The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-09-25
YES, Il IS POLITICAL.
Defining tho Position OF the Alliance IN
the Matter OF Politics.

Defining tho Position or the Alliance IN
the Matter OF Politics.
The Alliance has probably got more
abuse because ofits political signifcancs
than for all other causes combined, In
Guiding the crimes of It's sleaders.r The
wild prattle Of the press has made asser-
tions for the organs and speakers Of the
order to suit their own taste. They have
criticised us for what we never said and
hit far of the mark ON what we have
said. With one breath we are ridiculed
for saying that we (the people) are the
Democratic party, and that the Ali.
ance, the majority Of the party in Ten.
nessee. can control the policy Of the
party. In the next breath we are ac.
cused of trying to deceive the public by
saying that the Alliance is nonpolitical.
The Toiler has never said it. We plead
guilty to the first charge. but the last ID
only the position our friends, the enemy.
would have us take.
The Alliance is political but nonparti.
san. All men who have honestly inves.H
tigated our purposes know this to be.
true. The very purpose we aim at il.
political There y no measure adyocat.
ed BY our order but has political sig.
,nificance, and that is what disturbs the
dreams Of our mossbacks Had the
farmers contented themselves with or.
ganizing Alliances to discuss how I'd
grow pears on apple trees. or how t6
raise grass in the cotton patch, or any
other ridiculous ideas, these fellows
would never have interfered. But the
moment the farmers Of all shades Of po.
litical opinion began to discuss questions
of government policy shudder of feal
stole over the politicians. They feared
investigation of their records and have
resorted to every device within the
bounds of their imagination to thwart
the reform movement. They have tried
on every brake, from ridicule to slander,
yet the wheel rolls on and rolls faster.
They cannot harmonic the facts that
we are political and yet nonpartisan.
That, of course, is hard for one to under.
stand who is in for the spoils. But the
commonality of our people see that the
masses should not be divided, but that
the barrier of sectional prejudice should
be wiped out. The contention in the fu-
ture will be between labor and capital;
sectional prejudice can cut no figure in
the issue. The lines will be clearly
drawn. The fight will be bitter. The
man who occupies the middle ground
will receive shot from both sides. So
you had better take position. The ALI
ance is one Of the greatest factors in this
movement. 1t wants your help and your
sympathy. Plutocracy on the othe1
hand is Tightening its grasp on every
power in reach. Under which banner
will you do battle? The people want to
know.
You claim that you can't support the
proposed reforms because you are barred
from membership in the Alliance. II
you are that selfish we ask you to HE tc
the camp of the enemy. If no sacrifice
is to be made by you then you are not
the one to push to the front. We are in
the fight to win, but for heavens sake
let our men be worthy their cause. You
plead our political nature to Justify ou1
afiliation with Wall street Shylocks.
Now, mistaken friend, did you ever
think about the fact that the farme1a
only desire TO so tnJo politics far enough
to undo what plutocracy has done? II
the present condition is not attributable
to legislation then we are not political.
1t resolves itself into this. The Alliance
desires to go no further into politics than
to undo what Wall street Shylocks have
done. If you take sides against us you
are defending another political factor
plutocracy. You cannot avoid the issue.
Be a man Or mouse.-N Toiler,