The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-05-30

are tOlu Dy pfeSuNlpLlOuS dnu atIO-
giant partisans and self-constituted
leaders, that farmers and other la
boring classes should not go into
politics." that we will ruin parties
and ruin the country" Who con,
stitute parties in this country7 To
whom do the political parties belong?
to the people, or to the few who ar
rogantly u to control them?'
Who has a better right to go into
politics than the farmers Of this
country? Do they net clothe and
feed the world? Do thev not pay
from their hard earnings 80 cents
of every dollar of the taxes of the
country? OF the ten hundred mil
lions of dollars expended by the last
Congress. did not eight hundred mil
lions of it come from their pockets?
Without the farmers all our mighty
network of railways would grow up
in grass and weeds in ninety days;
without them all progress would be
paralyzed and all civilization would
perish. 1t is not only their
right, Int one of their highest duties
as citizens. to study politics, the
science OF government, that they
may discharge the responsibilities Of
citizenship intelligently and wisely.
One Of the greatest needs Of the
times is more genuine politics and
leas corrupt partyism. The organ
~ization of the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Unlon is
not, Dor can it be, partisan in its
character; it does not and cannot
Interfere or abridge in any manner
the most perfect freedom of its mem.
bers as to their political action. 1t
seeks to inculcate a proper concep.
ton of the great and Important re-
sponsiblities relationship and those
essential principles of free govern
ment, which are founded in equity
and justice, and leaves the member
to follow the dictates Of his con-
science, aud judgement, and patriots
ism, as to the best methods for Sc.
curing the supremacy Of these prinei-
Piles. Our Order has no more right
to say that q member shall OF shall
not be a Democrat, shall or shall not
be a Republican, shall or shall not
be an independent, than it has to say
that be shaIl or shall not be a Bap,
fist, a Methodist or = Lutheran.
But while it is not partisan, it is IN
~phaticalIy and essentially political
in the broad and liberal sense Of the
term.
In vain have the people plead for
relief. Ia vain hare they suffered
and endured-patiently, submissively
uacompIainingly. Over one thou.
sand years ago, the old Sheik Nderim
of Medina, said TO certain Roman
ingrates: do you dream that be-
cause the prophet Of Allah dwells
now beyond the bridge OF AL SFat,
that therefore he is deaf, dumb and
blind? ! tell yoa by the splendor
of God, that a TEMPEST is brooding
on his brow-there is lightning
gathering in his soul for you"
Do men dream that because
the sovereign and oppressed people
of this country have thus suffered,
thus endured, that therefore they
have become deaf dumb, and blind?
I tell them that the friends of free
dom aud of liberty will marshal
their forces and come forth more
terrible than an army with banners"
and led by the flaming sword Of the
avenging angel of outraged justice.
as "pillar of cloud by day and a pill.
lar Of fire by night" they will rer
buke reason and hurl from power
those who have thus triaed with
their dearest and most sacred rights
and interests.
Had the heart and pen Of tile i'm
mortal Lincoln been divinely anspir,
ed, he could not have portrayed in
more wildly truthful coloring the
heartless ravages of the money pow.
er than was given in his wonderful
prophecy. Il see in the near fu,
%ture," said he, "a crisis arising
which unnerves nae and causes me to
trenble for the safety Of my country.
AS q result Of the war, corporations
have been enthroned, and an area