Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-07-20

ings as have been given to the public
in print, the leading purpose and idea
of the Alliance would seem be to res
olute against every real or imaginary
wrong, without stopping to consider
whether or not the alleged wrong af-
fects or concerns them in the least.
AS an example of this they passed
resolutions condemning the Whole
sale Grocers' Association of Nashville,
and declaring that they would pat
ronize no retail merchant who buys
from any wholesale dealer who is
member of the Grocers' Association.
we don't remember ever to have
read anything which appeared more
silly or ridiculous than those resolu-
tons. That is a matter for the re.
tail and wholesale merchants to fight
out between themselves, and the
Farmers Alliance symplv displays a
superfiuity of ears in its councils
when it rushes into the breach.
The STANDARD has no war to
make on the Alliance as an organiza-
ton. properly conducted it can be
made of vast benefit to the farmers,
but if it works on the narrow platform
of antogonism to everything and
everybody not in perfect accord and
harmony with its members, its Ca
reer will be of few days and full of
trouble. No man can be a successful
farmer, merchant, manufacturer, edi-
tor and publisher all at the same
time, neither can any one organiza-
ton control all these linesof business.
The Warren Country Alliance, how
ever, seems to have undertaken the
job, but it won't take many months
for them to find out that they have
caught on to the tail ola much larger
elephant than they can wiggle. There
is plenty of work for the Farmers
Alliance to do in looking after the
immediate affairs and interests of
the farmers, without going out of
the way to dictate to other men how
their business matters should be run.
If the farmers will use the Alliance
in its legitimate sphere, to further
their own direct interests, to educate
themselves in better methods of
farming, to CLEAN the knowledge of
show to make two blades of grass
grow where one grew BEFORE" to in
still into the minds of their members
true principals of industry and econ
omy, then their organization will
succeed and wax strong; but if they
make it simply an instrument or
cloak to antogonize other business
interests, they will find its way to a
period of usefulness effectually block
ed, and it will soon fall to pieces OF
its own weight and expire with the
dry rot. The farmers are just as
much dependent upon merchants as
merchants are upon farmers. With.
out the trade of the farmers more
than half of the merchants would
have to close their doors, and with.
out the aid of merchants two-thirds
of the farmers would be forced into
bankruptcy, ruin and poverty.
The STANDARD will cheerfully
aid and encourage any movement or
the part of the farmers looking to the
betterment of their interests or condi
ton, but we think twenty years ex
perience in the printing business has
taught us some things about ed
iting a paper which the Farmers AL
lance probably don't know, and they
will please excuse us if it should APP
pear little presumptious, we expec
to continue to exercise our owl
judgment in deciding what shall o
shall not appear in its columns. TIL,
members Of the Alliance have a per
feet right to discontinue their sub
scriptions if they see fit, anu we shall
not ask the Tennessee Press Associa
ton to pass resolution that they will
use no farm produce raised by Warner
County Alliance men on this account
though that would be just about a
sensible as the resolutions of the Al
lance. Before they discontinue
however, it would be well for then
to consider while the question, VIII
will be the greatest losers by such
coulse, themselves or the STANARD
The cutting off of newspapers is nc
indicative of growth in intelligence
and an organization which leads il
members to such CONSTRUCTED views
not calculated to elevate them to
very level order of mental training, c
to capacitate them for accumulatin
or enjoying many of the good thing