The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1891-11-05
TIE FARMmRS' ALLIANCE.

the danger Ofthe Farmers ALL
ance." For The object OF the
alliance when it was first estab-
l'shed he has the mos; profound
respect. It was the first com
Eined protest against the In
creased power given by Congress
10 manufacturing companies and
corporations, many hundreds
Of thousands of the latter being,
organized to hi,ndie money and
credit with profit. and with only
g limited responsibility for lossesi
nd defaications." In thus fav-
crlng the capitalist and the man
ufacture,- the farming communi-
tx has not been considered, while
the industry, skill and genius Oh
the industrial man have been
converted into merchandise
hich he must sci! in a market
here the capitalist names the
Price OF labor au;l limits he pc
rod Of empl Oyment. The
States, more than the federal
government, have crystallized
the power Of capital and credit
II swarms o: corporations OF
eveFy sort. These corporations
we're intended primarily for the
benefit Of agriculture as the
foundation and support of all
other industries and vOcations.
Their proper regulation and re-
s'l.ictiCn by the States would
have secured that purpose. But
y hen Congress threw the weight
o. national legislation in their
vor they became The oDpressors
ald dest'oyers OF The agricultu-
ri class and OF other industrial
d 4oDle. 1T isfor the removal Of
this unjust discrimination that
the appeal fol. relief has become
Il most Il frantic demand of the
sufferers"
The farmers have been slowly
bat steadily forced into this at
ti5uda by their common aversion
to all forms Of class legislation.
Il the earlier wears ofour nation
a existance the greater portion
o. The wealth of the country was
il possession OF the agriculture
ISIS. Agriculture III all its crops
was then our great controlling
ard commercial pursuit. In the
last half century all this has
q 3uged, and the farmers are in
dustriously seeking for the causes
ard the authors Of he revolution
Stat has placed them under mort
9; &c to the money power. This
inquiry agitates them, and if it
drives them into inconsiderate
ae lion the fault is not theirs, but
Ii at the door of the various
dam. ev0us abuses from which
they are suffeiing.''
The system which gives the
American market exclusively to
tn American manufactured bears
he lyily agriculture. GA high
price home market FOR what they
must bny ana a low-priced for
eign market for what they must
sell impress the farmers with a
co .iction Of serious injustice.
This feeling is greatly aggra-
waited by the fact that the men
to whom they pay such tribute
buy the farmers prodncts at
prices fixed in the pauperized
European markets. The just
purpose that the farmers had in
view was to work the feeling of
the count Try against the discrim-
nation made by Congress in ia
yor OF capitalists, corporations
and special manufactures. An
other important purpose of the
Farmers Alliance at its organi-
"a ion "was to educate the far
lnecs in the theory and history
OF constitutional government in
the United States" Their mis-
take was III 3.'lving upon the
wisdom of their own members.
Almost every man in the United
States who had earned any char
acter as a statesman, legislator,
iurist or inancier was excladed
from the alliance" and it's policy
was regula ted by men of imper-