doris, Rock Island County; H. C. Lawrence, Warren County. The Executive Committee was empowered to appoint for other counties as Clubs might report. SPEECHES AND POETRY. Various stirring addresses, interspersed with songs by the Kewanee Glee Club, were delivered toward the close of the Convention, one, upon the subject of education, by Mr. C. C. Buell, being exceedingly well delivered. Mr. S. M. Smith, since widely known as one of the great champions of the cause, made a strong speech, in which he called attention to the growing taste among the rural population for home adornment, and recited the following extract from the beautiful poem of John G. Whittier, "Among the Hill:" I look across the lapse of half a century, And call to mind old homesteads, where no flower To cast the tremulous shadow of its leaves (Broom-clean, I think they called it); the best room Over the fire-place, or a mourning-piece, SPEECHES AND POETRY. And, in sad keeping with all things about them, "For them the Bobolink sang not." For them the song-sparrow and the bobolink Rich in broad woodlands and in half-tilled fields, 239 And yet so pinched, and bare, and comfortless, Laughed at a poverty that paid its taxes, Of fourscore to the barons of old time. RESULTS OF THE DISCUSSION. One of the most important features of the Kewanee Convention was, that, though it was called a Convention of Farmers' Clubs, it was attended by many influential members of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. Up to this time there had been, or was supposed to have been, a degree of jealousy existing between the two forms of association. These differences had been fomented and magnified by designing persons who wished to see the associations antagonistic, in the hope that the agitation would prove a failure. The unanimity which marked this meeting showed that no ill-feeling existed between the two organizations. This Convention, upon the whole, may be characterized as the most important meeting held up to that time, as far as Western farmers are concerned. An immense stride was there taken toward effecting the organizations that have since developed into a power before which their foes, at first derisive, now tremble. Not the least good effected was that RESULTS OF THE DISCUSSION. 241. each delegate carried home to his constituents a keener perception of the importance of the questions at issue, of the necessity of concerted action, and of the possibility, which was before doubted, of the producing classes eventually defeating their powerful antagonists. These opinions speedily spread throughout the West, and public opinion became ripe for carrying forward the grand movement for securing cooperation of effort. Meantime, meetings were being held throughout the West, and Farmers' Associations were forming rapidly. As the agitation developed, and grievances were ventilated, it became apparent that a ball was set in motion which would not stop until greater questions than the robberies by the transportation companies and middle men had received their quietus. Attention began to be directed to the iniquitous working of the tariff laws, which protect monopolies at the expense of the people, and absolutely impede the establishment of those home manufactures which they ostentatiously pretend to protect. 11 CHAPTER XX. THE SECOND BLOOMINGTON (ILL.) CONVENTION. THE STORM GATHERING. The Executive Committee elected at the Kewanee Convention, set immediately to work. Meetings were held, speeches made, and, from a variety of causes, the existing feeling became still further intensified. Undoubtedly, one of the principal causes was the extraordinarily low price of corn. The corn crop of the West, in 1872, was the largest which had ever been gathered, aggregating, for the United States, 1,092,000,000 bushels. This, succeeding the large crops of 1871, had filled every crib and available storehouse to overflowing. There was not sufficient stock in the country to which even the half of this crop might be fed, and in consequence the markets were glutted. In many portions of Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas, it was freely burned as fuel, being actually cheaper, at existing prices, than either wood or coal. Ten cents per bushel was the ruling price, at points remote from transportation, and in many places it could not be sold at all. Here was the last feather that broke the camel's back. In many instances, it required six or seven bushels of torn to get one other bushel to the eastern markets. First, were |