The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1891-06-25
VIII the Alliance Nominate?

would nominate q ticket or agree on
a slate to he supported in the Demo
cratic primary as it did two years ago.
Being only an individual member, of
course we have no authority to say IN
advance of its action on the subject
what that body may do. but our views
as to the propricty of such course
have undergone no change since cN-
pressed two years ago.
We will present briefly Il few rcas-
ons why we think such policy should
not be pursued.
|. 1t puts the Alliance too much in
the attitude of becoming distinct
political party, which is contrary to
the fundamental law and purpose of
its organization.
2. Since the Alliance membership III
this county constitutes about seven
tehths of the Democratic party, and Il
nomination by the Alliance is thcIc-
the Democratic primary. it is not good
party fellowship toward the other
three tcnthS of the party to thus
practically disfranchisc and cut them
Oft from all voice in naming II ticket
they will he asked to support i'll the
regular election in November. TO the
extent that there are Republicans and
independents in the Alliance, they
would have Il greater voice i'll select
ing the Democratic nominees than
good and true Democrats who are not
members of the Alliance. and it would
be no more than human nature under
such circumstances if Democrats so
treated were lukewarm in their sup
port of the ticket or openly sided
with the Republican or independent
opposition that is almost certain to
spring up after the primary is over.
3. For reasons which we haven't
space to cnumcratc. it is not equally
fair to all Alliance men who are can
didatcs for nomination, to say nothing
of candidates not members of the Al
lance but what is still more import
ant, it is likely to arouse .icalOusics
and internal diScord. which may result
in serious injury to the order itself.
CT tn | ,nt ~.
Burkitt on the political relations of the
Alliance. and which he keeps standing
in his paper, is quoted rs high Alliance
authority:
The Alliance is non-partisan OF
ganiZation but it is not non-polltlcal.
Its object is to educate its members in
the science of government, and its
purpose is to correct the various
abuses in legislation. which have
brought bankruptcy and financial
ruin to the door of millions of the
wealth producers in this country.
While it does not attempt to make
Democrats out Of Republicans OF Re
publicans out of Democrats, and while
there is no obligation on any member
to change his political associations. it
is the duty of every good allianccman
when policy of reform is agreed up
on by the majority to do what he can
to impress that policy on the political
party to which he belongs.
The Allianceman loses no right he
possessed as Il citizen by becoming Il
member Of the organization, nor does
he change his political affiliations.
He is simply informing himself, so
that he may more intelligcntly dis
charge his duty to himself, his family,
his neighbors, the political party to
which he belongs and his country, and
this leads him naturally to investigate
questions in political economy and
post himself i'll the leading issues of
the day. In the prosecution of his
studies he learns that politics is the
"science of government that part of
ethics which has to do with the rcgu-
lation and government of Nation or
State, the preservation of its safety,
peace and prosperity the defense of
its existence and rights against for
eign control or conquest the aug
mcntation of its strength and re-
sources. and the PROTECTION OF ITS
CITIZENS IN THEIR RIGHTS and he
understands full we'll that in Il gov
eminent like ours it is the duty of
every good citizen to engage III poll
tics. TO the extent above indicated.
the Alliance is political, 6W ii does
not propose to organize q separate po-
Wicdl party, nor can it legally assume
to make nominations for office.
Surely it is the right and duty of
every good allianceman to do what he
can in the political primary or conven-
ton to secure the nomination Of rep
resentative men, agreeing to the poll
cy he advocates, just as it is the right
and duty of any citizen to vote for
the man, whose opinions are in accord
with his own. This is practical poll
ties, for it is the veriest folly for
man to avow a set of principles and
then work and vote for some one to
represent him, who opposes them.
But, we would have the outside
world to know, that in making our
selections at the primary, we are not
confined to candidates who are mem
bers of the organization. We know
there are men whose avOcatiOn, or
profession render them ineligible to
membership i'll the Alliance, whose
hearts beat in sympathetic accord
with our own, and these being of us
and with us have equal claims upon
our support.
Nor. is it the purpose of well in
formed alliancemcn to erect any other