The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-04-15
THE ST. LOUIS FARMERS AL
LANCE NATIONAL CON-
VENTION.

IAN
it, affect to be ignorant OF the
greatest social movement that mas
revolutionized the dormant energies
of the people since the formation OF
the government. When they do hap
pen to have occasion to allude to this
gigantic upheaval of wealth,producing
humanity the notice is a palpable
studied perversion of the grand prin-
ciples which actuates it to effect the
salutary ref rms which constitutes its
creed, and to belittle the movement as
though destitute of any significance,
thus proving themselves, beyond ques-
ton, the enemies of the people, for
they can be nothing else when they
thus wautonly overlook the purposes
of a movement which, in every step
or attitude it has taken or assumed,
has proved that its object is nothing
on Gods earth but the good of the
VIII lie people.
But, while the antagonizing press
thus covertly attempts to under-rate
the purposes of the Alliance, it is very
careful not to indulge in rampant de-
nunctation. The fact is, none realize
more thoroughly the great potent of
this awakening of down-trodden hui
mainly to a sense of self~-protection
against moneyed tyranny than those
VINO, from selfish self interest, oppose
it, and their feeble cutlery against it is
an acknowledgement of their agree
ment with the doughty Falstaf: dis
erection is the better part of valor."
None know better than they the great
organized host that have adopted a
code of principles which will correct
the present evils in our social and po-
litical practice, and so, no emphatic
protest, no fine spun rhetoric, no weav-
ing of words to make the worse ap-
pear the better reason appears among
the opposition. This hireling press
knows we'll, too, that it can't success
fully combat the truth and justice of
our cause, and, if they dared to face
the music, which they know would be
in store for them, by taking up the
pen in d%enunciatory hostility to the
principles and policy advocated by
this LABOR movement, thousands Of
ready writer's would have flooded the
country with their literature long ago.
They have heard the ominous echo
that emanates from the Threats of de-.
termined resistance to grinding op-
pressiOn-a potent power indeed when
it onc gets thoroughly aroused-and
they are thus admonished to lay low
and keep dark. Silence, they have
discovered, is their best policy, and
their natural instincts warn them upon
which side their bread is buttered.
Better to remain in ambush than to
hazard an open field fight. They
thus give a more emphatic evidence
of the justice of our cause, and the ir-
resisti0le power which confronts them,
than any that could be afforded by
the most blatant manifestations they
could indulge in.
What will this hostile element
dare ignore or attempt to belittle the
proceedings of a convention which
gave, without concealment, to the eyes
of the world, a code of principles and
promulgated a policy which no pre-
vious attempt in behalf of the people
is comparable in suggesting remedies
for the amelioration of the restitution
and heart rending misery Of wealth
producers of every class? And will
they dare to have the temerity to I'm.
der rate the ability of those men who
met in St. Louis on the 5th of last
December, and have the e~frontery to
stigmatize their work as piece of
moon struck, chimerical crankiness
If so, all they've got to do is to get
up a controversy with the National
Economist Gncomparably the ablest
journal published in the United States)
on this score, after which they will be
apt to be so incontinently wiped out
of existence that not a grease-spot
will be left as a reminder of their
previous entity. But | trow not, for
all they've got to do is to read (which
doubtless they have) the proceedings
Of the annual session of the Farmers
and Laborers' Union of America, and
the National Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union, which convened in
St. Louis on the 5th of December last,
in order to be convinced whether
they acknowledge it or not) that no
equal number of men could have been
selected from the intellectual aggre.
gate of the country who could have
exhibited greater mental capacity
than they evinced on that occasion.
What equal number of men could be
selected from both Houses of Con
gress who could have excelled them
in the ability they manifested through.
out every clause and sentence of their
written proceedings? 1 venture to
say, they could not have been sur.
passed. And none, too, know bet,
ter than these adverse outsiders the
extent of the intellectual force ready,
at hand, to champion, defend, and
nnhnlI tho most Doo, $500 - Il