The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-01-31
WISCONSIN.
IGNATlUs DoNNELLY,
On The Merits of the Alliance Move
ment,

ment.
The editor of the Wisconsin Agri-
culturist has requested me to write a
series OF articles for his paper, upon
topics touching the interests of the
farmers of Wisconsin. [ am the
more disposed to comply with his re-
quest because it seems to me that
Wisconsin is behind the rest of the
Northwest in the agitation OF those
questions which concern the welfare
of the agricultural class.
Some years ago your State did put
forth great efforts and elected Gov
ernor Taylor, but your entire nerve
force was exhausted in that spas
modic revolution; and soon after
you settled down again into your ma
tural torpor; and the railroad cor
porations took possession OF the
rudder, and have been guiding the
Ship of State ever since, without a
word of protest from the crew or pas
sengers. 1t is said that man who
goes through a great battle never
quite RECEIVERS the tone Ofhis nervous
system, shattered and collapsed by
the uproar and excitement of the
midhty conflict. The farmers of
Wisconsin seem never to have over
come the prostratiOn which followed
that solitary effort at self-defense;
they need q course of tones and
nervines; indeed, the TRANSMISSION of
= blood from the veins of warlike
sheep might do them some good.
While it is true that they might
naturally enough, be ashamed of
themselves, for making an effort to
improve their own condition, 4 must
be remembered that many years
have passed since that offence was
committed; and they might surely
get over the effects by this time.
Minnesota has over 600 Alliances;
the two Dakotas over 500; in Iowa
the order is strong enough to smash
a servile candidate of the railroads,
set up by the Republicans for COVER
nor; and throughout Illinois, Mis-
souri,, Texas and the entire South,
there is q movement on foot that
promises to dwarf all other political
issues, in the presence of those great
questions which concern the welfare
of the agricultural class. But Wis
consin is silent. The Wisconsin
farmer sucks his thumb, and looks
timidly to the railroad presidents for
guidance; while the drums are beat
ing and the hosts OF the people are
marshalling on one side; and on the
other gigantic rings, trusts, combi-
nations and corporations are NOV
ing to impoverish and pauperize the
people.
But" says the Democratic farm
er who reads this, "this man wants
to start new party and beat the
great and good and pure Democrat
ic party. I will have none OF it. l
will continue to suck my thumb
"Ah," says the Republican farmer,
as he too reads this, ''this is an ennis
sary of Democracy He is laboring
to bring about the ruin OF the grand
old party, with all it's noble memo
ries. He can't fool me. Thumb
sucking is the duty of the hour"
Both the wiseacres are wrong. The
Alliance is strictly non-partizan. 1t
proposes neither to build up nor pull
down any political party. What it
seeks is good laws and reform. 1t
says to The Republican, -"stick to
your partN You will, and purify and
improve it;' to the Democrat it
brings the same message. A repn5-
liz is O government of the people;
and the vast majority of the people
are producers. We desire to see the
producers take possession OF theg
ernment; and overthrow the tricky
minority of politicians, wire 3ullers,
and tools OF monopoly, Who have
led the nation, until nov, the dread
full condition of the producing
classes is patent to all the world.
We especially concern ourselves with
state legislation. The laws passed
by Congress DO notssaffect us directly
as the laws passed by our State leg
islatures. The sins of omission or
commission of our own immediate
representatives, selected by our
selves, are the cause Of one half our
miseries. Our state legislatufes. as
all the world knows, have become
hot-beds and seed-plants Of iniquity
and corruption. We have permitted
gigantic corporations to rob us OF
our property, and then use part OF
the plumber to buy up the very peo-
,1le we elect to stop the robbery.
Our own money hires the blacksmith
that rivets our chains.
Thus the struck eagle. stretched upon the plain
Never mid rolling clouds to soar again,
Sees his own pinion on the fatal dort,
Itwinged the shaft that quivers in his heart.
Every year our legislatures be:
come more and more rotten. Why!
Because every year the amount
stolen from us becomes larger. To
stop the robbery is to insure purity
If all the world combines against
us we must combine against all