Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-05-25
Organization Among the Farmers.

1t is claimed there is an unusually
strong tendency at present among
the farmers of this country to get
together in an organized offer to
promote and protect mutual in
| terests. 1t is, in fact, reminder
of the old Grange movement in the
/ seventies, and the somewhat similar
movement which took place in the
early nineties under direction Of
the sO,called Farmers Alliance.
The present movement, however, is
not confined to just one Organiza-
ton, for in reality it embraces two.
One of them is known as the Ameri-
can Society of Equity, with head.
quarters at indianapolis, and q
membership of several hundred
thousand, which is also claimed to
be rapidly growing. The other IS
the Farmers Industrial and Educa-,
tional union. which started in the
south several years ago and now
has claimed membership of over
100000. Most of these members
are scattered through the southern
and middle western states, but eff
forts are not being made to extend
the organization through the north.
Both these organizations are
maintained for the purpose of pro-
noting the interests of the farmers.
but their plans of operation are
quite different. For instance, the
Indiana organization admits anyone
who wishes to join it, while the
other restricts it's membership to
bona fide farmers. The southern
organization, too, is secret in it's
nature, somewhat like lodge. The
American Society of Equity has for
it's avowed and chief object the adj
vancement of the price of farm pro-
ducts, and it's members are asked TO
sign pledges to hold their products
for these prices until wheat, for
instance, is dollar a bUshel on the
Chicago market. The other con-
Germ aims to help the farmer in his
markets and general business, and
along other lines as well. Both
claim to keep free from politics, but
the Farmers union in the south has
a pronounced political influence. al
though it is nonpartisan.
The organization of farmers in
general is undoubtedly good thing.
This is an age of organization.
There may be specific features of
these unions" that are objection
able. The pledge of the American
Society of Equity looks as though it
violates the spirit of the antitrust
law even if 1T does not violate the
letter of the law. Whether the
other organization has similar
feature this paper does not know.
The farmer certainly has right to
fix the price Of his own product
within the limits of the law of
supply and demand and in justice
to himself and others, but the chief
complaint against trusts is that they
have attempted to repeal the law Of
supply and demand, Business judg-
ment and good sense should govern
rather than trust methods.
Yet such organizations as these
farmers union are undoubtedly Ca
pable of great good to their mem
bors in disseminating intelligence,
in promoting discussions of sub
ieats Of Importance to the farmers
in promoting honor and good faith
among their members, and in many
other ways. There is no doubt that
the Farmers Union has already ac-
cOmplished much in the south. To
it is largely due the prosperity OF
the cotton growers during the past
two or three years, for its members
were induced to put in a less acre
age of cotton and more into dlversl-
fed crops. and thus the market has
not been broken. While non-partl-
san. it has discussed political re-
forms. and its influence has done
much in aiding such reforms as It's
members desired. These unions
may have Objectionable features
but conducted along right lines they
are capable of returning genuine
benefit to the farmers who join,
them. And the tendency toward
organization was never stronger
among farmers than if Is ct the
present time.