The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-02-19

gam IHc aScendancy the same as they
now possess in the old parties, and you
would realize you only had the old party
machine under a new name. In fact
the essential underlying principle Of Il
political party is, that those who vote
with you may be your political masters
and compel you to vote as they dictate,
or punish you with political Ostracism
and the party lash.
believe in pledges believe men
ought to be willing to pledge themselves
to each other to vote for good men or
good measures: but not to vote for men
or measures because majority of any
party or class of men may demand it.
But the important question is: How
may political Independence be made sue
ce>sfulo
answer: Every new party is formed
| by independent political action, and all
that is necessary for it's success is that
| its principles should be held by major
| ity of the voters of the country or local
| ity and that they be enabled to nominate
| and concentrate their votes on such men
as are true to those principles.
Now as success has been achieved in
| this way in several Instances, and that
| without the aid of any definite plan, but
| arising as it We're Oh the spur of the mo
| ment. it does seem reasonable that by
| following out Il definite, plain system for
| such action every year that success
| would be the rule and not the exception.
| What is the reason that in every great
| question OF reform. or every measure
| for the public good which may be sug-
| gested and brought forward it is SO diff
cult to get people to vote together? 1t
| is because they are arrayed against each
| other in existing political parties and
| those parties will not sanction such com
| binatinn to sustain the principle as
would be effective, but insist that their
numbers must be arrayed against each
other on partisan lines.
| Surely some better way to reduce
| righteous principles into legal enact
mcntS may be devised.
| Permit me to suggest plan for your
| consideration. Let this alliance discuss
and agree upon such measures as it shall
| deem eXpedient to form a basis for polit-
! ical action for this year and next. Place
| this by correspondence before the other
| great industrial organizations, and with
! their concurrence let d convention be
| called al some central point for the pur-
! pose OF comparing views and finally
| adopting as a national platform con-
else set Of principles which can be cor
daily supported by all. Then publish
them to the world and let the remainder
of the year be spent in disseminating
these principles and preparing for
THE GREAT STRUGGLE IN 1892.
The subjects on which those principles
| are founded should be those which are
most vital to the prosperity Of the pco-
| pie. the honest laborers of the whole
| country, and which can be SO impressed
on the majority of the people that they
can be adopted and carried out.
think they may all be included in
! the following list Money reform. land
| reform, transportation reform, ballot re-
! form, aud the suppression of any vice
| tolerated by law to the peril of our ma
| tional government.
| Time will not permit me to give you
| more than Il glance at each of these sub
/ jects. but | hope that during our session
| they may be discussed i'll such a manner
as to lead to a definite line Of action on
the subject. But if during the discus
sion it should appear that practical
| unanimiiy cannot be arrived at on the
| subject. it for the present should not be
| adopted for political action. And in
! presenting my views briefly ON this sub
| fect, it is not in any dogmatic spirit. but
| rather as u learner to draw out ideas
| from you, my brothers, to strengthen or
| modify my own.
| Money is 4 creature Of law. The i'll
| trinSic value of the material of which it
| is manufactured does not add to its
value. The piece of paper 3X- inches.
which is issued by the government and
which is named 81 1000, will purchase
just as much and will pay just as large
Il debt As the 100 $40 gold pieces, while
| the metal could be bartered for the labor
| and. material to manufacture 1000. 900
Of Vie paper money. SO, who the 81, 900
| bill will fill a contract for $1,000 Il ST.
| 600, 900 worth of gold or diamonds would
| not pay it if the creditor choose to re-
fuse. Nor does the promise to pay
| add one iota of yalue to the bill. Let
| the stamp be reversed and just lone
| thousand dollars" be printed on the
| paper without any qualification and the
| gold be stamped promise to pay and
| their relative value as circulating me-
| dium i'll this country would not be
changed. But if the gold We're stamped
| ''recevab!e for all debts except taxes,
| the paper would soon be considered
| worth the most.
The fact is. wlIat the government Ia
| bels rs money, il is bound to receive as
| money. and what will pay the govern
ment will pay any subject of the govern
| ment, unless otherwise prescribed by
| law.
But money. when manufactured by
| the government, is Of no use to the peO-
pie except it be put into circulation.
There are two ways in which this
might be accomplished, either Of which
would be far better than the present sys-
! TEN. The one. to estimate how much
per capita would be necessary to furnish
IL sufficient supply for the business OF
the people, and then to issue that amoun,
of currency and apply it to the expenses
of the government, in the meantime re-
mitting government tax and duties in i
corresponding amount
The other. to issue such an amount as
| will be just enough for the best interests
of the people and loaning to them on
good security without interest such
money as they need in their industries,
limited in amount to any one individual
The advocates of the first plan seem
| to overlook the fact that no adequate
| amount could thus be put in circulation
without making u complete change in
our revenue system necessary. to be fol
| lowed in Il short time by a recurrence tC
the old method: or adopting yet another
untricd method of supporting the cX'
pcnscs of the government.
The method of loaning to the working
| people without interest | think the most
| feasible and least objectionable. II
money was thus furnished by the gov
ernment on term of few years to indi
viduals, but perpetual to the people, anC
absolutely without interest, the boarding
of money would be stopped, except it be
in the case of few miserS, and all the
| money in the country would soon De in
circulation. In fact, the very design OF
money is opposed to accumulation by in
terest. 1t is only intended and needed
as a medium of exchange, and should nc
more be subject to accumulation than
an order on the baker for bread or OF
the grocer for sugar or coffee.
If man is unable to work he ought
to be supported by law. But if he i: