The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-03

every quarter, from every State, yea
from nearly every county-comes news
of increase in the membership of TIE
Alliance, and of the determination
of AIliancemen to stand firmly and
unitedly by the demands and prin
ciples of the Order. Each succeeding
day brings increased assurance that
the Order may be certain that its
individual members are becoming
more and more of a unit; and all this
despite the desperate and now despair
ing attacks of partisan henchmen upon
them.
1t has been only a short time since
the plutocratic and partisan press was
assuring the public that the Alliance
was splitting all to pieces. So fervently
and SO rabidIy did these organs desire
this condition, that they actually an
nOunchd to the world that the cOndi,
ton existed. The editors and myriad of
correspondents and other henchmen of
these same organs sat in their sane
tums and offices and grandiosely and
solemnly settled the Alliance and the
people bgeneraly by announcing that
the whole reform movement was a
myth and a shadow on account Of being
hOpelessly split.
Then began and followed close one
upon another the great Alliance con-
ventions of seventeen States, and all
save n gave a unanimous lndOrse-
ment to all the Alliance demands-nOt
one single feature of the entire Alliance
platform being left out. This move
mentseemed toparalyze the "grandiose
and solemn editors and correspondents
and other henchmen." They were so
badly ratified and demOralized that
they actually forgot to print the
news" for once, and but for the timely
aid of the Reform Press the great public
would have been many weeks In find
ing out the truth of the situation. The
meetings above referred to were those
which are held by States which choose
the summer as the time for their an
nual conventions.
But there are several other Alliance
States which hold their meetings during
the fall months. The first to hold
q meeting in autumn was Michigan.
The convention was held last week.
There were 500 earnest and enthusl-
1C%iO 1nlnrnfoC nTnCnnt TnnTnSpnt1nOr
every nook and corner of that com
mOnwealth, and speaking for thou
sands of the best men in that great
State; and they unanimously Endorsed
the Alliance platform, including every
feature, and they resolved that they
we're patriotic and manly enough to
throw off the yoke Of old partisan
political influence if such a course
should be necessary to prove their
adherence to the demands of the peO-
pie. In short, they unanimously said
that the people who met in Cincinnati
last May and formed a new party on a
reform platform were the people who
might expect their sympathy and moral
support. The "grandiose and solemn
editors" etc. have given this news in a
paragraph about ten lines long; but
when some few soreheads get together
and denOunce the Alliance demands,
these same "grandiOse and solemn
editors" etc, give those sOreheads
column upon column of commentator
and laudatiOn.
The State Alliance of Iowa will hold
it's meeting this week. and it will also
fall unanimously into line.
All this struggle for equal rights to
all, special privileges to none" by the
masses of the people, and the OppOsi-
ton by the money power and the
plutocratic press, recalls to a thinking
mind the history of the struggle for
national independence which began In
1775. In that year some sturdy old
farmers assembled on the plains OF
MeckIenburg county, in North Caro-
lima, and formulated a platform i'll
which they declared that they had
certain ~inalienable rights which should
not be violated by the row of Eng
land. They declared they were a free
and independent people, and ought tc
have a government of the people, fol
the people, by the people," and they
pledged their lives, their fortunes anC
their sacred honor to secure and sus
tain that government.
Those sturdy old farmers who made
that declaration were ridiculed galore
by the "favorites' and ~"retainers
of the king. The were denounced a
anarchists and traitors and were &C
cused of treason. TheY were slandereC