The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1891-03-05
A Misfit That Hurts.
Editor BroOkhaven Leader


Ii is very clear that the Farmers
Alliance and its organ, the Mississip-
plan, are not in accord on the question
of partisan politics. This is very UNI
4 fortunate, and, as usual, the farmers
interest will do the suffering. The
Mississippian has, unquestionahly, the
right to be thoroughly partisan, as it
is, aud rs certainly the Alliance has
| the right to- repudiate and dispense
with it as its State organ.
The Alliance, by its constitution, is
a non partisan organization aud if ii is
true to it's organic law the YazoO
county resolutions will be adopted 10y
every county Alliance in the State.
A pronounced partisan organ will
confuse, utterly demoTalize and de
Stroy pon-partisan organization i'll a
comparatively short time. The truth
of this statement will be painfully
clear to Alliance men in this State,
unless change is made in the official
organ very soon.
Most certainly tile Mississippian is
not hurt by the discord named. 1t has
lost no political friends by becoming
the Alliance organ, for the reason that
its effort has been and will be to train
the Alliance membership into COM
! plctc subordinatiOn to- party manipu-
lators, who seek solely their own ends
! in the cmOluments and honOrs of Of
flee. The Mississippian has doubtless
the approval of the professional poll
! ticians throughout the State. 1t
seems to be carrying the politicians on
it's broad, generous shoulders, while
! girding its loins for success in the I'M
dertaking with the Alliance vote.
The Mississippian, with its strong
| partiSanship as the Alliance organ, is
Il clear case of misht. If the Alliance
follows the leadership of its organ, it
| becomes instanter partisan body,
thus violating one of its fundamental
principles, and it will be, therefore,
looscned from its mooriugs, subject
to that which has placed the farmers
in their present deplorable condition,
the dictation of place hunting par
tisan politicians.
BE it said that one great object OF
the Alliance is to educate the farmer
as to his privileges and duties, as an
Independent factor in all the affairs OF
the country. 1t is presumable that
this is intended as the main work OF
the official organ, but what has the
Mississippian done towards educating
the farmers ? What has it done to
point out the farmers difficulties and
the way out of them? How much ag-
Iicultural matter does 1T furnish its
readers each week Is not the Mis-
sissippian almost wholly filled, week
by week. with the discussion of par
tisan political matters, with which the
Alliance, as an organization, has moth
ing to do ?
The Alliance. unequivocally, has de-
clared for what is known as "the Sub
Treasury scheme" and by almost
unanimous action the recent Alliance
convention in Ocala, Fla, pledged the
organization to its support. Right in
the face of this fresh declaration the
Mississippian devOtes columns to at
tacks on "the scheme" by Senator
Walthall, George and newspapers in
and ont of the State. No politician
or partisan paper suggests a remedy
for the ills which the "Sub-TTeasury
scheme" is intended to cure, hut it
seems they feel that it is quite enough
to squelch it, that they object to it,
and the Alliance organ lends itself
diligently to propegating the views OF
DIRECTORS.
Again the Alliance has, with re-
markable unanimity, declared for
the free coinage of silver. EXPIRES.
Cleveland has repeatedly declared
himself as against the measure. Not
withstanding these facts the MISSISSIPPI
plan with marked energy is laudrng
Cleveland tor President. Suppose
Cleveland is elected President, and a
free coinage silver bill were to pass
both branches of Congress, do not the
editors of the Alliance organ know
what all other informed persons do
that Cleveland would veto it? The
Mississippi Alliance organ helping to
make a man President, when it knows
in advance that that man will use the
veto power to defeat Alliance legisla-
ton! This cannot be very comfort
ing reflection to Alliance men.
This much has been said to show
that the Mississippian is not in accord
with the Alliance, and its editors
knowing this fact, ought, in honorable
manliness, to decline to further mis-
represent the organization. If, how
ever, they do not pursue this proper
course, the Alliance owes it to itsel-
to repudiate the paper and adopt al
organ that will be in thorough accord
with it on all questions and policies
DR.. w. A. Hurt furnished such Il pa
per in the New Farmer. AS an ALI
ance man l am utterly opposed to a
partisan political paper as an Alliance
organ.
| have no personal criticism to make
on the Mississippian editors, except as
above stated. 1t ought to be remem-
bered by Alliance men that both these
editors are office holders, and there is
binding, warping force in that fact
that the masses know nothing of, and
which ofttimes may explain the tenac-
ity with which the politician clings tC
his party.
Let the Alliance have a non parti-
san organ or none at all The Mis-
sissippian's recital of the history Of
the Democratic party does not meet
the complaint against it. The ALI
} ance is right. Its organ is wrong.