The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-12-24
TgE ALLIANCES IS A NECESSITY.

wbv should farmers and laborers
o--oanizeg Can any good reason be
r;1on for such an organization as the
4Uiorca9 We think aso can be
adduced which no n ought to q1es-
ton Jaws the Alliance Advocate, jones
town, Pa.
Whv did not the farmers and laboring
classes organize forty or fifty years
agoG We did not hear Of labor organ
fzations then. Neither did we hear
any talk about money kings, mOnopO-
lies, or railroad corporations quitting
money, bonds, or stocks, where they
will do the most good"-to influence
the action of Congress Or State legls
latures.
The farmers have been f9eced by
somebody. They are growing poorer
and poorer every day. When people
are not suited they may use all honor
able means to change their laws.
Something is wrong somewhere, and
the people have found it out. Hence,
the necessity for organization, and it
means something. Tnere is s omething
radically wrong somewhere when those
who work least get most. This fact
forces itself home to every thoughtful
mind. We want to find out where the
wrong is. Therefore, we must or
ganize.
The Farmers Alliance raj organ
ICED for the purpose Of studying and
investigating the questions having di-
rect reference to economic legislation.
We have no warfare to wage upon any
political party. As an Alliance every
member is left free to choose his own
political affiliations.
We labor to improve the condition
of our members mentally, morally,
socially ind financially, and not to
hoist a certain class of men into Office
on the strength of membership fealty.
Each member votes his own sentiments
unrestrained and Influenced. The
Alliance has among it's membership
men from all political parties and Of
all shades of opinion, working together
in the cause of labor.
We aim to educate our members
upon public questions affecting the
welfare of the people in general, and
especially of the laboring classes.
Most of the public speakers in this
country confne themselves to ideas
gathered from the newspapers, which
are too often paid to publish articles
tending to mislead the people.
IL is our purpose, as an organization
to study and understand certain eco
nomic principles which underly our
our structure of government, and upon
which our prosperity as q people and
our continued existence as a Republic
depend. We, as an organization, do
not charge the political sins to any one
party. Tae Alliance is one of the grand
est institutions the world has ever pro-
duced ;rising, as it does, above the slums
of party politics, it aims to elevate it's
members to a higher plane of citizen
ship by a system of teaching its prin-
ciples of political economy, in a strictly
non partisan sense. This will enable
them to exercise the rights, that of suf
frage, to the best interests of not only
themselves, but the country at large.
This right, we believe, we have testi
mony showing, the capitalists have
bought and r controlling through the
principal avenues of intelligence.
Thus you see, farmers and laborers,
when you have finished a week Of toll,
you take up your newspaper and read
an article on trade, commerce, finance,
or the productive interests of the coun-
try, s~upposing it to have been written
by a sincere thinker, in your interests,
it's tone and arguments uninf fenced
by any expectation of reward, while,
in fact, it has been dictated by your
monetary enemy, whose interests are
just the opposite from yours. By con
trolling the channels of information
the capitalist holds your confidence
with one hand, while with the other
he rifles your pockets. The money
power is not only controlling the press,
but the legislature of the country as
well.