The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-13
The Farmers Alliance Platform.


The platform of the farmer ALLIANCES has
several very good features One Of them
that is commeniable relates to the common
schools and another to the convict system.
The common school sly stem of the state is
not what it should be- Much Of the money
appropriated for scho d purposes is wasted
In large number of counties the schools
are o EN- oaly three or four months in the
year, and the teachers are often wholly
untitled for their duties. They are nothing
more than the pensioners Of those " no have
the control of the schools.
There is no doubt that better results could
be obtained from the money expended for
the support of public schools if the right
kind Of effort we're made. Under proper
management most Of the counties which
do not now contribute anything TO the sup
port of the schools could be induced to do
Sc. The people would have higher
appreciation OF them aud would insist
upon the standard of them being
raised if they made sacrifices for them. No
money should be appropriated by the state
for higher education until the common
schools were in a satisfactory condition.
Whatever money is appropriated for edu-
cational purposes, outside OF the common
schools, should be devoted to technical eiu-
cation.
The present convict system has nsver had
the approval of the people OF the state, and
time and time again the legislature has been
urged TO substitute some other for il. The
legislature, however, has never been
able to agree upon another
system, for the reason, mainly.
that almost any other system would impose
heavy burden upoa the taxpayers.
The MORNING News has suggested
that the convicss should bs
employed in improving the public roads.
The money now spsat upoa the roads is not
productive of satisfactory results The road
tax could be used to much better ADVANTAGE
in supporting c)nvicts in working the roads
under competent elginser. IL is pretty
safe to say that e !ch county in the state
would be glad to support coavicts while
working its roads.
There is no probability that congress will
approve of the sub-treaslry plan of the
farmers alliance. 1t could not very we'll
do 50. The sub-treasury plan is nothing
more nor less than that the government
shall go into the facsorage bu iness. The
government has about as much to do as it
can attend to now.
The farmers alliance might get stats
governments TO guarantee titles to the
lands of the farmers within their resp ective
limits. With guarantee of that kind
money could easily be raised OF farms.
There is some such system 10 Australia, aud
lands are transferred there By a simple in
dorsement on deeds and mortgages. 1t is
as easy to get money there on security of
that kind as it is to got it on bonds AMI
stocks, and it would be here It there vera
not so much difficulty in getting title to
pledged real property. With guaranteed
titles and transfers by Endorsement farmers
would have no difficulty in getting moaey
at regular rates of interest on their real
estate.
The Farmers Alliances should encourag,
immigration. 1t ought TO insist upon hav.
ing state land commissioner in each c IN
gressional district whose duty 1t should be
to lind out what Ian Is were for sale and at
what prices they could be Obtained. Taere
are many ways in which such commissioners
could help to bring to the state thrifty white
immigrants. Immigrants make the state
rich, and the richer the state is thu lighter
the burdens are which good schools, good
roads. good asylums and other things nece,-
sary to an advanced civilization pose up
on taxpayers A commissioned of agricul-
ture at the state capital mar do some good
in the direction indicated. but he can d. 50
little that it is not pos ,ible to see in one gsa-
Grafton what he does.
The farmers alliance should encourage
the building Of railroads BY pursuing a
liberal policy toward those already built.
Railroads are the means by which the re-
sources of a state are developed. Withou.
them the farmers could make no progress.
Their crops would bs virtually worthless
for want of market The farmers can do
an immense amount of good for them selves
and the state If they will but follow the
direction which their str2ng comm IN sense
points out. Let them rely upon themselves,
and upon leaders chosen from among them
selves, and no. upon political hacks whose
sole object is to get into office.