Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-24
Yesterdays OPENING.

Yesterdays OPENING.
This mornings exercises opened with
large crowd of people present, consisting Of
delegates and citizens of Waco.
The chairman, MIR. Hannah brought
forward and introduced Gen. Stockhouse,
prominent Alliance maguate from South
Carolina, who spoke quite eloquently on
the Financial Demands of the Alliance"
without further preliminary thoughts we
will proceed to the consideration OF the
subject assigned US. Political Action, or the
Farmer in Politics, or, rs is generally eX-
pressed the relation OF the Alliance to party
politics.
1.-The first declaration of purpose in our
constitution is labor, for the education of
the agricultural classes in the science Of
ECONOMICAL EDUCATION
in strictly non-partisan spirit. We as
sumo that partisan bartering of political
economy is not the correct or safe method
for these classes. The agricultural classes
have not taken that intelligent interest in
the legislation of the country and the ad
ministration of government that they
should have done. They have been more
contiding and less ambitious than other
classes; indeed, until alarmed by the con-
ditions that confronted them they gave little
attention to the study of economic ques-
lions. In the discussion of this subject it
must be kept in mind that the Alliance re-
lies solely upon
EDUCATIONAL METHODS
for the correction of legislative abuses
Partisan politics excite the passions and
blinds the understanding. When both of
the great political parties are dominated
and controlled BY the money powers there
can be little hope for financial reform. The
influence Of the money power must be
broken and the political parties brought
back to a just recognition OF the rights and
interests Of the people.
''Or the people must unite independently
of the political parties to secure their
rights and protect their interests. So the
Alliance and kindred organizations which
now belong about equally TO both the Old
parties must reform the financial policy of
one or both these parties, or the demand
for financial reform must be secured indie
pendently of party politics.
REFORM WITHIN THE PARTIES.
LET US first discuss the possibilities of
financial reform by the use of the old party
acknowledgements and Republican.
What are the possibilities of bringing
one or both the old parties to the support of
Alliance demands Is that possible! In
the discussion of this question one must
as we have said, keep in mind the fact that
Alliance reforms are dependent upon edu-
catienal influences and that these influences
are to be eXerted in a
STRICTLY SoN-PARTISAS SPIRIT.
''To succeed on this line the people who
compose the old parties must be taught
to hold principle and self preservation as
superior TO party loyalty. The people of
both parties who so held could be brought
to the support of principle or principles
based upon an identity Of interest and TO
avert common danger. If either, of the
great political parties should be brought
to the support of Alliance demands and
should succeed in securing the control of
h., no
cess, whether called Democratic OF Re-
publican success. Holding principle above
party and contending for L principle
INDEPENDENT OF PARTY,
Alliance success is not dependent upon
party success.
THE failure to secure our demands,
through the result Of the election in 1892,
working on the Alliance non-partisan prin-
ciple, would only postpone. II would
neither defeat nor endanger the final
triumph of principle. Nor would like
failure in 1S96-or even 1900-constitute
sufficient cause for abandonment, or even for
dependency.
Truth crushed to earth will rise again?'
"Our Just demands for financial reform
may for a time lie PROSTATE on the cold,
clean marble plain of truth and Justice
where 1t can neither be
SoHED, CANCELLED NOR BURIED,
but let none despair. The honest yeomanry
OF uIlS country Will De Drought 10 see the
truth. Let the work of non-partisan educa-
ton be hopefully and periodically pushed
and we Will stand together united and free
at the grave where we have buried sectional
hate and race antagonsm.
These toiling masses will see to it that
the PROSTATE form representing financial
reform on the cold marble plane of truth
shall yet stand erect and proclaim the tri-
umph Of the effort now being made for
honest and equal government. We are ad-
vised by the party here to go slow; not to
raise too many issues, to settle one ques-
ton at time, and, as tariff reform is the
great party question, to settle that first.
Without attempting to
BRLITTLE THE TARIFF QUESTION,
we submit that our party friends have
chosen wisely to sidetrack and destroy our
efforts to secure financial reform leCisla-
ton Tariff adjustment has been regulated
to the detriment of the farmer, and the
farmers Of this country hold financial re-
form as superior to tariff adjustment. The
party press and party leaders well know
that tariff adjustment is question that
never will be settled as long as the govern
ment is supported by the collection of tariff
duties, the amount of the levy and the class
of things to be affected by it never will be
permanently fixed. Really it seems TO be
than IL was sixty years ago, when it was
debated by Daniel Webster and John c.
Calhoun. Our party friends ask US to
await the completion of
AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB
the securing of a fixed tariff adjustment
before pressing our demands for financial
and monoplistic reforms, but there is per-
haps little danger that our people will heed
the advice of our party friends and stay our
demands for the reforms until the tariff
question is permanently adjusted. One
greater danger arises from our impotence
in awaiting results by the educational
methods. The danger is that we may be
tempted to gather together all the material
possible without regard to its fitness into a