Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-10-16
FALSE PRETENSE.
That is the Basis of Creel's Po-
litical Conduct.
His Cowardly Betrayal Of the
Farmers Alliance.
AS Told by the Secretary Of
the Organization.

II. G. H,ashrou1h, Editor Inter- Ocean
DEAR SIR: Please allow mo, through
your columns, to say II few words to
my friends and to the Farmers Alli-
anco to extricato myself from a false po-
sition into which + have been thrown
tnot lcd) by a fellow worker in tho Farm
cr's Alliance and a supposed friend. /
have Just been informed that Il call has
been issued for Il Farmers Alliance con-
vcntion and that my name is attached to
the call. Perhaps ought not to be sur
prScd al this, but | confess ] am sur
priscd moro than Il little, for have had
no intimatiOn that such II movement was
on foot. ! have not had the pleasure of
scoing the "call,' and when ! asked my
informant tho object of tho convention"
he seemed to have no clear idoa further
than that it was probably to got tho in
dorscmcnt of tho Alliance for Mr.. Croe |,
as II candidate for tho legislature. had
not intended to oppose Mr.. Croel, but
am forced to say ] do not consider him a
tit representative of the people after this
act of trcachory. This is not II personal
matter.
will now show wherein he has bo-
tr,ycd tho Alliance. AS early as June
II, tho Farmers Alliance of Walsh co,n-
| ty invited the Ramsey county alliance to
send delegates to Park River to mcot
them and take part in discussions and
deliberations, with a view to organizing
for concerted action in the political cam
paign this fall. At the time this com
munlcatiOn came our alliance was
| pressed with business and our president
was so lax in holding the meeting to Or
der that could not get an opportunity
to present the matter to the alliance IN
open session. But at the earliest oppOr-
tunily | laid the matter before Mr.. Crecl
and some of the leading members of the
organization, telling them we could not
afford to slight such AN invitation,
coming rs ii did from an older and
more powerful organization than our
! selves and in such a kindly manner.
Mr.. Crccl replied that we ought not to
, slight it, but VIC were "too young and
weak" to think of entering the political
field, and that sit would only create di-
vision and boa dcatI-blow to our Ali
ance y licalso said he would write thom
"lctter of thanks etc. l found that
this opinion prevailed to some ex-
tent among the members, so wrote to
! the Walsh county alliance .excusing our
inaction as best could. As to this cow
ar'lly action | had my own opinion, but
will not discuss the matter now. Other
invitations of tho same character have
come from the same source, with the
same result.
| On the first of October tho Walsh cOun-
ty Farmers Alliance held it's convention
and we were not represented, and that
was not their fault. And now our alli-
:ncc is called to meet in convention, by
whom and for what purpose? Is Mr..
Crccl ready and willing to cause tho "di-
vision" and strike tho "death-blow" to
farmers, is he worthy of our support?
Does he think wcare block heads to enter
the field at this late day? The time for
us to act was when we could have acted
with our stronger neighbOr. Does he
want onrsupport? Then he should have
asked it like a man long ago, Perhaps
| he will get the Endorsement Of the alIi-
ancc in (his) convention, but he may ind
that he has caused the "divisiOn'' that
will tell Il different story at tho polls. I
have no personal quarrel with Mr.. Crccl
and | wish him no ill., nor do cherish
an unkindly feeling for him. But am
sorry he has made this mistake, and /
want it understood once for all that my
name is not public property ana has not
been, nor will ii be lent to political tricks
and jobs. Yours for honesty between
friends and in politics,
VICTOR T.. CALDERwOoD,
Sec'y Ramsey Co. +. A.
ODESSA, Oct. II, 1886.