LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, ETC.

Mr. Alfred Gray was elected Corresponding Agent to communicate with the principal manufacturers of agricultural implements, and dealers in the same, with a view to obtaining low rates of purchase, and also to make application for reduced rates of transportation on all the different railroads, and forward a statement of advantages obtained monthly to each of the different organizations of farmers within the State.

Mr. Coleman, of Douglas, offered the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That it is the sense of this Convention that the farmers of Kansas, while they are ready to denounce in unmeasured terms every monopoly that strikes at their interests in the shape of robbery and oppression, are equally ready to admit any and all wrongs and errors of their own that have brought them into the dilemma which all complain of to-day.

Various other resolutions were adopted, among others one recommending a form of constitution for use by the local organizations of Kansas, as follows, after passing which the Convention adjourned sine die:

PREAMBLE.

Township,

County,

We, the undersigned, farmers of Kansas, and vicinity, for the better protection and further advancement of our interests, hereby form ourselves into an organization ; and for the government of the Association we adopt the following Constitution:

CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE I. This organization shall be known as

ART. II. Section 1. The officers of the organization shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

THE RESOLUTIONS.

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Sec. 2. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association, preserve order, give the casting vote in case of a tie, call special meetings when deemed necessary, and perform all other duties belonging to his office.

Sec. 3. The Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the President, and shall perform all the duties of that officer.

Sec. 4. The Secretary shall keep correct minutes of the proceedings of the organization, and record the same in a book provided for that purpose. He shall attest all orders signed by the President, sign membership cards, and perform all other duties pertaining to the office of Secretary.

Sec. 5. The Treasurer shall receive all moneys paid into the organization, and pay out the same upon the order of the President, attested by the Secretary, and may be required to give such security as the organization may deem necessary.

ART. III. Sec. 1. No person shall become a member of this organization unless he is a farmer, or is practically interested in farming. Sec. 2. Every member of this organization shall subscribe to the Constitution, and abide by the decisions of the Association.

ART. IV. This Constitution may be amended on one week's notice in writing, by a two-thirds vote of the members present.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SPRINGFIELD (ILLINOIS) CONVENTION.

GROWTH OF THE MOVEMENT AND CALL OF THE CONVENTION.

Immediately after its organization, as narrated in Chapter XX, the Illinois State Farmers' Association set itself vigorously to work reorganizing the existing local Societies and inaugurating new ones; and within three months over a thousand organizations had been perfected in the State, in response to the appeal made from Bloomington. Early in the following Spring, the Legislature of Illinois being then in session, it was considered desirable that another combined effort should be made, for the purpose of impressing upon the legislature the earnestness of the movement, and the fact that the people were determined that railroad matters should be legislated upon both speedily and effectually. A call was therefore made for a State Convention, to be held at Springfield, Illinois.

Pursuant to this call, a gathering of delegates met April 2, 1873, more than three hundred in number, and representing Farmers' Associations in seventy-two counties. They were called to order by the President of the State Association, Mr. Flagg, who briefly stated the object for which they had met. After an informal debate touching various minor subjects, a permanent organization was affected as

GOV. BEVERIDGE ON THE MOVEMENT.

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follows: President, D. W. Dame, of Carroll Co.; VicePresidents-State at large, W. C. Flagg, of Madison, and E. Smith, of Bureau, with an additional Vice-President from each congressional district, as follows: James Creed, Marion; S. S. Morgan, Livingston; W. E. Magill, Mason; T. McD. Richards, McHenry; C. W. Marsh, DeKalb; John D. Armstrong, LaSalle; A. N. Harris, Stark; J. H. Pickrell, Macon; A. M. Hulling, Ford; Gen. W. B. Anderson, Jefferson; H. W. Rincker, Shelby; Charles Snoad, Will; Thomas Hendrickson, Vermillion; W. E. Alcorn, Richland; D. Gore, Macoupin, R. N. Coffeen, Champaign; T. Butterworth, Adams; Joseph B. Barger, Gallatin; Gen. J. McConnell, Sangamon. Secretaries, S. P. Tufts, Marion; L. R. Morris, Macon.

GOV. BEVERIDGE ON THE MOVEMENT.

Gov. Beveridge, of Illinois, addressed the meeting at considerable length. In the course of his speech he said:

"I recognize the fact that the producing interest is the grandest and noblest interest asking for our protection, our fostering, and our care. A large proportion of the people of this State are engaged in production; in cultivating the soil, in bringing out from our fertile prairie soil the richness placed there by the Creator; and it will always be the case in this State that the farming interest will be the largest interest in the State, made so by nature. But we can't get along without other interests. We can not well get along without the professional interests, and yet I know we sometimes think that lawyers do not amount to much; but if lawyers do not amount to much, when we get sick we like to have the doctor; and if we do not care much about Sunday, when we are about to die we like to have a preacher. Now these professional interests must be preserved; the manufacturing interests must not be crippled; the commercial interest must not be crippled; and the transportation, or railroad interest must not be abolished. Now, as a producing class, we can

not get along without the railroads. They are two great interests that must subserve each other. Take away from the State the railroads of the State, and where will the producing interests go to? On the other hand, the railroad interests can not get along without the producing interests. Let every farmer in this State cease producing-let him go to other States and other countries; let, them cease cultivating the soil, and what interests would the railroads have in occupying their lines of track over the prairies? These two interests must go together, hand in hand, working for each other's good and each other's benefit.

Now, having said so much, I recognize this fact, that the railroad interests of this State, or the railroads of this State, are exacting from the producing class, and from the commercial, the professional, and the manufacturing classes, extortionate rates for passenger and

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Other Interests Also.”

freight tariffs. I recognize the fact that this great interest, wielding a capital of nearly two hundred and fifty million dollars, if not more, as a unit readily combining all its powers and all its forces, is exacting of the people of this State too much money—making too many discriminations. Then, what I wish to say to this convention, gentlemen, is, that when you make this war up railroads, do nct make it upon them to abolish them, but make your war to bring them within subjection of the legislature, of the law of the land. (Cheers, and cries of "That's the talk.")

"There is thrust in our faces, from time to time, the Dartmouth College decision; there is thrust in our faces the argument that the granting of charters to these corporations is a contract between the people of the State and the corporations, in pursuance of the Constitution of the United States, and can not be impaired. Well,