The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-07-09
AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.

ONE of the greatest needs of the
~ Alliance in our State, and, in
deed, wherever it exists, is a well di-
gested and thoroughly matured system
of education for its membership, In
the principles and purposes of u
order. The simplest, most economi
cal and most effective basis for this
system, in our judgment, is through
the press and through competent Lee
turers. The State and National order
should devise some means through
which every State should have a
strong, able, first class Alliance paper,
and devise the best methods for
placing those papers in the hands of
the members. The editors or man
ayers of these papers should meet at
least once a year, with the State and
National Executive Committees, to
consult as to those great questions
affecting the general good of the
order and how best to promote our
cause. The most perfect harmony
and thorough accord should exist be-
tween these papers in all efforts to
advance u interests, and some
method should be adopted to secure it.
Again, in judgment, we should
have one or two Lecturers constantly
engaged in our State. They should
be of the best material and possessed
of the peculiar qualifications required
for the efficient performance of
this important work. They should
be required to give their entire time
to the work. They should be under
the general supervision of the State
and National Executive Committees.
To get the right kind of men and to
secure their whole time will be i'm
possible unless we pay for it. But we
know of no judicious or more
profitable investment we could make.
We have the form Of an organization,
but we are not organized. A hun
dred thousand men may be brought
together, all dressed in uniform, each
supplied with gun and ammunition
and knapsack; they may all be &C
tuated by the same motive and the
same purpose and the same determine
ton to die, if need be, in defense of
or in prosecuting that purpose, but it
is yet nothing more than a mob, if
brought into contact with a well
drilled and well disciplined opposing
force. The uniform, the guns and
the ammunition nor their unity of
purpose are of little value until they
shall have been thoroughly drilled
and disciplined and educated how to
use their combined force with effect.
No one could doubt the issue, if such
q force were brought into action
against a well drilled army of like
numbers.
So it is with the Alliance today.
We have a vast army of men-au
enthusiastic, all of a common Dur.
pose-an in thorough sympathy, but
we are undrilled, untutored and I'M.
disciplined. True, we have been
drilled in squads and detachments.
and often by those who had never
been drilled themselves, and no two
squads have been drilled alike, per-
haps. What we need is uniform
neutrality-suspicious., thorough drilling
So that when the time for action
comes we can all step off together and
keep well aligned. We have a
mighty army that will be all power
full in assault and invulnerable to at
tack, if we are taught to stand to
gether and to act together. How cal
this be better accomplished than b.
the plan we suggest? Will some on
tell us? We want the brethren t.
give us their views. We regard thi
as a vitality important matter, and W
believe it should receive the attention
OF our State Alliance at its approach
ing session. And should Stat