in it's power to aid in securing a
square deal for the men who raise
the wealth of the country.
At Webster 300 men joined the
protective organization at the first
meeting, and we believe every farmer
in Lincoln county will only be too
glad to help along this glorious move
ment for industrial freedom.