The Republican journal., 1891-11-12
The Alliance Dies, bnt the Grange Lives to d,
GOUd.

To TIE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: Ii any one
fact was settled by the recent elections it is tina
the Farmers \ a &c rec lived It's death blow, and
In way too that shows tn" 'ilI character and re
liable good sense of the farmers. 1t the sober
second thought of the farmers themselves-a sober
second thought which would perhaps never have
come to less conservative and more mercurial
people-that caused the abandonment of the Ali
ance, with its monstrous suh-treasury plan in
volving principles that would have undermined
the republic and made patcrnal instead of
democratic government
No one is more interested in good government
than the farmer. His possessions are fixed. He
cannot pocket them and depart with them to "a
other country If his own government does not
treat him justly. Hence in all emergencies that
threaten the existence Of wholesome government
he has been found reliable element of national
strcngth-while one has been mere to be relied
upon to take brave amt determined part against
oppression and unjust laws.
The Alliance presented an attractive face aud
many were captured by its plausible appearance.
But was its true character known and
Its agrarian tendencies developed than the farmers
themselves gave it the cold shoulder.
But there Is nothing in this which argues against
a combination of farmers for the Improvement of
their condition and the promotion III a proper way
of their interests. Such an organization Is the
Grange. 1t has been the means of nothing but
good. The amount of information it has dis
seminated has been very great and has produced
good results. leading TO improved methods Of
farming, to a better knowledge of soils and the
use of manures, to improvement in the treatment
of stock, and in tightening the labors of the farm
ers' wives we'll as the labor of the farmer him
self While the Grange has wisely avoided en-
tanglement In partisan politics, thus escaping the
rock which many reforms have broken into
fragments been seriously injured, 1t has still
exercised wholesome influence upon the leg ia
ton Of the State and nation. But for its influence
In Congress it is quite doubtful If we could have
passed the oleomargarine bill, a measure to pro
tect not only the farmer in an honest and useful
industry, but to protect also the millions Of con
sdmers of butter against having imposed upon
them a deeterious counterfeit. The same intlu-
ence very senshy felt In the contest to Sc
cure pure lard, contest which has not ended and
will not end until the cotton seed oil manuiactur-
ers have been constrained to mark their product
| IN the same manner as oleomargarne is branded,
SO that the consumer Will know what he is buying,
and the producers Of pure lard will not be obliged
to meet in the market fraudulent competitor in
disguise.
! Whoever will carefully read the Mckinley talin
law will at once see that the interests Of the far
mer We're not neglected III the formulation of thai
act. Every product of the farm that can he pro
ected by law is there sufficiently protected to en-
| sure 1t against damaging foreign competition.
| This is as it should be. The government can do
nothing better for all the people than to foster the
| chief sources of its wealth, prosperity and indie