HISTORY OF THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE. 137 



EDUCATION. 



" Regarding the education, of the people as funda- 

 mental to good government in sustaining its institutions 

 and multiplying its blessings, as well as an essential quali- 

 fication for accomplishing our purposes, we shall at all 

 times advance and encourage it in the highest possible 

 degree among farmers and laborers, and their children, by 

 every means in our power. Through the means of inves- 

 tigation and discussion in our Alliance meetings, our press 

 and public speakers, we propose to examine the various 

 methods and systems of education in use, with the view to 

 determine the best adapted to the wants and conditions of 

 the agricultural and laboring classes, believing the correct 

 theory, when established, will embrace the moral, physi- 

 cal and industrial, as well as mental training of our 

 children in every grade of schools; that this system will 

 strengthen the attachment of these classes to their profes- 

 sion instead of alienating them from it, as the prevailing 

 methods have a tendency to do; that it will better qualify 

 them for success and happiness in life; will render the 

 farm more attractive and remunerative ; give the means and 

 time for more general thought and useful study; increase 

 the opportunity and inclination to adorn the home and 

 practice the social virtues; broaden the spheres of their 

 knowledge and usefulness, and give character and influ- 

 ence to husbandry and labor; and for these reasons we are 

 specially friendly to industrial education, and shall labor 

 to advance and build up the agricultural and mechanical 

 schools of the country by extending them every possible 

 encouragement and support at our command. 



BUSINESS MATTERS. 



"In business matters we believe the prevailing system 

 is in many particulars wrong, and that between the pro- 



