10
THE ALLIANCE -INDEPENDENT.
PR DENT
1M
m
Tells "Why Allianc3 Stores Pail Concen
trated Capital Crushes Them
Out-
THE ALLIANCE IS A SCHOOL.
It Must be Kept Up to Educate the
Voters How to Make Alliance
Meetings Profitable.
President Powers Writes a Letter.
An alliance brother who lives in
Wayne county not long since wrote to
President Powers of the state alliance
complaining that the co-operative store
business was a failure in his neighbor
hood, and suggesting that inasmuch as
the people's party was now well organ
ized, there was no good reason for
keeping up the alliance organization
To this letter, President Powers re
plied as follows:
Wayne, Neb., Oct 25, 1892.
Mr. , Cornville, Neb.
Dear Sir: Your favor of Oct. 8th,
duly received. As it contains questions
of importance to all alliance and other
industrial organizations in this state
and the whole country, I take the
liberty to reply through the columns of
The Alliance-Independent.
The comp aint tf the failure of tho
alliance in tho general merchandise
busin ss is not c ntined to one couaty,
but is tho natural consequence of t ie
enduavor of 60 gn at a number of part
ners to carry on a business complicated
in its nature and requiring constant
supervision in all itw details.
That there are business enterprises
in which farmers canprofiWbiy co-operate
no one can deny. But they must be
of a nature that does not require con
tinuous care and supervision anl does
not come in direct competition with
concentrated capital. The power of
capital, fortified in trusts which now
command every avenue of supply, and
every facility for disposing of our in
dustry, is used without scruple to- dis
courage and break up every enterprise
undertaken by the farmers which
would in any way interfere with the
monopoly of all tho proiits by the
capitalist. Enterprises which were
profitably conducted by the farmers
through the grange twenty years ago,
are now made an easy prey to those
who claim the right to be enriched by
the labor of others.
This has become, so apparent that
many industrial organizations, includ
ing the grange, which once made co
operation in business their principal
object, with unity in political action
only incidental, have been brought to
see the futility of their efforts without
the protection of law and are now vy
ing with the capitalist in seeking to
control the law-making and executing
power.
But the alliance in this stato has
from the first claimed that its princi
pal object was to study the duties of its
members as citizens, as part of a peo
ple's government. Such being its ob
ject, you ask how long it should be con
tinued. I answer," "so long as a peo
ple's government continues." A king
or emporer who had received no educa
tion in the affairs of government could
not bs expected to govern with ability;
and it is just as true of a people. Our
common schools are intended to fit our
youth for the business of life. But
that man would bo considered crazy
who would propose to discontinue tho
common schools because the pupils had
entered upon their life's work.
If our members have agreed on the
best principles for the regulation ol the
affairs of government, and the most
efficient means to enact them into law,
and to reduce them to practice, it is
well so far. But new men are coming
to the age for political action every
year, and many more voters have not
yet joined our alliance and for these
reasons it is quite as necessary to keep
up our alliance schools for tho study of
politics, as it is to make the common
schools perpetual for the education of
our children and youth in the prinic
ples of science.
If the school systems of the world
had been conducted on tho principle
that political parties havo been during
tho past thirty years, they would still
teach that the earth is fiat and that
the bun, moon and stars revolve around
it.
Advances are made in political
knowledge, tho condition of the people
and the arrangements of business are
certainly changing; and political educa
tion must keep pace with these changes
or the people are not qualified to rule.
But how can tho alliance be revived
in interest and energy?
I answer, by adopting and perma
nently applying the same orderly sys
tem of study and discussion, as is found
necessary in tho public schools.
Let our members realize that at
every meeting there .will be some
worthy subject for discussion, the
proper understanding of which will in
crease their knowledge and efficiency
in business matters, or lead them to a
better understanding of their duties as
citizens of a free country, and in my
opinion there will be no more com
plaint of a lack of attendance or neglect
of payment of all reasonable dues.
For my views of the relation of the
alliance to the people's party, with
your consent, Mr. Editor, I will con
tinue when I have a little more leisure.
J. H. Powers,
WHY WHEAT IS BEING SOLD.
The World-Herald of November 4th,
gives the following excellent reasons
why the farmers are rushing their
wheat into market in spite of the
ruinuiously low prices:
Nothing pleases the World Herald
more than to enlighten the ignorant;
therefore it seizes the opportunity to
cast a little light on a very dark place.
