The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-12-12
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
s.Hayseed'' Sees the Farmers Possess
sions Passing into the Million
aires Hands.


that led to the founding of this great
agricultural order and its aims and
objects.
The garbled extracts and quota
tions of outsiders and the old party
press tend to mislead the public as
to its principles and purposes.
The wealth producers of the coun-
try have widespread and far reach
ing grievances of the most serious
character charged up to the two old
political parties who have welded
the scepter of power during the past
decade in the interest of the privileg-
ed classes.
1t is conceded fact that the far
mers feed and cloth the rest of man
kind-withont their services and dill
igence life would prove barren
waste, civilization a failure.
A quarter Of century ago farm
ing ranked among the most honored
csllings Of life and it's votaries were
generally rewarded with fair crops
and good prices for the same. Our
legislative councils were largely CON-
posed of broad minded men from the
farm who took an active part in the
discussion of all questions bearing
on the liberties and rights of the
American people.
During the past few years few far
mers have been elevated to seats in
Congress; of the 1872 members of the
45th Congress, only 5 were from the
farm. Our respective state legisla-
lures usually have a limited number
while all others have had numerical
ly strong representations.
The U. S. Senate is almost Who'll
ly made up of railroad magnates and
corporation lawyers who have pur-
chased their seats. in what of late is
dubbed as the American house of
lords.
As result of the changed com
pleyion of representatives in the Ma
tional and state legislatures during
the last twenty-five years, most re-
markable change of conditions in
agricultural and others interests have
followed and the administration of
governmental affairs has become an
engine of oppression to the wealth
producers of the country by the shift
ing of the burdens and expense Of
government on to the shoulders of
the producing classes.
The statistics of the agricultural
interests present an array Of facts
that demand speedy REIMBURSEMENT
ef oppressive existing conditions,
otherwise the landed estates will pass
into the hands of corporate power
and corporate greed
At the period when the Roman
Empire was in her Zenith, 80 per
cent her farmers owned their lands;
by q contraction and change Of the
volume of currency gradual change
in the ownership of property follow
ed-so much so that at the time of
the fall of the Empire all the landed
estates had passed into the hands of
3 per cent. of the people.
Previous to our civil war so per
cent of our farmers owned their hold
ings, oday there are 8, 100000 mort
aged homes in the United States,
100000 of homeless people, and
30,000,000 more living from hand to
mouth.
OF the 100000 farmers in the
country, 30 per cent constitute what
is termed tenant farmers, renters &c.
This changed condition of things
has been accomplished by system
of legislative jugglerly manipulated
by leading representatives of the Re-
publican party while in power aided
and abetted largely by members of
the Democratic party, hailing most
ly from the New England and Eas
tern States in the interest of the
privileged few, whereby pampered
plutocracy has been built up in our
midst at the expense of the toilers.
1t is an astounding fact that with
all the scientific achievements in
agricultural developments, the high
state of cultivation the farm lands
have reached and the numerous i'm
proved appliances used in this pur-
suit by our farmers to cheaper the
cost of production, yet farming don't
pay.
The farmers have husbanded their
resources, doubled their exertions,
economical IN their expenses and
produced enormous crops for the mar
kets, yet notwithstanding all their
efforts expended to succeed they are
yearly becoming more involved in
debt and bankruptcy and ruin threa-
tens them. AS the years glide by
the number OF tenant farmers multi
ply at a marvellous rate and the lands
and homes of the wealth creators
pass into the hands of the rich few.
This perplexing state of things has
awakened the tiller of the soil to a
realization of impending dangers
that the history Of the Roman En-
pire and other decayed nations is re
peating itself here in the United
States, the boasted land OF the free.
That the wealth created by the great
plain people is rapidly being absorb
ed by the process Of legislation by
the rich few.
On the 18th oil last month, the New
York World published cuts Of ten
leading capitalists whose aggregated
wealth amounts to SS00.000,000
Reader, think of ten men acquiring
in single lifetime more wealth than
that embraced in the entire state Of
West Virginia--yes, Of ten men
commanding almost one tbirtieth of
the entire wealth of the United
States.
They are:
John D. Rockefeller. 80. $4,000, 900
w. w. Astor. ..... 125, 900 900