The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-07-27

While partisans are likely to curse thu stead
lily growing Farmers Alliance movement which
threatens to overthrow the old order of things
political in many States, Others will see in it oc-
casion for rejoicing. great danger to repub-
lican institutions lies in the existence of large
body OF citizens who can be relied on year after
year to follow blindly and unquestioningly the
lead Of selfish party bosses. Such compact
bodies of voters, governed by sentiment and
accepting without thought inquiry the shall
low cries of the campaign shouters, are, though
themselves innocent of wrong-dong, the most
dangerous instrument in the hands of the dema-
gogue and the men who make politics trade
Not only do they allow sentimental allegiance
to dead issues and party cries to blind them to
their own material interests, but they stand as a
stone wall to block the path of citizens who are
more alive to the real needs of the country and
who know the insncerty and chicanery of the
politicians. The farmers in many sections of
the country have heretofore been almost bevopd
the reach OF those better influences which have
striven to purify politics and educate the pub
lie conscience up to a higher conception of gov
erDment. Through indifference or an unintelli-
gent conservatism the farming communities
year after year have turned a deaf ear to the
appeals of those who sought to show them the
causes OF the distress of which they complained
and the method of remedying it through enlight-
ened political action. The Alliance movement
shows that at last the farmers are awake and de-
termined to break away from the old leaders and
secure for themselves if possible an amelioration
of their hard lot. To effect their purposes they
have hit upon some wild and utterly un-Ameri-
can schemes, such as the proposed Government
warehouses AS they become used to the new
n N n
and thought reveal to them the character of
what they propose in its true light, they can
hardly fail TO abandon these un-American
schemes. When they at last discover the true
causes of their distress in the unfair economic
legislation of the past twenty-five years, which
has built up fabulous fortunes for the ''captains
of protected manufacturing aud other Industries
while the farmers grew poorer and poorer, they
Will apply their power to working out their
salvation in rational manner and they will
achieve results which will not only benefit them
selves but place the whole industrial and com
mercial fabric Of the country on a healthier
basis. The great point has been gained In
forcing the farmers to think and act independ-
entity OF the professional politicians. The agri-
cultural classes are as a rule determined hard
headed, ana not at all lacking in shrewdness:
and now that they are thoroughly stirred up
they are likely to push on until they have ac-
complished something. Their dstrust of the
old party hacks seems to be complete, and they
are not likely again to fall under their influence
nor to be satisfied with chaff The thing to be
most regretted is that many good men in both
old parties are likely to share the fate of their
worthless associates and to be forced into pri-
yate life when they might be Of real use 10 the
country,