The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1891-04-03
ALLIANCE DEPARTMENT..
The Farmers, Movement.

A writer in the American Farm News,
who lives at Topeka, Kans., among
other things has the following to say re-
garding the farmers movement
The political upheaval of Kansas is
| frequently referred to as revolution,
but it may more properly be said to be
| an evolution of public sentiment. The
formative influences of the movement
have long been in operation in the
minds of the peoples and at last they
have taken shape in the state and made
themselves manifest in the late election
in which the $4,000 republican majority
was utterly wiped out. History does
not show more complete and sudden
revulsion of public opinion in-go brief a
time. Naturally people who think,
here as we'll as elsewhere, are asking
what does it mean? What caused the
upheaval and will the movement con-
time to 90 forward, or will it soon pass
away aud be numbered with the things
that were? As to the causes maay here
assert ii TO be the tariff and transporter
ton. Doubtless there were other irri-
tants local, state and national, that tIagl
their influences, but the people talk
here largely of these two points, tbs
tariff and transportation.
Converslng With q republican here
who recognizes the situation but iamants
il, he said
Il expected a change in pubic ssnti-
ment, but was not prepared for 50
complete reversal. This state seemed
only two years ago to be the fortress Of
Tepublieanism, the very Gibraltar Of the
party III power. But in two brief wears
see how great the change"
My republican friend seemed to warm
up as he looked upon as the past, and lie
continued: THE truth is the republic
can party has somewhat abated its high
protective ideas in Kansas. The state is
an agricultural district and the farmers
have concluded that they have beer
paying taxes to keep up Eastern maua-
factureTs without receiving any OF the
benefits of the law themselves Ny
opinion is that the protective policy
in politics will never again hold The
same place in the politics OF the state
that il once occupied. On this point the
farmers have revised their opinion aad
| cannot say that they arc in favor Of
ger in favor OF high protection That
era has gone by in the Sunflower State
and the sooner the fact is recognized BIZ
Republican politicians the better it will
be for them.
A Democrat in Kansas, and they are
more outspoken now than ever before,
says: Il do not see much in the late
change in Kansas that can give any spe-
cial comfort to the old Democratic party.
In other states the Alliance men may
cooperate with the Democratic party.
But here it is not so. They show no
symptoms of any such afliliation They
seem to hold the Democrats as much in
derision as they do the Republicans
Their hatred of ingalls, seems TO be deep
and bitter. They do not regard him as
one of them, but look upon him as one
in sympathy with the money powers.
cannot judge of their future duration,
but certain it is that they are here now
and they announce that they have come
to stay Perhaps they have. Time will
show if in this they be right or wrong"
After hearing from the two old parties
| fell in with an Allianceman who was
full in the faith. He was free and posi-
tive in his talk. Said he: The ALI
ance viii be factor in politics for years
1t has mission and will not retire until
that has been carried cut. What is the
mission? See our various platforms, and
from them you may gain some idea Of
the work the Alliance has been sent to
work out. Before its task has been exc /
cuted it will have to have control Of the
national government. And SO swift has
been the rise of the Alliance party that
believe that it in conjunction with the
labor elements in the cities and in the
factories will elect a president III 1892
Heretofore the capitalists of both parties
have been able TO keep the farmers and
the town, factory and mine laborefs
apart in politics. But that day is past
Now all these laborers and farmers can
unite, and will unite, and there is no
reason why this combination shall not
drive both of the old parties out of the
field in 1892. and have president who
will respect the middle classes. Such is
the vision of politics as see it. -
From these talks you may judge soGls- 4
what of the recent political change III
Kansas.