The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-07-26
AWAKE AT LAST.

The New York Herald is the biggest
and one of the most reliable papers in
the world. But it has tried to shut its
eyes to the fact that the farmers were
organized, or that a new party was
springing into existence. But it is
awake at last and has this to say about
the new party
It's origin dates back but a few years,
and is to be found in a widespread feel
iRg of farmers that they were oppressed
with burdens due to governmental
policies and legislation detrimental to
the interests of the agricultural classes
in particular and the labOring classes
in general. At first it was sought to
remedy these grievances through either
or both of the two great political par
ties. Not meeting with satisfaction IN
this direction, the leaders of the cause
resolved to act independently of both
the Republican and the Democratic
parties, and to go before the people
| with candidates and platforms of their
own.
This was done in 1890, with a success
in several Western and Southern States
that rather surprised the nation.
In Kansas the Alliance elected five
of the seven Representatives in Con
gress, secured an overwhelming ma
iority in the Legislature and sent VIII
liam A. p ffer to the United States
Senate in place Of John J. Ingalls,.
In Nebraska it carried two of the
three Congre ssiOnal districts, won ma
i~Orities in both branches of the State
Legislature and fell only a few hun
dred votes short Of electing their Gov
ernor.
The farmers did not get a majority
of the Legislature in Minnesota, but
they elected twelve Senators and thirty
Representatives They also returned
one of the five Congressman. In South
Dakota they carried the Legislature
and chose James H. Kyle to the United
States Senate.
In the South the greatest strength of
the movement has been developed in
South Carolina, which is practically
under the control of the Farmers ALI
ance; North Carolina, Georgia and
Texas. In the silver States also the
party claims substantial support.
In the first national convention at
Omaha a more comprehensive name
has been adopted than that of Farmers
Alliance and a broader scope taken
than that of agricultural interests. It
is now the peoples party, and it boasts
"a union of the labor forces Of the
United States" The principles and
purposes Of the party are set forth in
its Omaha platform. After reciting
many evils In the government and ten
denotes of to-day, it declares that
"our annual agricultural productions
L oDooJ1n+ n Ii11iOrn 0F lN1l0r, -, --o1,,o
which must within a few weeks or
months be exchanged for billions of
dollars or con mOdities consumed in
their production; the existing currency
supply is wholly inadequate to make
this exchanges; the results are falling
prices, the formation of combines and
rings and the impoverishment of the
producing class"
The platform then goes on to demand
a national currency-a fulllegal tender
for all d bis, public and private-issued
by the general government without the
aid of banking corporations; the free
and unlimited coinage of silver and a
speedy increase of the circulating me
dunn to not less than fifty dollars for
every person in the country.
1t demands a graduated income tax
and that all State and national reve-
nues be limited to the necessary ex-
penses of the government, economi-
cally and honestly administered. In
other words, no high tariff for protec-
ton of favored industries and CAPT
| talists.
1t demands that postal banks be
established by the government; that
alien ownership of land be prohibited
and that all land now held by railroads
and other corporations in excess of
their actual mex DIS be reclaimed by the
government and heldfor actual settlers
only.
It declares that all railroads, tele-
graph lines and telephones must be
owned and operated by the government
in the interest of the people, and that
any international waterway like the
Nicaragua Canal, deemed necessary or
desirable, be constructed and con
t'olled by the government of the
limited States