The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-12-14
HANNA's MESSAGE.
The New President Of the State Alliance
Issues an Address.

10 Inc pf6sluouCy VI Jul hVDNO VANNSA9 ~
cause felt that you called me to do the
work. knew some one must sacrifice
for the good of the order. 1t was not my
choice but your own-and that quite
unanimously for which / sincerely
thank you and accept it in the spirit you
gave it. Our meeting was effective and
harmonious. The spirit manifested at
the State Alliance meeting was that Of
harmony, true, fraternal feeling, and an
anxious desire for success; and that our
cause should be put on a firm founda-
tion, and that we would all put our
shoulders to the wheel and make our
principles perpetual. Above all, we de-
sired some financial and business success.
Do you fully realize that the order is
just what you make it, and that without
organization we cannot succeed? All
other classes are organized, and our only
hope is in maintaining our organization.
Shall we be the only class that don't
know or care enough to protect them
selves? Our enemies have called us the
fool farmers that do not know enough
to stick together" and how great has
been their surprise to know that we do
stick together, as we realize the neces-
sity. Our very friendliness, arising from
the fraternal relations brought about by
contact in the Alliance, has made us
power. Politicians have long known and
dreaded the power of farmers harmonic
ing together. Why, they say, that the
farmers constitute over 70 per cent Of
the people, and if they stick together
they can rule and control this country
and have everything their own way; but
they are such fools and so jealous Of each
other that they are continually divided
and opposing each other. Thus we have,
for years, been butting our heads against
each other, and thus became the prey Of
organized monopoly, who have received
the lions share Of the profits, and lived
as the lords of the-land, while we have
been the serfs Of labor, eking out mere
existence, e,single-hsnded and alone. United
we stand, divided we fall. Farmers,
organized and united, are a tower Of
strength; unorganized and divided, they
are rope Of sand. The very reason for
our existence is founded IN the fact that
this is an age of organization; an age in
which important results are only accom-
plished by massing forces together upon
q basis of similarity of circumstances
and community Of common interests.
The great magnitude and Importance Of
agriculture demand that we maintain
and support an organization that must
continually look after the social, political
and financial interests that so vitally
affect u.s. Without it, we must lose what
we have gained. There is no standstill.
We must either advance or retrograde.
The question squarely stares us in the
face-shall we go back? Shall we in the
hour Of partial victory lie supinely on
our backs-sit on the stool of do-noth-
ing, whilst other classes carry off the
fruits Of our labor? Shall we retire to
our homes, take the lights out of our
school houses, retire fIom our missionary
work, desert the Alliance room, and say,
"Let some one else do the work; we are
tired" God only helps those who help
themselves. The progressive Alliance
man knows that our work is only just
begun. trust there are many who are