The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-09-08
AN OPEN LETTER
To the Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union Of the United States.
OLIN, n. c., Aug. IA, 1891

MIR. ITOR:-On-lOOkGr regard the
above named organizations as a reform
movement, and those identified with
1t as refOrmerS. The writer is in sym
pathy with these industrial Organiza-
tons; IN fact, IS a loyal member of the
Farmers Alliance.
50 many abuses have crept into the
body polite, that a correction of these
evils seems to be an absolute necessity.
Many efforts have been made by the
suffering masses to get relief, legisla-
tive relief, through the old parties, but
monopoly and plutOcracy have these
old parties so subsidized that all our
efforts thus far have been unavailing;
hence, an organization of the wage
workers Of the country, whether found
IN the shop, factory, or on the farm
for self-prOtectiOn, is one of the i'm
perative needs Of the hour. All good
men are in sympathy with these re
formers, whether they approve of all
their methods or not At the same
time thoughtful friends are aware that
great changes lie out before them, and
they feel that all those making a new
departure in the interest of genuine
and permanent reform, should feel
their way carefully, and take warning
from the mistakes that have been made
in the past by the old parties. And
why is it that the old parties have SO
miserably failed in coming up to the
full measure of their duty as great
national parties? 1t was not because
Of a scarcity of good men in either of
them, but, as a rule, the unscrupulous
men in both, worked themselves to the
front as leaders in State and National
affairs, and the good men were re-
manded to the rear, and supinely sur
rendered the control of the party ma
chinery into the hands of selfish dema-
gOgueS and whiskey and corporation
mOnOpoliStS. And so tight a grip have
these leaders upon these old parties
that most Of our best people have
despaired Of ever getting relief from
either
Now these new industrial reform
organizations will have both good and
bad men belonging to them, and if the
good men don't march bravely to the
front and control and run things in the
interest Of right, in the interest of the
tOiling millions, in a little while they
will be as great stencil III the nOstrllS
of all good men as any of these other
organizations have been that we have
so Justly and severely criticised. These
old parties have long since ceased to
enunciate living and eternal principles
in their platforms, State or National,
too much risk in that sort Of thing.
Ask a candid and well-infOrmed man
in either of them what their platform
Of principles will be this year or next,
and with q sly wink he will answer,
Get there. That's it. Get there,
in whatever way they can, and stay
there when they get there. They will
remand patriotism, manhood and right
all to the rear if they interfere with
them in getting there.
Now let us, friends, take warming
from these mistakes made by others,
most of us as individuals, as church
organizations, as political Organiza-
tiOnS, have too tender a conscience
about what others say and do, and not
quite tender enough about what WeSay
and do ourselves. That individual or
organization of whatever kind, that IS
most careful to correct first, errors at
home, will always serve his or its day
and generation best, will always do
most to build up the true manhood Of
the country.
A majority of those identifying them
selves with these reform movements
are in sympathy with temperance and
prohibition reform, but that sympathy
won't amount to much unless it cryS-
talizes into definite action. A majority
of both the Old parties have been in
sympathy, after a fashion, with tenn
perance and prohibition, but what good
has it done? The whiSkey influence,
as every well-infOrmed reader knows,
to day, dominates our government,
and both our great political parties
more powerfully than any other infiu-
ence in the country. And thus it will
be with these new reform OrganiZa
tions. unless we bring our Christian
manhood to the surface, put it into
exercise and demands our rights like
men. Hence, while we are demanding
economic and financial reforms, will
it not be we'll, indeed, is it not our
patriotic and Christian duty to demand
national legislation to save our country
from the thraldOm Of the liquor curse?
This LIQUOR traffic is not only a great
moral evil, but it is a great financial,
a great national evil. No greater one
curses our fair land. If we tackle this
along with other evils, all, or most
good men will be with us, but if we
dodge, then the cry will 90 up all over
the country, "COwards, no better
than the two old whiskey parties,
weighed in the balances and found
wanting, bidding for the whiskey vote
Just like the Republican and Demo
cratic parties have been doing for all
these years, straining at a gnat and
swallowing a camel" away with such
TefOrmerS,
4 word to the wise is sufficient, or
should be- How many friends worth
having would we, as Alliancemen, lose
by taking a pronounced stand for tenn
perance and prohibition? Would not
our gain be three where our loss
would be one? So think the most
level-headed men in the land. This