The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-05-24
LETTER FROM KANSAS.
A Review of the Situation by a North
western Man.
HUMBOLDT, Kan.

HUMBOLDT, Kan.
Mr.. EDITOR:-I notice in your issue
of the goth a communication from J..
w. Lane, of Craven county, N. O., and
| think it was written with the same
purpose that this is. He says he is a
member of the Farmers Alliance and
favors it, principles, wants relief and
is heart and hand with the refOrmers.
He says the principles of the Alliance
properly carried out will bring this to
pass. Yet after all this he says: 81
see no need Of a third party, and am
| bitterly opposed to any such move
under present circumstances"
4 great many of us in this State
(Kan) have been in the same frame of
mind as far as the third party is con
cerned, but have outgrOwn it long ago.
We thought at one time that reform
would and could be obtained through
one of tue old parties, but after sending
petition after petition and resolution
after resolution to members IN the
House and Senate and receiving no at
tentiOn or considerable n by either the
Democratic or Republican parties, ex-
cept to jeer and laugh at our petitions
and resolutions. hence we concluded
that our only hope of obtaining the re
forms would be through a new party,
neither OF the old parties having ever
adopted any of the demands of the
Ocala or ST. Louis platforms, neither
have the press of either favored u
demands Ou5 opposed them with all
their might and main, but poured upon
them the vile5 of their wealth with all
the inveCtiveness and hate of q demon,
which, II seems to me, would convince
any one who seeB the necessity of re
form that there Is no intention nor de
sire on their part to give the people
anything better than tney have.
He says at present we need no new
party III the State or nation. | would
like to ask the brother in what way he
expects to bring about this reform and
relief. He says he is a member of the
Farmers Alliance and favOr5 it's prin-
ciples, and yet says there would have
to be a few Of It's planks saved out of
it's platform, there being only three
planks in the platform-fnance. land
and transportation. | would like to
ask which plank would remain after
the pruning and what the added planks
would be, de says the time has come
that every man should speak if he feels
any interest in his home and country
and would say or do anything to aid or
defend them he must do it quickly. He
seems to fully realize that there is dan
ger and that this danger should be
guarded against and that it should be
done quickly, and let me ask from
whence this danger comes and how are
we to guard against it2 Who shall go
on guard to night and what the coun
terslgn shall be SO that we may distin- |
guish a friend from an enemy. Human
nature being the same all over the
world, men have always WOrshipped
something. In the old country the
people worship the king and queen |
and IN this country they worship their
party instead of principles. There
has always been thres parties or
classes in our cOuntry-the poor class,
the middle class and wealthy or Tory
class, which is the same. This class
has always cOntended and believed that
the common people were not capable
of self-gOvernment. | believe it Is this
class we must be saved as they now
have complete control of our national
Legislative bodies. 1t is from this class |
that our representatives have been Sc
lected and for this reason we haYe the |
kind Of legislation we have had for the |
past % years, and it is to them wehave
appealed in vain for a redress of our
wrongs, and it is for this reason that |
we SO often hear them say the people |
be d-m, they know not what is best
for them. l say, Waterman, what of
the night? Who shall be our sentries
hereafter? Upon what class shall they
be chosen9 l believe they should all
come from the two first. Otherwise
we shall have the enemies Of this Re
public on guard and our liberties de- |
stroyed, and with them this Republic
we so much love. No matter whether
he may have worn the blue or the
gray, he is a part Of this country and
his love and interests are the anne.
These are times that try mems souls.
The crisis is upon us, and lovers of
their country and homes must look the
issue squarely in the face, put none on
guard but good and tried men who have
proven themselves true under all cir
cumstances. Then and not till then
will we be safe. Neither will we get
anything from this plutocrat or Tory |
class, unless it be a slap in the face.
Shall we be freemen or shall we be
slaves and kiss the hand that smites
us2 9. E. DAVIS,
LETTER FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
SPARTANsBURG, Pa.
Mr.. EDITOR:-I see in your able and
honest paper that some one has written
an article relating to a humane char
tered society in your State, the Osten-