The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-15
Editor Brown on the senatorship.

The editor of the Southern Alliance Far
nler, Capt. Harry Brown, in a recent inter
view relative to the efforts of the alliance to
defeat Gov. Gordon for the Senate, ex-
pressed some rather curious opinions for
man who regards himself as a democrat.
With reference to the Endorsements of Gov.
Gordon at meetings assembled TO hear the
governor speak he said: They are as empty
as dreams. They are as flimsy as moon
shine, and the double-leaded newspaper
accounts can't make them anything else.
On the other hand, the county alliance of
the same county, representing the alliance
men Of the county, who are a majority Of
the democrats of the co lnty, meet together
and demand that the representatives Of the
county vote against Gordon for the Senate.
Now, which of these meetings are repre-
sentativel 1t Is an easy matter for few
friends to get together and put in some cut
and dried resolutions at a little mass meet
ing where Gov. Gordon speaks"
From the foregoing it appears that the in
dorsement of Gov. Gordon by democrats
amounts to nothing, but that resolutions
hostile to Gov. Gordon, passed by any county
alliance, however few there may be present
at the alliance meeting, are very effective.
What Editor Brown says may be true, but
does it not seem rather remarkable that
a democrat should say that a meeting of
democrats is not representative while a
meeting of alhancemen lsl Is the alliance
so different for the Democratic party that
a few men can speak authoritatively for
the whole alliance organization in any
county while meeting of democrats ia
any county cannot express the sentiments
of the democrats of that county, This is
what Editor Brown, a professed democrat,
says From this it appears that he places
the alliance before the Democratic party.
But by what authority does the ALLIANCES
of any county instruct the representative
Of that county how to vote on the senatorial
question: Is there any county in which the
alliance nominated and elected the repre-
sentative from that county? II 80, the
alliance has right to instruct him how he
shall vote on matters likely to come before
the legislature, but will Editor Brown point
out the authority Of the alliance to instruct
representatives how to vote who were nomi-
mated and elected by the Democ attic party?
taree-fourths of the democrats of each of
great majority Of the counties of the state,
but does it follow because of that fact
that the alliance Of any county has the
right in secret meetings, or in open ones for
that matter, to instruct the democratic
representative of that county,
Notwithstanding the sneering reference
of Editor Brown to the Endorsements of
Gov. Gordon at democratic meetings is it
not true that from time immemorial demo-
Gratis have expressed their will in that wayl
Is the method which the alliance is pur-
suing in its efforts to defeat Gov. Gordon a
democratic one9 When did the Democratic
party. in great political campaign, make
known its will in secret meetings! As no
man is shut out of the alliance on account of
his politics does the world know that none
OF those who are striking Gov. Gordon in
the dark are not republicansa
II it be fact, as Editor Brown says, that
three-fourths of the democrats are alliance
mon, why is it that these alliance democrats
do not call mass meetings and instruct dem
ocratic represe Itatives to vote against Gov.
Gordona If they are so strong why do they
avoid democratic methods and publicity?
is there not ground for suspicion that the
secret method is adhered TO because only
comparatively few alliance democrats can
be induced to oppose Gov. Gordon,
and that these few are the ones who are got
together to pass resolutions hostile to Gov.
Gordona Assuming such to be the case,
are not the meetings at which Gov. Gordon
is Endorsed far more representative than the
alliance meetings at which he is con-
demneds
Members of the legislature should not per-
init themselves to be controlled by any
action taken by alliance organizations. If
they obey any instructions they should be
those of the party which elected them; but
If they purpose to be influenced by any
action which the alliances in their respective
counties take they should be sure that such
action expressed the will of the majority of
the members of the order in each county,
and not that of only few who responded
to the urging of the alliance leaders.