Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-05-01
Warning to Farmers.
\ LET THEM LOOK TO TIE DEMOCRATIC
ia PARTY AND NOT TO THIRD PAR
TIES FOR RELIEF.
[Augusta Chronicle ]

nestly urges all Allianccmen to pre-
sent to candidates for State OF
I national offices, and if adopted to
demand that such candidates pledge
themselves TO this platform.
This demand seems to be pcremp-
tory. Alliances arc requested to
secure uncquivocal answers. There
seems to be no delay or compromise.
The platform laid down by the Ex-
ccutiyc Committee is practically be-
fore every man running for Office
in Georgia, and it is for such candi-
dates to say whether they will adopt
them or run the chances of being
opposed by the farmers of Georgia.
The Chronicle respectfully sub
mits that such an ultimatum is
undcmocratic. The demand Of the
Executive Committee Of the Ali
ancc should he submitted to the
State Convention of the Democratic
party Of Georgia. We do not
acknowledge the authority of any
other body to adopt platform of
principles for political candidates.
The Farmers Alliance, as worthy
and strong as it is, has no authority
to apply a test to candidates for pub
lie office. A schedule of principles,
formulated by three or four men and
submitted as a test for Office, can
have no binding authority upon the
candidates or the people, 1t is an
assumption entirely beyond the scope
of Il Farmers Alliance or any other
alliance. Their appeal should be to
the Democratic party, which names
the candidates and furnishes the
political creed for the dominant party
i'll Georgia. An organization which
seeks to forcstall the action OF the
Democratic party in Georgia and
which puts forth its platform Of
principles as the inialiblc tests for
political competency cannot be re-
gardcd. 1t will lose its influence
just to the extent that it assumes to
dictate a political policy in advance
or in place of the Democratic party.
Admitting that the principl laid
down by tho Executive Committee
of the Alliance were sound, we do
not consider that such a committee
has the right to obtrudc its ultmatum
rs the touch-stonc of soundncss of
pubic iiii,an,- when the Democratic.
pity has not spoken and its policy
remains undcclarcd.
But we cannot admit that all the
policies advocated by the Alliance
committee are sound. Leaving ont
one or two points in the platform,
against which such just exceptions
might be taken, we submit that the
abolition Of the national banking
system in the present condition Of
the country, and until some better
fiscal feature could be devised, might
bring disaster to business interests.
Certainly ,hc sub-1rcasury bill will
not be insisted upon as Il vital point
OF the Alliance platform. 1t cannot
be adopted as Il Democratic measure,
for It is rcpugnant to the principles
of the Democratic party. The Blair
bill was condcmnch in the South
because it placed the control of the
schools in the national government;
because it centralized education bv |
national subsidy, and because it was
hostile to the .Jcifcrsonian principles.
The Alliance committees platform.
article four, asserts the princi pie
that State and national taxes shall
be levied for revenue and limited to
an economical and iudicious admin
istration. Assurcdly these princi-
pies are ut variance with the idea OF
government warehouses and liberal
advances on crops stored therein.
1t will take nearly 5000 warehouses,
built or rented in this Union, to
carry out the provisions of the bill;
it would require an army of super
mtcndcnts or keepers to look after
such crops, and it would transform
the government into q banking and
factoraSc concern, rcccivin" goods
and advancing money on products in
store. If the taxes Of the govern
meni are TO bc brought down to a
revenue basis and reduced to a re-
quircmcnt of Legitimate government
economically administered, the idea
of the sub-trcasury bill is rcpugnanl
and impossible. 1t is impracticablc
and unsound, and this is all that the
Chronicle has ever asserted about it.
True, the Alliance committee insists
upon the sub-trcasury system or
"somc better system for the relief