The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-29
RALEIGH. N. c., NOVEMBER 70, 1892

hatred, they will use but despise us.
Ii we continue as citizens to support
political parties, that not only ignore
our demands, but openly fight them,
they will treat our demands and our
selves with the contempt we deserve.
The time had arrived when we must
decide between our principles and our
partlsanehip. Our great educational
work will count for naught, if after
we have learned the truth we fail TO
practice it, and in no way can we so
utterly fail III living and acting the
truth as in knowing it and failing to
record it at the ballot box
Truth is the epitOme of All that the
great Creator Cf the universe demands
of man. You may sum up your re-
spOnsibility to your fellow man and
Your duty to God in the simple word
truth" Be tue to yourself, true to
Your family, true to this Order, true
to your country and true to your God.
Speak the truth, live the truth and
WV VIZ u AIhI' nav . 44O III hICbILlJ
whatever with the idea of pushing our
educational work up to the point of
conviction; labOriDg for years to each
our fellow citizens certain true econ
Omic principles, and then. the last week
Of the campaign. DESERVING our prln-
ciples and jumping for the band wagon.
That may be termed practical poll
ties" but it eau have no permanent
abiding place III a great reform move
ment, based on the eternal rcck of
truth as a foundation. The idea is
thoroughly abhorent to every true
Ailianceman The ballot box should
be the sacred ark of our covenant,
where we can deposit our principles
for record with absolute faith that they
will be counted as cast Without this
the franchise is a mockery, and our
system of government sham.
The spirit Of Unrest aprUad to day
nay by such means be suppressed or
smothered for a tlme-it Will not be
palliated or eTadiCated. 1t must have
vent. The longer it is suppressed the
more violent will be the explosion when
II does come, The duty OF every patri
otic American citizen, every lover OF
our country, every true man ana NO
man in our nation Is to investigate well
the causes of the present unrest L
found to be without just foundation,
point out the tallacy. If the claims Of
organic d labor can be proven unjust,
no class Will Tepudlate them more
quickly than the farmers, the acknOwl-
edged great conservative class Of the
nation
Temporary defeat will not solve the
problem, or stop the agitation. These
rldicule. We believe in our demands
aa devoutly as any Christian man or
woman believes in his or her Bible.
The eloquence of al IngersOll sur
charg, d with ridicue aimed at the
sacred volume will not cause GevOut
Christian 10 lose faith III a single verse
Of that grand old book, no more Will
the el, Quence Of all the sarcastic ora
tors of the nation, aimed IN rldlcule at
our demands cause the true Alliance
man to wavtr in his faith and devO
ton to the gr4ndest platform of polltI
cal principles ever euunciated by any
body of men.
Organized labor has arrived at these
conclusions after many years of care
full, patient investigation and study.
If changed, it must be by the same
methods. We must press forward on
the lines of justice, equality and truth.
The great need of the time is honest.
manly, courageous men-hOnest IN
seeking the truth, unbI+-ed by partl
sanshlp or pref IdIce; manly enough to
proclaim 1t re eyaTdieS5 of surroundings
or past party affiliations; courageous
enough 10 record 1t at the ballot b; x
though voting one. So called urao-
tis:al politics." or band wagon prac
tice can have no place in the Alliance.
Our duty is IT, vote our principles re
gardlpss of the result. Anything issued
officially, assumed or othrrwlse, con
trary to this, is in violation Of the
grand, high and noble teachings Of our
Order.
Iconcede the right of every member
Of the Orier to work and vote for the
political party of his choice. cOncede
his right to choose bet ~een the Alliance
and a political party. l believe 1t TO
oe the duty Of every true Allanceman
to advocate and support our demands
AS in his judgment seems best AS an
officer of the Alliance he can do s. off
ciallv, consistently, but l deny his