The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-01-22
IT Is STILL ANXIOUS.

Inc st. Paul GLOBE is very anxious
for fusion of the Democrats and the
Farmers Alliance and never loses an
opportunity to agitate the same.
Its latest utterance in this regard,
urges q fusion on the ground
that there is not a unity of purpose
within the Alliance upon the issues
proposed in the various platforms
that have been adopted by it, and
also upon the ground that the Repub-
lican party is the enemy of the farm
er, and in view of this the Alliance
ought to drop everything else and go
into the Democratic fold and fight
for free trade.
Just at present, when there does
not seem to be much unity of purpose
within the Democratic ranks, so far
as principles are concerned; when
Cleveland still talks free trade, and
Hill, German, Crisp, Springer & Co.
are pulling in another direction, talk
about unity of purpose is somewhat
Ilu1CulOuS ny UHc UtOOe.
AS to the other reason it gives for
fusion, that the Republican party is
the enemy of the farmer, the asser-
tion is absolutely false. The Repub-
lican party is not and never has been
the enemy of the farmer. Its record
will show this. When there has been
a general demand for legislation in
the interest of the farmers the Re-
publican party has given it. Never
has the country been so prosperous as
during the period the government
has been under it's control. No one
piece of legislation has so benefited
the farmer as the protective tariff.
1t has built up great industries giving
employment to thousands of men,
thus poviding home market for the
farmers produce, instead of obliging
him to ship the bulk of it across the
seas. And on the other hand the
farmer buys his supplies cheaper than
he would were he obliged to depend
upon the factories Of the old world
for them. And to-day, under the
much abused Mckinley law, the
manufacturers are selling the pro-
{ ducts of their mills cheaper than ever
before.
The Republican party gave the
farmers free sugar. This is hardly
} the work of an enemy. 1t has forced
5 an opening in several foreign coun
t tries for American pork: it has alsC
! arranged commercial treaties with
Y the nations of the south of us, which
! greatly increases our trade with them
Y good share of which increase is the
t product of the farm. If this is thu
t work of an enemy, the farmers cal
f surely ask for more of it.
G Never before has the government
e done so much directly for the farme
s as it has through the Agriculture
y Department during this administra
i tion. 1t was predicted when the De
b partment was organized that it woul'
y be nothing but stOrehOuse for re
Y tired politicians. Secretary Rusk ha
e taken hold if it in a business Xix
e manner and conducted it in the inter
t est of the farmers of this country
: Investigations have been conducte
l. and experiments made that will prov
. invaluable to farmers, while his Ell
forts in stamping OutQcOntagiou
among cattle, and getting our meat
!, properly examined to meet the re
= quirements Of foreigners, has bee
crowned with success. Such work a
E this is not done by the enemies @
: those whom it most affects.
y What is it that the Democratic pal
ty has done during late years, tina
!. the Globe can cite as showing it to b
!, the sole friend of the farmer? In al
the time that party has controlle,
=, the House, it has not adopted singl
measure that would help the farme
: one-tenth as much as the Republican
; party has accomplished by its legisla
S ti0n during the past two years. Blu
: it has proposed measures which, hat
: not a Republican President or Senat
stood in the way to prevent enact
: ment, would have proved most detri
\ mental to the agricultural interest
+ of the nation. and none are bet
ter aware of this fact than the farm
2 ers Of themselves.
/ A WOMAN evangelist near Saul Ste