The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-16
an Appeal TO southern ALLAN oes.


The third party movement has q strong
hold upon the alliance men Of Kansas. In
our dispatches yesterday the statement was
made that Mr.. Frank McCrath, president
Of the Kansas alliance, had addressed a
letter to southern alliance urging them
to send delegates to the convention TO be
held in Cincinnati on May 10. The purpose
Of the convention is to form a third party.
President McGrath tells the southern ALI
ances that If they do not join in the third
party movement allianoemen Of the north
ern states will return TO the Republican
party.
If there is anything in the political situa-
ton in Kansas and other northern states to
Justify President McGrath's prediction, the
alliancemen Of those states and the repub-
licans are not so very far apart. II the
northern alliancemen would return to the
Republican party if the southern alliance
men should refuse 70 join the third party
movement, it is fair to assume that there is
no basis Cor a third party. If the alliance
men Of Kansas, for instance, left the Re-
publican party because they did not believe
in the principles of that party and did not
approve its policies, they would not go back
to it under any circumstances. And
if they were firmly convinced that
the best interests of the country
would be promoted by the adoption
of the principles and policies Of the alliance,
they would continue to act Independently
Of the Republican party, whether they had
any immediate hope Of success or not. They
would feel that their principles would be
accepted by the majority of the people
eventually. Their talk about going back to
the Republican party indicates that they
have little or no faith in the principles
which are the basis of their order.
Southern alliancemen have not with
drawn from the Democratic party because
they believe in the principles Of that party
and are confident that the reforms they
desire will be obtained through that party,
if they are such reforms as will tend to
benefit the majority of the people. They
have not yet seen any reason for severing
their connection with the Democratic party.
When they became alliancemen they did so
with the distinct understanding that they
were democrats and would not be required
to take position hostile to the democratic
party Why should they attempt to destroy
that party! They owe it great deal and
are not unmindful of their obligations to it,
President McGrath makes great mistake
in attempting to bulldoze the alliancemen Of
the south. They do not care particularly
whether the alliancemen Of the north go
back to the Republican party or not. In
deed, it is probable that they would be
glad if they would go back, provided they
have no intention Of joining the Democratic
party, because if alliancemen in the Re
publican party act with alliancemen in the
Democratic party the reforms desired by
the alliance are much more likely TO be
obtained than if alllancemen start a party
Of their own.
No doubt a strong pressure will be
brought to bear upon southern alliancemen
to get them into the third party movement.
There are ambitious men in the alliance
who hope to use the order to further their
own ambitious purposes, and President Nc
Grath may be one of them. But unless the
leaders of the southern alliance repudiate
all their utterances since the alliance became
power the third party movement will not
get foothod in the south.