The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-07-12
THE FARMERS MOVEMENT
shouId Become Political:

Climbs ana Oranges throughout the great
West l. attracting the marked attention II
thu politicians They are anNously study
ms, rs possible and probable bearing upon
their political future. The republican leaf
ers. seeing that their party Is nos N the
majority. are manifestlng very natural
desire to prevent the movement becoming
political. lest It might mIure their future
prospects The democratic leaders, On the
contrary. being IN the minority, are ami
Gus for new political allies, and are. there
fore. urging the farmers to CO operate with
them ana overthrow the dominant party
they point to the high protective tariff, -
well AS to the great railroad monoPohes
that have been fostered by the republican
party: as furnishing sufficient cause for the
overthrow Of that party; and they promise.
if restored to power, TO materially tighten
the burdens now bearing 50 oppressively
upon the farmers.
1t is evident. then, that the great ques
ton that the Farmers Clubs and Oranges
will have t. consider in the immediate
failure is Shall our movement become
political or dea. with political questions Z
II will soon be discovered that thus Is a
crave question. and its discussion involves
considerable danger t. the success 81 the
farmers movement II those that see the
necessity II this great movement being
made political ID order u accomplish the
overthrow Of the munopulles II which the
farmers complain. should make the ms
take ~ attempting 20 attach Il 70 the lie
mocratic party. they Viii soon discover
that they cannot accomplish their under
taking The republican members # the
Clubs and Oranges Nill not, a. general
thing. support the democratit i'Arty. AMI
the republican party viii thus ne rnAhicd
III continue to rule the country 20 the m-
terest Of the giant monopolcs
The leaders Vi the farmers movement.
then. should nov allow II t. be cnntruiled
~ the demucranIc politicians hat the
farmers now need Is organization M every
township ia the country The evils ~
which they - Justly complain are Ct a 10
litical nature The mOn"p'hes that are
rubhing them If the fruits NJ their labor
have been created by Law, aud must f,.
controlled by Law. They must De control
led bv state and national legislation. s'4
If the farmers wish q DO tins, they Viii
have to control the state legislatures anc
the congress II the United States This
they can DO ny organization. They CON
stitute nearly one-hslf the voters "t the
entire nation, and they are 4 clear majority
in sufficient number Of states Z" eject a
president. even Il arrayed against All other
classes. But this IS not desirable " ueces-
sarv. Their interests are not opposed 10
those u al other classes. On the contrary.
1t Is the interest of at least nlne-tenths II
ali other classes to sustain the farmers
movement against the mighty corporations
and monopohes that are robbng the pro
ducing classes The interests u the farm
ers and the great majority 81 ali other
classes. then, being identical they should
not be arrayed against each other. We do
not want class legislation merely, but gene
raj legislation. that will benefit the great
majority Of the people. Hence, what the
country now needs Is not the formation II
a TURNER'S putg merely. that would look
only to the interests Of the farmers, but
the formation Of p.ops,s Pdrfa, that VIII
look to the interests VI all classes.
But. while the farmers should not ann
at the formation Of purely farmers par-
ty. they should, nevertheless, organize As a
class. and prepare to do their full share in
the political regeneration Of the country.
Let them fully comprehend that they have
public as well as private duties to perform
in this country. As class they have here
tofore neglected, to great extent, their
public duties. and they are correspondingly
responsible for the truly lamentable and
alarming corruption that exists IN our
political tricksters to ruin the country.
This state of things must be stopped. This
country must not be allowed to be continu-
ally controlled by political demagogues
and professional thieves, who run its
whole political machinery in their own in
terests A change in our present. political
programme is imperatively demanded and
must be Immediately effected, and in this
great work the farmers should take the
lead. Let the farmers, then, continue t.
organize their Clubs and Oranges; stthem
fully understand that this great N9Attle
upon which we are now entering Ii not to
be ended in day or a year. The farmers
have commenced a war upon the railroad
e1tortioners, but, as the fight progresses,
they will soon discover that the railroad
monopolies are no worse than the bank
and manufacturing monopolies. The con
test between capital and labor is Just com
and it may shake this nation To
its very center. True craftsmanship, that
will seek to divide the profits equally, or in
a Just proportion, can alone save US from
anarchy inside If quarter Of century
Capital, at present, Is taking far more than
its Just proportion Of profits Of labor, and
it can not continue TO do 50 with safety to
itself
1t may be that the farmers movement
will prove to be our barrier against either
anarchy or despotism. The farmers are
the middle class Of society, and they will
probably seek To equalize the contest be-
tween capital and labor. Should they keep
up their township, county and state Or
CARNATIONS, and by mutual interchange
Of ideas on the great question Of political
become truly educated, they may
be the salvation of the country
We, the American people Of this genera
ton, are the fortunate inheritors Of the
best form Of government ever devised by
mortal man Ii is the work Of master
minds, that had been tried and purified by
the dangers and sufferings Of revolution
~ period. They were pure and patriotic
men, and they gave US government that
can only be carried out by an intelligent,
patriotic and virtuous people. We are
continually called upon to meet grave po-
litssal questions, and to dispose to them il
accordance with our own interests. But
we cannot do this unless we understand
them, and We cannot understand than I'M
less we either study them ourselves, OF
hear them discussed by others. As there
are but comparatively few that have the
necessary time and inclination to study
dry political questions, discussion before
the Farmers Clubs and other political
meetings is about the only way in which
the people can ever be educated on these
suhiacts Thara ara farrnarn IN ava~x,