The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-06-04
WHY rHE ALLIANCE MUST LIVE.
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
HAYWOOD, N. @.

VI INC ETOREGSSlV6 EaIm6Es
HAYWOOD, N. Q.
A great many good men, true re-
formers, have decided that there is no
longer any use for the Alliance; that
at has served it's purpose and should,
therefore quietly go out of existence.
A great many do not say this in so
many words, but their actions speak
4ouder than words.
Now, there are many reasons why ]
cannot agree with these brethren. II
the Alliance had no other mission
than as an educator in the science of
government (politics if you wilD still
there would be pressing need for its
existence at this time and for all time.
You may oppose class legislation if you
will, but there are times every calling
or profession needs certain legislation,
either of a protective or a fostering
kind. Certainly the farmers are no
exception to the rule. Of course no
patriotic citizen desires legislation to
build up his class that will improve
other classes, and the farmers VINO
have always been the truest patriots
have never asked nor desired any such
laws. But the farmers do need legls-
lation in their interests, and 1t Is aOso-
IuteIv certain they viii never obtain
it through any party unless they bring
the influence of a powerful organlza-
ton to bear upon their legislators.
But there are other features of the
AIliaace that renders its existence an
absolute necessity. That is, its CO.
operative and social features. If the
farmers of this State would bind them
selves together in a strong CO operative
union, there is no telling what they
could accomplish. There is a great
deal of selfshness in this world. AS a
rule every class or profession looks to
its own interests and is going to pro,
mote it's interests, even if it has to
trample upon the weaker and less pro-
tected professions. In other words,
in business the big fish swallow the
little ones whenever they can.
Now, the agricultural class is the
most numerous and by all odds the
strongest in the world when organized.
1t is emphatically the strongest, be-
cause all other classes, professions and
conditions of men are absolutely de-
pendent upon the farmers for every
particle of food and clothing they con
sumo.
But when organized no class is so
weak as the farmers. Scattered all
over the State and, as a rule, without
money, the farmers are an easy prey
to the extortion of all other classes.
For example: The last legislature
passed an act taxing doctors and other
professional men ten dollars a year.
This wax is eminently a just one, be-
cause every doctor whose practice is
worth having considers his profession
more valuable than farm property
that would be taxed considerably
more than this amount. But the doc
tors being organized are determined
not to pay this tax. In one county
they have agreed to increase their fees
sufficiently topay, and perhaps doubly
pay, this tax. Thus, the farmers and
other helpless classes will have it to
pay at last. But suppose all the
farmers were organized together in the
Alliance as they should be. They could
sit down very heavily IN these ambi
tious doctors, and quickly bring them
to taw. This is only one example of
what organization could and would do
for farmers. Hundreds of others could
DE mentioned.
Now the question is, are they going
TO completely back down and suffer
themselves to be trampled upon at willie
Some of us will not, but if only a few
of US are banded together, we will be
too weak to accomplish much. What
want is the moral and active sup
port of all farmers. Now, we ask our
brother farmers, what are they going
TO do about it. J. e. SPENCE.