The Brookhaven leader., 1891-07-30
The Autocratic Kid Glove Con-
yentiOn.

40 per cent. of doctors, editors, mcr-
chants, drummers, etc, and about 10
per cent. only of real farmers. 1t was
also shown that the committee of IL
on resolutions which made a report
condemning the ub-Treasury, as
class legislation, undemOcratic, i'm
practical, etc, was packed with anti
Sub Treasury men from head to foot
and composed of ii lawyers, / insur-
ance agent, editor and farmer doe
tor.
1t seems the editor of the LEADER
was not alone in taking notes of the
complexion of this great body that
met and arrogated to itself the au-
thority to declare to farmer Democrats
and others what is true democracy
and what is not. We publish in an
other column communication from
the Clarion-Ledger which goes still
further than we did in showing the
material of which the Convention
committees was composed. We want
every reader of the LEADER to care
fully scan the names on these commit
tees, and then candidly answer to
himself whether he thinks the farm
ers and Alliance men of the State,
who constitute fully four -fifths of the
Democratic party, were fairly repre-
sented, and whether an Alliance
measure would stand much show be-
fore any such body.
A close scrutiny of those committee
names will disclose that of a total of
II, one lone individual, Mr.. Cavett, a
gallant Treasury man from NoX-
ubee, was the only real farmer of the
entire lot. OF the 90 members of the
new State Executive Committee (the
body which it was proposed by part
of the Convention to clothe with un-
heard of power over the peoples To-
cal affairs, and who are to supervise
the party and direct its policy, it will
be seen that there are % lawyers, 2
merchants, 2 newspaper men, physi-
clan, l State official, and l sheriff,
while the farmers and Alliance Dem
ocrats are represented thus-0000000.
The CHS correspondent criticises
Mr.. Thompson for the complexion Of
the committees, but we desire to ask
the reader to throw no more of the
responsibility on him than he de-
serves. The new State Executive
Committee was selected 10y the dele
gates from each Congressional district
and the nominations afterward ratified
by the entire Convention, Mr.. Thomp-
son being elected Chairman of the
committee by the Convention. 1t is
true Mr.. Thompson packed the com
mittee on resolutions with lawyers
and nti-SubTreasury men, not Civ
ing the opposition single represcn-
tative, and for that, we can see no
justification and it is also true that
the committees on credentials appoint
ed by him look packed against the
farmers, but he must not be judged
too harshly for that, because as has
been asserted, the Convention was
made up principally of that sort of
material and the plain, unpretentious
farmer was looked upon as little
dog in high oats.
The LEADER doesn't want to be un-
derstood as censuring lawyers, edi
tors, merchants, drummers and others
for taking hold and running politics
to suit themselves, if allowed to, for
iU doesn't. That's human nature !;
what we want to say is, we blame the
farmers, who have the numerical
strength and the sense to direct their
own political affairs and conserve the
best interests of all the people, for
allowing professional Office seekers,
law Ci . luu oClltiS " CdhC lull Clldi 80
and control their political affairs in
their own interest. While the late
Convention did not represent the SEN
timents of the farmers of Mississippi
on the SubTreasury and was not a
true representative body of the Dem
Ocratic masses, it was the fault of AL
lance Democrats and farmers that it
was so. In most counties delegations
were appointed composed of both
farmers and professional men, but
when the time came for the Conven-
ton to meet the farmers stayed at
home, while the professional gentry
and politicians who make politics II
trade, were all there ;--sOme of them
that couldn't get appointed by con-
vention at home, with farmers prox-
les in their pockets.
Farmers, Alliancemen, that's the
way the Sub Treasury was condemn
ed in the name of the Democracy OF
the State, and that is the way politics
will continue to be run against you
until you become the serfs of the ma
ton, unless you use the intelligence
and energy with which God has en-
dowed you and assert your manhood