sea 



ILLINOIS. 



freights ; and that we invite the railroad* to cooper- 

 ate with us to that end. 



As Boon as the farmers' movement bcpan to 

 show signs of strength, and before the as- 

 sembling of the Springfield Convention, its 

 force as a political alliance, or weapon, did not 

 fail to attract tlic attention of political leader*. 

 By some of these, the evils complained of by 

 the agricultural classes were attributed to the 

 tariff legislation of Congress; llicy therefore 

 demanded a reduction, or abolition, of the 

 duties on iron, steel, lumber, salt, and such ar- 

 ticles a* cut or into the construction of rail- 

 ways and vessels. These attempts made by 

 "outsiders" to control the action of the fann- 

 ers in their first important convention in 

 Springfield were thus stated by a writer who 

 had carefully studied the movement: "At tlmt 

 convention an attempt was made by the poli- 

 ticians to ' capture the movement,' since it had 

 become so powerful as to possess great voting 

 strength. The railroads also made an effort 

 to neutralize the effect of the whole move- 

 ment, by asserting that the high rates of 

 transportation were a legitimate and necessary 

 outgrowth of the existing tariff system, in that 

 the system increased the prices of all materi- 

 als which enter into the construction of rail- 

 roads. The long ' string of resolutions ' which- 

 were adopted at this convention, and which 

 received BO much comment at the time in the 

 public press, were the result of the combined 

 efforts of the politicians to obtain possession of 

 the movement, and of the railroads to neutral- 

 ize its force." 



Numerous county and district conventions 

 were held during the summer by the fanm rs, 

 n. notable one being that in the Fifth Judicial 

 Iii-tnrt. which nominated A. M. Craig for elec- 

 tion to the Supreme Court, instead of Chief- 

 Justice Lawrence, whose term was about to 

 expire. On account of the above-mentioned 

 decision apparently in favor of the railways, 

 I pronounced by Chi'ef-.Tustice Lawrence, he had 

 become unpopular with the farmers, who now 

 sought the election of Mr. Craig, who was re- 

 garded as friendly to their can-c. In the on- 

 Miinc ,l,ction, Mr. Craig was the successful 

 candidate. 



<>M the 22d of October, the Northwestern 

 Farmers' Convention was held in Chicago, and 

 was attended by abont 150 delegates, mainly 

 from Illinois, but representing Indiana, lown, 

 \Yi-r.'!iMii. Michigan, and New York. 



The following resolutions were adopted : 



Jiamjrtd, by thli Convention, that wo respectfully 

 but moat earnestly request Congress wltlioul 

 leudclav to pass a maximum freight and pnoMonr 

 law regulating truffle between tl ' 

 our I.i'/isUturm pain a law regulating it wit! 

 Bute*, and we hereby protest again-: 

 (minting nf any subsidies whatever 1" private corpo- 

 ration* of an v kind. 



Kanhfd, That we demand the construction of 

 railroad*, and the improvement of water communi- 

 cation! between the interior and Die seaboard, the 

 Mine to b owned and operated by the (ienci 

 rnment, for the purpose of affording cheap trans- 



portation, nnl to protect the people from the exac- 

 tion* of monopoly. 



JtttolrtJ, Tliat to lesaen the burden of transporta- 

 tion is to do, u far as possible. without tr;,i ,-porta- 

 tion, and therefore wo ask and urge our people. to do 

 all in their power to create, and sustain by their pa- 

 tronage, home manufactories. 



]it*olct<l. That we hail with plea- 

 of the early completion of the double-track < 

 nental Freight Kailwuy from the city of -New York 



ha. which promise* that grain ahull ! ' 

 port ril over said railway at a cost not cxcieiiing tight 

 mills per ton per mile. 



Uttulrtd. That debt should ever be held a. one of 

 our greatest enemies; that it deprives, us of n 

 ness, and in a measure mokes us slaves ; that to live 

 witliin our means, however small, to pay as we go, 

 will contribute to our success; rccogni/ i 

 that the people are in earnest, we would urge tl.etn 

 to free themselves from this curse, BO that, if a final 

 le must come between the people and mo- 

 nopoly, our houses may be to order and we tl.e Utur 

 able to withstand it. 



Sttohnl, That no one industry can bo protected 

 by legislation except at the expense of our oti > 

 ilu.-tries, and that we are opposed to all 



. 



JfaohtJ, Tlmt we recommend the thorough or- 

 ganization of the fanners of the country in local 

 county, and State organizutio purpose of 



n >frming the great abuses, and dealing out equal 

 justice to all nun. 



A resolution was adopted authorizing the 

 officers of the convention to appoint national 

 and State committees to urge Congress and the 

 Legislatures for efficient legislation for the con- 

 trol of railroad and other transportation com- 

 panies. The operation of the new "Illinois 

 Kailroad Law" was thus reported by the com- 

 mittee on that (subject : 



The committee appointed to report to the con- 

 vention thi' etlict npcm producers and shipper* of 

 the legislation on railways in Illinois, and whither 

 tliev advise similar legislation in nil the States, have 

 hod the subject under consideration, and would re- 

 port that its effect has not as yet been such as its 

 friends contemplated ; that the cost of transportation 

 has not been n iluced to the extent that it was ex- 

 . whin the law wns first passed ; but when the 

 railroads of the State are compelled to a strict ob- 

 servance of the same, it is believed that favorable 

 results will follow. Your committee respectfully 

 represent, on the advisory portion of the resolution, 

 that tin y nre not prepared to advise other States, hut 

 people of the other States of the 

 Union would be benefited by the passage of a law 

 similar to the law of lllinois,'or a better one if they 

 can frame, it. 



On the 4th of November, elections for coun- 

 (-. officers took place throughout the State, 

 the general results of which indicate the com- 

 parative strength of the farmers' movement 

 In sixty-six counties the farmers had made 

 their own nominations. Of the total vote, 

 170.203. cast in these. I ho farmers' candidates 

 received 94,188. In the other counties the 

 farmers united with the Democrats or the Re- 

 publicans. 



On the 17th of December, the first annual 

 convention of the Illinois State Farmers' As- 

 sociation assembled in Decatur. and continued 

 in session three days; 827 delegates were in 

 attendance, representing 97 of the 1"'2 coun- 

 ties in the State. The greatest enthusiasm 



