Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-06-26
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
Our Congressman, Hon. WitUs
Ssceef, Gires His yie'cs.
MISTAKES OF THE FARMERS.
Money Can Not Be Legisiated Into Mems
Pockets--What the Alliance
Should do.


What does the new party propose to
do? Give money to the people In
place Of telling how 1t will legisate so
that producers can make money, II pro-
poses to legislate 20 that they can borrow
money. Are we to be borrowers for
ever? As to transportation, the recent
convention decl ares that If the railroad
companies do not give better rates. we
(the people) will build our own roads.
As for interest the government must
loan at Two per centum, provided, of
course. you have the security. Banks
are to be abolished and the government
to loan direct. Just who will accomo-
date the carpenter, painter. doctor, clerk,
lsborer, railroad employee, and the
large class o! merchants and others who
do not possess "imperishable securities
IL not made clear. 1t looks like class
legislation of the rankest kind. 1t can
never become a law for many reasons.
The following are off-hand:
First-Because 1t is class legislation
without possible benefit to any person
outside OF the "imperishable" security
class.
Secondly-It is reducing the govern
ment to the business of lending money
and collecting interest, and this is per-
version Of the powers of government
never contemplated by the people, and
an assumption of power that would not
be tolerated. The government is the
sovereign. Its duty is to protect its
citizens In their dealings with each 9TH
or. 1t is the arbitrator between the
people, and when it becomes involved
In the disputes that follow lending mo-
ney. appraising the value of property as
the basis of the loan, wrangling oyer
interest-in short, when the nation goes
into private business and assumes the
character of a citizen and not a ruler.
the homage of the citizen and the char
acter Of the ruler will disappear. An
army Of agents would necessarily be
established and thus would be created
the nucleus of money power in politics
that would debauch any nation on
earth. While men are human, friend
ships, jealousies, hatreds and envy will
exist. The discretion of the govern
ment in accepting securities. their val
ues, etc, etc. must be exercised through
agents. These agents would assist
friends and refuse to assist enemies up
on one pretext or another, and the pro-
liabilities are that before the corruption
that would arise from such an institu-
ton could be eradicated, q revolution
would be necessary.
Thirdly-It is crossing the danger line
Of centralized power. would have
been a Federalist with Hamilton, a
Wing with Henry Clay and a Republi-
can with Abraham Lincoln. l would
60 as far as We have gone in establishing
the authority of the national govern
ment, but / would not go one step fur.
ther. This scheme is the crossing of
the Rubicon of centralized power-the
beginning Of the worst kind of political
thimble-rigging, the establishment Of
an invincible money power--a power
that holds the mortgage. creates the
court, and lends money to the jury.
Fourthly-It is as impracticable as it
Is dangerous.
These few reasons are hastily given.
but they are objections that suggest
themselves. can readily understand
how this scheme was hailed with Joy in
western Kan sas. A land parched with
drouth, infested by grasshoppers. devas-
tsted by cyclones and mortgaged beyond
its capacity to pay in a thousand years;
living between dread of the sheriff and
starvation; praying for rain, yet hasting
for the cyclone cellar at the first clap OF
thunder. it is no wonder that the prom
iss Of money sent them headlong to the
arms of Pfeffer. or that its delegation to
the last convention was composed of all
who could raise the money to attend.
How could more money help western
Kansas? Would it produce corn or
whest2 Would it stay the power of the
cyclone or satisfy the Unsuitable appetite
Of the grasshopper? Would it bring
rain from the clouds or moisture from
the earth below? Will the Cincinnati
platform enable man to get something
for nothing?
st. Peter once denied that he had left
the gates ajar, and by his neglect baby
had slipped out and dropped into an
earthly home. made happy by the APP
pearance of the little stranger. He in
sisted that it was time to admit that
babies could only come in the good old
way. So with money. 1t must come
in the old way to the extent that it can
not be legislated into a mans pocket,
any more than Kansas legislature can
authorize an injunction against cy-
clone or bring rain bya writ of mandate.
You cannot trust the old parties?
The old parties are composed of the
people. II you cannot control the old
parties, how can you control the new
ones You will be the same people. and
politics. You cannot trust the old lead
ers. they will simply march over and
take the new organization. The politi-
cal graveyard of both parties yielded up
MANY of their dead for the late conven.
ton. You killed them because you
could not trust them. and now they have