256 THE GROUNDSWELL. 



arrived in Bloomington, and, upon his arrival at the Con 

 vention, was loudly called for. Coming forward, he said 

 that he had not designed to take part in the deliberations of 

 the Convention, but would say that he had accepted the 

 appointment on the commission with the firm conviction 

 that in that position he was bound to do his duty. In this 

 State, the contest is against railroad companies that claimed 

 the right to fix the rate of transportation in their own way, 

 and this by reason of an irrevocable contract. Thanks to 

 Judge Tipton, that so-called right had received its first 

 knock-down. Who will set it on its feet again ? He be 

 lieved that retrospective relief could and must be obtained ; 

 and that the fictitious railroad capital of the United States 

 must be forever blotted out, and no more, under any form, be 

 permitted to rest as a wrongful burden on the people. He 

 believed this could be done. Every railroad had been taking 

 secretly and fraudulently from the people, and putting into 

 the pockets of dishonest managers. Seasonable rates, he 

 hoped, would some time be a reality. 



FORMATION OF THE ILLINOIS STATE FARMERS 1 ASSO 

 CIATION. 



The Committee on State Organization presented its report 

 by the Secretary, S. T K. Prime, embodying a constitution, 

 as follows: 



ARTICLE I. This organization shall be known as the Illinois State 

 Farmers Association. 



ARTICLE II. Its object shall be the promotion of the moral, intel 

 lectual, social, and pecuniary welfare of the farmers of Illinois. 



ARTICLE III. Its members shall consist of delegates from the 

 various Farmers Clubs, Granges, and Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Societies of the State, each of which shall be entitled to at least one 

 delegate, and where the number of its members exceed fifty, to one 



