The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-03-26
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE AND
<. POLITICS..
By Hon. S. B. Alexander, President
State Alliance of North Carolina.

By Hon. S. B. Alexander, president
State Alliance of North Carolina.
In all the States in which the
Farmers Alliance has been organized,
except Texas, it is comparatively a
new organization. The rapidity with
which it has been organized has as
tonished every one, and it is u~nreason-
able to expect that its members should
comprehend the full scope Of this
grand organization with the limited
opportunities afforded them. The first
section of the declaration of princi-
pies is misunderstood by more of our
members than any of the others
caused by newspapers and persons not
members of our order, designedly or
otherwise. We frequently see state
ments like the following: "The ALI
ance must not go into politics "Keep
the Alliance out of politics." Poll
tics must not be discussed in the ALI
ance," etc., etc. Rice, sugar, wool
and potatoes may be political topics
one year, and the next their places
may be supplied by other farm pro-
ducts. To hold hat the Alliance can
not discuss laws or proposed laws that
affect their interest is to deprive our
members of the inalienable right of
self-protection. The first section of
the declaration of principles reads as
follows:
al. To labor for the education of
the agricultural classes in the science
of economical government in a strictly
non-partisan spirit"
This declaration makes it the duty
of Alliances to consider any laws or
proposed measures that will either
benefit or discriminate against the
agricultural classes. This must be
done in a strictly non partisan spirit"
the object of the Alliance being to
educate it's members Gin the science
of economical government" SO they
can vote intelligently, and not depend
upon the "taffy" of political speakers
or the "one-sided tracts" of political
legislature. The ballot is the great
protector of the people, and unless our
members investigate the laws under
which we live and consider the changes
proposed from time to time their
ignorance will render them an easy
prey to the educated politician, and
they will be herded and driven by the
political whip like the unedGcated'
negroes of the South -" Know,edgej
is power, "''Intelligence rules, " Money
is influence" are proverbs of great
significance. knowledge, intelligence
and money humanely directed are
great blessings to. mankind, but gov
erned by rapacity they debauch the
ballot and organize lobbies that pro-
cure the enactment of laws that make
the rich richer and the poor poorer
"No force a arise except by the ex-
penditure of a pre-existing force So
class can become rich by legislation
except by defrauding other classes.
Monopolies, trusts, combines and pools
flourish to-day to a greater degree
than ever before in the worlds history.
The rapid increase Of millionaires,
some of whose fortunes exceed the
assessed value of real and personal
property Of certain States, collected
within the last thirty years, taken in
connection with the scarcity of money
among the agricultural classes, shows
plainly that under the forms of law
this country is drifting into two
classes-the very rich and the very
poor. Hence the necessity of every
Alliance discussing the laws to ascer-
tain wherein we suffer and how we
may be benefited. No organized
lobby was ever seen in Washington in
the farmers interest, and perhaps will
never be een there. It is only through
organization and instruction that the
farmers will be able to protect their
interest. The Farmers Alliance does
not contemplate organizing a political
party, nor does it recognize any politi-
cal party; but it holds that any party
or any man who makes war upon its
principles or who discriminates against
the farmers and laborers' interest is