Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 175 
isting evils lies? If not political, in what direction do the remedies 
lie, in your opinion? If it is not political, I would like to have that 
question answered; for I think it is absolutely necessary, if w r e 
desire any remedy at all, there should be some mode pointed out. 
It is very easy to take a programme of somebody’s else and work it 
up, but to make a programme for ourselves is very difficult to do. 
Now what this convention should do, I think, would be to point 
out some programme by which we can remedy the evils that we 
complain of. I have not any I must admit. I think it would 
be severely criticised by this convention if I should mark out a 
programme. I would much rather some other man would mark 
out the programme for me to pitch into. 
Secretary Field. I think we all would agree, every one of 
us in this convention, that here is an evil—an evil which has been 
suggested by the able and lengthy paper which has been read; 
and, as has been suggested by my friend Robbins, it is easier to 
tear down than to build up. I have seen men in the Legislature 
that were most magnificent men to tear down, but I seldom ever 
saw such persons suggest the best method of building up. I per¬ 
haps would agree with my friend Wood that this was not political 
in one sense; but in another sense it is political. I would give very 
little for any pow r er these times, unless the people who form a po¬ 
litical party stand behind it—ver}' little. And allow me to say 
here, that wffiile I would not be in favor of the farmers and produc¬ 
ers of this country organizing a separate and distinct political 
organization, I would have them agree upon certain questions 
which they believe to be of vital interest to them; and I would have 
them say to one or both political parties, “now engraft these ideas 
into your platforms, or else you cannot have our votes.” [Ap¬ 
plause.] And if one party will not do it, I tell you, gentlemen 
another one will. Whenever one-half of the voters of this country 
come up and demand their rights, demand things which lie at the 
very foundation of their interests to be done, political parties will 
be very happy to step in and say, “gentlemen, what do you want? 
Anything you desire is at your service.” There is no difficulty on 
that question whenever we are united, but when one farmer says, 
I demand this, and another says I demand that, which is the re¬ 
verse, then you cannot ask or expect that they will be settled by 
the political parties of the country. But when we as farmers de- 
