The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-11-06
CONGRESSMAN THOMAS G. WATSON, OF
GEORGIA

CONGRESSMAN THOMAS g. WATSON, OF
GEORGIA.
tention Of the country. Since then their
efforts have all been preliminary to the
great national struggle of 1892. So
while the campaign just closed has fully
demonstrated vast growth of the peo-
ple's cause, it has been only step in
preparation for the great struggle which
practically opens with the Indianapolis
convention on the 18th inst.
Here is the programme, subject to
minor modification or change, of the
meeting of the supreme council of the
Alliance:
On the first day, Tuesday, Nov. II, the
addresses of welcome will be delivered at
Tomlinson hall by Mayor Sullivan and
President Force, of the state Alliance;
the responses will be by j. F. Tillmsn
and J.,F. Willetts. The afternoon will
be devoted to an executive session, and
in the evening President L. L. Polk will
deliver his address.
On Wednesday addresses will be made
by the president of the F. M. B. A., Ma
tional Lecturer J. F. Willetts, and in the
afternoon the executive session will be
continued. In the evening G. w. Ma
cune and others will speak.
Thursday morning Jerry Simpson and
Alonzo Wardall will speak, and in thu
evening John P. Stelle and Mrs. Anna
L. briggs.
Friday the forenoon addresses will be
by j. II. Turner and B. Fl. Clover, and
in the evening L. f. Livingston and II.
L. Loucks.
Saturday j. H. Mcdowell and Senator
PETER will speak, and at night T. v.
Powderly and Ben Terrell.
Monday evening Ignatius Donnelly
will address the council.
On Tuesday, the last day, William
Erwin, Mrs. Lease, R. M. Humphrey
and j. W. Weaver will speak.
y
There is no denying that the meeting
of the supreme council will be critical
time for the Alliance. Tremendous
issues and tremendous influences will go
into the convention. The Alliance must
remain true to the cause OF the whole
people or the Indianapolis convention
will mark the turning of the tide and
disaster will follow. The seductive in
fuence most of all to be guarded against
will be that which seeks to secure just
little modification of the Alliance de-
mands so that one of the old parties can
adopt them and make them part of its
platform. Such policy would be
suicidal if adopted. The people would
be humbugged and their cause would be
sold out.
The situation impels me to repeat q
warning to which called attention last
summer that platform conces-
sions are worthless. Ante-election prom
jses are mere buncombe. They are made
to catch voters and are never intended
to be kept. The wonder is that anybody
nowadays is deceived by the empty pro-
fessions Of either of the old parties.
What If one of the old parties should
adopt the Alliance platform entire, and
then nominate Cleveland or Harrison
upon it, as the case might be, are the
people going to be such fools as to vote
for either Of those men in the fond be-
lief that they would undertake to apply
the principles set forth in that platformi
The time has gone by for catching sensi-
BILE men with such chaff. It is men and
results that the people demand, and
they'll have them.
Isee it sneeringly asked by the pluto
cratic newspapers, What men the ALI
ance or Peoples party have to offer fo1
:r,I, 1f
fear, gentlemen; the men will be forth
coming. No great crisis ever yet lacked
men to meet it. Nor are they yet un-
! recognized by those who know the per
sonnel of the new government as do.
have in my minds eye a man, a born
leader Of men, broad minded, keen wit
ted, q farmer statesman, man of the
people, second Abraham Lincoln. ]
shall not name him, for advocate the
personal cause of no man. Furthermore,
he is in no sense candidate, and if he
was he would surely be defeated, as any
man will be who seeks to crafty per.
sonal ambltlon by mears of the reform
movement. The man for the occasio,
will be called by the people ;-#'hen til,
time comes. He will not be selected
from among clam orous aspirants
III =
This much more will say about thi
subject Of candidates into which I. hav,
prematurely drifted: The man who's
strong, rugged figure has been in imagi
nation before me as wrote these las
lines is q southerner. Ihope the ney
party will be the first to select mai
from the new south to be its standart
bearer. ! am northern man, and
think ! know something abapt northern
sentiment. / believe, I know, that tn
n. north il utterly sick and fired Of blood,