The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-03-15
Y, CECIL COUNTY. MD, FRIDAY, MARCH l5 1882

ufacturer. 1t recognizes the value o
vast aggregations Of capital in con-
ducting great enterprises which nc
-ingle individual or partnership car
manage, and regards the bond or stock
lof the railroad, when representing
actual cash, every whit as sacred as the
share IN town lot or a farm. There
is no war between the Eastern invester
and the Western farmer. The Alliance
dees not teach that property in rail.
roads is sacred if in the shape Of
watered stocks, nor does it regard
shares in farm as sacred if issued to
twice the value Of the farm. It does
not ask that combination of farmers
be legalzed to sell wheat or corn at
twice the actual value that it would
have under free competition and it
will fight to the litter end any propo-
sition to legalize pooling and combina-
/
tion of railroads and manufacturers to
fleece the general public. 1t resents
with scorn the imputation that the
Western farmer is sort Of we'll mean.
ing anarchist, confscator of the prop
erty of Eastern capitalists, and resents
it the more bitterly because utter by
the Western attorneys, not Of the legit-
innate and real owners of these proper
ties, but by the creatures and hirelings
of the class Of officials who rob both the
capitalists and the Western farmer.
They rob the Western farmer by rates
made extortinate by design in order
that they can, by cut rates, commissions
and secret rebates enrich outside par
ties and divide the spoils. If this
charge be considered severe. l beg you
to remember it is substantially that of
Charles Francis Adams, himself a
railroad president, OF President Stick
ney, another of Judge Cooley, the rail-
road commissioner. The Alliance can,
in self.respect, tolerate no such condi-
tion of things in free country. When
the farmers come to understand the
actual conditions of things and see that
the strifes that are laid on them and
upon the industrial interests of the
West are simply the results of allowing
themselves to be led by interests that
have no care for nor concern in agri-
culture, they will make short work of
corrupt officials who make merchandise
of their convictions.
They need an institution of their own
where they can meet and consult with
each other about best methods of farm
ing, stock breeding, buying and selling,
about the reasonableness and unreaso-
nableness OF profits and fares and frei-
ghts and any other question that may
concern agriculture or any other indus
trial into rest. The Alliance counter :
acts, as far as it can be counteracted,
the effects of the isolation Of farm life,
it cultivates the farm spirit, it teaches
farmers to believe in each other to
trust each other, to be just to each
other and in so doing be just to all.
1t is but in the small beginning of its
career. 1t is the creature of an imper-
ative necessity just beginning to be re,
cognized. The farmers of America
have a goodly heritage. They are not
slaves, nor poems, nor paupers. They
are not yet bankrupted by extortions,
but they will not tolerate evils that
will grow unless checked with the pass.
ing years and become bondage too
intolerable to be endured by free
people.