Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-11-12

cyclone. L Ills year IHcg nave AOe
only wholly lost an overwhelming
majority of the counties; but they have
been compelled to divide the offices
with the republicans in the remaining
counties. They have not only made no
accessions to their ranks, a circum-
stance which in itself is fatal to their
prospects, but they have lost in the
state 40 per cent Of their vote of last
year. A new party, in order to main
tain itself as a political factor, must
grow. This is law of its being which
cannot be infriDged or evaded except
at the penalty of its extinction. The
fact that the party has il the second
year of its existence lost so per cent of
its vote in Iowa, 90 per cent of its vote
in Nebraska and 40 per cent of its vote
in Kansas, porteuds the speedy down.
fall of the alliance as political factor
and the ultimate return of its members
to their Previous political affiliations.
There is nothing surprising in this
speedy decline of the peoples party.
When the farmers alliance was
organized a few years ago, and in most
of the counties of this state only last
year, the farmers were given to under
stand that il was strictly nOn-partisan
order, and that no political, religious
or social test was involved in its mem
bership. With this understanding the
order became popular and a large
percentage Of the farmers were induced
to join it. That the great majority of
those who became members of the
alliance were actuated by honest
motives, no one will attempt to gam
say. Had the organization carried out
its original design as made public by
its founders, and employed itself in
dissemination Of social and educational
information, it would doubtless have
been turned to very profitable account
TO the farmers, and no one could or
would have the least objection to it
under such conditions. Any class of
individuals have the perfect right to
orgauiZs for the protection of their
interests and promotion of their well
fare. It is desirable that they shall do
so, inasmuch as they are thus helped
to respect their calling and to labor for
its elevation. But neither the farmers
nor thelaborers, nor any other class Of
people have a right to induce their
fellowmen to join secret order with
the avowed pledge that it shall Gin no
way interfere with their religious or
social or political views" and then
convert that order into a political
organization for the purpose of promOt-
ing the worst kind of socialistic and
class legislation. Neither will it do
for them to assume that the world
exists principally for those who are
engaged In any particular calling and
the government was instituted mainly
to give them preference over all the
rest of the population. Only 10 per |
cent of the people OF this great country
are engaged in farming. The .Other SIS
per cent are engaged in other calliDgs |
The IS per cent now buying farmers
produce have all the rights under the
that the farmer has, just /
the same, no more and no less. We all .
component parts of the same
great whole country and it is very
fortunate for all of us that no one
class compose a majority of the people.
The exorbitant demands of this new
political party and the dictatOrial
attitude assumed by their leaders
show the extreme danger of political
tyranny that would prevail should
any one class ever become strong
enough to have complete control of the
of the government.
Laying aside the un-Ameriean and
dangerous methods of attempting to
control the government Of all the peo-
pie through an oath-bound secret
political order whose membership is
limited to one class of people only, all
the tendencies of the doctrines of the
party are toward ''class legislation.
Such scheme at once, as is now evil
lent to the dullest observer, becomes a
menace to every element Of the people
outside the barred doors. The think
ng, honest. patriotic conservative ele-
nent of the farmers themselvescan but
zee the ruinous effects that an attempt
1t such exclusive class legislation must
have upon the country, and they with
al other elements have united to re-
list the selfish demand and to defeat
The unreasonable objects of the peoples
party. Nopolitical party, whose men,
1ership is limited to any one class of
he people, and whose plans and politi-
al schemes, concocted and matured in
secret are designed to promote class
legislation will ever be permitted to
ret control of the destiny of this free
country.
There are indications that now that
election is over the old wrangls over