The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-09-25
YES. Il is POLITICAL
Defining the Position OF h Alliance In
the Matter OF Politics.

Defining the Position OF the AIIiancs IN
the Matter OF Politics.
The Alliance has probably got moro
abuse because Of Its political Significance
than for all other causes combined, In.
Guiding the crimes Of its 'sleaders.n The
wild prattle of the press has made asser.
tionsfor the organs and speakers Of the
order to suit their own taste. They have
criticised us forawhat we never said and
shits4far Of the mark on what wa have
said. With one breath we are ridiculed
for saying that 1--WE (the people) are the
Democratic party" and that the Ali.
ance the majorityo of the party in Ten.
nessee. a control the policy Of the
party. In the next breath we are &C.
cused of trying to deceive the public by
saying that the Alliance is nonpolitical.
The Toiler has never said it. We plead
guilty to the first charge. but the last ID
only the position our friends, the enemy,
would have us take.
The Alliance is political but nonparti-
san. All men who have honestly inves.
tigated our purposes know this to be
true. The very purpose we aim at il
political. There - no measure adyocat.
ed BY ouf order but has political sig.
nifcance, and that is what disturbs the
dreams of our mossbacks. Had the
farmers contented themselves with or.
ganizing Alliances to discuss how to
grow pears on apple trees. or how to
raise grass in the cotton patch, or any
other ridiculous ideas, these fellows
would never have interfered. But the
moment the farmers Of all shades Of DO.
ltical opinion began to discuss questions
of government policy a shudder Of fea1
stole over the politicians. They feared
investigation Of their records and have
resorted to every device within the
bounds of their imagination to thwart
the reform movement. They have tried
on every brake, from ridicule to SANDER,
yet the wheel rolls on and rolls faster.
They cannot harmonic the facts that
we are political and yet nonpartisan.
That, Of course, is hard for one to under.
stand who is in for the spoils. But the
commonality of our people see that the
masses should not be divided, but that
the barrier of sectional prejudice should
be wiped out. The contention in the flu.
ture will be between labor and capital;
sectional prejudice can cut no figure in
the issue. The lines will be clearly
drawn. The fight will be bitter. The
man who occupies the middle ground
will receive shot from both sides. So
you had better take position. The ALI.
ance is n of the greatest factors in this
movement. It wants your help and your
sympathy. P%lutocracy on the other
hand is tightening its grasp on every
power in reach. Under which banner
will you do battle? The people want to
know.
You claim that you can't support the
proposed reforms because you are barred
from membership in the Alliance. II
you are that selfish we ask you to HE to
the camp of the enemy. If no sacrifice
is to be made by you then you are not
the n to push to the front. We are III
the fight to win, but for heavens sake
let u men be worthy their cause. You
plead u political nature to justify GU,
utilization with Wall street Shylocks
Now, mistaken friend, did you ave,
think about the fact that the farmvll
-oniy desire TO &C iuJo politics far enough
to undo what p%lutocracy has done? Il
the present condition is not attributable
to legislation then we are not political
1t resolves itself into this. The Alliance
desires to go no further into politics than
to undo what Wall street Shylocks have
done. If you take sides against us you
are defending another political factor
plutocracy. You cannot avoid the issue
Be a man or a mouse.-Nashville Toiler.