The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-07
GORDON 70 ALLIANCE MEN.
Summary Of His Plain Talk at Easopton
Georgia.

EatOnton, Ga. a few days ago;
NV countrymen. we are brethren, Demo
cratic brethren, Georgia brethren, South
crn brethren, bound together IN the bonds
of a common interest, common hopes, com
mon wrongs. and in the still higher, boiler
bonds of sad. but glorious and immortal
memories. We are American brethren,
sons of Kindred sires, interiors OF com
mon freedom, and bound TO preserve II by
united efforts.
There Is nothing inconsistent with this
continent in your organization. The
Farmers Alliance Is not banded together
as understand IL, for any warfare upon
other interests. They do war, ana ought 10
war upon those who, by blunder or design'
have imposed upon them unjust ana I'M
cdual laws. They do war and ought 10 wal
upon those who. by high tariffs, by national
hanks. by contraction Of the currency by
restrictions upon silver and by the impo..
sition of unequal burdens, have depressed
and suppressed the filters of the soil. III Is
moi necessary. trust, TO say that Tor sucb
\ war have long been an enlisted soldier
with knapsack packed. ready for the con
dict--uniil the victory is won and thg
shackles fall from the limbs of American
agriculture.
NV course before the state Alliance at
Atlanta had a far deeper significance tnah
many Of my friends immagned. had seen
for weeks a tendency 10 split IN the Demo
cratic party, caused by making the en-
dorscment Of the sub-trcasury bill test OF
Democratic fcalty. ! had observed thai
many Georgia Democrats complained BIT
icrly that such a tcst-which Nas moi made
by the Democratic platform lad ostracised
them. and they were inquirng 10 "wha
marty do we belong ii ~ man Is q
Democrat worthy OF support unless
he endorses this particular bill !
/ plainly saw that unless this
feeling among Democrats on the outside OF
the Alliance on the one hand. and the de-
mand of Alliance leaders on the other,
could be modified a split was inevitable.
and we should see two sets Of candidates in
various localities in Georgia, both claiming
10 be Democrats. /. was certain that such
a conflict would not only threaten the III
tegrity Of the Democratic party. hut would
assilrcdly defeat some of the Alliacnc can
didates, and bring serious embarrassment
10 the Alliance cause in Georgia. Deeply
burlpncd with sense of our peril calmly
awaited the coming Of the convention.
Realizing 10 the fullest the danger 10 my
self politically. and still more fully, trust
my duty L. the Democratic party, as well as
10 The Alliatce cause, ! resolved, whatever
| fate might await me. 10 make an appeal i0l
] lttnllfldllt NlllN anu tHNfANWi " III iiii
Alliance cause ont of the narrow confines
Of "A special bill 10 the higher plane OF broad
principles and liberal policies. knew full
well that silence on my part meant my
unanimous election 10 the Senate. but
could not afford silence with misapprehcn-
| sion. could not AFFORD 90 be silent and see
Unauthorized tests applied which, If per.
sisted in. must rend the party in twain. and
also drive from the Alliance cause through
out the Union millions of votes.
How passing strange Is the situation
around us. Will you pause and reflect
! Here is the Virginia state Alliance voting
down the Sub-treasury It'll by vote that
lacks but seven of q twO-thirCs majority.
| Here is the Missouri Alliance putting forth
another plan. Here is the Texas Alliance
in danger of going TO pieces in IT. quarrel
| over the sub-treasury, sixteen counties re-
! fusing TO cooperate and forcing the state
Alliance TO Teccdp from It's demand for the
sub-treasury and TO resolve
That it is the sense OF ills body that all
members Of the Farmers Alliance are free
to take any position they may prefer on the
discussion Of said bill.
! Ipress home this question: Why is il, in
view Of these unmistakabie facts, that the
war is made upon me by the leaders Of your
! brotherhood in Georgia? Why is it that
when the Virginia alliance votes il down,
| and the Texas alliance is saved only by re-
ceding from its demands, and the Missouri
alliance adopts another plan-why, !
| repeat. do your leaders. with political
pistols at my head, demand Of me.
Endorse the Sub-treasury bill, or
die:" Oh, my alliance friends, You
who are true friends. you who are ready
to make personal sacrifices for it; YOU who
have no axes TO be sharpeued on Alliance
/ nf1sf IA ~ "a
and glorious aims, and prefer the success OF
the cause 20 the qualification Of any mans
ambition, do You not plainly see whittier
YOU are being driiteds With the Georgia
State Alliance urging the ul-treasury, the
| Virginia State Alliance voting down the
sub-treasury. and the Texas state Alliance
| threatened with disruption on account OF
the sub-treasury-dO you not plainly see
that this war upon me is wholly untenablC
and wholly uniustiiiableE
But far more important than any personal
cOnsderati0ns-d0y YOU not plainly see that
YOU can never win a national victory until
you inscribe on your banners only those iiy-
| ing principles, for which Virginia and
Georgia and Texas alliancemen can an
stand, and for which the friends OF reform
everywhere can unite? Is there any answer
to this proposition: Does no. every intelli-
gent. fair-minded allianccman in Georgia
see it!
oh. my brother Democrats in aud out Of
the alliance You who realize that the III
tegrily of your party is essential 10 the con-
tinued supremacy of the White race in
Georgia: YOU who realize that white supre-
macy Is essential TO the best interests of
both races, and 10 the security Of your prop
erty and the safety of your homes; appeal
10 you by these, and 10y your love Of Law
| and order, and by your devotion TO the prin-
ciples that have protected You in the past.
and must preserve you in the future, bl
these and by all else that make life sweet.
and this Southland a paradise. | appeal 10
you to hold steadiastly 20 our time-hOnOred
faiths, and by their saving power rescue
this commonwealth from the evils of Demo
cratic dissenssOn.
Alliancemen of Georgia, what think YOU
of the doctrine that members nominated as
Democrats. voted for as Democrats, elected
As Democrats. are TO be manipulated when
they reach Atlanta and induced 10 vote
against "a Democrat only, and solely, be-
cause he is TO be tried by plank not in the
Democratic platform; No such onc-man
power or halEdozen men-p0wer appertains
To the Alliance constitution, and these Al
lance Democrats are men who think for
themselves, and have the nerve and the
honor TO stand firmly by their pledges 10
And now, my fellow. cOuntrymen, have
delivered my message Of peace and my ap-
peal for harmony. Ii my defeat is 10 be-
cOmpassed by the programme discussed. 4
should fcel that the blow had been struck
in the house of my friends-struck by the
very men 10 whose rights and interests sol
large q portion of my public life has beer
devoted. The loss of the Office would not
be the source Of my deepest regret for You
are my witnesses that could have secured
il by an almost unanimous vote.
Tue keenest pang would be the conscious
ness that among those Ayho dealt the blow
were my Confederate comrades in the Ali
ance Brotherhood acting under the leader
ship OF men who never shared with them
the dread fortunes OF war. refuse 20 be-
lieye hat these brave veterans the Old
Guard of the Confederate army and Of
Southern honor, than whom tho world con-
tans no grander men-will. on such pre-
text, repudiate their pledges 20 their con-
or bring dissensiOn into Demo |
cratic ranks. which may involve the future |
welfare of tals great commonwealth.
Gueutch.
1t is in the early days Of June that the |
ihrall Of the gucutch is heaviest over Con-
The whole town is then on the
move, and Turks and Christians alike are