Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-12-11
A FALSE

AND TREACHERoUs DELIVERY.
Ohio State Journal
The action taken at Ocala, Fla, by the
National Farmers Alliance in adopting
a resolution against the national elect
ion bill must not be taken as deliber-
ate expression of the farmers of the Uni
ted States in favor of fraud and violence
at the ballot-box.
The resolution was sprung upon the
body by Southern member and rushed
through with but little deliberation or
consideration. The imperfect report of
the debate which has reached us indi-
Gates that it was by no means unani-
mously received with favor. Delegates
from both Pennsylvania and Illinos pro-
tested against it and endeavored to have
it tabled.
1t is well known that the representa-
tion from the Northern and Western
States at Ocala was comparatively small
and feeble, whereas that from the South,
specially summoned with perhaps a Sc
cret understanding that some such act
ion as this would be sprung upon the
body, was large, full, influential and
strong. If, as the report indicates, the
resolution was finally unanimously
adopted, it was simply because the
Northern members, who so far as they
spoke at all spoke in opposition to the
measure, found themselves powerless in
the face of numbers and refrained on
the final vote from voting at all.
1t is evident that the leading spirits
of the Alliance in the South are simply
a set of Confederate bourbon politicians.
The movement of the farmers in that
section was originally Independent, non
political, impartial and pure. But its
very independence and impartiality
alarmed the Democratic leaders, and
they set themselves TO work to get coh-
troll of the organization. This was com
paratively an easy thing to do, in COM
munities where the Democracy have
held undisputed sway for quarter of a
century. The first evidence that the
Democratic assault had been successful
was in the election of General Gordon
to the United States Senate from Geor-
gia. Gordon had denounced the Alli-
ance and its principles, and in decent
self-respect it was compelled to oppose
him. And it was numerically strong
enough in the Georgia Legislature to
defeat him. But the Democratic lead
ers had in various localities succeeded
in securing the election to the Legislat-
ure of their own tools under the false
pretense of being Alliance men; the
very officers of the Alliance in the South
appeared at Atlanta either as open
blowers and strikers for Gordon or as
secret emiSsaries for him; treachery and
Democratic political strategy accom-
plished their perfect work; and almost
without the appearance of a surface
struggle Gordon was elected.
Since then matters have gone from
bad to worse, the South wing of the Al
lance has become a mere adjunct of the
Democratic party. Its action in the
recent Congressional election was a
complete betrayal and surrender of its
own original position, and the inyesti-
cation ordered by the Ocala body into
the conduct of high Alliance officers
from the South in connection with the
election of Gordon will in all probabil-
ity prove to be nothing but bowling
farce.
Meantime it is not to be supposed for
an instant that the action of the Demo
cratic Bourbon politicians at Ocala will
be acquiesced in by the loyal, just, fair