San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-05-24

lance.
musmuch rs tho position md opo'
rationa Of tho Alliance arc attracting
great intoresi, We viii briefly eIate
our views on said topics,
We believe, thon, that the Alliance
has q good reason for being in tho
fact that The farmers, az q class, do
not receive fair share Of tho profits
of their labors, To secure this re-
snlt, and 10 command for their class
their proper weight and influence, as
wo understand It, tho Alliance was
organized. Farmers surely have Che
samo right to organize themselves in
defence Of their own rights and in
terosts M havo other clNases, who
have long successfully done 10, Be
sides, on the cooperative plan, thoy
may hopo to advance thor pocnniary
interest by successful efforts at man
ufacturing and othor industrial enter
prises, which, as indiyidualg, thoy
could nevor hope TO conpnas. Again,
they will thereby enlarge their capac-
| ity to do business, elevate them
selves intellectually, and improve
themselves socially. Such are the di-
rect results OF thoir conferences and
meetings. Living as thoy do, each
man isolated on his farm, there is no
other class, it soems TO us, who 90
much need tho improving influences
which result from business and social
cooperation as do tho farmers with
out these influences there is great
danger Of their " losing their grip"
and drifting into business, intellect
ual md social apathy and inertia.
In wow Of these. considcrations,and
feeling worm interest il the class
with whom so were nasociatod in &C.
tive life TO the age Of twenty-five
yoars, wo, about o year ago, joined the
branch Of the Alliance in this place,
az testimony of our sense Of tho i'm
portnnco of tho objects above enumo-
ratod, and other desirable objects
which wo understood TO DO contem-
plated by the organization. Our on
gngemonts hive, however, been such
that we have seldom been able to at
tend tho meetings of the Alliance,
and hence we know but little OF its
practical operations Or the wisdom
or unwisdom of these, therefore, We
cannot speak.
That an organization Of this kind
should make mistakes; and that it
should not be embarrassed BY
solf.seeking hangors-on, striving to
take advantage Of the honest, unso-
phisticated membership; that it
would, in short, have q great deal to
learn; ell this, Of course, was only to
have been expected, and we deem
it grossly uniuet to indulge in whole
sale condemnation Of tho movement
because Of these things, though con-
dicts Of opposing interests may nat
urally DO expected to prompt severe
criticism. We do not propose to sit
in Judgment on tho Alliance, eithor
pro or con; the members arc fully Of
ago, and this being free country, !
will haYe to DO permitted to attempt
10 work out their salvation in their
OWN way. Doubtless they will live
and learn, like tho rest Of mankind,
md, we e. ust, will so profit by their
Ms to settle down at last on
what is best for themselves and the
public & enorally. We have great
.aith that they will do 80. We be-
iove they will find that while coope-
cativo effort will undoubtedly aid and
bless them, the grand foundation OF
5ucceag, after all, will be found in
heir possession, ae individuals, of in
lustry, economy aud improved meth
2da Of farming to boderivod from ed
lcation and experience. A word in
40 to the political bearings !
d tho Alliance movement We he
iavo they ore unjastly suspected Of
contemplating making it political
machine. This tho constitution OF
The order forbids, and we DO not
link there is any general desire Of
from this idoa, although
,ertain political wire-worker5 may DO
boxing to that end. But while this
5 true, it by no means follows, as
iomo soom fooliadly TO imagine, that
OF tho Alliance should take /
40 part in politics. This IS absurd
hey are still citizens, and as such. /
,wo IN obligation in common with
others, to their country. Not only
70, but it is not only their right, but
heir duty. holding the views they 10,
% attend the primary political con
-cnGons and use their best influence (