Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1891-05-07
ADDRESS TO ALLIANCEMEN
By President Polk OF the Ma
tional Alliance.

1othe brotherhood Of the ~ H. A. d T. u.
we are now approaching the most
| critical period in our existence as an or
| der The demoralizing elements, which
always enter into political campaigns, are
already being marshalled by the enemies
of our order, with determined purpose
to divide and disrupt us, if possible. No
| device or scheme will be left untried.
| Every effort will be made to divert the
| minds OF the people from the great issues
| which are essentially the very life of our
| great reform movement.
1t was this knowledge of the situation
that prompted the action of the National
Leglslate Council in maturing plan for
lecture system and for presenting it to
| the order for adoption. The ultimate,
inevitable and triumphant success of our
! principles is assured, if this system be
actively and faithfully pros ecuted. For
| the American farmers and all other
classes and interests which are so init
mately related to them, will not
fail to stand together for right,
Justice and equity, if properly in
formed. If prosecuted as designed, this
system will engage the services during
this year of not less than 35, 900 lecturers
| In our cause ! earnestly invoke the aid
and cooperation of the entire brother
hood, i'll securing a faithful lecturer, for
| every subordinate and County Alliance,
and for every congressional district with
in the jurisdiction of our order through
| out the whole country.
Arrangements are also being made for
| the holding of two or more grand Ali
of
ance States during the year, or as many
more as the brotherhood may desire. Let
as have your active and earnest sympathy
| in making this the great educational cam
| paign year in our history, and thus be
prepared to meet any emergency that
may arise.
State aE county officers especially are
earnestly 4 3onished to push this work
in their ref etive jurisdictions zealously
and vigorously.
The enemy is actively on the. alert. 1t
| ls his purpose to buy or control our press
as far as possible r .,ss1s;;sss7sg with money,
he will substitute Office or its patronage.
Failing in all this, he will strive by every
means, foul or fair, to create divisions
and dissensions in our ranks.
Ii a convention of the enemies of the
| National Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union was called to devise plan for the
overthrow and destruction of the order,
it would doubtless adopt, as the most
speedy and etfectual such methods as
would create dissension and strife among
the membership. How eagerly and how
txfrv'. .Ssx4y they hail the least indication
E,1sz1EIf an erring brother. SO far for
| gzsss OBLIGATION r. the, or IS to as
SAD principles ~ eek l. .sheralded
by The politicians az re partisan press
as hero. If a paper Which has been
designated representative 81 the prin-
ciples of our order proves false to its
most sacred compact and assails our
members, or our principles, it thereby
gains speedy admittance to the respect
and confidence of our enemies. If infiu-
entail or prominent members disregard
ing their obligations to each other and to-
the order, engage in public personal
warfare through the press or otherwise,
our enemies are abundantly satisfied.
No member of our order has the right
to assail another member publicly, through
the press or otherwise, SO long as their
pames are on our roll of membership.
Such an offense is violation of his obi
cation and should merit expulsion. No
paper vested with authority to represent
our order officially has the right to assail
our principles or any member of the
order while acting in such capacity.
Such an ofrense should cause all true Al
liancemen to repudiate such paper
promptly. No member, while his name
remains on our roll, has right to assail
the principles of the order publicly. He
Is not only permitted, but is encouraged
by our law, to discuss any and all meas
ures coming within our province with
the utmost freedom and to any extent he
may desire within the order But the
will of the majority is the law of the
order. and if he cannot acquiesce in the
decision of the majority, and feels that
he is consciencioasly impelled to 90 be-
fore the public and assail our prime pies.
he should first divest himself of his ALI
ance uniform. With what consistency
could a Baptist or Methodist 90 before
the world and publicly oppose and de-
nounce some of the most cherished tenets
of his church, How long would his
name remain on his church book2 How
long ought it to remain there? Why
should he expect or desire to remain in
the church?
Loyalty to Alliance principles is the
only tue Alliance test, not only as to
membership but it should faithfully be
applied in the selection of all officers,
from the steward in subordinate Ali
ance to the president of the National AL
lance, and it must be applied in the Sc
lection of those who are to make and ex-
ecute our laws, If we would reasonably