The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-02-14
THE ANNUAL ADDRESS
OF President Marion Butler, Of the Ma
tional Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union.

OF President Marion Butler, of the Ma
tional Farmers Alliance and Industri rial
Union.
BRETHREN-Thisi is an age of organi-
cation and cooperation.
That organization was economical
and otherwise beneficial tor the CO.
operative Arrangement OF mutual in
terest has long been evident. 1t is
more evident to-day. We have reached
that point in our civilization, even
under republican form OF govern
ment, where organization is not only
beneficial, but also necessary. This is
| true with reference to every class of
our citizens and to every division of
our various industries and professions.
To no one does it with more
| force than to the
AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL
CLASSES.
Yet they are among the last to avail
themselves of the advantage of Organi-
cation, as well as to learn the absolute
necessity therefor
At various times in the past, numer-
Gus efforts to organize permanently
have been made, and, with what re-
suit, is a matter of history and is well
known. And while the result Is well
known, yet hardly think the cause of
such failures is generally understood
by us.
1t is true, that whenever an Organi-
ZatiOn has been started or attempted,
| that those classes OF our citizens who,
being organized, have had the adyan-
tage of us being unOrganiZed, (and
knowing that organization on our part
would soon result in increased intelli-
gence, and therefore united action for
the protection of our rights and inter-
est,) have used every agency that
united brain could devise and COM
bined money could control,
TO DEMORALIZE, DEFEAT AND DISRUPT
the organization. The newspapers
and pOii icians have been largely used
to make the attack from the outside by
Misrepresentation and appeals to
pre- udice, while the Judases in the or
ganiZatiOn, whose price was thirty
pieces of silver (mOre or less,) have al
ways been found to do the work of
spies and traitors on the inside.
But this is not necessarily the cause
of the failures. The basic cause that
makes such hostile agencies successful
in my opinion lies deeper. In fact it
is inherent in the rank and file of the
ma Ority of the members themselves of
such organizations. 1t is a cause pro-
duced by our surroundings, supple
mented by false teachings. 1t is a
cause that may be termed a cnmula-
tive, hereditary trait of our social char
acter. | refer to a cause which, for the
want of name, l will describe as pro-
duced by the
WANT OF A SUFFICIENT SOCIAL CONTACT
and fair and tolerant exchange of O.
IpiniOns and ideas, l refer to the want OF
cohesion; to our failure to pool Our
divergent opinions and agree upon
a common line of action that would
represent the combined wisdom of. all
When we violate Gods great socia
, laws; when we fail to put our hearts
next to our neighbors' hearts; when we
fail to bring our intellect, In cOntac,
with our neighbOrs, then both the sou
and the intellect, instead of developing
broadening and elevating, making Us
more like our Maker, and becoming fiji
to work ont the highest destiny of in.
tellectual christianity, our souls con.
tract and shrivel, our intellects
GROW WEAK AND NARROW.
. Here is the great trouble, here lies
the defect: here lies the cause OF fail.
ure.
To bridge over the great want of so.
. clal intercourse in rural life, to stimu.
late intellectual development by the
contract of intellect with intellect, tt
exchange opinions so as to avoid ex.
perimental errors in business as vel
as to get the benefit of a multitude OF
counsel for future efforts, to learn the
lesson of making two blades of gras.
grow where one grew before. has beer
the great object of all of the past eff
forts among the agricultural and in.
! dustrial classes at organization. An(
l especially is this the great origina
purpose of the Alliance, and is now the
: basic idea for its perpetual existence
SO we see that the cOrner-stOnes or
: which the Alliance was founded and j:
5 standing today, are: First, social ant
moral development: second, intellec.
! tual development, followed
BY COOPERATION IN BUSINESS EFFORTS
and industrial pursuits.
In towns and cities the various bust
ness, professional and monopoly organ
r izations have for their original pur
pose the second of the above objects
There, a close or compact population
gives the opportunity for social advan-
tages without an organization for tha
specific purpose. But the organization
of towns and cities have another pur
, pose and mission, though incidental
! yet highly important in a republican
form of government. What is it? L
is to use the power and influence O.
their organization in the legislativ,
halls,
|
: to prevent hostile legislation agalns
: the class of citizens which their or
ganizatiOn represents. So far, sucl
use of their power is proper and neces
sary, and it is our duty to use our or
ganiZation for the same pur
pose. But prompted by selfish
ness and greed these organiza
2 tiOns often go further. They us,
their power to inaugurate and execut,
hostile legislation against other classes
not organized, or poorly organized ant
weak. The latter exercise of thi
power in defiance of right, but to,
often under the cover of law,
f IS THE SNAKE IN OUR BODY PoLITIC
and the curse of our civilization. Thi
f is the frightful game where the bi.
fish eat the smaller fish, and then turf
to eat each other. We have seen thi
game played with growing force an,
! intensity, and for the last few months
( we have seen it in its most fright
I full aspect.