The Bee of Tuesday says:
"Nobody stems able to explain why
tho farmers are rushing their wheat to
market at such a rate when prices are
so low, " but the wheat continues to
come and tho elevators at all prominent
market points are full to overflowing,
while millions of bushels are on the
railroads awaiting movement."
It is ot at all ?trang that the re
publican organs should profess ignor
ance of the c iuses of such a condition.
The republican press is no accustomed
to dealing with theories that when it is
confronted with a condition it invar
iably pleads ignorance. Now, there
are a large number of reasons why the
farmers are rushing their wheat to
market despite the low prices. The
republican press may not bo aware of
the fact, and judging by its policy is
not, but the farmers have to have
clothes, and fuel, and groceries, and
shoes, and other necessaries of life,
just the same as the pampered pets of
the pernicious republican party. And
as tho farmer cannot depend upon Mr.
McKinley or any other tariff sweater to
secure them a profit by perverting gov
ernmental authority, he needs must
sell his wheat as soon as it is ready for
market, be the price ever so low. In
addition to tho necessaries enumerated,
tho farmer must regularly remit the
interest on the mortgage held by Mr.
McKinloy's proteges in the east. He
must pay his taxes only the rich can
shirk their taxes and he must furnish
his share of tho dividends declared by
pampered corporations.
If those few facts do not enlighten
the ignorance of the Bee in the matter
in question the World-Herald can fur
nish nioro. There are a thousand
reasons why the farmers aro rushing
their wheat to market despite the low
prices. .
In one of his great speeches in con
gress that grand old soldier, and pa
triotic statesman John A. Logan said:
I can see as a result of tho cox
traction, the people of our western
states, who are producers, reduced
almost to serfs to pay the interest
upon state, county and other public
and private debts to the money lenders
of the cast. .
What would Logan 'think now if he
could hear tho orators of his party de
claring from every stump that there
never was any contraction of the cur
rency, and quoting tho secretary of the
treasury as authority for the state
ment? Either Logan was a fool, or tho
present leaders of hiparty aro knaves.
J. W. CASTOR. Pres.
J. P. HOUSE, Vice-Pres.
W. B. LINCH, Secy.
E. E. MOTT, ST A TE AGENT. A. GREEN AM YRE,.Treas.
THE FARMERS MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
OF NEBRASKA.
INSURES ONLY FARM PROPERTY
AGAINST
"SC-tavFiniS, LIGHTNING OR TONItADO,.---
Don't renew your Insurance" with the old line companies and pay three times what It la worth
when you can write with the Fanners Mutual and get better Insurance at coet.
t"Write for Circular.
PRINCIPAL OFFICE,
Room 407 Brace Building:.
LINCOLN, NEB.
CAPITAL NATIONAL BANK,
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.
CAPITAL
$300,000.00.
45 tf
C. W: MOSHER, President,
H. J. WALSH, Vice-Prefident.
It. C. OUTCALT, Cashier.
- J. W. MAXWELL, Assistant Cashier.
DIRECTORS:-
W. W. HOLMES,
R. C. PHILLIPS,
D. E. THOMPSON,
E. P. HAMER,
A. P. S. STUART.
ACCOUNTS SOLICITED.
C. W. MOSHER,
C. E. YATES,
Banks, Bankers -and Merchants.
Our Fall and Winter
Purchases of Clothing are
Now Complete.
The Addition to our stock is composed of the most
durable, handsomest and newest 1 1; 1 xn clothing and
Gents Furnishing goods we have ever hid s'orkand
our prices are lower than ever. The fact is evident that
You Should Invest Now
While the stock is new and complete and not wait un
til winter is on and then take the pick of what is left
Call nd See US anyway. We have some exceptional bar
gains in Fall and Winter overcoats and suits.
BflKEP CfcOTHTTIG POUSE, 1125 0 St , Lincoln, Neb.
WHERE
DO YOU BUY!
DRY Jj
We Sell to All for Cash and to
All for the Same
Low Price.
We guarantee the price on every arti
cle in our store and will refund the money
to those who think they have paid too
much, it that is the way you like to do
business we want your trade. We want
those who cannot call at the store to send
for, samples. Yours, Etc.,
MILLER & PAINE,
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.
BEST WESTERN COAL OUR SPECIALTY.
FARMERS' ALLIANCES, SCHOOL BOARDS AND CLUBS will
save money by buying their
Coal Direct by the Car Load,
93
3. J-
Write for Prices
Wholesale Goal Dealers, 1615 Curtis St., Denver, Cob.