Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-04
FARMERS, THE All lance AND
POLITICS.

VIM ShdlSS uuucI bue CEltlClHu Oh beCIet
political parties by the press, he should
recall what was published TO the world as
the purposes of the alliance. In discuss
Ing the alliance as political machine,
TnE GAZETTE, In common with the other
papers OF the state, has taken It for
granted that the order was honest and
sincere In what It said and did, and be.
lieved that the purposes OF the alliance
were what It's charter called for, what the
members in regular meetings resolved
them to be, and what the chosen state Of
Gcers Of the order on all occasions de-
clared them to be.
The charter was for San association
formed for the purpose Of encouraging
agriculture and horticulture, and 10 sup
press personal local, sectional ana ma
ttonal prejudlces aud all unhealthy rivalry
and selfish ambition.
August ., 1882, the alliance resolved,
that II Is contrary 10 NE spirit NJ the con
sdutioa and 5y.iatos Of our ordei' to take
part in politics, and zee ciH aot aominqte
OR SUPPORT any man or set OF men for
office as distinct parfgor political jody."
G. NJ. Wilcox, as state secretary Of the
alliance, wrote these words TO the state
organs IN Is not poIttical orgom.o-
ton. We have learned wisdom by Oh
setyation, aud rs politics is the rock upon
which the Grange stranded, we steer our
bark from that dangerous shoal."
Andy Dunlap as state president, ia al
his interviews with the press, emphat-
ically protested that the alliance Was e
non-political organization, and that par
tlsan action as a dlstloc party, would be
contrary to It's purpose
$. o. Dawes, as state lecturer, lime
and again emphasized the earnest pro-
testations OF President Dunlap, and, when
he said that the introduction into the
order Of an incongruous element was
threatening the subversiou OF its original
purpose and its existence, solemnIy
warned the alliance against "the con
fusion, the strife and the disruption that
would inevitably follow any action as a
distinct political body"
Upon the faith Of its declarations by
charter, resolution and state officers
farmers joined the alliance, and The
GAZETTE did all 1t could to promote the
growth and expansion OF the organiza-
ton, In the honest conviction that no
effort at cooperation ever promised so
much of good to the agricultural class
Unhappily for the alliance, the pollti-
cal cadavers who had crept into the
Knights Of Labor conceived the plan of
uniting the two orders into grand
"People's party" which would destroy
the old parties, and, what was far more
to their purpose, provide offices for men
who, otherwise, had no chance to live at
the public expense. A crusade was in
augurated on the alliance, and, wherever
II was possible, members of that order
were Initiated as knights, and vice.
worser. WhenIa all was ready the tran
was sprung, and farmers who had fondly
hoped TO have in the alliance helm TO
financial and social advancement. found
themselves the flag end of conglom-
crate OF political odds and ends. the
leaders Of which were Republi-
cans, Greenbackers and sore.headed,
ofllce-hungry, sc-called Democrats
These leaders OF the alleged
Peoples party, knowing that a
majority Of Texas farmers were Demo.
Gratis, at once began shrewd attack ON
Democratic leaders and newspapers, and
to create antagonism between town and
county, When the Democratic conven-
ton met at the opera-house and Il was
seen that the country delegates virtually
controlled the action thereof, the dema.
gogues took fresh tack and began 10
war on bankers, aud to persuade the ALI
anees not to listen TO Democratic
speeches or read Democratic newspapers.
BY this means all opportunity to correct
ISLANDERS and distortions of the truth was
cut OF, and Republican editors were
enabled to pocket Democratic subscrip-
ton money
The result as predicted by THr Ga.
zErrE is seen by the action OF those ALI.
ances which have surrendered their
charters and in those members OF the
alliance, like Elliott and Crawford,
who refuse to pay dues to maintain
secret political party, in the interest 81
men whose only purpose is to use both
knights OF Labor and alliance as means
to attain Office.
As a friend Of the alliance, THE GA.
1ErTE warned IL TO keep out OF politics IL
II would preserve itself for the work n
was instituted to perform. THE GAZETTE
never urged farmers to let politics alone,
but begged them to take an Interest ia
politics, as men--not as an oreanizedI
alliance. TIM GAZETTE did this In the
interest Of the alliance, aud the results