Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-11-26
FUTURE OF THE ALLIANCE.

FUTURE OF THE ALLIANCE.
The Organization Has Come to Stay-Many
reforms Yet to BE Accomplishments
Objects ImpsrativeIy Demanded BY tho
Masses.
Among the multitudinous prophecies
which have been published within the
last few months is one to the effect that
the Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union will soon be dissolved, leaving
but faint trace of it's existence and
that the dissolution will have been
brought about by the political tenden-
cies OF the order, The prediction will
fail, hrst because the Alliance is one
erect OF causes which are deep-rooted,
IL Is ou1lded upon principles which are
fundamental and permanent; second,
the objects sought by the Alliance are
lmperatively demanded by the masses
that are struggling against the classes,
and those objects can not be obtained in
any way but through legislation. These
are reasons sufficient not only to Justify
the existence of such body, but to
render 1t necessary The Patrons of
Ausbandry, the Greenbackers and the
knights of Labor were pioneers in this
great field of reform. Looking at the
same things from different standpoints,
naturally they selected different points
OF neutrality-suspicious., monopoly
and gambling in farm products; contrac-
ton OF the currency, the unnecessary
assumption of debt and needless taxa
ton OF the people; and the growing
arrogance, usurpation and oppression
OF employers in their treatment of en-
ployes- Later came the land reformers
and the students of taxation. The
Grange did good work and left
glorious record. though as a working
force it early seemed to have disap-
peared; 1t left leaven which quietly
spread out among the people, even
reaching the highest councils of the
Nation, establishing basic legal princi-
pies, bringing to view lines which mark
the limitations of corporate power.
The Greenbackers, in like manner,
called public attention to some great
blunders in financial legislation, and
although apparently of accidental birth,
coming without warning and living
without excuse, they sowed seed which
Is now bearing fruit; they frightened
politicians and statesmen into acknowl-
eminent paper currency and obtained
a judicial determination of the Nations
right to make any thing it chooses
legal tender in payment of debts The
Knights of Labor, blindfold, entered
upon crusade to recover lost rights of
workingmen; to restore the individual
ism OF the mechanic. artisan and COM
mon laborer; to bring about Just recog-
milton OF the toilers' rights, and to estab- |
lish fair standard of relation between |
the employer and employee. W. thin a
few years great changes had been
wrought among the working forces of |
the country; labor had been and was |
being massed. and employers had OBJ
tanned an act of Congress authorizing
the contracting for labor in foreign |
countries because of the high price of |
labor here. The power of the employer, |
and especially If the employer were a
corporation or partnership of wealthy 4
individuals. had become tyranical and |
menacing. The employee was fast los
ing his personal identity as citizen,
and he united W tn his fellows to re- |
store that which was lost Thus came |
the Knights of Labor. And like other
:
ceeded in planting good seed that others |
might gather the fruit and enjoy its
blessings rather than in the establish |
ment OF the new conditions And vet !
great work has been wrought by the |
Knights. Their influence is felt in |
every factory and shop, in every mine |
and along the line of every railroad.
Here we have three great agencies of
reform, each working separately along
its own lines, and each do ng work
which has already borne good fruit
This separate work was natural it I
could not have been otherwise, for the |
reason that the workers set out from |
different points and sought the attain.
ment Of different objects. It so han
pens, however, that these three glasses
OF refermers all belong to the working
forces of the country; their general in. |
terests are identical and the objects in /
view are not only not in conflict but are
in harmony. 1t follows, then, that all |
of these three agencies can not only |
work together tremendously, bn.. nv I
uniting their efforts the combina tion
can bring to bear all the energy, endur-
ance and courage of the three in work. |
Ing for the attainment of objects sought |
by each. This is an nnanswerable |
argument in favor of a union of all |
these and other kindred and sympa-
thetic forces The time is ripe for this |
union to be permanently effected and |
its energies strongly put forth. The |
Farmers Alliance is, we believe, the |
proper medium through which the !
union should be accomplished
The Alliance wss not organized as a
political party; it was organized in part
however, for political purposes. The |
same L. true IT the knights of Labor.
and 1t Is equally true of all other bodies |
OF organized farmers and workers Up |
to certa point it is necessary that |
each body should serve its members as
. school for the discussion of social and J
political questions The time comes in
ell reformatory movements when the
lines must be enlarged. because the
workers are ready to enter a wider
field. The time for this change comes
whenever the membership of the partic-
ular body have agreed upon a line of
Ip5 o1scyy e e ha nnrsned in working out the
reformation sought and when the mem
heFs Gan work together tremendously /
for the attainment of that end. That !.
time has come in all the farmers organ
lzasIons, IN bne nnIgn5s or Laoor. ana
in many other bodies Of organized work.
esA rs we'll IS among merchants, cleEks
and tOtlers IN miscellaneous Fncatinns