Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-10-30
CALDERWOODS's LETTER.
Creel's Double Dealing with tn
Farmers Alliance.

Following is the letter of Victor l.. Cal
derwood, the faithful and efficient sccre-
tary ofthe farmers alliance, who declined
out the political chcstnuts. 1t is Il fair
and impartial statement of facts, and sew
eral members of the alliance have in
formed us that every word OF it is + :
II. G. Hnnsbrouqh, Editor Intcr-Orcon
DEAR SIR: Please allow me through
your columns, to say a few words to
my friends and to the Farmers ALI
ance to eXtricate myself rom a false po-
| sition into which / have been thrown
mot led) by a fellow worker in the Farm
er's Alliance and a supposed friend. |
have just been informed that a call has
been issued for a Farmers Alliance o
vcntion II that my name is attached to
the call. Perhaps l ought not to be sur
prised at this, but ! confess | am sur
prised more than a little, for l nave had
no intimation that such a movement was
on foot. ] have not had the pleasure Of
seeing the ''call," and when | asked my
informant the object of the convention
he seemed to have no clear idea further
than that it was probably to get the in
dorscment of the Alliance for Mr.. Creel,
as candidate for the legislature. | had
not intended to oppose Mr.. Creel, but l
am forced to say do not consider him a
fit representative of the people after this
act Of trcachery. This is not a personal
matter.
! will now show wherein he has be-
traTed the Alliance. AS early as June
IA, the Farmers Alliance of Walsh coun-
ty invited the Ramsey county alliance to
send delegates to Park River to meet
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
pressed with business and our president
was so lax in holding the meeting to or
der that l could not get an opportunity
to present the matter to the alliance IN
open session. But at the earliest oppor-
tunity | laid the matter before Mr.. Creel
and some Of the leading members OF the
organization, telling them we could not
afford to slight such an invitation,
coming as it did from an older and
more powerful organization than our
selves and in such a kindly hammer.
Mr.. Creel replied that We ought not to
slight it, but we were too young and
weak" to think of entering the political
field, and that cit would only create a di-
vision and be a death-blOw to our ALI
ance He also said he would write them
a ''letter of thanks" etc. I found that
lhlo pAiAAS IASN -" ~ Va
tent among the members, so l wrote to
the Walsh county alliance excusing our
inaction as best / could. AS to this COW
ardly action ! had my own opinion, but
will not discuss the matter now. Other
invitations of the same character have
come from the same source, with tho
same result.
On the first of October the Walsh oun
ty Farmers Alliance held its convention
, and we were not represented, and thai
was not their fault. And now our ALI
ance is called to meet in convention, by
whom and for what purpose? Is Mr.
! Creel ready and willing to cause the ''di.
vision and strike the "death-blow'' tc
our alliance? If SO, I ask you, fellow
farmers, is he worthy of our support
Does he think we are blockheads to enter
the field at this late day? The time fOl
us to act was when we could have acted
with our stronger neighbor. Does he
want our support? Then he should have
asked it like a man long ago, Perhaps
he will get the Endorsement of the ALI
ance in (his) convention, but he may fine
that he has caused the ''divisiOn' that
will tell a different story at the polls. ]
have no personal quarrel with Mr.. Cree.
and I wish him no i'll, nor do 1 cherish
an unkindly feeling for him. But l am
sorry he has made this mistake, and
J want it understood once for all that ny
name is not public property ana has no
been, o will it be lent to political trick:
and jobs. Yours for honesty between
friends and in politics.
VICTOR Z. CALDERwOOD,
Sec'y Ramsey Co. +. 4.
ODESSA, Oct. IL, 1886.