The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-05-07


action. Organization is the keynote to
Il mighty movement among the masses
which is the protest of tn" patient
burdcn-hcarerS of nation against
years of economic ana political Supcrsti
ton.
The mighticSt movement the world
has known in two thousands years.
which is sending ont the gladdrst mes
sage to oppressed humanity that the
world has heard since John the Baptist
came preaching in the wilderness that
the worlds Hcdccmrr was coming to re-
lirVc the worlds misery. We witness
the most Stup"ndnu> and wonderful up
rising of the common people that the
world has known since Peter the Hermit
led the armies of the east to battle
against the SaratrnS in tn" Holy Land.
The movement among the masses to-
day is an echo of the life of Jesus of
Nazareth. an honest cndca,or on the
part of the people to put into practical
operation the basic principles of Christ
ianity:
"What>orver yr would that men
should do unto You: DO We even So unto
them
In an organization founded upon the
eternal principles of truth and right.
based upon tn" broad and philanthropic
principle: ''InjIu'y to one is the con
Germ Of all" having for its motto:
Exact Justice to all. special privileges
to nonc"-the farmers and lahorerS
could not we'll exclude their mothers.
wives anddaughtcrS, the patient. burd,
hearcrSof the home who hay" been their
faithful companions. their tried friends
and trusted ..counscllorS through long.
weary years of poverty aud toll. Hence
the door of the Farmers alliance was
thrown open wide to the women of the
| land.
They were invited into full member
ship, with all the privileges of promo
ton: actually recognized and treated as
human beings And not only the moth
rr>, wives and daughters. but the sisters.
the cousins and the auntS. awaited them
selves of their newly offered liberties. till
We find AT the present tim" upward of
half Il million women in the alliance.
who because of their loyalty to home
and loved ones. and their intlitiv" and
inherent sense of Justice. are Investigate
ing the condition Of the country. study
ing the great social. political and eco
nomc problems. fully realizing that til"
political arena i the only pIac" where
the mighty problems of to-day and to-
morrow can be satisfactorily fought and
settled. and amply qualified to go hand
in hand with fathers. husbands. sous
! and brothers 10 the polls and register
their opinion against l"galiz"d robbery
and corporate wrong.
George Eliot tells that '-mNrn that
we are and have is du" 10 til" nuhi>tnrir
| act Of those WHO in lf" We're ungar-
| landed and in death sleep i'll unNi>itrd
tomh>." 50 to HE women ui tin" al
lance. who hrav"ly trudgrd twice a
week to the bleak country school house.
! literally burning midnight oil a. they
! studied with their loved ones lac "cnno-
/ mic and political problems. aud helped
| them devise methods hy which the
! >harkle> Of industrial slavery might be
| broken. and the authors of h" nation :
! liberties. the creators ui III" nation ;
! wealth and greatness might b" mad"
! fire" and pro>prreuS-tu these women.
! unknown and unrroWned. brfunU> In"
! honor nf defeating for rc-rlcctiou to the
| 'nitcd States senate. thar man VIII" for
eighteen years has Signally failed to rep
! resent his constituents. and who dur
! ing tlla, tim" has never one" Identified
/ himself with any legislation for the np-
| pressed and oNcrhnrdenrd people.
/ Three years ago this man Ingalls, made
! a speech on woman >utfrag" III Abilene.
Kan. in which he tnnk occasion fu
! speak in III" most ignorant and vicious
manner Of women. declaring that "a
I woman could not and should not vote
+ because she was Il woman. Why? She
/ was Il woman. and tha, was enough: the
| subject was too delicate tor further dis
+ cu>Sion.
| But We treasured up th">" things in
our hearts. and then his famous. or. in
| famous interview iii Il New York paper
| appeared. in which he declared that:
| 1t is lawful to hire iieSsianS to kill. to
mutilatc to destroy. Succc>S is the oh
j"ct to be attained: the drralogtc and
/ the golden rule have 10 place in IA po-
! litical campaign: tn" world has out
/ grown its Christ and needs Il new one.
| This mall said the law-abiding, God
fearing women. must no longer be per
/ mittrd tu miSr"lre>rilt us.
! SO We worked and waited for his de
/ feat And til" cyclone. the political
.JuhnStown. that 0Ncrtuok the enemies of
! the peoples rights last November proves
what mighty factor the women of tn"
alliance have been in the political affairs
! of the nation.
] overheard Yesterday morning at the
F! hotel breakfast table Il conversation be-
! tween two gentlemen i'll regard 10
Ingalls, II consider his defeat" said
the first speaker. TO be national
calamity. "iour reasons. said the
second. WHY. he is such IA brilliantly
smart man.. he replied. True" said
the other. but he must need b" il smart
man to be the consummate rascal b"
F.! has proven himself to be.
And thought as heard their re-
marks. Our opinion is so shared 10y
men, Nou will wonder. perhaps. .,
the zeal aud enthusiasm of western
women in this reform movement Let
me tell YOU
Why They Are Interested.
| Turn to your schnol-mapS and books oi
IA quarter of century ago. and You will
find that what is now the iCcming and
fruitful west. was then known as the
Trcricss Plain. The Great American
| Desert
10 this sterile and remote region. in.
Tested by savage beasts and still more
savage men, the women of the New Eng
land states. the women of the cultured
cas-, came with husbands. sons and
brothers to help them build up a home
upon the broad and Vrrnal prairicS ot
the west We came with the roses o
health upon our cheeks the light ol
hope in our eyes, the fires of you'll
and hope burning in oar hearts.
We left the old familiar paths. the as
Sociatiun of home and the friends o
childhood We left schools and churchc.
all that made life dear. and we turned
our faces toward the setting sun. W,
endured hardShipS. dangers and priva
tionS: hours of loneliness. fear and Sor
| row: our little babes We're born on thOS,