The Brookhaven leader., 1888-03-08
The Alliance and Politics.


q tail to somebody's kite.
The Alliance has nothing to do with
partisan politics. 1t does not seek to
disrupt any political organization.
II seeks to elevate the agricult-
ural classes, not by boosting
any set of men for office, but by inn
proved methods, economy, honesty
and lastly, to secure such legislation
as will promote the welfare of these
classes without any injustice to others.
There are certain questions which
require Legislative action; there are
grievances which require Legislative
enactment to remove. As part of
the great body polite, as citizens of
this great commonwealth they have
the right, yea more, it is their duty to
make known their desires and their
grievances. There is no partisanship
in this-no attempt to disrupt any
party.
come home to every man. The farm
ers are studying these questions, seek
ing to arrive at true understanding
of the needs of the State. These mat
tiers are above and independent of
partisanship. And every other inter
est can meet, can make known its
grievances, and ask redress, and there
is no wild howl about its being Sc
cret political organization with revOlu
tinary tendencies, but SO soon as the
farmers begin to act in accord with
the dictates of emil ,htened common
sense, all the office-hOlding Oligarch-
les yell out "shoo! shOo-oo, don't
bring it into politics"
To illustrate: For years the people
of this State have been seeking to
have new constitution. Year after
year the matter has been agitated,
and the people have grown more and
more clamorons in their demand. FL
sire, legislature was chosen which in
both branches was overwhelmingly in
favor of ii new constitution. A bill
was passed. Then Governor Lowry,
armed with almost despOtic power,
steps forth, and says: Though you
want this convention, though your
representatives have passed this bill,
you shall not have your desires graft
fed. am the State, and | don't want
this conventions" Then wherefore the
Governors friends were numerous
enough, meetings were held and the
veto was endorse. An effort was
made to manufacture public sentiment,
and where this was impossible, to
misrepresent it.
Well, after all this discussion,
after Lowry's friends had used every
argument against the convention, and
loudly protested that the people didn't
want it, the State Alliance meets. The
delegates are fresh from the people.
They represent nearly every tireside
in 80 counties. They have no axe to
grind. They don't want office, and
have no friends who do. And what
does this Alliance do? Why, by a
vote almost unanimous. it says: "GOv-
ernOr, you are mistaken, we do want
this convention, and as the servant of
the people we respectfully ask you not
to stand in the way of the accomplish
ment of our desires" And with what
result? There comes forth from the
office holders, their henchmen and
retainerS, howl of dismal dismay and
anger which would have discounted
! Rome in her best days. 1t was all
right for the Governors friends to
meet and "wheredS and resolve" but it
was the height of presumption i'll the
farmer, who never held Office and
never expects TO, to have Il say on this
subject, especially as it was in disap-
probation of the imperial policy of his
majesty, Robert |. But if the farmers
have no offices they have several votes
at their disposal.
Again, there is and should not be
any politics in taxation. Every man
should bear his proper share of its
burdens. All property should pay for
the protection rendered by the State.
But this is not the case. Millions
of property, the most profitable in the
State, pays no taxation. The people
are groaning under IA heavy burden of
debt and heavy taxes. Should this
exempt property be made subject to
taxation as the constitution provides,
the burdens would be made easy. A
proposition is made to tax them. At
once, all the enginery that millions of
money can command is put in opera
ton to defeat it, The Alliance meets
while the matter is pending, and says
to the Legislature: "There is the
constitution you have sworn to obey.
1t says taxation shall he uniform, and
that corporations shall be tax ID us
individuals. Do your duty and tax
them"
This is the great crime the farmers
have committed, and for which they
are being denounced as "a secret
political organization, sOreheads, etc"
The farmers can stand it if the
other fellows can.-NeW Mississippian.
1t is the fashion in some quarters to
answer Frank RurkittiS arrumantS