CHAPTEE XXIII. 



THE SPRINGFIELD (ILLINOIS) CONVENTION. 



GROWTH OF THE MOVEMENT AND CALL OF THE CON 

 VENTION. 



Immediately after its organization, as narrated in Chapter 

 XX, the Illinois State Farmers Association set itself vigor 

 ously 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 com 

 bined 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 effectu 

 ally. 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 repre 

 senting Farmers Associations in seventy-two counties. They 

 were called to order by the President of the State Associa 

 tion, Mr. Flagg 7 who briefly stated the object for which 

 they had met. After an informal debate touching various 

 minor subjects, a permanent organization was affected as 

 (280) 



