The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-11-05
ernmen: has not been and cannot be
defeated

! as broad as the Industries of the peo-
| pie. The question is, snail the money
system stand upon the property of the
people or upon the debts of the people.
Stand upon the same economic law
/ underlying the labor saving machine.
and bear as lightly as possible, or shall
| it continue to be an instrument Of
! monopoly hearing rs heavily As pos
! silnle?
Shall the people in harmony with
| true democracy own and control the
medium of exchange, or shall L hand
! full of plutocrats at the money center
! own and control it, and through it
dominate the government itself:
Brethren, in the issue now joined be
tween industry and monopoly, let us
be vigilant and brave looking upward
and forward There will be a contest
soon. the most memorable in the an
mails of mankind. The contest is to de-
termine whether public instrumental
ties, the taxing, the transportation
| the money systems, shall cor ,inue to
be poisoned with monopoly, continue
| to enfold the industries of the people
| like giant anacondas, or whether they
I shall take their proper places as simple
distributing agencies side by side with
| industry on the common latform of
republican institutions, the platform Of
equal rights TO all, special privileges
| to none.
| In tins contest We may not hope to
succeed until the people thoroughly
understand the matter in issue and
realize the necessity for readjust
| ment.
The average citizen is a partisan.
| His condition IS one OF profound apa-
thy on these economic questions. Too
often he is mere tool in the hands Of
l,arty papers and party bosses. He
must be instructed, he must he visited
in his home. He must be awakened
to a sense of his duty. Let us make
snch an earnest call to duty that the
| plowman will stop in the 1ield, the
mechanic lay down his hammer to
listen and learn Of these matters that
cannot be neglected except at the peril
| OF free government itself.
| Who are the enemies of the Alliance?
Their name is legion; their power i'm
mense; the party newspaper almost
without exception; the great tlailies of
the money centers. The press has come
TO he for the most part q business en-
terprise, run for money or political
plumber. It's influence is for sale
1t manufactures public sentiment on
contract. Thoroughly venal and mer-
cenary, it would strangle the Alliance
for the money to he had OF the pluto
crat and the corporation.
Monev-loaning institutions without
exception are our enemies. The husi,
ness exploiter and gambler. the party
leader and chronic office holder, would
all rejoice at our fall and finally the
great mass Of the people of all occnpa-
tions who refuse or neglect to think
for themselves, but drift along in the
current of party politics.
The education and conversion of this
great class is the only hope OF the Alli-
ance. All the others must be met in
the open field and fought to q finish.
1t is idle to waste time parleving with
the forces that emanate from the great
parties. They must be defeated at the
ballot box. They will listen to moth
ing else
Our task is great one. but it is q
simple one. 1t consists in laying he
fore the people the justice O: our de
mands, the need of united. harmonious
action.
The common people are honest and
conscientious. but they are blinded by
the smoke Of sham party battles and
/ kept in ignorance Of the economic con-
,iitions under which they live.
1t is our task to preach the gospel Of
the Farmers Alliance. and il Is our
| business here to-day to ascertain our
present status, to counsel together to-
devise ways AMI means for carrying
forward the work. It will require the.
earnest effort of all the brethren; Il
will require sacrifice of both time and
money to build up our organization
until it will be such force us will
command the attention and compel the
respect of its enemies.
Our greatest task is to create pub
lie sentiment III harmony with the true
principles of political economy. We
need not expect assistance from the
great party press of the cities.
Our chief school and hope lies with
the suh-alliances. Let us plant these
in every neighhorhood. push the Alli~
ance press and literature into every
home. Let us renew no subscriptions
to the party press of either party that
msrepresents or opposes our demands
Let monopoly support the monopoly
press. We farmers and mechanics can
not afford to do il any longer
Let us stand firm by the colors o:
the Alliance. Let lis cultivate spirit
of fraternity with all kindred organiza~
t1ons. Let us put the Alliance above
our fealty to any political party, anG
in the great contest for the emancipa.
tion of industry from the domination
Of monopoly: let rs rejoice in the prom
ise of battle and the hope of victory.
Stradhling on the silver Question.
The indianapolis Sentinel. the plu~
tocratic organ of the democracy of In
diana. calls attention to the fact that
the republican platform in Massachu-
setts denounces the free and unlimited
coinage of silver. and that tie rapuh
lican platform in Colorado demands,
the free and unlimited coinage of silver,
and demonstrates the inconsistency of
such a divided party claiming to rep
resent national ISSUES.