The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-08-06
ALLIANCE SPEAKING.
District Lecturer Massey Delivers Il
Splendid Address in Explanation
and Advocacy Of the Princi-

y W AsAls L {.
II. Massey. of Durham county, Dis
trict Lecturer of the Farmers ALI
ance. spoke in the court house here
Tuesday. II is not saying too much
TO state that those who heard him
were both surprised and pleased at the
speech. While we do not mean to re-
fleet upon Mr.. Massey'r personal APP
pearance at all there is more In the
man than there looks to be. He is a
plain, ordinary looking farmer, attired
not in the fashion of the average plat
form lecturer or speaker; but he talks,
and talks like man Of sense. There
is not the ease and finish of the prac-
ticed declaimer, not the graceful, well
rounded sentences of the scholar and
rhetorician-little of the natural ora
tor about him, except the voice and
language-but he is strong and forci-
BILE speaker, pleasing and convincing,
for all that. We are sorry he did not
have larger crowd to hear him. The
speech deserved it.
Being introduced by Mr.. J. II.
Dunn, the speaker started out by say
inc his purpose was to make plain.
practical. cOmmOn-sense talk about the
Farmers Alliance and the principles
for which it is contending. The ALI
ance has been represented, or misrep-
resented, he said. until it is difficult to
get down to the true facts. Papers and
speakers, whether they know OF not,
pretend that they do, and attribute to
the Alliance things with which it has
nothing to do and is not responsible.
TIE people outside Of the order do not
correctly understand and appreciate its
real purposes-the objects for which it
was called into existence. If they did
much Of the feeling Of dread and sus-
picion with which it is contemplated
would be done away with.
The Alliance has no principle of
which it is ashamed, declared Mr.. Mas
sey; no purpose which it desires to
keep secret. To organize was not a
matter of choice but Of necessity with
the farmers. Their interests demanded
it-their very existence depended on
it. Every other trade and profession
of any consequence had its organiza-
ton, and all combined against the far
mers of the country, the mainstay and
support of all, and following the exam
pie set by others, they were forced to
organize themselves. He spoke Of the
power of organization and the impor
lance of concert of action when any
great undertaking is to be accom-
plished. The farmers have at last
come to realize this and now they are
determined.
The farmers cause is just one they
ask for nothing but their rights. The
Alliance is founded upon principles OF
right, principles of equity and principles
of fairness. Equal rights to all and spe-
cial privileges to none, is what it wants.
1t would have the systems in America so
that every citizen might have
equal rights. The Farmers Alliance has
no desire to destroy any other business
that is right and lawful. Its purpose is
not to destroy but to build up; not to
make poor (where gain is honestly got)
but to enrich. The farmers organized to
better their Internationally, fl
nancially and morally. When a man
comes knocking at the door of the Far
mers' Alliance he must present good
moral character, or he can not get in.
Speaking further as to what it takes to
an Allianceman, Mr.. Massey
said his Ideal of full grown Alliance
man is one with big heart, q big mind
and a big pocket
1t is the purpose of the Alliance to de-
wise plans by which to secure equal rights
and lift some of the burdens from the
farmers shoulders. The speaker then
dwelt at some length upon the financial
systems of the country, the amount OF
taxes paid by the farmers, the annual
product of their labor and the price re-
ceived for it, &c. He dealt somewhat in
statistics and made very convincing
argument in favor of change.
The kid gloved plutocrats tell the far
mer he is poor because he is lazy and
extravagant. The little agricultural ed
itor tells him it is because he raises the
wrong crops, while the politician tells
him it is over production. He denied all
three and gave figures to show the cor
rectness of his argument. 1t is under
said the speaker, not over
production, that is the matter. There
are too many tramps roaming the cOun
try and too many other people unfed to
talk about over production. They are
not consumers because they are unable
to get work to do, and this is because
of the bad systems in vogue.
Raise your own meat and bread and
live at home and you will be independent,
is the advice often given the farmer. He
had higher ambitions than mere meat
and bread. He wanted to educate his
children, and would not be contented
with riding along in a dump cart at the
rate OF three miles an hour when the
world is run on fast schedule with rail-
road trains rushing along at a speed of
sixty miles an hour.
Mr.. Massey spoke Of the middle man
and the perniciOus practice of 'corner-
ing" the farmers products and fixing the
price thereon by spectators.
Another trouble is there is not enough
money. so the circulating medium is con-
tracted and manipulated by these fell
lows. The farmers have not only found
the cause, but they have found the rem
edy also And they will apply it. The
first step is to abolish the National Bank
system. Ii this government be a gov
eminent of the people, by the peo-
pie and for the people, then issue
money direct to the people.
Here the speaker discussed the sub
Treasury plan and presented it in plain
simple way that impressed some of his
hearers more favorably with the idea He
undertook to show how this could be done
without prejudice or risk to the govern
ment, and to the great relief not only of
the farmer and land owner, but the la
bOrrr as we'll.
We can not undertake to follow the
speaker all through his address, and in
this running report we have not at
tempted to give even a synopsis of the
speech. 1t was calm, conservative and
dignifed; plain, straightforward and
clear-cut, free from abuse and malignity.
and was calculated to strengthen the
order with those who heard it and i'm
press them more favorably with its aims
and objects.
a man who has practced medicine for
10 years ought to know salt from sugar:
read what he says.
TOLEDO, O., Jan. 10, 1887.
MEssRs. F. J. CHENEY & CO.,-Gentle-
nlen:-I have been in the general practice
of medicine for most 40 years, and would
say that in all my practice and experience
HOY /