Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1891 — A FARMERS' STRIKE. [ARTICLE]

A FARMERS' STRIKE.

They Will Not Sell Wheat at Lees Thao 51.23 a Bushel, So Said, Chicago paper devotes three columns to the publication of what purports to be a secret circular to be issued to the farmers of the nation, unfolding the development of a plan to force up the price of the present crop of wheat. The paper says: “It is dtoposed to withhold this year’s wheat crop from market until.the farmers can get their own price, or at least a price considerably above the average.” It suggests a great cdtnblnation of the six million members of farmers’ organizations, inclnding the 2,000X03 members of the Farmers’ Allianee and Industrial Union, the 1,000,000 members of the Colored National Farmers’ Alliance, the 1,000,000 members of the National Farmers’ Alliance of the North, the 800.000 members of the Farmers’ Mutual Benefit Association, the 600,003 members of the Patrons of Husbandry, the 150,000 memhers of the Patrons of Industry and the 150,000 members of the Farmers’ League. Impressed by the failure of the Butterworth option bill and other measures to prevent trading in futures on farm farmers are now, through their official advisers, at least, proposing on a strike for higher prices. Legislation is declared to be too slow and ineffectual and as the conditions of the crop and the market appear auspicious the producers, when organized, may hope to form a combination that will result in profit to all agriculturalists. The circular makes an argument on the evils of option-dealing, and the tricks to which speculators resort in order to prevent the farmer from realizing good prices; gives the government estimates on the present crop, that the country will have 144,000.003 bushels of wheat for export; sets forth the shortage of the crops of Europe; declares that there is no chance of failure in tho attempt to realize higher prices; urges all members of the farmers’ organizations to hold their grain nntil the price shall advance to *1.35 per bushel at New York, and points out that by so doing a profit of *100,000,000 Is sure to accrue to them within a few weeks. It urges them to take this stand, even at the expense of being pinched for money for a time.