78 THE FARMERS IN COUNCIL. 



mast be in a very doubtful state regarding the wheat prospects by 

 the uncertain and frequent changes made in the quotations/ 



Your committee can here only allude to the petit larceny attempt 

 to swindle the farmers by the wheat sack extortion. 



And now, what is to be done to counteract these plots against the 

 interests of the farmer, and &quot;to enable the farmer to obtain a living 

 price for his grain the honest earnings of his hard labor, earned by 

 the sweat of his brow, and by days of ceaseless toil and by nights of 

 watchful care ? Your committee are expected to suggest a remedy. 

 The one proposed by the resolution of the Napa County Club, and 

 endorsed by various agricultural associations of the kind in Sacra 

 mento, San Jose, San Joaquin and other places, to form Protective 

 Unions by counties and districts, and to concentrate in a -strong State 

 Institution, meets the approval of your committee, with some mod 

 ifications perhaps; but we deem it now too late to perfect any organ 

 ization that shall be effective the present season. But farmers have 

 the power to make their efforts felt, and at once; and that is by hold 

 ing on to their grain crop until a fair price shall be offered. Those 

 in immediate want of money can get what advances they may need 

 on their wheat, and sell it when it reaches a living price. Compel 

 these ship-grabbers to pay heavy demurrage on their empty vessels 

 for a few months, and it will bring them to terms. 



Let those speculators who attempt to &quot; corner 5 the farmer, be 

 ware that they do not find themselves &quot; cornered,&quot; as in a late re 

 markable instance in Chicago, resulting so disastrously to the buc 

 caneers. 



We regret there should be any antagonism between the farmer 

 and the produce dealer. It is not the fault of the farmers; they 

 only seek what is right and just; they ask only a reasonable com 

 pensation for their labor and capital; they are willing to live and let 

 live. They are willing to sell their products at rates that will allow 

 a fair margin of profits for the honest dealer, but they are not satis 

 fied to have all their profits and earnings carried off by the specu 

 lators. Free trade and farmers rights are what we seek. We can 

 not consent to be made the victims of dishonest combinations and 

 over-reaching avarice and monopolies. Between the farm laborer, 

 clamoring for increased wages, though far better paid in California 

 than in any other country in the world , and the greedy middle-men 

 and intriguing produce gamblers and grasping railroad monopolists 

 and the insatiable tax-gatherer, the farmer, who can come out even 

 at the close of the year, may well congratulate himself as a fortunate 

 man. It is only indefatigable industry, keen sagacity and untiring 

 perseverance, that will enable him to do this. All other callings 

 and industries have their co-operative associations for their protec 

 tion and advancement. The farmer must have his or he cannot 

 prosper, nor attain those rewards of labor and industry that he has 

 a right to claim. 



Your committee would conclude by recommending that five 

 delegates be chosen by the Oakland Farming, Horticultural and 

 Industrial Club, to meet representatives from like associations in 

 other portions of the State, at Sacramento, on Monday evening, 

 September 22d (during the State Fair), as suggested by the Sacra- 



