IS THE UNION A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION? 269 



correct way is to judge by the platforms and acts of these 

 parties. How many do that? How many men who voted 

 for Harrison and for Cleveland read the t platform of both 

 parties. How many read their letters of acceptance? How 

 many know how the representatives of their parties voted 

 on the bill to re-charter National banks? On refunding 

 the National debt? On contraction of the currency? On 

 the bill to abolish trusts? On the Oklahoma, inter-state 

 commerce, silver coinage, free deposits in National banks 

 and other bills which relate to matters of interest to the 

 people? How many speeches have your congressmen sent 

 you in favor of abolishing National banks, establishing 

 free coinage of silver, abolishing trusts and regulating 

 railroad traffic? Or to do any of the things which the 

 demands of labor require? It becomes us as men to look at 

 these matters in their proper light Not as Republicans 

 or Democrats, b:it as citizens. The Dutchman's politics 

 of ' * two glasses of beer for five cents, and fifty cents per 

 bushel for corn," is not so bad. The principle is good 

 enough politics for the farmer. A man's own interest and 

 his politics should mean the same thing. What does it 

 matter to you, to the Wheel and Alliance, which party 

 gives us the relief asked for, provided we get it? What 

 are we going to do if neither party will grant it? There 

 is only one of two things that we can do, get it ourselves, 

 or do without. Which are you going to do? Your party 

 has ignored your demands. Are you going to continue to 

 ask for fish? u But this will be going into politics! " Just 

 step over to your neighbors and borrow a little courage of 

 some ' ' old granny ' ' until we talk to you a little bit Cer- 

 tainly. Yes, it will te going into politics. Don't we go 

 into politics when we undertake to secure this legislation 

 through our respective parties ? Did we not go into poli- 

 tics when we made our demands and presented them to 

 these parties? Are we now asked to stay out of politics 



