The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-08-18
President Buffers Message
TO THE STATE ALLIANCE,
In Session at Greensboro Last
Week.

To the ". G.. Farmers' STATE AliaRes:
BgETHREN:-One year ago you
placed your banner In my hands.
You placed me in the front Of the
n. C. division of the great national
army of reformers. 1t was posi-
tion of tremendous responsibility
and trust felt in a large degree
the gravity OF the situation. IL was
at time when the organization was
entering the most critical period of
its existence, at time when we and
our principles were to be subjected
to the supremest crucial test. The
year has been a stormy one. Every
day, Sundays excluded, the fire of
the enemy has been poured upon us
with merciiess force and In an un-
scrupulous manner. The money
power has left no stone un surned to
crush the movement and drown the
cry of the weak for mercy and the
demand Of freemen for justice.
To-day we meet again. Let US
see what has been accomplished /;
what the present status of the organ
ization is, and what Is our duty in
the future. Every reform move
ment has its various stages Of growth
and development. Many of these
movements sooner or later reach the
stage of disintegration aud decay.
This has been the case when the
cause has been slight or local or tenn
porary, or when the people failed to
find the true cause for real wrong
and therefore could not apply the
irue remedy. The cause of the pre-
sent movement is deep rooted and
and wide spread. 1t is one that in
a large degree affects alike every la
borer anG wealth producer of the
whole country. A portion of those
suffering from the blighting effects
of some great influence caused them
TO organized to study the situation.
They formed themselves into great
vigilance committee to search for the
cause, a cause that made them poor
er while each worked harder and
created more wealth, cause that
has made poor the people whose la
Dor has made their country rich.
Since this class of men and this con-
dition existed in every quarter OF
the country, the organization soon
spread over the whole country. For
years the cause, or rather the causes,
have been simultaneously searched
for and studied from Maine to Caii.
fornia and from the lakes to the gulf
The cause, or part of the causes
We're found. The whole organiza
ton agreed ON them. The public
generally agreed that the evil eau
tes existed. We then appealed t.
the Lawmakers of the country for {
remedy. Great sympathy was ex
pressed for our condition, but M
remedy was offered. The organiza
ton then formulated its own RENE
dies for each cause and appeale'
to the lawmakers to give us thes
remedies. They found fault wit
our remedies. We then demande,
, that they should give those demand
or something better. That was fail
For if the wrongs existed, if unjus
, and oppressive laws are on the stat
+ ute books, it is the duty of our law
makers to give us relief, to give U
OUR remedy or better one. Up
date the demands Of the people hav
9 been igno ed, while every reIues
t Of the monopoly corporations an
: tile money power-has been promp
G ly agreed to. We have just realize
= that the Organization came too LAT
e for Justice to be gotten by petition
The people must now submit Liz
q slaves or take political action Il
o themselves.
e While the organization has bee
l. making this progress, what has I'll
enemy been doing? And here v
r might ask who the enemy is? Whe
i under unjust conditions certa
l. class of people are robbed Of Il
fruits of their labor, some other ella
q gets and accumulates what the OF
'e er loses. The great majority ha,
}, been losing their wealth, the frui
lr of their labors; small majori
J. have been getting and accumulatii
" their wealth, earned and prOduc
le by the majority. Then the enen
'g is this small class who are not veal
he creators, but who are rapidly acc
"a mulating the wealth OF the countr
If This class and those who ser
them, either for pay or from igr
ct rance and party prejudice, as fl
"a sooth many or all of US did until
D. Gently.
st AT first the enemy ignsred I
We movement, thinking 1t would die
th the want of their condscending {
a, tention. But they had nt4 compr
IL hended the deep and widcspre
'c- causes that existed and were at VOL
the causes which forced the col
i. to organize fer self-protection,
self.preservation. Their next mo
n was to capture the organization.
. this and their whole fight on the
ganization their most power
lr- agents have been the machine p
at tician, servile or hireling newspape
h. They patted the organization on
nd back and had the tools of plutocrs
Ter to pose as the champions of the p
nd pie and in some cases have smugg
ks them into the fold of membersh
W. This scheme was partial succe
/. Some &C these men, their tsols a
rs- hirelings, got into Congress by
he votes of the farmers and soon shov
cid who their masters were by vot
.si- agains. the free coinage of silver
CT every other measure of substan
md relief for the people. During
on period they attacked, misrepresen
in abused, villified your officers
ion leaders, while at the same time Z
and professed great interest 10 the ore
ties ization. They triasd to break y
en- confidence in your officers, hop
will ing thai you would then be COVER
the by their advice. The great indust
the conference of labor organization
lck- st. Louis put an end 10 their sche
The people were too poor to be
: on sympathy. They were too
only informed to be cajo.ed, fattere
fooled by demagoguery. They