Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-07-31
COMMUNICATIONS.
A Farmers View of the Peoples
Party.

l am a member of the alliance and
industrial union Of this county. Atthe
earnest solicitG;iII. If my Dtighbors /
Joined the order about four months
ago. l was told before l sent in my
name that the alliance was nots politi-
cal order. When took my obligation /
was told by the officer who administered
it, tha' - would not conflict with my
political "a religious convictions. In
assuming my obligation found moth
ing in it whatever which would give
me the least intimation that 1 was to
renounce any allegiance might hold
to the republican party, of which Ihave
always been devoted member. For
two months after l became member l
heard nothing about third party or
any attempt on the part of the alliance
to nominate an alliance ticket. Up to
two months ago the matter of nomina-
ting an alliance ticket had not been
spoken of in our alliance.
The first time the republican mem
bers of our alliance ever heard of the
third or peoples party was at the
first meeting of the alliance after Pres
ident G. W. King had been down to
Topeka and met with a number of
other county presidents and on their
own hook organized political party
for their own benefit. The republican
members of our alliance were told that
the presidents of the county alliances
had right to form the third party and
that all members of the alliance were
expected and were morally bound to
stand by whatever these high officials
of the order did. Some of us protested
that this was not political order and
thereupUn a union labor member of
our alliance wrote up a paper which
purported to pledge every one signing
it to stand by the nominees of the
peoples party. The man who wrote
it up and circulated it said that "this
is pledge of your fidelity to the prin-
ciples of the order" All of the union
labor and greenback members of our
alliance signed this paper and num-
Der of republicans and democrats
signed it before they exactly under
stood its import.
l write this, Mr.. Editor, for the
purpose of showing the republicans of
the county the unfair and deceptive
means resorted to by the leaders of
this peoples party to get republicans
to vote their ticket. l have consulted
with most of the republican members
of our alliance and l do not think that
any of them feel under any moral obi
CATION to support the third party ticket
at all. 1t is not strictly an alliance
ticket. 1t is the creation of a few
political demagogues who have crept
into the order for the purpose of get
ting office, and no honest alliance man
will encourage any such use of the
order. l am republican and expect
to support the republican ticket. l
believe that a republican farmer
is just as good as a union labor
farmer and If the alliance is to be con-
verted into an instrument for the de-
feat of the republican party and the
al &c 1oh 10
politicians into Office, l, with nearly all
other republicans of tie county, will
withdraw and permit the politicians TO
run the political machine by then
selves. think the true position for
every alliance man to take is contained
IN the resolution of the farmers of H.
inOis, which was published in your
paper some time ago. That resolution
| so clearly contains my views as to the
object of the alliance that / want to
copy it in my letter:
Resolved, That since this organization is
made up of members of all political parties,
each member is expected to be a missionary
| in his own party. That only men favorable
| to our reasonable demands are nOminted for
| Office in which they may affect our interests
as class, we, as members of the different
| parties, expect to find them in ranks of our
| respective party, but should we be disap-
| pointed we shall be excused if we insist on
| voting for our friends. We further recon-
| mend to our members that they tako an ac-
tive and leading part in political primaries
| and conventions Of all parties, and that they
| give an expression to their views and wi hes
| in such primaries and conventions by in
| structions to delegates and resolutions IN
| mistakable in terms upon the subjects of
| political economy ard such others as are
| now before the public. That the OrgIDiza-
tions here represented are in no wise poll
tiesl in q party sense, and, therefore we rec
| ommend that we make no state nomina
tions as a separate party, but that in legis-
| lative, senatorial and congressional nomi-
/ nations we demand Of all candidates that
| they be publicly pledged 10 maintain the
/ principles and demands herein set forth,
/ and that we will support no candidate not
i so pledged,
| ALLIANCE REPUBLICAN,.
July "A, 1890.
| Some Cu0Onefiouc