The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-09-27
POLITICAL Attitude OF THE
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
"The Time Has Now Arrived to Test
This Question" Says President
7. ouc%s


To the Members of the Farmers Ali
c and Industrial Union:
For wears we have been studying
noIitineI "The Science or
Governments. . from a strictly non
partisan standpoint, the only correcO
method of arriving at n truGn IL
politics. With unparalleled u5n15
nifty and enthusiasm, we nave nEa
on a series of demands Wnlca nroeS
been adopted, affirmed u re aLLTAlou
nv orr supreme council, our SGaIe,
Gonntv and subordinate Alliance.
lest February, at ST. Louis, tney
were endorsed by twenty one other
great labor organizations. These Ole.
mands are the result of many years or
natient study and discussion or the
labor problem. We believe they are
lust and essential. The time has now
arrived to test whether we are gong
to be practical or not. The only way
TO secure the enactment OF these de-
mands into law is through political
DISQUALIFICATION. We have passed
through the stages of discussion, reso-
luton and demanding. These are all
preliminary and necessary to the final
act of voting. Unless followed up by our
ballots, all that we have done will have
been in vain. The difficulty that now
~confronts us as an organization is, that
whilst we are a unit on u demands,
we are not, as to methods of securing
them, We all must agree on the com
mon sense proposition that h only
way of securing them is to vote for
them. Unfortunately, our partisan
ship, in some cases, has proven
stronger than III Allegiance to our
principles.
demands, we, to that extent, became
q political organization. In dong SO,
we did not become a political party,
nor do I think we, as a class, ever
should. So long as other classes and
professions remain organized as classes
or professions, we too must pe~rpetuate
and strengthen our organization. But
having, az an organic alton, made GER
tain political demands, we have cor
responding duties to perform. When
we requested the several political par
ties to adopt our demands, there was
an implied promise that if they did,
we would support them, if not, we
would oppose them. We have been
met with the contention hat this
would interfere with our political free
dom. Before taking the obligation, we
were assured that it Twill not conftIeb
gHO 44OOAON vi IO04 POA4gAO@&4
views" The Alliance has been an
education. Our demands are our
ttpolitical views" Instead of inter,
fering with, we urge our members to
stand by and support and vote for
their political views. 1t is the only
honest and consistent thing we a do.
If you believe any other platform of
principles of more Importance than
ours, then they r your political
views, and it is your duty to support
them in preference to ours. Our de-
mands can only be crystallized into
law through the medium of a political
party.
/ lay down three common sense
propositions. First. It is always
necessary to follow up a political
party after they have promised, COM
pei them to keep their promises. Sec
ond. 1t is very improbable that any
political party will enact our demands
into law unless they promise to do so.
Third. 1t is utterly ridiculous to ex-
p9ct a political party to enact our de-
mands into law so long as they are
fighting them. The man who has
sufficient faith to believe that they
will, has enough to remove q noun
tain, but faith ever of that kind will
never move a political party. They
hve on and are moved by votes. Our
first duty as citizens is to examine we'll
the promises of all political parties as
contained In their platform of princi-
pies, and then follow it up by their
record to learn which political party is
our party.
One political party having adopted
u demands it would be in direct CON-
hlct with III obligation to ask you to
support a political party that has not
done so. Worse, it would be asking
you to violate the sacred right of fran
-chise, which should be guarded as the
ark of covenant. AS an organization
we are bound to support our principles.
As citizens, it is our duty to vote our
principles. Our Order is on trial. We
have reached a point where we are
certain to lose some members, and it is
wise to consider the situation care
fully. To push on aggressively and in
earnest, we will lose those who love
their old party bondage better thar
our principles. To be weak or vacil-
latlng at this critical time, will insure
the loss of theearnest, aggressive mem
berShip, who are honestly advocating
our principles as of paramount i'm
portance to that of any political party.
No true Alliance man a hesitate
which course to pursue. Admitting a
loss, which we must, which method
viii insure us the greatest gain2 I'm
~quest1onably, the honest, manly, con-
sistent curse of voting as we talk.
resolve, demand and pledge, Expert
nee in the State elections, where we
have voted for principles, has
demonstrated that gains has more
than balanced our losses in numbers.
and strengthened us immensely IN
prestige and influence.
A few may be led away with the
idea that because a political party has