The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-03-11
THE DUTY OF ALLIANCE DELE.
GATES.

MUCH of the unsatisfactory and
1Nl inefficient legislation in our
county, State and national bodies is
ascri6able to a want of a proper appre-
citation on the part of delegates as to
their duties and responsibilities.
When q member is selected as q
delegate to a county, State Or National
body, and he accepts the position, he
thereby pledges himself to do his full
duty and to be faithful to the trust
reposed in him in every respect.
But does he properly appreciate this
obligation ? Take a delegate to a
County Alliance, which holds It's
meetings, ordinarily, at the county
seat. He has some private business
with his merchant, his lawyer, the
clerk of the court, the register of
deeds, or trading to do, or products
to sell. He concludes that he will
save time-will "kill two birds with
one stone by attending to the matter
on the day on which he is to attend
his county meeting. The meeting is
called to order-he fails to answer at
oll.call-comes in after the business
is fairly under way, having begun his
trade or other business and promised
to go back in a half hour to complete
it. Does so. Goes home with a very
imperfect idea of what has been done
in the meeting, but is immensely salts
fed with the work which he has done
for himself. At each quarterly meet.
ing in the year thousands Of good
Alliancemen, well-meaning, honest
brethren will do this and think moth
ing of it. But it is absolutely wrong.
His acceptance of his certificate as a
delegate was a pledge on his part that
he would be promptly on hand as the
opening of the meeting and that he
would faithfully give every hour and
every moment to the duties of the
meeting. He has no moral right to
neglect that meeting, especially if it
be to look after his private affairs. If
he intends to devote time which be-
longs to those who sent him there to
his private business, he should be
frank enough to say so, and let the
Alliance send some one else. Such a
course is extremely demoralizing.
This, however, is one of the bad
effects of holding Alliance meetings in
towns, which should always be
avoided when practicable. The atmos-
phere of towns and cities is highly
deliterious to the health of the ALI
ance.
The same criticisms may be applied
to a certain extent to delegates in
State and National bodies. They &C
cept their certificates and 60, not to
see how well the needed work may be
done, but how quickly they may get
through and return home. They for
get that these bodies meet only an
nually, and that in the State they are
to legislate for the interests of thou
sands and in the national body for
hundreds of thousands and millions OF
their brethren. When a delegate is
chosen to represent his brethren in
any capacity, he should feel, in accept
ing the position, that during the time
be is to act, not a single hour belongs
to him and that he will go and stay as
long as may be necessary to do the
business well and properly. State
and National bodies pay the per
diem and mileage of their members,
and they have no right to neglect their
duties Oh to leave the meeting until it
is regularly adjourned. Suppose our
County Alliances have a talk on this
subject from the County Lecturers.