The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1892-02-25
oAUK CENTRE HERALu
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY rs. 1892.
THE ALLIANCE.

That the great producing classes, both
agriculturists and wagewerkers, have
substantial grievances real and burden
some, no one who is ut all obseryant
will deny. That there burdens should
be mitigated and grievances redressed is
selfevident. That these two classes arc
greater sufferers by reason of discrimind-
tions than any or all others, as alleged
by them, is only partially true. Every
professionalism merchant and emplove,
every rural manufacturer and salaried
person is affected adversely by the evils
which form the chiefest basis of COM
plant. It is a mistaken idea that any
class can be victimised without the entire
body polite suerfing in sympathy. Are
freight rates dnduly high? 1t cannot be
reasonably claimed that the whole COM
fnunity does not share in the exactions.
Does a CONNER or trust depress or initiate
prices and disturb values? The burden
Is distributed, and shared by all classes.
1t may fall.a little heavier at one time.
owing to peculiar conditions. upon one
class, but it cannot so continue. Does
speculation unsettle and demoralize
markets-grain. or Other agricultural
products-the consumer as well as the
producer is affected. The memorable law
of supply and demand cannot long be set
at defiance at the will of any man or
combination of men. It will assert it
self. Legislation may and should correct
evils and rendor abuses impossible, but
it must stop there. 1t cannot create
values. Every man is entitled to just
recompense for his labor, capital, energy
and ingenuity. Less than that robs him
of his just due-more than that makes
him the Iobber of someone else. The in
terests of the producer and the consumer
are common and only become antagonis-
tic when unjust advantage is sought or
taken. Capital and labor are ,inter-de-
pendent and so long as both are re-
strained from real or faucied encroach-
ments upon the rights and privileges O.
the other the best and happiest results
ensure to both. They are not antagon-
istic, but cooperative. Riches and pow
erty are relative terms, and no line can
be drawn between them. Any effort to
divide humanity into classes. separate
and distinct in interest and motive must
be futile; much less can legislation be
entered into upon such a theory.
The demands of the Alliance as party
are in most respects reasonable and
practical, and entitled to favorable con-
sideration. The grave error made by it
is in considering its members a separate
and distinct class and demanding poll
teal and legislative recognition as such.
Class legislation is always pernicious
legislation. and our statute books are
soaded with it. A twelve month session
of the legislature with power limited to
repeating acts of this character would be
the most valuable one ever held in the
state. If there were more prohibitory
laws and fewer permissive ones relating
to special classes, occupations and cor
porations, it would be better for the
commonwealth. sa
1t is unfortunate that the Farmers
Alliance has gone to such lengths in
making special demands. One unwise
plank-such as the subtreasury and land
foaa schemes-will overbalance a hum
dred wise ones. A boat however staunch
in every plank but one must 60 under
providing thst decayed plank is below
the water line.