The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-02-18

StAte IN Accord WAtn independent 10
Itical Action.
DOnnelly's Annual Address.
Following is the annual address of
the President of the Minnesota State
Alliance:
OCR NEWSPAPERS.
1t is with great pleasure l call your at
tcntion to the fact that alliance newspa-
pers are springng up every where through
out the State. and are, as a ru e. doing
most excellent work. They form u rallying
point for our organizations: they advocate
our principles and they defend us from
the attacks OF the enemy. / hope they
will meet with earnest support IL they
arc not in some cases all that could he eX-
pected. the remedy is to come to their aid
with liberal financial assistance, and enable
them to improve themselves. q
Our pIunderers know that the people
have votes enough to vote them down and
correct abuses. They cannot keep us from
the ballot boxes with guns or cannon.
heir only resource is to deceive us through
the agency of newspapers, which enter
every house and penetrate every mind.
The editors OF these sheets are valued for
their powers of sophis:ry and misrcprc-
sentation. They seldom attack the Aili-
ance openly. They seek to undermine it
by attacking its honest leaders and rais-
ing its traitOrOus ones Wherever there Is
any differences in our ranks they seek to
pry it open with crowbarS of falschood and
defamation. The lying capacity OF the
newspal ers OF America is the most colossal
exhibition OF mendacity known i'll the
world since the Almighty tumhled Lucifer
over the battlements Of heaven. 1t is stu
pcndous-it is illimitable-!t takes away
the breath OF simple virtue and bcwiiders
honest truth into paralysis. 1t threatens
all our CONCEPTIONS of primal right and for
BODIES the destruction OF civilization. 1t is
a new and terrible force in society of which
antiquity knew nothing.
WHAT Is THE REMEDY:
What can be done to arrest this giant
evil:
The newspapers lie because capital owns
them Or hires them.
We must have newspapers that are owned
by the people
Capital creates or purchases the news
papers as an instrumentality to reach the
minds of voters and prevent them acting
together for redress OF grievances.
If the people did not read these news
papers they would be OF no value to the
lutocrats. and the whole structure OF
iniquity would tumble to the ground.
The citizen who takes plutocratic news
paper into his house commits an unpar-
donable sin against himself. his family.
the public and posterity. He might just
as we'll call up red-hOt fcnd from hell,
and set him on his shoulder to talk in his
car-morninc, noon and night-an eadless
string of lies and ISLANDERS.
CAPITAL. HOSTILE TO LIBERTY.
1t IS sufficient for us to know what Wall
street wants. to know that we don't want 1t.
Their interests are hostile to our interests.
Thcy thrive on the miscries of the nation.
They loaned money to the government of
the United States. before the green backs
were issued. at Il per cent per annum.
They made fortunes out OF our lost battles.
They rcjoiced in our Affections. They put
up gold to S2.a1 On the dollar. 1t must
never be forgotten that during our darkest
hours OF our civil war the Mayor of New
York City seriously proposed that the city
separate itself from the nation, and set up
as an independent government. ami his
constituents elected him TO Congress as u
reward for his attempted treason. New
York never sustained the nation until the
Southern Confederacy declared for direct
free trade with England. and prophesie |
that they would make the grass grow in the
streets CT the Northern metropolis. When
their holy dollars were threatened they be-
came patriotic and not till then. The fact
Is there has neser been and there never can
be any real sympathy hctNe cen aggregated
capital and liberty. Wealth tends to aris-
tocracy, standing armies. contempt OF the
people. privileged classes and despotsm.
1t rots and ruins every nation which it
governs. Tho common people must take
care of themselves and fight their own
battle. or their cause is lost.
THE kEAL ISSUE IN OTR POLITICS.
The real issue OF our politi' to-day is
whether the dollar or the man sha II rule this
country. The battle is raging in the Demo-
cratic artv. in the Republican. and in the
Peoples rarty-yes. right in our midst. the
long arm and talon fingers OF the plutorracy
are seen aud felt: its sublime cunning sur
rounds US; its tools. with the word OF God in
their mouths and the devil in their hearts.
are breathing platudinous devotion to the
cause OF humanity. while they seek to tta-
down our leaders and divide our councils.
1t Is very possible they will capture our
st. LOUIS Convention OF Feb. 81. 1892.
hut the aroused and enragei multitude,
like the wild boar of tac forest, will burst
through the tolls with which the hunter
seeks to enmesh it. and make its tremen-
dous appeals to the conscience, the heart.
and the intelligence OF III, American peo-
pie. We understand the dreadful a!terna-
tive-we must win or the republic dies.
SURE TEST.
In this conflict you shoull be suspicious
OF lhe-man who is praised by your enemies.
They own him, or they would never in
dorse him. stand by the man whom Your
enemies denounc,. 1t is conclusive proof
that they have not bought him. The Jockey
never admits 4 fault in IA horse he has pur-
chased: it may be ringboned, halt. spaei in.
bird and full of bolts, but a steam engine
could not dta word OF denunciation on.
healthy stced. q war horse, Il Bucephalus
its name clad in thunder.
1t was the grapes the fox could not reach
that were sour Niilifcation is the tribute
which vice pays to virtue. The h.acst
man the rogues denounce. but the rogue
finds in every o;her rogue defender and a
Only the fools cannot see tn thing.
OUR INTERNAL ENEMIES.
We want harmony with all true. honest
men, but not that kind OF harmony which
involves the sacrifice of our principles. We
want peace. but not the peace of the corr Sc
silent decay. silence. absence of motion,
and a bad smell.
Ten men who are terribly in earnest an
completely united are a power in nature,
! for they gather similar elements into them
selves and grow like the rolling avalanche.
| \ thousand men torn and distracted by In =
! tern&i feuds amount to nothing. for five
! hundred Who want to go forward, aud the
result fS-nothing
! For my part | want no harmony with the
! tools OF monopoly. l don't want their
friendship. their respect or their support.
can only have these by being false to my
principles and turning back a movement
which concerns millions of human beings,
ana what is my personal popularity or the
t sweet amenities OF personal intercourse
with rascals compared with the progress OF
the world:
fbf every honest d1HefeECe or opinion VIC
should have the brOadest toleration and
| most patient forbearance. Our mental
| conclusions depend upon the degree OF on,
knowledge of tie subject in controversy
and the accuracy Of our thinking app ara, us
Two men may differ greatly vino, we're they
possessed OF the same facts and the same
grasp OF mind, would he of one opinion,
! Human intelicctS are all made after sub
stantially the same pattern, and where
men are honest they will agree when the
truth is made manifest to them Yeu are
| positive in your cow nvictiOns until another
man furnishes you with Il better reason
but, II you are rogue. NJ argument car
touch you. Tor your soul is In your pocket
book or some mean little ambition. The
worst f,e we have is not the open enemy
| who stands outside the fence and blac.
| guards US. but the smiling, sneaking sup.
| lie. schcming, plausible "Oh, yes.- corrupt
| scalawag who trains with us and hurrah,
| with us. and all the time is seeking to sci
us out or destroy u. Whenever you fnt
| such a man quietly draw the line and 10,