The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-02-17
PRESIDENT LONG.
He Does Not Want to Wear Himself
Out Unless the Farmers
Stand by Him.
Let Him Hear From You.-The Old War-Horse
is Full Of Fight Yet.-Are You Ready
to Follow Him?
Editor Representative.

am sorry that circumstances we're
such that | could not attend the
State Meeting of the Farmers ALI
ance.
BY the published report in THE
REPRESENTATIVE see that | was
elected president.
To be elected to this Office. which
has been held by some of the most
gifted men in the state, is an honor
which | appreciate.
But judging from newspaper &C
counts Of the meeting | am at a loss
to know whe ther, as brother Hanley
says in TIE REPRESENTATIVE, l was
elected as a mark Of respect for the
work | have done in the cause, or
whether taking advantage of my alb
scencc, | was elected because no one
else would accept the position:
| find the following in the Free born
County Standard:
Only forty delegates and those
mostly Getty farmers" attended the
State Alliance meeting last week.
out or absorbed by the Peoples Party.
and it's further existence hardly
seems necessary"
Judging from the above / take it
that Bro. Day, considers the Alliance
has both feet in the grave and that l
am appointed as undertaken.
Now, | want to say to my friends,
that it is impossible for the officers to
accomplish much unless they have
the active cooperation of the mem
bers throughout the state. Before |
take any steps in the work l want to
know whether the old guard are will
ing to help us to reSurrect the Alli-
ance, phnniX-likc, from its ashes, or
will our Ouly duty be to pronounce its
funeral clegy.
its birth the Plutocratic oligarchy Of
the land frowned upon it's cradle. and
nothing would give them more salts
faction than to see Us laid in our
grave.
1t will never do to say that politi-
Cal party can take the place OF the
Alliance.
If the farmers and la boring men ex-
pect to secure legislation in their ia
vOr, that is TO protect themselves
from being robbed by the great CO.
operative corporations, it must be
done by cooperation, both through
political legislation and through an
organization which is powerful
When you talk cooperation to some
people they call it socialism, but do
not seem TO know that all the trusts,
combines and corporations are CO.
operative affairs, and that in this lies
the secret OF their political power.
Go to your legislative halls and you
will find the representatives Of all
these cooperative concerns, sleek,
smooth men Of the world, and some
times Sweet-vOiced sirens Of the gen.
tier sex, individuals who are versed in
the knowledge of mankind, under
whose hypnotic spells the most hon
est Popullst is not safe;-not that they
would be led into dishonesty, but they
the legislation demanded would ruin
the country. Besides we must not be
mistaken in attributing all the hon
esty to the Populist party. There are
many Republicans In our Legislature
who would vote for laws in our inter-
est ifthey knew what We needed
| believe that the Alliance commit
tee which waited upon the railroad
commissioners will do more good than
the dues OF all the 1,4OO Alliances
would amount to in ten years.
Now suppose we had an organiza-
tion of $4,000 in the state to watch our
interests like the other organizations
watch their interest don't you believe
to law by the present Legislature? OF
course we could. All the law-making
powers Of the world, kings and en-
perors Of all the ages, have respected
the power OF the people. The coward
who whlnes gets no respect from any
one. 1t is not only in securing legiS-
lation that we can benefit ourselves,
but also in business matters we can be
profited by joining the +. A. & l. U.
But shall not enter into a discus
sion Of this until l know whether
there is going to be an organization
Of enough Importance to be success
full. AL that was said in THE REP
REsENTATIvE in relation to the CO.
operative efforts in Kansas is true.
| attended the meeting of the su-
premc council of the +. A. & l. U. at
Topeka Kan, three years ago, and |
know whereof l speak. In a cO-ODera-
tive organization there is no room for
dead-beatS or raScals who do not in
tend to pay their debts, for it is ex-
pected that members pay their just
obligations and their own only.
Under the competitive Individuals
tic system the honest men have to
pay their own debts and the de BITS of
the rascals also. Ask any honest mer.
chant il | am not right in this, and
customers who would pay cash ii he
could not afford to sell cheaper, and
he will tell you, yes. This can all be
accomplished without starting stores.
There are already too many stores and
they keep up prices SO they can all
live.
This can all be changed by the
farmers themselves and in jure no one,
simply by cooperation.
There must be organizers who are
qualified to instruct the members, and
they must first be instructed them
themselves All those who believe
the L. A. & |. L. is in league with the
d will have to be excused from
joining.
While it is close organization
there is only so much OF secrecy as is
necess for our protection.
l have already received letters ask
ing me to assist in the work. but there
must DC sumo systematic line Of work
laid out before take any active ste ps
in the matter l know all the ups
and downs through which the Ali
ance has passed, and also know we
have obstacles to overcome in the fu-
ture.
We must begin at the bottom and
build up an organization which can
not be wrecked, or made an instru-
ment to further the ambition of
private, parties who take your money
and hobnob with city politicians while
pretending tc work for your interests.
For the past six years ! have given
much OF my time and money to the
Alliance cause, and had hoped that I