Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-08-20
Manipulating the Missouri Alliance.

| the IelerlOO massacre. e.-ftepuDllc.
Manipulating the Missouri Alliance.
| The Republican plan of campaign in
| Missouri in 1892 is plainly inferrible from
the strenuous attempts now being made
TO control the Farmers Allan &c in the
| Republican interest. The work in this
direction has been done skillfully and so
quietly that almost before Democrats
| have suspected what is being done every
| thing has been arranged for packing the
State Farmers Alliance Convention,
which meets July %. 1t is the intention
of the Republican managers TO use that
convention as the first step for Third
party movement in 1892. To this end
the Republicans in the Alliance. among
whom are some very skiltul politicians,
have forced against the Democrats the
issues of Federalism and Capitalization
I involved in the demand for national con-
| troll OF crops and railroads, Delegates
committed to this have been systemati-
| cally selected, as it was not very hard to
do before Democratic members of the
Alliance were fully aroused to the mean
ing of the movement. There is now lit
| tie doubt that the coming conve ntion
will be under Republican control. and
that these measures of extreme Ceatrali-
zatIon, which, it adopted, would destroy
| Democracy. root and branch. will be Civ
en- quasi Endorsement IN the name of the
farmers of Missouri.
On the strength of this Endorsement.
the Republicans will 60 on to push
1hird-p party movement in Missouri in the
hope of dividing the Democratic party, of
carrying the State next year and of elect
ing Republicans to Congress as ''Third-
party men,
The Republic will not pretend to be
surprised at this, or that it is making
any sudden discovery at time when the
plans for it are vertibly perfected. We
have suspected aud anticipated it, and if
we have not been more active in calling
to it, it was because it seemed better to
allow it to become self-evident.
That it will defeat itself. we have no
doubt. Democrats in and out of the AL
liance have no reas on for alarm. Our in
dorsement of Capitalization, thus OBJ
tanned, will not represent the Missouri
Alliance. Although it contains many
who are Republicans in principle, willing
to make the Federal Government omnip-
otent and all pervading; the majority of
its members are believers i'm individual
independence and in local self govern
ment. No Elusive offer of s'money dirt
cheap" can tempt them to surrender the
final control of their homes and their
State to any set of Politicians in the Dis
trict of Columbia. They are neither i'm
perialists, Federaiists. Republicans nor
Socialists. They are Missourlans believ-
ing in individual independence and in
f-government-not in dependence on
the District of Columbia. They will seek
the remedy for oppression in greater free
dom; they will cure the diseases Of Re-
pubiicanism by Democracy.
When the attempt is made to compel
Democrats in the Alliance to accept theo-
ries of Government utterly antagnostic to
Democracy; to drive them to the sup
port OF principles WHICH no democrat can
indorse without ceasing to be Democrat,
they will reply in the language OF the
platform just adopted by the farmers of
That the Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union is not, and cannot become, a political
party. The proper work of the order is ed
ucational only, and its members are free
each for himself, to decide with what party
he will act. 1t is, on the other hand, for
poll ica parties and the managers thereof,
each for themselves, to determine what they
will do to deserve the moral support of the
order.
The Democrats OF the Missouri Alliance
have the constitution of the order back of
them. They cannot be coerced in their
political opinions or governed in their
political action by the fiat of any set f
political ''fine workers" operating
through the Alliance. They cannot be
be driven out of the Alliance. They win
stay in and support its constitution, and
whenever they are looked for, they will
be found, uncoerced and uncontrolled,
standing ''four square" for their rights
as men and their principles as Democrats.