The Brookhaven leader., 1888-05-03
AN ESSAY.
WRITTEN AND READ BY J. A. J. HART
BEFORE THE MoAK's CREEK
ALLIANCE.

NV nrst eHOfJ VIII De 10 give
brief review of the workings of our
order since its first organization in
this county about year ago. And
while our progress has not been all
that we could wish for, yet there has
been a good deal accomplished. The
first point for us to notice, will be or
ganizariOn. Now while we admit that
there is yet much good material out
of the ranks of our organization, yet
the great bulk of the masses eligible
has been organized so far as admit
lance to membership is concerned.
But ! would have you understand
that this does not mean organization,
in the full sense of the word; until we
have learned to act together as unit,
we are not fully organized. While
this body is composed of representa-
tive farmers of the county, yet their
actions have not been all that have
been expected. We do not think
they are keeping pace with some of
the other county Alliances of the
State, and yet as a subordinate it has
accomplished good deal. Our trade
system adopted, while not my plan,
has accomplished much. | think we
would be safe in saying that we will
be able to effect Il saving of 20 per
cent on trade of farmers and will for
years no doubt, like savings will pro-
duce visible results for good among
the farmers. Then let us not stop or
go back on what we have done, but
go forward to the achievement of a
greater victory. We will now notice
some of the burdens we are now la
boring under. Let us see what some of
them are. We are paying the ex-
penses of the Legislature with its
reckless expenditures. All the State
officials with their salaries, the Con-
gress of the US. with their salaries
and expenditures. The Executive,
Judiciary, the army and navy with
millions, the railroads with their mill
ions, towns, cities, village groceries,
land grabbcrs, high schools, etc, from
which we derive little benefit. Be-
sides all this, there is the millions
of surplus money i'll the treasury of
the general government. The wonder
is that we can even crawl with such
a vast accumulation on our shoulders.
The kind of literature we should
read first is the Bible, because it is
the great code which should be the
rule and guide of our faith and prac
tice. Second, Agricultural literature
that we might be better informed in
our business; that we may tie more
successfully gain the end. | will now
read some newspaper articles which
are in keeping with the matter under
discussion. Then, if we want to keep
posted with the doings of our county
we should read at least one OF. our
county papers, and so with the State;
if we want to know what questions
are being agitated by the Legislature
we should take a good State paper.
Then, if we want to keep posted in
national politics and Legislation, we
should take one of the national pa
pers. Then if we want the history
of the world as it revolves around
once in "a hours. let us take one of
the gacat daily papers. But there is
a great drawback to farmerss in this
matter In the first place they haven't
got the means to procure the necessa-
ry literature, and if they had, they
haven't the time to read it. But we
should make every possible effort in
that direction, it being our main
chance to become an intelligent and
prosperous people.
Now our next effort will be to try
to show the injustice and inequality
of things as they exist between the
different classes of society relative to
the powers that be. We will men
ton some of the legitimate callings
of men and their benefits to society.
We will first take railroads. They
are important benetactOrs, furnishing
as they do transportation for the eX-
change of the commodities and neces-
sarics, as well as rapid transit of mail
and persons wishing to move from one
portion of the country to another,
with many other benefits too numer-
Gus to mention. Then the manufact-
uring enterprises are great benefac-
tors to society, giving employment to
many persons, also converting raw
material into articles of use, with
many other benefits, and so on through
the whole catalogue. But we consid-
er agriculture of first Importance,
furnishing as it does the great bulk
of necessaries of life as we'll as much
of the raw materials and luxuries.
We say it is the motive of propelling
powers, that keeps the machinery in