Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-05-06
ATTACKING THE ECONOMIST.

/
| Nothing Could Afford More Aid and Com,
fort to the PIutocracy Than the Attack
Mf. Hall Has Made Upon the National
Organ of the Order.
The display of bad temper, worse
| Judgment and political desperation
made by the president of the Missouri
State Alliance, in his recent speeches
| and contributions to the press, need
not arouse any fear in the minds
OF the brethren. 1t simply discloses
the hopeless condition of partisan
politics and the extent to which men
will go to serve its purposes. This ex-
hibition should serve as a warning in
the selection of future officers in the al
lance and cause the brethren every-
where to be more alert in detecting un-
worthy applicants for membe rship It
also furnishes ample proof of VIII at
was already suspected, that the two
old parties had met with a force in the
alliance that they were entirely unac-
quainted with. They had encountered
condition backed up by the alliance
that could not be bought, bull
dozed or coaxed from it's position,
and because of this was a
strange, unique factor in later-day polt-
ties. The only recourse, therefore, was
its destruction. Either the alliance
must be destroyed or the rule of the
politician was forever lost This was
the proposition that confronted the two
old parties, and to work this out became
their most earnest concern. The first
thing to be accomplished was the over
throw of the press, of the educating
power in the alliance. They realized
that the retirement of q few leaders, or
of the majority of them, would retard
but little if any the growth and force of
the alliance, but If they could eliminate
the sources from which this education
npon economic questions emanated, the
balance could be accomplished easily
and in detail. With that shrewdness
which comes from long service, plans
were laid for the destruction of the ma
tional organ. If that was out of the
way, each state organ could then be at
tackled in detail and easily driven
from the field of journalism. This
was a well-considered plan and re-
fected much good sense on the part
of the conspirators. During the past
year, especially, a boycott has been
placed on the National Economist by
the two old parties; evidence of this
fact has not been wanting. Now It's
complete annihilation has been decided
upon. This could only be accomplished
through the disgrace and downfall of
its editor. To bring this about nothing
has been omitted that would tend to
bring him into disfavor with the alli-
ance, or cause the brethren to distrust
his motives or impugn his honesty
Among the agencies made use Of for
this purpose none have been more will
ing or less effective than the individual
alluded to above. Filled with a burn
ing desire to do the head of this paper
personal injury to crafty personal
motives, he has been made the tool Of
partisan politics to destroy the edu-
cational force which comes from the
national, state and other alliance
papers. 1t Is a sad commentary upon
that intelligence, conservatism and
loyaly to the interests and principles
of the alliance that should obtain in
the president of a State Alliance, that
such an absolute qualification of this
high and important office should be
made for such destructive and iniuri-
GUS purposes. 1t will not injure the
alliance, nor any honest man connected
with it To the contrary, it will serve
as warning for future action and
show the necessity of keeping political
aspirants, or the willing servants of
partisan politics, out of the order. It
will not injure the national organ or its
editor, but strengthen both, and in
spire the entire force to closer appli-
cation and more persistent efforts to
make the paper better, and thereby
serve the best interests of the order |
uore fully.-National Economist.