Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-02
E---POLITICS.
Position Of the Texas Farmer in
the Coming Campaign.
The Grand Cid Democratic Party Must
be Wrenchpd from the Grasp
Of Monopoly.
Are the Farm~rs of Texas Mistaken in their
E,tIma of the Political NituaiJn7
They ara After z form.

/ trust you will excuse farmer for seeking
your columns to talk politics. My apology is
the belief that the campaign now opened is to be
a crisis in Texas, and because am true Demo-
crat and want to see the triumph of true Democ-
racy. 1t is time when every honest and pa
triotic man should look the issues involved
squarely in the face. 1 choose THE GAZETTE be-
cause have noticed it is fair in its treatment of
the Grange, while both ends of the Galveston
Dallas News almost ignores the Grange, but
does all it can to give Importance to a few office
hunters IN the Allan &c, who seek to draw that
order into a crazy and foolish third party move
ment. The policy of the News seems to me very
plain to drive the reform elements out of the
Democratic party and leave its state convention
an easy prey to monopoly and spectators. THE
GAZETTE, on the contrary, seems to me to work
conscient ously for the dominance OF the people
rather than of any special or class interests.
Fut to the question: l am member and an
officer in the Texas state Grange. 1t cannot, l
think, be successfully controverted That the
Grange represents the most practI al, conserva-
tive, intelligent, best informed, and hence near
est financially independent class, among our
farmers. 1t follows, therefore, that what may
be affirmed OF the Grange may be emphasized of
the agricultural classes in general as far as dis
content with present conditions and suspicious
of political parties is concerned. Now. affirm
that Democratic Changers are very restless oyer
present political conditions in Texas. They do
not believe that Texas Democracy has in the past
been run in the interest OF the people, and they
are exceedingly ,piciouS OF most OF the leaders
therein generally self-constitu ed leaders.
They are not at all uneasy about the princi-
pies of Democracy but about the elements that
in the main have controlled Democracy $50
calledl in Texas. cannot give You better
idea OF this restless feeling than to adopt the
language of the Texas Farmer. organ of the
Texas Grange, in circulars lately sent out to its
agenls, to our cooperative associations and TO
Oranges, anent the need OF activity during the
campaign. remark. parenthetlcally, that our
papers policy is directed by an executive
board, selected from the best men in the order
from different sections of the state. so that
what it saws may be taken on the whole as
representative of general Grange sentiment.
quote: o,...o.,
paign of more vital Importance, especially to
agricultural classes, than any through which
the state has previously passed. tbs CAM
paign is to be almost. II not quite, the death
struggle between the people and their merciless
foes -syndicates, trusts, monopolies, subsidized
LAWYERS and workers and SubSi lied newspapers.
IL is only sought (by the Grange) to induce
farmers to open wide the fountains of their own
thought and investigation, and admit the light
of facts of reason, and of right. These attri-
buses OF the Grange should be doubly emphasized
in Texas az this time, because the darAeSt and
unscrupulous schemers are being laid 20 entrap
the votes of the farmer and wage-worker. Capt.
tai drawn from its legitimate and natural cham
neis and massed in great monopoIleS, syndlcateS
and trusts aud these aided by the ablest legal
and newspaper talent-which, shame to say,
prostitutes itself to bribery-is even now laying
unjust burdens depressing the people, but to
graft vet other and greater evils upon them.
To do this they will attempt IN the name OF
Democracy to put plant tools into oQr state
Offices state departments and legislature these
tools being the yilest of Gods creatures; men
with vigorous and learned miGds, which they
use in the service OF bride givers.
To this end every fraud deception and false
hood which cunning can invent or corruption
sucg ST. will be employed.
The political history of Texas VIII prove that
there has never been political convention of
any Importance in which the railroad power has
not had a sufficient force of railroad lawyers and
workers TO either direct or obStruct its proceed
irgs.
cratic because the dominant party in Texas.
These PAL alto :neys and workers for railroads
have always had the backing OF the leading
daily papers with one two exceptions-these
being likewise directly or indirectly paid by the
railroads and other monopolies. The manage
ment of Texas Farmer knows OF four leading
daily papers that have been subsidized by the
railroads. There are doubtless others. Monop-
DIV recognizes the Importance of getting the
great weekly editions of these papers into the
hands of farmers. To this end they are now be-
ing almost given away. One of these has gone
so far as to employ young college professor
whom it calls special agricultural editor.
The paper then asks questions and ex-
horts as follows:
care your papers edited By men Of indiyid-