The farmer and mechanic., 1907-09-10
NO SPECIAL PRIVILEGE.

The fight of the farmer is and must
ever be against special privilege of all
sorts. If the farmers could secure a
null there are many of them,
II could not make any rich If all
shared alike. Besides special privi-
leee is never possible except to the
few who get it under the sulse of let
ting it go to the many High protec-
tive tariff rates are levied on the pre-
tense that the extra rate goes to the
many men who do the work. whereas
the men into whose hands the bonus
issues retain it for their own enrich
ment.
When the Farmers Alliance was or
ganized il made the great mistake OF
seeking some special privilege for the
farmers through the Sub-Treasury.
They based their claim upon the fact
that bankers and liquor manufacture
ars and others obtained money out Of
governmental favors, and if granted
to others these favors should also be
granted to farmers. And they were
right. But they forgot that favors can
not 90 to the many, and that the
moment the people seek special pri-
vilege for the manv they are estopped
from fighting the special privilege en-
joyed by the few. The eternal fight
of the farmers and mechanics and
every man who works is for a fair
chance. The special interests have
nearly always monopolized the best of
everything. If they can get the farm
ers and mechanics to cry out Give us
our share" instead of Down with
Special Favors," they know they can
keep their 'swag' and that the farm
ers and mechanics will get nothing.
In speech at Little Rock this
week, President Charles Barrett, of
the National Farmers Union, made
the correct principle clear. From his
admirable address. this extract is
taken:
The one clear. crystal thing we
must keep in our minds is the fact
that we are here to demand and to
secure every right and every liberty
for ourselves and for our wives and
for our children that our numb bers
to the republic will justify.
But when this Is done I am sure
that I speak the sentiment of the
great and intelligent body over which
L pItSdUS W1Ien l. say tIidt we 90 not
wish to curtail the legitimate prosperi-
tv of any class of industry, high or
low, in the republic. We wish our
rights we demand our privileges, we
dnsist upon our full equality in the
privileges of the government and in
the conditions of TRANSFORMATION. of
prices and of representation. But with
these accomplished, we are and we
must continue to be, American citi-
zens, standing without malice and
without bitterness or narrowness in
our own places in the economic and
moral life of the republic and recog-
nizing the right of every other class
and of every other man to live, and
willing In our own minds and with
our own hands to help in the pros
perity osf our feEow-men.'
Another mistake some of the lead
ers of the Farmers Alliance made
twenty years ago was to inculcate the
idea that farmers ought to band to-
gether as class, and that they must
fight the merchants, bankers and men
of other callings That was a fatal
defect The present Cotton Associa-
uon and other farmers organizations
recognizes oneness of interest Of the
community. President Barrett en-
phasized that principle which is now
happily recognized by all farmers or
carnations. Before a man is a farm
er or merchant, he is an American
citizen, and together they must bat
tie agairst every form of special pri-
vilege.