The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-12-11
To the Officers and Members
of the Subordinate Unions
of Bossier Parish.

! enough to address Dr1ef circular
letter to the Brotherhood throughout
the parish, not to tell you anything
new, or that all of you do not know
as well as I do, but thinking like one
of our lecturers said recently, that If
we can't do a great deal in a short
while in any one line of action, we
can do lots of taking, and if we talk
a good deal about the issues that all
are interested in, some good is sure
to result sooner or later. The more
we talk about our business to one
another, the more we will learn and
know about it; and if we learn that
we are suffering from certain evil
or evils, We can then see and know
how to go to work to remedy those
evils. The Alliance, as a national
Order, has everything to encourage
it to further and more determined and
more united action in the future. In
the very first effort made to put bet,
ter men in office-men representing
the true interests of the laboring
masses-the Alliance has made an
honorable record. This should slim
ulate US all to renewed and increased
energy and activity in every depart
ment of thought or action. Critics
and skeptics are ready to claim at
once that the late phenomenal and
unexpected victory of Democratic
ideas, principles and men, was not an
Alliance victory, but Democrrtic
triumph over Republican misrule,
oppression and extravaganza, hasten
ed by the tyranical abuse of power
by Republican Speaker of the lower
House of Congress, and the attempt
ed passage of the Force bill, with
the enactment OF an oppressive tariff
law, &C., &c, all of which so aroused
the people, that they rose in their
might and swept from power a set
of men who could SO ruthlessly over
ride all principles of justice, and show
SO plainly and vauntingly that they
cared nothing for the people except
to get their votes.
Now, I am ready to admit, and do
so gladly, that it was a triumph of
Democratic principles-of right over
wrong and official power and place
and that it was doubtless hurried on
by the conditions mentioned, and
go farther and claim that the eyes of
the people were opened by the teach
ings of Alliance lecturers and papers
more rapidly and more eftectually
than could possibly have been done
under the old methods.
Alliance principles are Democratic
principles, and it is principle that we
should fight for, and not men nor
party names. I said Alliance princi.
pies are Democratic principles, and I |
mean that is the way understand it,
but we all know that all who call |
themselves Democrats arenot so from
principle, or if they are, they do not
understand the difference between
principle and name; that is, some of
them do not. I only have to call
your attention to the action of So
called Democrats in South Carolina,
and even in Kansas, where party
bosses were so intent on defeating
the reform move begun by the AL.
lance that the ''straightout" Domo-
ocrats, so-called, and the Republicans
after all the hard things
hey have so long said of each other,
md nominateda ticket to run against
he regular nominee, simply because
he Alliance would have say in the
and proved to be in the
majority, and We should let those
hings be lesson to us and let us
llways bear in mind that it is prici.
'les that we must support, and not
nen nor simply party name, euen l
hOagh that name should try to claim ]
hat 1t sCGS AlliGace or Union, as was
eebly attempted in our own District. 9