Smyrna times., 1890-12-17
THE MORAL MEANING.


THE MORAL MEANING.
OF this great movement?
l. 1t Is the protest of the patient
burden bearers Of the world, who have
toIled through weary years, struggling
beneath the wrongs of economic and
political supersttions. In America the
farmers have literally become the
beasts OF burden of the nation. Their
business has been to feed over IS 5000
OOO people, together with the hosts of
the old world, with the products of
the years work, and then through the
winter exc out miserable existence
wrestling with their
MORTGAGES, CYCLONES AND FLOODS.
While they are doing this, we laugh
and grow fat, dance and make merry
in the city, and bet how much they
Will make next year, buy and sell
their crops fifty times before they are
planted and charge old ''havseeds"
with all our losses.
The question is whether these men
the ireest of the free, the authors Of
TINS country's liberty, shall assert their
rights and obtain justice, or degener-
ate into the condition of tenants and
serts. The conditions of labor in all
/ other industries have undergone mar
/ velous development and changes in
/ the past hundred years The farmer
/ works under the same stern condi
/ tons, perlshng in the midst of bound
less prosperity, for others. He has de-
/ termined to effect change in these
conditions, and re-adjust himself on a
1 hvlng basis to the new civilization.
2. THIS movement means the
EDUCATION OF THE MASSES.
as masses-Of the farmer as a farmer.
1t means the assertion of the manhood
OF the yeoman Of the Nation. This is
real education. The accent Of our ed
ucatlon has hitherto been to yet on.
TO rise" We have been taught to
climb out of the humble sphere in
which we were born into some so-cal-
led higher sphere. The smith learns
to despise his anvil, the clodhopper 10
look with contempt upon the plow.
they rise to higher" things. They be-
come lawyers, and doctors, and preach
ers, and bankers, aud railroad men
and politicians We now have fully
eight million men in this country edu.
Gated to be Presidents of the United
states. We only need about a dozen
PRESIDENTS in a hundred years-an
awful waste of raw material
Inc farmers are learning and teach
ing 1t to their children, in this orpani
Zallon, that the work ofth farm is as
sacred, as noble, as honorable as that
OF any sphere in life Women too are
admitted to the order Well they
may. There are more farmers wives
IN the insane asylums of America than
any other class. They have actually
recognized the fact that
WOMAN Is A HUMAN BEING.
A reporter once asked an old far.
mer in the West what he Thought
about the question rs marriage a fail .
ure?' He replied, what, marriage . I
Well, let's see. There's Lucindv pits
up in the mornin,' kindles the fire
mllks six cows, starts four children off
too school, tends to three others. skins
twenty pans o. milk, feeds the hens
likewise the hogs, looks after some
motherless sheep, gifts breakfas wash.
es up the dishes, gifts dinner, ct cetera
why, mon, do you think could
hire anybody to do all that for what
she gitsP Not much It's a great sue
cess, sir ~ All! these patient, sad.
faced, weary millions of women! The
pathOs of their lives They have en-.
tered this organization with cheeks
flushed with hope, many of them for
the first time in life. May God lead
and bless them
3. This movement means
COOPERATION AS AGAINST CoMPETI.
TION.
1t is in this principle of Socialism
that the Order has its strongest founda-
ton. They are pledged to cooperate
with each other in the production of
economic goods, aud not only so. but
to cooperate in the distribution of
these good. The Alliance stores for
supplies are prominent feature of
their work. These stores contain the
germ idea of the Great Industrial Co
operative Societies of Workingmen in
Great Britain. They are asserting in
life the principle, that it is better for
men to fight for each other than against
one another. They are learning the
secret of associated power-that in
union there is strength. 1t is in the LIGHT
of this fact that we solve the apparent
paradox, that while they cry out
against trusts and mOnopolies, in the
same breath they demand that the Gov
ernment press Its functions to the very 5
verge of State Socialism. These cries
are not inconsistent. They are fhe as ,
sertion OF fundamental principles They {
recognize the important fact that gov {
ernment Is not something separate
from the people, but when normally
administered, is simply the people gov
ernlng themselYes-that it is not a
power to be forced, but power to be
utilized for the happiness Of all.
4. The Organization means Brother
hood. 1t is fraternal and benevolent
Order with principles of love and fra G
ternity, wide as the world, universal
as the rose.
The lth and 5th Articles in their st. !
Louis Declaration of Purposes,
A SECOND DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE, I
read thus; i
"a. To constantly strive to secure {
entire harmony aud good will to all a
and brOtherly love among y
6. To suppress personal, local, SEQ
tiOnal and rational prejudices, ali un-
healthy rivalry, and all selfish ambi- {
fion. v
An ideal as high as heavsn-an echo
of the life of Jesus of Nazarath. They y
have determined to "bear one anotheris s
burdens and so fulfil the law of Christi y h
They pledge themselves to alleviate c
suffering and pain, to care for the wild