The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-10-06
THE ALLIANCE IN POLITICS.
The ASS Between Two Haystacks.

Lie ABOVE U0AU SuOulu Oo oInDldZOu6u
in letters of gold upon the walls of
every Alliance lodge in the land. No
man can be at nice a good Republican
or Democrat, as those parties are at
present constituted, and a good ALI
anceman, He will inevitably "hold
to the one, and despise the other" Ye
cannot serve both the professional poll
tician and the people.
The Farmers Alliance is the name of
an organization that has lately sprung
into existence. Its purpose is to make
reforms in government that are on
sidered essential, and secure Justice to
the agricultural interests of the coun-
try. It's growth has been something
phenomenal; it's political power,
already considerable, Is steadily aug
menting. The yeOmanry Of the land,
long the patient drudgesOf demagOgues,
the plant tools Of political ~charlatans,
the burden bearers for monopoly and
jobbery; robbed at every turn, Op-
pressed on every hand, are at last
turning at bay. At last they are de
handing that in this land which their
toll has transformed from a wilderness
into a garden-whOse glory and great
ness are due to their denial-their right
OF life at least shall be respected. At
last they are demanding that a govern
ment supported by their labor, de-
Tended by their Drawn and sanctitied
by their blood shall recognize the fact
that they are somewhat else than beasts
to bear burdens or food for power.
For long years they have trusted to
this or that party to right their wrongs,
to eQualize the burdens of State, to in
sure to them the fruits of their toll
but they have trusted in vain, and
hOnn 1ofnTVro1 hoth n0oHn fhnTn hn0Tf-
sick. At last the conviction is being
forced upon them that if relief eve
comes it must be through their own
exertion, and they are getting to-
gether." The standard of revolt has
been raised, the beacon fires are blaz-
ing on a thousand hills, the insurgent
army is swelling to vast proportions,
while mOnOpOlistS look on with alarm
and parasites whose only trade is poll
tics are earnestly debating the all i'm
portant question. What shall we do
to be saved?
AS yet the great army which has
assembled under the bucOlic banner is
little better than a mOb-a mob angry
enough, resOlute enough to make sad
havoc with the existing order Of things,
but with no we'll defined plan of cam
paign; no fixed idea of what should be
destroyed, what spared-hardly know
ing what tools it were best to work
with. 1t recognizes hat something
must be done, that it has ]grievOus
wrongs to right; the question Is, how?
Is the enemy here, or there? Were it
best to wear the Democratic or Repub-
lican uniform, or get us regimentals of
our own? Shall we take possession of
party platforms ready made, modify
them somewhat, and adopt the party
L L l l.. 80 -Ao-l - 80
own masonry and carpentry, under a
banner Of our own designing? Oh that
some latter-day and greater Trismegis-
tus would but instruct us! that ONE
modern Mo es would but open for us
a path through the Shiny sea of politics,
that we might tread it in confidence!
The rank and file of the Alliance is
necessarily drawn chiefly from the two
numerically great political parties. In
this State they are chiefly Of the Demo
cratic persuasion; in that, of the Re
publican. Naturally, they are deeply
imbued with old party prejudices, in
fected more or less with economic doc
trines that have been long used as
platform timber. The unctious ennis
saries Of the old parties promise fair;
their siren song goes direct to the heart,
penetrates the most Obdurate of ALI
ance wax. If we will but call ourselves
Democrats, and support the party
nominees, why, the Democracy, in
State or National convention assem-
bled, will consider our demands, and
who knOwS?-may even Join forces
with us, and victory were as easy as
turning a hen Over-or lying, for in
stance!
Really, it were but a waste of ballots
to buck against so great a Democratic
majority! Perhaps we had best come
into camp, and if we do not get all we
ask in the matter of principles as ALI
ancemen, we may at least be permitted
to sop our c~Orn-dOdger in the 1eshpOts
if our allies do not deceive us! In
that State the Republicans are in a ma
jority-"h have everything grabbed
and If the Alliance is to do effec-
tive work, if it is not to whistle dole
fully IN the teeth Of the nOrth-wind
and suck its thumbs for s~ustenance it
were well, perhaps, for it to wear the
Republican trademark ostentatiousIy
branded on the rear elevation of its
butteTnut breeches! "It is hard to
kick against the pricks, in politics as
in other matters mundane. When the
Alliance gets strOnger-as in Kansas,
for instance-why then it can tell
"~radicalism," ''bOurbOnism." and
other isms born of bastard compro-
mises of right with wrong, to go to-;
then can the farmer halloa, being out
of the ehapparal, and huzza for an in
dependent flag with a fOdder-shOck for
emblemI
It will not do! Both of the old po-
Iitical parties are rotten to the core.
Their only essential difference is that
one has power and the other wants it
will get it by whatsoever means it
can be come at! Their issues" are
for most part but bids for votes, but
bids for silly suckers! Their leaders
orc f1ll of nrOteStatiOnS of love for the