The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-07-15

N4SO Al @AS
question, as is done in the letter, is
only calculated to complicate 1t, but
it will not have the old-time effect OF
making the people blind to the real
issue. The Senator's reference to
affairs in South Carolina and the ex
listing relations between the farmer,
his party and his friends the lawyer,
doctor, merchant and town people
generally, might well be the subject
of an entire letter, and a very long
comment, so important is 1t. 1t is
not german to this subject, however,
and it is held that the farmers are
now and have all the time been acting
on the defensive. They are contend
ing against the domination Of their
favorite political party by a Wall
street ring that furnishes millions OF
Doodle money for campaign purposes.
Most of the old line politicians have
more faith in money as an auxiliary
for campaign purposes than IN votes,
because with money they can influence
the press and buy the saloons. 1t
seems impossible to arouse these old
line politicians to the fact that the
people have awakened to a new move
ment, and that their very existence
demands that they assert their indie
pendence from such rule; neverthe
less that rule, flushed with victory IN
the past and never having known de-
feat, asserts itself with more AFRO,
gance than ever, and when the farm
e1s with an verwhelming majority
assert their wishes in the party to
which they belong they are told that
if they insist they will split the party
and leave an opening for black rule,
why don't the ssges who utter such
wisdom lay the blame on the rule or
ruin majority that would prefer to see
black rule in the country than for
the farmer to have justice ? That is
where the blame lies. Now in this
great conflict, when the town people,
the politicians and the party, if it
should aver be so foolish, take the
side of the Wall street ring, it mat
tiers not if they are pretended friends;
they are instantly recognized as be-
longing the opposition that would
rather see black rule, or any other
rule, than farmer supremacy.
Conditions have for years been de-
veloping that tended to perpetuate a
man in Congress who implicitly obeys
the dictates of the powers that be in
his party. If by such obedience he
creates a little unpopularity at home,
he is supplied at the proper time with
plenty of "help" to n~eutralize that.
But on the other hand, if he dares to
place the interests of the people above
what the powers that be his party
conceive to be the interest of the
party, he will get no "help" at the
next election, and his opponent will
be successful. No one knows this
better than the old line politicians.
Whether the people will assert them
selves in opposition to this has not yet
been demonstrated, and one can expect
an old line politician to forsake a Eel
tainty for an uncertainty. If the
people develop capacity to control the
Wall street ring in their own party,
it will be grounds for supposing them
capable of self government. If they
do not it is ring rule, and ambitious
persons will continue to expend their
forces in efforts to placate the ring
and not the people.
A general view of the letter and the
circumstances which surround it shows
that its author was all right, but has
been imposed upon by the hidden and
unseen powers that be which have
inaugurated the conspiracy to defeat
the Farmers Alliance, and make its
name a by-word and a jest throughout
the land. That conspiracy seeks to
control one or both the great political
parties. 1t has already selected its
candidates for the presidency in 1892,
and in conformity thereto it dictated
the sentiment that actuated the let,
tiers of Mills, Carlisle, Reagan, and
others. Senator Vance introduced
the bill in all candor, and honestly
stood by it as long as he could, but
he did not possess the moral courage
to stand the terrible onslaught of
ridicule and abuse that was being
prepared for those who cast their lot
with the farmer all the way through.
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