The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-02
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE AND
ITS PURPOSE.
The Outlook from Secretary Welch's
Point of View.

urer OF the National Farmers Alliance
and Industrial Union, spoke as follows
of the hopes and aims Of that 0rgani
zation:
ANYONE who has thought for a mo
ment on the declaration Of purposes OF
the Farmers Alliance, must have be
come imbued with a just sense of the
spirit of righteousness, the desire for
an equality of opportunity for all, and
the principle of ~brotberly love, freed
from all sectional and National preiG
dices, and selfish ambition that
breathes through every sentence. 1t
is with the desire to see rebuilt and re-
organized the dormant and some what
scattered forces of this great, infuen
tial and humanitarian organization
that we issue this appeal to the thou
sandg, lovers of equal rights for all
and special privileges to none,' who in
times past have swered to the ALI
auce roll-call. Never was there more
pressing need OF fulfilling our first
declaration than at the present time,
VIZ To labor for the education of
the ayr c 1ltural classes in the science
of economical government in a strictly
non. partisan spirit, and to bring about
a more perfect union OF said classes
the growth of monopolies and
trusts for the past few years has been
enormous, and already the iron heel OF
despotic monopoly falls in more crush
ing force than ever upon the brow OF
labor, until in every avenue of agri
cultural calling, trade is stif9d, and
the industry Of the worker set at
naught. In the domain Of our govern
ment, both State and National, as pro
muIgated and ad administered to-day,
the aim, the tendency is to create and
multiply a plutocratic ofceholding
class, whose purpose is to revel in de
bauchery, and luxury, to feed and fat
ten on the fruits garnered by your
labor, frugality and industry, as we'll
as on the labor of millions of your fel
lows in mine and factory, brothers and
sisters OF q common Father. In many
Of the educational Institutions of our
land there is a determination by this
besotted plutocracy of wealth, to so
oribe and control the instructors in
said institutions that the truths along
the line of political economy and right.
eousnees in government shall be 80
covered and falsified by hypocritical
professors, posing in the garb of truth
and veracity, that the youth Of our
land may be trained up to manhood
having false ideas of those basic prin
clples which lie at the foundation of
all good government and are neces
sary to the happiness, prosperity and
we'll being of our people.
Brethren, the last great desire OF
our lamented and beloved leader, Bro.
L L Polk, should cause us to grid on
the Alliance armor and enter into the
contest for a truly representative gov
ernment-he who standing just be
hind the curtain, and in full glow of
he coming sunset, said: Behind me
are the shadows on the track, before
me lies the dark valley and the river
When I mingle with it's dark waters I
want to cast one lingering look upon a
country whose government is Of the
people, for the people, and by the PEG
pie
The fruition of those hopes which
he so ardently desired we're not real
tz9d. Brethren, would he say if he
could speak to us, that the mission of
that great organic alton of which he
was the leader, and for which he de
voted the best years Of his life, was
ended and fulflled7 No! His vision
was not bounded by the narrow range
of a simple personal insurance nor OBJ
soured by sectional prejudices, parti
san z9al or p olitical bigotry. 1t was as
broad as the union of States and EN-
baced the hope for the welfare, pros
perity and happiness Of every cit: z n.
What, I ask, has been gained by
partisan political action7 You who
were willing to sacrifice this great re
form organization for a partisan move
ment can now see the results of your
folly. Had the organization expelled
every unworthy member who ever
moved the adoption Of any partisan
platform or subject to any such, 1t
could have held the balance of power
in government and have been an active
force for righteousness. May it be
ours to CO operate and labor side by
side with a united brotherhood, ex
tending from the snow capped peaks
of Maine to the green valleys and