St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-21
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
The Necessity of Organization.


Farmers, as q whole, have never been
organized, and it is fact
that other classes have combined against
them and deprived them to great extent
of the fruits of their labor. Organization
among farmers it does seem has now become
a necessity. On this subject, the Western
RasraE gives splendid article from which
we extract the following:
The farmers have been urged to mass |
their strength and influence against the |
systematic efforts to rob them and to de-
prive them of their rights and, in some |
measure, their liberties. The work of |
resisting the encroachments of capital,
greed and villainy upon the interests OF
the producing classes, has been crowned
with considerable success. Indeed, but for
the ceaseless, determined and emphatic
opposition to the schemes and plots of the
financial plunderers of the farmer, the
trusts and monopolies in general would
to-day be masters of the situation, and the
people on our farms would be hopelessly
bound in chains The spirit of greed has
been held in check to wonderful extent
methods and aims, and by the compara-
lively inefficient organization that has
been secured among the producers of the
country.
Still the robbery of the farmer has been
great and constituencies through all these
wears. Millions of dollars have been un-
lawfully transferred from our farms to the
pockets of schemers, and the work OF des-
poilation goes steadily on. Why? We
ask the question, why7 And to that ques-
ton we would like frank answer from
every farmer who reads it.
The reason is, that thousands of farmers
have not yet identified themselves with
any of the farmers organizations. The
Alliance and the Grange have appealed to
our people to enlist in the work of pro-
tecting their own rights, and yet, powerful
as these organizations are. it is fact that
there are more farmers outside of them
than there are within their ranks. Is this
a il should be? When there is com bina
ton against us, as there is on every hand,
what must be thought of class that re-
fuses to assert the authority of the first
law of neutrality-suspicious., and
adopt the only practicable means of saving
itself? There can be no successful COM
bination against thorough organization
of farmers Organized, they can directly
and Indirectly make Congresses, Legisla-
lures. Presidents and Governors, control
commerce to q greater or less extent, direct
education and, in word. be the directors
| of all matters that pertain to the interests
| of our society and country. There Is not
| a political party in existence that they
cannot mold to suit them, if they will
| there is not public question that they
cannot solve in their own interest and the
interest of the whole country. They have
the majority of votes they have recog-
nized character for worth and stability,
and they have an aggregate wealth that is
great, and might be influential. But unor-
ganized. none of these things count for
ANYTHING. The individual farmer is help
less. His voice is like the passing zephyr
| that is scarcely noticed his complaints
are ridicaled his acknowledged character
as good, substantial citizen does not count
for as much in practical results as the
lowest pot house politician in our cities.
| for he strikes hands with his kind and
with demagogues and thus becomes an
actual power.
Organization is the farmers only hope.
It is through organization alone that he
can secure his rights and preserve his
liberty. It is through organization among
the farming classes alone that this Repub-
lie can hope to endure. 1t is startling
fact that one-fourth of our population is
now in cities of over eight thousand inhab-
itants. 1t is still more startling fact that
the city population is continually on the
increase and the rural population is contin-
ually on the decrease. The natural infiu-
/ ence of the city is bad. 1t is in the city
that hungry poverty is found, and hun
pry stomach is a menace to the peace and
safety of society it is in the city that
crime is fostered and crime means danger
to system of government like OURS; it is
in the city that anarchy thrives and let il
be known and fully understood that in
consequence of the rapid increase of city
population and the thievish propensities
of concentrated capital, our civilization is
approaching q crisis. This Republic can.
not live under the present conditions and
their tendencies. Popular government II
cities is a failure, and the best minds Of
the country are engaged to-day in the etfor
to solve the question of how cities can b.
successfully governed. But if they can
not govern themselves, they cannot govern
Il the nation, but they are given the powe1
to do it. The handspring of all govern
ment in the nation, outside of rural loca
governments, is in the city with it's rum.
shops, and vice and ignorance and brutal
. ity. And there is only one solution Of thu
problem of how to divorce government
from the influences of the political ans
social degradation of the city. 1t is fo
farmers to organize, and counterfeit con
Eliminating and vicious combination witt
patriotic and virtuous combination. 1t i
, for the sixty per cent of our voting popu
. lation-which is on our farms-to TAX
control of the various political parties, ole
, and new, and form their policies and Civ
, direction to their energies.
r Fortunately for our encouragement ant
the encouragement of those who hav'
stood by us In this long conflict there hav
been constant signs of an increased awak
ening among the masses. Organization
has gone steadily forward since the con
yention of farmers in Chicago that ssorgan
! lied the Farmers Alliance ten years age
Sometimes the interest has appeared t.
: slacken little, but such periods of apath
! have been followed by a greater activit
+ than ever, and upon the whole there ha
3 been greater average activity each sue
+ ceeding year. Organization has neve
been so active as now, we are glad to say
j From all parts of the country the work
; going on with something of the spirit OF
! Boom. Alliances are being rapidly forme
n in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois Wisconsin
a Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Da
kota and indeed in most of the Wester
States and Territories. In the South til
Alliance has become power. The oil
Q Grange, the pioneer organization, has don
!, and Is doing magnificent work. III
f Alliance organization is simple and ine2
d pensive. It is not meant to crowd 1t
where other farmers organizations exis