Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-07-11
The Alliance and it's Leaders.

luO CdlClul pOl uotNi VI NNOlJ 1AllonSS
man into whose hands copy of this
issue of the STANDARD may fall:
With those guileless farmers whom
he can succeed in humbugging Nc.
Dowell makes the impression that
opposition 10 him means opposition
to the Alliance and to the interest Of
the farmer. OF course those who
know the mans character, or his
career and history even since he has
lived in Tennessee after returning
from Arkansas, know better than
this, but there are many honest, we'll
meaning men who unfortunately, for
themselves, are easily humbugged
and imposed upon, who know moth
ing of McDowells character as an adj
venturous politician and who really
believe that he is the honest friend of
the farmer and that he is pure,
good man. They also believe, some
of them, that criticism of Mcdowell
is an indication of hostility to the
Alliance. .sThis is not the case and
such statements, as applied to a ma.
jority of the papers of the State, are
neither true nor fair.
So far as The Tribune is concerned
it has no fight to make against the
Alliance as an order. II believes
that the farmers have just cause for
complaint, and that it is not only
their privilege but their duty to organ
ize. All labor ought to be organic
cd. In organization and union there
is strength and protection. The
members of the various trades long
ago learned this fact, and to-day
there is not trade of any impor-
lance that is unorganized or without
its union. Two of the Oldest and
strongest and most effective trade
unions in the world are the Typo.
graphical Union and the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers. They are
almost perfect in discipline and are
powerful in their influence in so fal
as their rights and interests are affect
ed. They have jealousy, intelligent
ly and successfully protected theil
interests and guarded their rights
But they have not done so by goins
into politics or denouncing the ole
political parties or demanding clas'
legislation for their especial benefit
They have not asked the govern
ment to become their guardian or t.
set up pawnshop for their benefit.
For years the farmers were slow Il
organize or to see the necessity o.
realize the advantages of Organiza
ton. More than one attempt to d.
so met with failure. The Grang
order spread for awhile and promised
to be of some practical benefit to tn
farmer, but designing self.seeker
crept into it and attempted to injec
it into politics and it soon died tn
death. Then the Wheel and tn
Alliance, the former in Arkansas ant
the latter in Texas, sprang into eXis
tence. They spread rapidly and late
formed a consolidation, the nam
Wheelers was dropped and the or
ganization has since been known a
the Alliance. In the beginning
claimed to be strictly non-political
and with that understanding thou
sands of Democrats and not a fey
Republicans joined it. But it ha
gradually drifted into politics, chief
through theImachinations Of schem
ing office-hunters Of the Macune-MC
Dowell stripe, and it is to-day a
important factor in the political fielC
From year to year since its organiza
ton it has been predicted that
would soon die out, but it has cor
tinued to grow and thrive and now
numbers its members by the hur
dreds of thousands. 1t is now on tn
threshold of a crisis in its history
and it remains to be seen whether
will continue to thrive and grow b
pursuing wise and conservative
course or whether it will allow &C
ventures of the Macune stripe
wreck it by their dictatorial method
and autocratic actions.
The Tribune, which has never hes
; tated to speak freely and frankly o
this subject, and which has never RI
, sorted to the lodges and evasiOns {
J the political office-seekel, proposes t
make itself plainly understood.
! has no axe to grind, and is huntin
no office. 1t would not flatter JOv
: for his thunder nor Neptune for h
; trident; nor is it given to bending tn
} "pregnant hinges of the knee thu
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