The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-05-03
VINDIOATION OF DEMOCRATIC
SECRET SOCIETIES.

EDITOR INTELLIG ENCER:-In your
paper OF April Goth, 1890, there appear.
ed a dennnciation of the Workingman's
Reform Tariff League
by MIR. Xenophon Rylsnd Ont
of respect tor his official position, |
will refrain from inquiring a. TO the
motive and msnne which prompted
him to make public, to interpret and
criticise said club, and il may be by
some considered presumptive for the
poor man to lift mp his head and dare
attempt to defend what he considers TO
to be right and just. But history tells
US that in the days when Greece and
Rome were free, that the greatest
patriotism existed among the common
people, and 80 il is to-day in this
country, If virtue and patriotism ia
lodged anywhere II is found among
the honest yeomanry of the country.
The democratic party has stood by aud
always declared itself TO be the friend
OF the poor man and il is to DO lament
ed, indeed, that any member OF the
party should rise up and attempt to
thwart the honest purposes OF tho
workingman in his struggles to better
his conditions, morally, socially and
politically. But desire to more par
ticularly call attention to Mr.. Ryland's
denunciation OF secret societies aud
organizations. which he claims are
Dangerous foes TO a republic and to
civil liberty. and are undemscra,lc."
He certainly is not posted in the history
of the democratic party or else he de-
sires to take a new departure. Let us
urn the leaves Of time back to the year
1900, when there appeared upon the
scene the two great leaders and adyO-
Gates of systems of government, Ham
ilton, the champion of aristOcracy, and
jefferson, who boldly stood up in
behalf OF the masses of the people. In
that hour of peril II was Thomas Jeifer-
son who instituted and organized secret
democratic leagues, along with Madi-
and on this account they were de-
nounced by the Hamiltonites as the
''rabble boodlers, ~Jacobbins and dis
%unionists." But it was by these secret
democratic clubs that the constitution
was saved, as Jefferson said sat the
last gasp"
1t is right that the people should
move in their primary capacity-the
less they trust to their representatives
and the more they trust 70 themselves
the greater will be their safety. The
government is OF the people, by the
people and tor the people, and they
should manage it. external vigilance
" the price Of liberty," so in every hour
of peril let us organize, deliberate,
agitate and come together in local
leagues, which being united by the ties
OF traternal interest and correspondence
we can pass the signal of danger from
one to- another "Iike that shepherds
whistle which sounding through the
listening stiffness of the night, gives
warning that lie wolf 10 upon bis walk
again." 1t was the voluntary secret
local ASSOCIATIONS, the ~yigllence com
mittees and cQmmittees OF correspon-
denee which lent the strongest impulse
to the revolution aud il was the voice
OF the people rising in laundering tones
through the many Threats of the secret
democratic leagues which struck terror
10 the hearts of the tederalists i'm 1900.
We have ihs secret clubs of the Gran
gers, Wheelers' and Alliance parties and
knights of Labor, all c0nttnding Tor
rights and liberties, and the Jcffersonian
league planted III every neighborhond
Is the one thing more needful 10 rOnse
The people as they were reused by
Jefferson, Madison and Galitan, in
hazardous days past. Let us seize this
leaf from the handbook Of freedom,
coming to US by the author OF the
Declaration of Independence, and the
tounder of the democratic party, who,
when he lay dying on the 81 of July,
1926, his immortal soul and his mighty
intellect (half released from It's embar-
rsssment and environment of fiesh)
reverted jOyfnlly and tondly to the
democratic club, thai popular insiitn-
ton for the security OF popular rights,
aud fancying the struggle again going
on he cried out, "Warn tho committees
Let them give information one ia
another !" and rising In his bed he seem.
ed to be tracing with eager, but with
| shrivel and sbrunken hand a dispatch
10 the fembodied patriots. These were
almost the last words OF Que OF tha
no6i1at Rep that eyer lived ip all the
tide of tune. Aud, nr. Editor, in this
hour of peril let us not permit scliGh.
ness, envy, passion nor prejudice 10
interfere with anything, the object OF
which is to relegate existing evils or to
produce general prosperity.
Yours respectfully, l.. Z. YATES