Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-08-05
FRIDAY MORNING. AUGUST 5, 1892


FRIDAY MORNING. AUGUST 5, 1892
THE ALLIANCE AND THE THIRD
PARTY.
The fact that three OF four prominent
officers of the Alliance in Virginia are
stumping the State for the nominees of the
Peoples Party, would Indicate that they
have abandoned the Alliance with it's nom
partisan features and taken to partisan
politics without reserve. Their mission is
as absolutely partisan as if they were
stumping the State for the Republican or
the Democratic ticket, for the so called
Peoples party is as purely political as any
other. The theory that it is an uprising of
the people is the usual myth which accom-
panies the birth Of all short lived political
organizations. The Know Nothing party
was an uprising of the people, the Green
back party was an uprising of the people,
and so on through the long list of now ex
tinct political organizations.
There are few things more deceptive than
the prospectus of new party. 1t always
has an attractive list of the burdens it pro-
poses to relieve the people of, the injuries
that have been imposed on the people in the
past, and the utterly useless, incapable and
corrupt character of the already existing
parties. Every new party that we have
seen start in forty years has had these
characteristics in it's prospectus. In the
matter of promises and prophesies it is pro-
fuse, and those who can recollect how many
of them have been born and buried in this
prolific country have good reason to know
how few of the promises ever come to any
thing, OIL indeed, were intended to serve any
more serious purpose than clap trap for
catching votes. But a new party in Amer
lea is safe in promising anything. AS it
never gets into power, it can never be held
to accountability in the matter of redeem
ing its pledges. A congressman here and
there, Senator OF two, and it has reached
it's high water mark. Then come fusions
and combinations with the old parties for
the advancement of individuals, and that
is soon followed by falling back into the
ranks of the old parties again. That is the
history of new political parties in this coun-
try, as those who will take the trouble to
read may know.
The great and real objection to new par
ties is that they waste energy, talent, and
work that might be expended with success
in good cause. The present attitude of
those who have abandoned the Alliance to
waste their energies in Third party is a
good Illustration OF this. The farmers of
this country are now the chief sufferers
from system Of taxation that ought to
he reformed. The man that says OF thinks
they are not unjustly and cruelty handi-
capped in their struggle for prosperity aud
comfort, simply shows his ignorance. Other
men besides the farmer suffer, but he suf-
fers most because he constitutes the bulk
of the population and does the bulk of the
work OF the country. He is selling his crop
of 1892 in the Mckinley home market for7S
cents and in any market in the world he can
find sale for it, and yet he is compelled by law
to buy everything he uses in one market
and is shut in from buying Where it is
chez pest. This, whatever, other name you
may choose for it, is slavery and that con-
dition accounts fo- every i'll humanity can
be affected by. With this condition of
affairs changed, the farmer would he as well
to do as any other citizen of the country
There has been one party and but one party
the Democracy-fghting to make this
change in the farmers situation. 1t has
been steadily fighting for it, and two years
ago it swept the country with an unparal-
leled victory on this very issue. This year
on the same issue 1t is fighting for the con-
troll of the government. In this fight what
are lliance men asked to do by those who
have left it for the Peoples party? They
are asked though all are farmers, though they
represent almost the entire farming interest
of the country-they are asked to stop this
tide of victory that is sweeping On to take
taxation from their backs to take their
votes from q party that is seeking to free
them from the hand of the Federal tax gath
erer, and throw them away by casting them
for the People S Party candidates, and to
thereby elect the Presidential ticket of the
Republican party which will never give them
relief and which has been fighting steadily
for thirty years against giving that relief.
We think the VINDICATOR can talk
frankly and plainly to Alliance men in Vir-
ginia. Its columns have always been open
to them, there aspirations have always
found in it a respectful hearing, their lead
III To- ~ +i,o "
railroad bill and others, have found in it
an active and outspoken friend, and
their members have found in it an earnest
advocate for election to prominent places
i'll the law making body Of the State. There
is no sound and safe reform OIL advance
they could propose that would not receive
its support. And with this record of its
relations to their organization and to them
personally, We warn them against being led
away from a practical relief which is with
in their reach, into chase after Peoples
party rainbows which they will never at
tain. After all is said and done, it is the
sound opinions of the thoughtful people on
the farms and in the cities that rule a
country. Party orators-new party and
old party-Wlth theories and fancies may
come and go, but it is only the conservative
thought of the country based on experience
that rules it. Let no man deceive You:
common sense is not Knocked. No govern
ment on earth ever madeits people richer by
simply printing money and issuing it. No
people ever became more prosperous by Dor
rowing money from their government and
paying interest on it. No people ever
found financial relief by plunging into bill
lions of dollars of debt for the purchase of
the railroads, canals and telegraph lines of
the country. No inhabitants of State ever
found relief by giving uD-as fine neopIe of