The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-05-26
AN EARNEST APPEAL.
BEAVER DAN. y. c.. Nav ID. 81

BEAVER DAM, n. c., May 13, 81
Brethren, we are now approaching
the most critical period in the history
of our order. Both the great parties
are using every conceivable effort to
cripple the Alliance by causing dissen-
sion and strife in our ranks. POliti-
clans who have so long kept the people
in the dark as to the real issues, see
that the success of the labor Organiza-
tiOn means political funerals for them.
Great mOneyed corporations that are
working fortunes from the hfe-blOOd
of humanity, see inscribed on our ban
ner equal rights to all and special
privileges to none, and know it means
! justice to producers. Railroad kings
see in the Alliance something that
makes them quake and tremble for
! fear of Justice Bankers see our de
mands and are fired with Indignation
towards US A crisis is nearing that
will try mems souls and test their 10y
atty to their county. Having inves-
tigated the causes and devised a rem
edy, the great task now IS how to APP
ply it. This eau be done only by unity
Of action, and how to secure this seems
to be the greatest question. Some say
work in the dominant party, but all
the argument that | have seen III favor
of this is very inconsistent. Were the
two great parties pure as they once
were, the plan would be contrary to
our principles as unity of action is
imperativeIy demanded" But since
| the leaders of both parties are firmly
united against our Demands it appears
to ire the mereet fclly b. try - have
them enacted by either party. Then
you are going to form a third party. .
No, it is ready formed and has been
since the first labor organization, Par
ties form themselves and no power can
prevent it.
When hear a man say that he is an
Allianceman and a Democrat, I know
that man is ignorant and needs infor
nation. III hear him say the Alliance
and Democratic platforms are prac-
tically the same, [ sympathize with
him, for / know the Democrats have
him hitched up to a Democrat-Repub-
ican wagon and the poor fellow has
been pulling against a similar horse at
the other end for twenty years and
the result is, the wagon has been
rocked deeper in the mud and the
horses are nearly worn out and will
soon be turned into dry pasture to
die. It is said that pup gets its eyes
open in nine days, and it does seem
that the people could get theirs open in
nine years.
Brethren, in the name of our coun-
try, in the name Of your wives and
children, let me urge you to study the
conditions that surround you. Study
the system that allows idle drOnes to
grasp all your hard earnings. When
you are laboring side by side with your
wife and daughter and see your chill
dren developing into manhood and wO-
manhood with minds uncultured and
bodies deformed from labor, ask your
self whether you live in a free cOun-
try. When you see so many of your
brethren losing their hOmes-the dear
est places on earth to them-and con
slider how earnestly they have labored
from early morn till late at night and
actually suffered for the necessaries of
life and after all can hardly keep body
and soul together, ask whether there
is an ''overproduction " in this country.
When you see that our government
fosters a system that causes 10, 600
children to die annually in New York
City for want of food and clothing, ask
which way our civilization is tending
Note the downfall Of other nations and
inquire into the causes and see whether
ours can long survive under present
conditions and tendencies. If you are
desperately in love with either of the
two political parties, could you give
us the reason? Is it because they both
voted for contraction and caused pov-
erty to cast her gloom into millions Of
homes Containing once happy families!
Is it because they gave away enough
of our public lands to make empires
and caused one-fourth of the American
farmers to become tenants for their
lords2 You who till the soil and feed
the nation, it's time to awake and the
sooner the better. J. Z. GREENE.