The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-09-26
VOL. I, NO. so
Farewell Lathrop.
GARY, Deuel. Co., Oak


GARY, Deuel. Co., Oak.
Sept, 10th, 1890.
SPECIAL TO THE GREAT VEST
Manfred Alliance No. 573, Lac qui
Parle county Mimi. At a Regular
Meeting, John Lathrop was expelled.
and is no more recognized as broth
er-on account of his proceedings
as State Secretary. Also, Resolved
that we request the Executive Com
mittee to expel him from his office.
ATTEST. JULIUS PALMER,
S. II. Hooper. President
Secretary.
This closes Mr.. Lathrop's career: in
the Farmers Alliance of Minnesota.
A feeling of intense sadness falls like
a veil over the closing scene. Just
as a mighty movement was bursting
from the bud into giant form, the
door was opened to John Lathrop.
as if by accident. A man OF more
than average ability in certain men
tai directions, with fair command of
language, and a power OF concentra-
tion OF thought over which we have
pondered with surprise and wonder,
he had read to us his subtle but
painful papers on scientific subjects.
The foundation piles were driven
deeply into John Lathrcp's nature
for the upbuilding OF great man!
Thousands will deny this, but we
aver it still more strongly. The
driven piles had pierced a mucky bed
and touched rock-but the soil was
itself too infirm to hold the timbers.
John Lathrop was not an honest
man Intellectually. He felt the TIM
bers pierce to the solid rock-and he
built upon them without saving off
the splintered tops. He was loose
principled-and did not pay his debts
became morosely conceited-too
profane and blasphemous with the
sentiments upon which honor is
founded. His writing took on the
same character-loose. His s'assas-
SIM Call to the July Convention ex-
hibited his make up. He was the
same with the alliance treasury-the
same with his friends. He Immediate
ly betrayed sacred ties into the hands
OF the philistines, when Hall fed his
yanity-and made the money fly till
his honor as custodian was snap
ped in twain-and the fabric OF his
egotism and pride tumbled, wretch
ed wreck!
The door had indeed opened to him
at the dawn and he entered the vesti-
bule-and greatness awaited him.
But it closed at the threshold of the
temple, and he goes forth marked
with a stain which will never wash
away
Poor man, poor tool of the un-
scrupulous! Many criticise us for
saying that to Lathrop belongs not
all the blame! We say so still. He
will be punished for life for weakness.
But as surely as there is a ministry
Of Justice at the right hand of God,
so surely did those other and strong
er, keener rascals, lead John LathrOp
astray! And even now, press which
ought to denounce dishonesty up
holds him in his career-and drags
him deeper into thenatural muck sub
soil of his being. II Christ will en-
tertain the foul-mouthed and profane
at all he will speak more gently to
Lathrop, the defaulter, than to the
dark and shady forms of men who
conspired to use him-and even took
his money!
Vale and adieu-not every life
which enters the flood can be led on
to fOrtune-some must be led on to
destruction.
The GREAT VEST has undoubtedly
caused this unfortunate revelation.
But at the close we are sOrrOwful,
and would that John Lathrop had
been true to his cause, manward, and
righteousness, Godward.
Some may wonder why a paper or
a radical element cannot make as
strong a fight without a committee
as with. The reasons are multiple.
First, Lathrop refused US addresses
of alliances and the material that