The Russellville Democrat., 1890-01-23
Make Haste Slowly.
Of the Democrat.

Just on the eve of another delirium of non-political farmers organiza- tions, ask space for word of warn ing. 1 have lived long enough to view this question from several sides and have concluded that there IS T. great deal of nonsense in it. What these organizations seek is what the whole laboring world has been striv ing after since righteous Abel's farming days. That those who stay out of them fare as well and usual ly better than those of the "inner circle" is proved by the history of the past. That they are misleading and destined to wreck on Political Point is also proven by the past.
 In reviewing the past, we see the dead body of the non political Broth CTS of Freedom, cold and stark from the injection of politics. Following in its wake closely is Wheel--an Ag- ricultural transformed into Pollti- cal Wheel-smashed into smither eens by politics. The more recent Union Labor party was injected from the beginning and soon reached the same fate. It is scarcely possible for these organizations to escape such fate. Schemlng men and cast off politicians of other parties join them and then seek to become their political Moses. They saw the air and tell us farmers how the rich are becoming richer and the poor, poorer, and that we farmers have more and more to bear for less wages, until we will finally, if we do not rise in our might and power, be worse than slaves; sad, dismal close of free Republic, certainly! But the picture is all the worse, because they take well known facts and join to dema gogues' theories and make all appear true because it is ''tangled with truth" They repeat these things so much that it IS finally accepted as truth and then, when we poor farmers are wrought up to the right pitch, they propose to remedy all these evils if we will only elect them constable, clerk or some other high office, and sometimes we do just such tricks.
 But Farmer Fogy" has turned 8 new leaf and set some New Year res olutions, and before he joins an or. ganization, he calls halt to nsid CT:
 First. If an organization is good whS not open the doors to the world and take free battle and let our light shine instead of hiding it under beshel, behind lock and key, with guar5 and pass word?
 Second. What assurance have I that Judas in authority will not be tray us for his price in shekels of silver?
 Third. What good can secret farmers organization do without be ing political?
 First. It is claimed that all other professions are organiz-5 save the farmers. Granted; but what does it
 
 prove?When the lawyers meet in their bar associations, they discuss prob lens of law. When the teachers meet Tn their county institutes, they dis cuss methods Of teaching. When the physicians meet in their medical as. sociations, they discuss Medical Science. And all of thls is done openly without guards, grips or pass words. When the farmers meet do they assemble and have speakers ad dress them on improved methods of farming, and other agricultural mat tersl No; they must secretly meet and discuss everything from war to widows, but no one tells how to ie gain our lost soil, or how to grow two blades of grass where only one grew before; and the result IS, the tariff has to be tackled to give some life to the meeting. Do not under stand me, dear brother farmers. as contending that we should be lgno- rant about the tariff or current poll ties or the monetary affairs of our na tion, for l think we know far too lit- tie of such things. But do contend there are far better ways of learning of them than in secret farmers or, ganization where one side only is darkly and dimly presented.
 Secondly. 1 claim it is the fate of all secret organizations (Freemason ry excepted) to be used as the tool of minority party. In my memory but few exceptions arise. Recently even the great moral and tenn perance body, the w. c. T. U. in it's national convention, split and went ali to pieces on the reef of politics. Such bodies are always used as 'squeez CTS" and sold to the party that gives the most loaves and fishes, or from whom is fried the most fat. Good men are made dupes of in these transactions, and with good inten tions are made the innocent instru ments of demagogues and slick. tongued politicians.
 Thirdly. 1 claim that no secret organization is success, only as regards specialists. Every angle of the diversified interests of farming 1 supports some other profession and ! they are so interwoyen and interde. pendent as to be mutual necessities. so that what concerns one, concerns both. Nothing away from the farm IS Of more interest to the farmer than politics.
 Farming is Gods favored occupa. tion and IS broadly carried on under@