96 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



or five per cent, annually. But, say the croakers, (those wise men that 

 are always deriding everything and everybody,) " so you farmers intend 

 going into banking do you? A nice mess you will make of it. Now we 

 will see fraud and corruption." To all of which I say — if there is fraud 

 it will be your own fault, for it lies within your power to prevent it, and 

 I, for one, believe, there is a little honestj- left, in low places, if there is 

 none in government offices or places. This same fund could be used in 

 making purchases of the various implements, dry goods, groceries, 

 etc., necessary to your support. Here again the fact of the greatness of 

 your organization will enable the person who makes the purchases to 

 buy them at the very lowest possible cash price, because of the quantities 

 he buys and also of his ability to pay cash. At least 20 per cent, can be 

 saved to you in the grocery and dry goods line; and in farming 

 machinery no doubt 50 per cent, could be saved in many cases. Then 

 the same power to ship large quantities westward would enable your 

 agent to again command the lowest rates of freight that possibly could be 

 obtained. So that there is the power to save at every point in a co-opera- 

 tive movement of this nature; in fact everything in its favor, with 

 scarcely anything to be said against it. The only thing I see against it, 

 is the possibility of your getting dishonest agents to act for you. But 

 where you take due business precaution in making your selections, and 

 select persons qualified by their past experience, for the positions that 

 you wish to place them in, those who have the executive ability to plan, 

 to arrange, and to systematize the business; then place such a system of 

 cTieck upon them that all leaks are stopped; then have an executive 

 committee to examine daily, weekly or semi-monthly into the condition 

 of the affairs of your agent, I deem it possible to prevent any dishonest 

 practices. I have been thus lengthy in describing the details, that we 

 might stand in a situation where we could fairly answer the question and 

 then answer it as to whether it would be better to remain as we are or to 

 strive and better our condition by co-operation. Now I shall briefly 

 review some of the historical facts of co-operation. 



The " History of the Working and Burgher Classes," by M. Adolphe 

 Granier de Cassagnac, contains an interesting sketch of the Roman 

 trades-unions in the early history of Rome, of which the following is a 

 brief condensation, taken from E. Young's "Labor in Europe and America." 



"It is related by Plutarch, in his life of 'Numa,' that this king estab- 

 lished at Rome the Corps of Craftsmen. From that epoch the corporation 

 in question passed through three successive periods, the first ending 

 about the time of Vespasian, the second about the time of Constantine, 

 and the third with the overthrow of that empire. The first period com- 

 prises that of the trades-unions which originally was spontaneous, and 

 not the result of authority. Working men of the same craft came 

 together, agreed upon certain fixed points to regulate their relations, and 

 elected officers to judge and decide cases arising under their rules. It 

 was one of the enactments of the Twelve Tables that these rules should 



