The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-05-03
WHAT ALLTANcRMRN OUGHT
TO DO.

members OF Gl6 ALLIANCE III 6ltS S6AG0
are the best posted of any of our people
On the great questions of the hour.
Therefore they do not need special ad
vice, and they will not tolerate boss
ism. However, it is well enough to
throw out q few hints now and then Of
the dangers that beset US on every side.
Alliancemen should avoid ''entangling
alliances" Those who are in the Demo
cratic and Republican parties and who
think they are good enough have a per
feet right to such opiaion, and no one
should question their motives. Those
who are in the Peoples party should
be granted the same freedom of
thought and action. It is an admitted
fact that q large portion of the mem
bers of the Alliance are in the Peoples
party, but not all by any means. It
was natural for them to go there after
both old parties declined to consider
their wishes in the way Of reform
legislation.
The latter class of Alliancemen are in
the most dangerous position. One Of
the old political parties having been
temporarily retired from business,
both State and nationally, has under
taken the task Of breaking up the new
party, as that is about the only thing
the Democrats now have to engage
their attention. A few Populistic Ali
ancemen have been persuaded to assist
i'm the work. We are not sure that
they r to be given q part of the
spoils in case the plan is successful and
the Democrats are restored to power.
But it is certain that the pie storage
capacity of those who are trying to
pull the populistic Alliancemen into the
scheme will never be exceeded by the
supply.
AS q matter Of fact no Allianceman
who has left the old parties can afford
TO fuse or Co operate with either Of the
old parties, or auy portion of either,
with the hope Of getting financial re
form. The record of each old party is
on par with the other. The promises
Of one are worth al much as the prom
Uses Of the other. Ole is an Annanias
and the other q Ssphira, and as both
wear beard and male attire you don't
know which is which. In 1873 the Re.
publicans, with the assistance of Demo
Gratis, demonetiGed silver. Both par
ties became frightened at the growth
Of the Greenback party and the Demo
Gratis sidetrRcked it, swallowed it up,
and both oined in passing some half
hearted silver legislation. In 1898 the
Democrats being in full power, with
President, Senate and House, again
demonetiEed silver by repeating the
makeshift Sherman law, which had
been doing some good. Frightened at
its own work it is now protesting to be
a silver party. Doubtless many Of the
members of the Democratic party are
as sincere in their desire for free coin
age, for better financial legislation,
better government, as any populistic
Allianceman, but with such a record as
the party has it would be folly to go
into the machine, to desert your new
party, with any hope of getting any
thing except disappointment.
It would be equally foolish to CO op
crate with the Republican party in the
State or Nation with a view to getting
free coinage, though that party has
fully as good a record in financial mat
ters. IL has not promised free coinage
as often as the Democrats, but it has
given us free coinage just as often.
The Populists and Republicans entered
into a cooperation in this State in 1894
for the purpose Of carrying the State
and getting an honest election law and
a fair, impartial Judiciary. The plan
was successful, and so far as we know
with a few possible exceptions, the
agreement has been carried out. A
majority Of the people seem satisfied.
We have a bold, aggressive Governor,
@ clean State administration, an honest
judiciary. Some real good laws have
been passed by the legislature, some
bad ones repealed. Our Alliance char
ter was restored to US as We wanted it.
We might have greater reasons for
complaint than we have. The Repub
licans have not helped the Alliance
Populists in the movements to secure
better financial and anti monopoly
legislation as they might have done.
They would be stronger with the peo-
pie had they done so. But we feel sure
that they have gone as far in that direc.
ton as the Democrats would have
gone. Senator Prischard has voted
for silver legislation in a half hearted
way. The Republican members of