The advocate., 1891-12-16
.REFORM PREss AND CO-OPERAllON.
o the RdltOr Of THE ADvocATE.

There is some indication that the Reform
press may be inclined to oppose the business
agents system of cooperative trade. The
reason assigned is that il win strike blow
at an important source of newspaper in
come trade advertising. There may be
some truth in this position, but it ought not
to weigh with the press. It is true that the
Reform press is not supported with the
generosity that its effort for the public
good, and the many sacrifices it is compelled
to make, warrant, and hence it sadly needs
its every possible source of legitimate in
come, but we must not let fear of injury
in this line get between US and our support
of a great public good. If cooperative
trade can benefit the masses of the people,
we must support il without asking ourselves
whether it will add TO or diminish our own
personal income. Self is powerful, il is
true, and every man must look after his
personal affairs, but the reformer must still
be willing to sacrifice for the general cook.
MT. Vernon Ill.) Progressive Farmer.
If the above is a correct statement,
then the position Of the Reform press Is
untenable, from its very selashness.
But the Reform press, and all other
people, should oppose all efforts tending
ing in the direction Of concentrating all
methods Of exchange into one concern
in each city. It would drive out Of
business the great "middle-class," those
who earn their wages through the me-
dium Of "proft," by devoting their lebor
to buying and selling goods-the great
army Of distribution"
1t would drive this army into agricult-
ure, as producers, or else cause them to
starve. Then over producers would be
a reality, instead of myth. True pros
perity, under the cooperative system lies
in the direction Of a sufficient number Of
consumers employed in other industries
than agricuiture,to consume the farmers
surplus.
Ever since the Alliance started it's bust
ness efforts some people have attempted to
array Alliance papers against Alliance bust
ness enterprises by the foolish argument
that it would injure their advertising pa
tronage. It is only blind; that class of
men would not patronizo Reform papers
anyhow. They failed to do anything at In.
dianapolis. The Economist will flght for
every Alliance enterprise. aud il its adver-
tisers do not like it they can let il alone.
And when advertising money becomes a
bribe to make Reform papers quiet on re-
form measures they had better stop taking
advertisements, even If they should be
compelled to suspend.-Western ECono-
mist.
Natlonalism Eco operation) must come,
but 1t must come all at once, and all
over, not by spells and In spots. While
the competitive system lasts, the efforts
of the farmer must be directed to pre-
serving as nearly as possible an exact
between production and
consumption-demand and supply.
From the Alliance Echo / clip as fol-
lows:
The Johnson county, Krnsas, Alliance met
with good representative attend
anoe. The alliance in Johnson county is
quite strong, numbe ring near 1000 mem
bers, and have at Olathe what is, perhaps,
the most prosperous cooperative store and
bank to be found anywhere in the United
States.
And yet l was about to cite Olathe as
a nPototvno of GoldamithIa HdeaaPtad