The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-04-20
AN OPEN ALLIANCE LETTER.
Where Am ] at, Religiously, Morally,
A~IIiancely, Financially and Politically
ELM CITY, N. G., April 9, 1897.

LII ~ ~ CPA4 . 1901"
H. P. SossGmGn. Esq Charlotte, N o.
DEAR SIR AND Bro Yours of March
9th to hand, and as it contains ques
tions of importance to Alliancemen,
same tenor, I have thought best to n
swer you through our organ, The Pro
GREssIVE FARMER. To your questions,
then, as they come: Where am 1 at,
r~eligiously, morally, financially, ALI
ancely and p~oliticallyH
find from careful self examination
that I have not as much religion as /
ought to have; am thankful, however,
that I am on praying ground, and that
grace lie free, if silver is not.
Financially, very much contracted.
Morally, I think 1 average up pretty
well.
Alliancely, as solid as the st. Louis
platform.
Politically, I am J~effersonian clean
through.
And now I will give more fully my
views on the Alliance. That / may do
so clearly, I desire to review the past.
1 am aware that in doing this l shall
be to some extent threshing old straw,
as I am compelled to make many state
ments that you are familiar with.
The Alliance is the child of necessity.
We are told that it was first organized
in some school house in Texas. The
farmers began a great Inquiry as to
what was the matter with agriculture;
why did it not payf Why was the
farms of the country plastered with
mortgagesi With many such questions
to solve, they began to organize. Toe
Order spread like magic over the South
and soon absorbed the Wheel and other
farmer organization, went westward
with speed and power. It's growth was
indeed wonderful. We had as our
leaders men who studied carefully and
deeply into the causes of our distress;
and ashley pondered, they turned their
thoughts to political economy. Here
they found the source of most of the
trouble. They found p~lutocracy en-
throned and protected behind the ram.
parts of legislation. They found that
our government was fast growing to
be one for the classes. They found
an aggregation of wealth in the hands
Of the few, q mantle of poverty spread
ing itself over the toiling masses. With
these things in view they formulated
and presented to the country q set of
demands q platform the grandest that
has emanated from any party, and de-
serves to rank with the Declaration of
American Independence. Armed with
truth, they proclaimed their doctrines
to the people over mountain and plane.
The people heard gladly, and embraced
joyfully the great truths because they
felt that this truth would make them
free, and for a while it seemed that oUr
deliverance was at hand; and then the
question arose as to how best to secure
the enactment of these demands into
law. Will either of the present political
parties adopt them, or will it take a
new party8
The Pharisees in the Sanhedrem of
~plutocrecy saw the new star arising on
the brow Of the future; they asked
where is this saviour Of the people
bornI Herod-like, they would have
strangled it in its infancy, and then
failing TO find and destroy it, they
watched it's growth. They heard it in
the temple discussing with ths doctors
They were not idle. Persecution came.
They had no argument with which to
meet the truth, and they were forced
to use their only weapons, abuse, sin
der; and when they saw the beau
titul light of truth flashing everywhere.
they asked, a anything good come
out of this Nazareth of the common
people, and then went forth the fat it
must be crucified. And while we were
looking for the best means to get our
demands into law, they were looking
for the best plan for our destruction.
There has never been any difference
of opinion among the Alliance as to
GnO J0SSASO ia ONA OSOCO VI VAC ACSSW-
sity- Of 9SHHF demands, but there has been
a vast difference IS to she best plan to
get them, and it waAon this rock that
we split. Many of our numbers thought
the best plan was to remain in their old
parties. There were mphy of US who
thought the time had cQme for a new
alignment. UnfortunatelE-ond 1 say
it with regret-menT-af oUEbest mem
bers who differed with US, left th4Or-
der. I think they b%lundered. THPse