The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-07-07
A HALF A LOAF BETTER THAN
NO BREAD.

NV oNEG1OS
MR.. EDITOR:-SOme persons argue
that the Farmers Alliance and Indus
trial Union should waive some Of their
demands in order to get more con-
v~eniently near the Democratic party,
so as to act in concert with it. The
reasons expressed for doing this are
that the chances for reaching those de
mands retained will be much better
than in any other way. In fact, the
request is made to surrender all except
the free coinage of silver, and as that
is a sort Of a Democratic plank, it
amounts to the request of a complete
surrender. The Democracy Of this
State cannot guarantee the Alliance
anything, even the advocacy Of the
free coinage of silver until its National
Convention meets next year. So what
is the use of holding out that even,
before the Alliance?
Another reason expressed that the
demands of the Alliance in the main
are u~nattainable, and we should con
tend for such first as are the more
easily to be reached, and having at
tanned these, then press forward for
the others. This seems to be good
reasoning, but it is altogether unsOund.
There is not one single demand of the
Alliance which both parties don't
s~trenuOusly oppose, except where the
Alliance demands coincide with GER
tain party planks, and the only point
where it comedies is the free coinage
of silver, which may yet be rejected.
We mention these matters in order
to show that the Alliance should wait
in making up its mind on these propo-
sitions. 1t is altogether premature.
If some party should endorse four out
Of the eight demands, they would be
meeting us half way, and then we
could talk. But to ask us to make a
clean and wholesale surrender, not re
serving one not distinctive from some
party doctrine already, is as much as
to throw down the gauntlet Of battle
and give the Alliance fair warming to
prepare for a fight or for a surrender.
The Alliance will gladly accept the as
sistance Of any and all on fair terms,
but on such terms as advised by the
most friendly of the party press, itcan-
not do it.
Besides, we do not know that we
have any moral right to make a COM
promise Of our drmands. We are very
certain that if the ends Of justice will
be best promoted by the adoption of
any particular demands into law, we
have no right as good men and true
men, to our God, to our country and
to a common humanity to surrender
such demands. It would be a crime.
The question whether they are attain
able, does not come in here. All those.
therefore, which we believe best sub
serves the ends of justice, no man good
and true can surrender on any terms
whatsoever. If there be some which
is a mere matter of form, or of policy,
these can be waived for q more con
venient season.
Moreover, we are not exactly certain
that anything we may desire is even
attainable through the Democratic and
Republican parties. They have a
knack of saying thing in their
platforms and doing another in prac-
tice. AS for the Democratic party, it
has not attained much in the nation
for the last thirty years. And as the
Alliance is anOn-partisan organization,
it will weigh all the chances and all the
overtures in a most respectful manner
and adopt that course which will, in
their judgment, lead to the final ac-
cOmplishment of their purposes. And
as any party has State autonomy, and
can adopt any platform of principles
which it may see fit, there is only one
way to stave off a third party, and
that is to meet the common people in
amity and sincerity, describing all
notions of success but press for truth,
justice and freedom, leaving the result
in the hands of an all-wise Providence.
True, a half a loaf is better than no
bread, but no party as yet has offered
us a cruTnb. LUCIUs LAGOEE.