The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-05-08
Anew OF THE CAUSES.
A Clarion Note from the Ear on Pacific
State.

AFEW OF THE CAUSES.
A Clarion Note from the Far on Pacific
State.
Among the declarations of purposes
of the National Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union we read the following:
To labor for education of the agricultur-
al classes in. the science of economic gov
eminent in strictly non-partisan spirit,
and to bring about more perfect union of
said classes.
From the above quotation it may be
inferred that the farmers and laborers
of America have concluded that they
are not getting an equitable proper
ton of the fruits of the soil, and that
their condition demands on their part
unity of purpose and organized action.
That he who is at once constant and
intelligent laborer and prudent liver
should lack the comforts or even the
luxuries of life, while idlers and va
grants have an abundance; that he
whose industry and frugality produces
the wealth of earth should be poor and
continue to be poorer, while those of
some of the so-called Learned profess
sions' spend large part of their time
in dens of iniquity and riotously live
on the fat of the land; that the hunger
and cold and privations of life should
SO largely fall to the lot of him through
whose efforts all humanity is fed and
clothed-is one of the strangest spec
tacles that intelligent men have ever
beheld, and one that may seem to
threaten the perpetuity of existing
political conditions.
Government was instituted for the
good of the governed; for the greatest
good to the greatest number, and when
it fails to accomplish this end, it is the
right and duty of the people to inquire
as to the cause and to apply a remedy,
if it can be found. Men are fast
learning that one of the chief functions
of government is to provide laws under
which its people may acquire sub
| sistence, a competence, and an elevated
moral and social condition common
surate with the energy and intelligence
which they bring to bear, and to pro-:
tect them in the happy and peaceful
possession of the same. Is IL prudent,
polite or patriotic that we maintain a
7 system of laws under which Smith is
allowed to eat bread that Jones has
earned?
Can we, in the name of justice and
loyalty, be asked to support system
| of laws under which it is possible for
| an idler to become an autOcrat or a
millionaire while there fepains sin
gle intelligent 1aborer who is not well
provided with the comforts and luxu-
| ries of life? Canwe, in the name of
| humanity and good government be
asked to maintain a system of laws
that fosters lying, robbery, and sys-
tenn of common vulgar thieving (some-
times denominated the tricks of trade)?
Herein lie a few OF. the causes which
led to the organization of the Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union.
+ If the above questions may be prop
erly answered in the affirmative, if i'll
dolence is an indication of intelligence,
if the tricks of trade are to be counted
| for virtue, if the vicious and intemper-
ate are to dictate the policy of the gov
eminent and revel in luxury, while in
dustry and decency 60 begging on the
street. it would seem wise that the
farmer forsake his pillow. the smith his
anvil, the mechanic his bench, and
that all turn to idleness and throng
the streets as one common mass of
hungry beasts. preying upon each other
| without law to restrain. Fellow
labOrers, whittier are we tending?
Stop apd think! How shall we avert
the fate that awaits us? If there is a
change for the better. that change
must come through the ballot yet we
are asked not to form a new party lest
we weaken the old. How long have
we lived under the alternating admins
trations of the old parties and seen
growing in our midst the very evils of
which we SO bitterly complain. How
many of us are watching the move
ments at our state and national capt.
tails seeing wholesome measures either
defeated or placed at the end of the
calendar where they cannot be reached
during this session only to be held over
| as a campaign document in 1892. just
what course the Industrial classes will
pursue in 1892 has not yet been deter
mined, but politicians who expect to
pacify them in such manner are de-
ceiving themselves, and would do we'll
to obey the injunction of another to
fall into the line of reform or seek
shelter from the great political storm
that is brewing. Pacific Rural Ex-
press, San Francisco.
Did You Ever Stop to Think?
Did you ever stop to think that one
| man cannot build a party alone?