The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-06-27
The Farmer and Politics.
(By ;. T. Arceneaux.1

| pOllGLCdA pOWSLS "OIC us thO SoN'07t
for supremacy. The question was
this: (which shall rule the day
! Aristocracy or Democracy" Public
sentiment In favor of the latter became
strong. Finally, states rights became
a dominant issue. Democracy arose
triumpha ntly.
equal rights TO all and special
privileges 20 none!" proclaimed the
immortal Thos. Jefferson.
"Down with the national banks"
cried the hero and Democrat, Andrew
/ Jackson.
These were Democrats In the full
sense Of the word. They ~ere men
who dared to stand by their convic'
tions. They were executives who
we're not afraid TO enter the combat
TOR the rights Of the common people
But these patriots having passed
away, pure principles temporarily
persisted, and q new tangled De,
mocPac3 was erected 60 mislead an
unsuspecting public. Gradually our
law.making body began TO enact laws
to protect the wealthy class at the ex
pense OF the common class-the pro.
ducers. Steadily our government be.
gan TO discriminate in favor of the ma
tional banker, she manufacturer, She
railroader; while about the farmer it
drew tighter and tighter the chains
which bound him TO the rock OF sert-
! DOM
Finally starvation began 60 linger
at the laborers' door, an undesirable
bus unavoidable guest. For his
mutual protection the farmer organ
| lied himself into thas noble order, the
Farmers Alliance. These tillers OF
| the soil had gone through the mill.
stones OF oppression. They who had
borne the toll, the heat, the wind and
the rain, could fully realize their de
| plorabl situation, and that TO reach
the source of the evil the only remedy
| was to again restore the bed-stone
| of Jeffersonian Democracy. For this
cause they fought glorious battle.
These farmers met at Ocala, Florida,
in fraterna! brotherhood and drafted
| what IL known ss the 'Oesla Plat
form"
And here is what they said they
wanted:
1. "The abolition Of national
banks" Virtually they saia: Soon
gress has no power TO charter banks;
| they are of deadly hostility to the best
interests of the country, dangerous to
Republican institutions and to the
liberties of the people, and calculated
to place the business OF the country in
the control of 9 concentr ated money
power and above the laws and The
will OF the people"
The above declaration 20 doubt
sounds rather fictitious to the conserv-
alive Democrat of today. Some OF
my good friends would undoubtedly
| like to confine me TO some insane asy-
lum for advocating such an issue; but
if these doubling Thomases will just
have little patience and read the ma.
tionai Democrat platform OF 1910,
they will see that the above demand is
word for word the sixth resolution OF
that platform.
2. ''Governmenta! loans direct to
the people on satisfactory security at
two per cent
| 3. "National taxes taken o # the nee
essaries of life which the poor must
have TO live, and the imposing Of all
| income tax which would compel the
rich TO help support the government.
4. Governmental control Of rail
roads and. it that fails, governmental
ownership.
5. ''The direct election of U. S. sen
ators by the people.
6. ''No industry to be built at the
| expense of another.
I. 1.-THE suppression Of gambling In
futures.
s. ECONOMY in the administr alton
of the government.
8. 1.-THE restor alton Of the currency
system of the constitution.
No purer set of principles was ever
conceived by mortal man.
| No nobler mission was ever under
taken than that promulgated by ma
lures sons of toll. Apparently, their
struggle for recognition was in vain,
the cause which they espoused lost
one; but those policies for which they
| fought will never perish.
Truth and reason are eternal. Let
come what will, they never suffer per
manent defeat.
And so the problem now eonfrouts
every American farmer. Let US care
fully study the creed expounded by the
Alliance leaders of 1888. Let US ever
remember that in the national adop-
/ ton of that creed alone lies our mate
rial prosperity.
Our duty is plain. Let US halt ev
cry candidate for congress in the
forthcoming campaign and demand of
them that they must pledge themselves
to support our creed IN order to get
our support.
| Let the 0cala platform in full be
come the supreme law of the land, and
then will be installed once more the
| Jetfersonian Democracy Of Equal
I rights to all. Y
| Then. and only then, will we have