The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-02-21

present. After the Annual Meeting
there will be a change.
The Mortified News on the Alliance.
The following excerpt, from one OF
the representative papers OF the state,
is very cheerful addition to ALI
ance literature. A country journal,
however strong it may be, cannot do
the work of a special organ. 1t is
naturally more cosmopolitan-tak-
ing in every issue which lies at the
bottom OF domestic civilpolity. And
looking at the press of the state in
this light, the attitude OF this strong
journal indicates a powerful factor in
it's editorial composition, to bespeak
Justice for the toiling masses:
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
The agricultural interests OF this
country, and particularly of the
Northwest, frequently find arraign-
ed against it all the multifarious
forms of combination which selfish
capital can invent. 1t is often the
victim of every device that can be
formulated by the cunning Of capital
and the greed of avarice. 1t pays
tribute to the government, and is re-
garded as the plunder-ground of such
organizations as the "dressed beef
combine. In short, the farming
community is the defenceless lamb
held in the clutches of the ravenous
wolf. But why is it defenceless'o.
Only because it has failed to learn
the lesson that capital began to
learn years ago-the tremendous
power of cooperation. Gin union
there is strength" Each individual
farmer has stood alone for genera
tions, and is to-day doing the same.
And because he stands alone he is
singled out and forced to contribute
to powerful combines. The Farmers
Alliance is an encouraging sign OF
the times that the agricultural in
terest has determined to make q
speciality OF protecting it's own house
hold. 1t has coddled and supported
railways, manufactures and com
merce until these creatures have be-
come greater than their creator, for
agriculture is the formulation and
supporter of all of these. The Far
mers' Alliance is byno means an ideal
institution, but it is a step in the
right direction. AS an organization
it lacks many things; but at any
rate it is an organization, and has
for it's purpose the guardianship OF
the interests of the agriculturists
as class. Thus far it's chief weak.
ness is probably found in the fact
that it is not more universally pa.
tronized and supported by the far.
mers themselves. I'll The institution de-
serves the cordial and combined sup.
port of every man in the west who
relies directly upon the cultivation Of
the land for the maintenance of him
self and family The News would be
glad to be able to announce that the
farmers of Minnesota had formed an
alliance as dictatorial and command.
ing as the Chicago dressed beef com.
bine; that had established and de-
finitely fixed the exact amount o.
cereals that should be produced and
could thereby determine as autocrati
cally the price OF their products az
the managers of railway can fi1
the terms of transportation. Unit
the farmers learn thoroughly the les
son OF combination and the irresist
ible strength of perfect union they
will be and remain the shuttle-cOcl
OF chance and the plaything of cor
porate monopoly. But in perfectine
their organization the farmers mus
expect to stand alone. They will re
ceive neither aid nor comfort from
any other vested interest, for BY
combination for their own good the!
are emptying into the fire the fat O
some other guild-some parasitic
growth that has been fed upon profits
wrung from the great underlying in
dustry. Minnesota is an agricultural
j State, and the man or newspape
that does not rejoice at the efforts o
| the agricultural interest to panopl.
itself against plumber is not true t.
, the real ll-being of our noble com
J monwealth. Success then to the Far
, mers' Alliance and the sturdy mel
/ who are standing obloquy and mis-
, representatio on determined to fight tn
: good fight until the most ignoran
, tiller of the soil has learned the yer,
7 common lesson that Gin union Their
is strength