The Magnolia gazette., 1891-04-25
BuRklTrs REPLY.
No is Very Bitter Against MoAIIistsr
and Beeman.

and Beeman.
OKoLoNA, Miss. April 22.-Cap,
tain Frank Burkitt, state lecturer
of the Farmers Alliance, has writ,
ten letter in reply to the charges
preferred against him by W. 5.
McAllistrr aud j. II. B-eman, ac.
cusing him of whrtewashing Ma.
cune and Otis and the Ocala meet,
ing of the National Alliance
Among other things, Captain Bur
kilt says;
sit is not my purpose to engage
in controversy with Colonel
McAllister and Mr.. Bseman. In
deed, decline most emphatically
to do s,y 5ut | trust | may be per-
nitted to state few facts not in-
consistent with my duties TO the
alliance and the general public,
which may possibly account for
the ungenerous and unwarranted
alta k on me.
"The supreme council of til,
Frmers' Alliance at its annual
convention assembled at 0cala in
December last with largely in
creased representation on u ca Of
STATES, reaffirmed the dpctrine
enunci ,ted at Sr. L0nis one year
before by majority vote of more
than 3 TO that the two virIunus
brethren VINO are not 80 much more
concerned over what we owe 10
principle in cOntra-distlnctiou to
harmony may, it they choose en-
tighten their frienis (tne enemies
of the alliance) aud give the news
papers an excuse to headline some
other loyal memoer ot tue organi-
zatiOn by exposing all that was
said aud done OH that occasion.
shall concede them monopoly OF
this unworthy business and can
congratulate them aud all true ALT
ance men every where that they
only have one rival in America.
''If the charges of Colonel Nc
Allister, supported by Congress
man Beeman, do not convey a
false impression, they are to be
pitied for having fallen into den
of thieves, for believe / am cor.
rect In saying that only three men
out of about y hunderd officers and
delegates have ever questioned the
verify aud justice of the reports
made and adopted at Ocala, an1
their selflrrspect should prompt
them TO disconuect themselves
with so debased a crowd at the
earliest possible moment. In their
wrath at being unable TO divide
the alliance in Mississippi aud
cause it TO subsrrve the purpose OF
scheming politicians, Messrs.
Beemau and McAIlister seem to
have overlooked a fact well known
to one of them at least, namely /:
That they could not, even if they
Withdrew from the alliance (wlth-
out a violation of their obligation) !,
expose TO outsiders matters which
transpired in 8 committee room on
the flor of the NEE ing held with
closed doors, and they should have
ref cued that an intelligent public
eau accept only cum grano sails
any statement made Dy gentlemen
who place themselves in sush an
unenviable attitude.
III | could so far forget my duty
to myself and the alliance as TO
imi ate my accusers by disclosing
what transpired in the COMMITTEES
rom and on the f,ior of the su-
preme council, my vindicati0n
wo uld be complrte, but since in
doing SO | nnst prove as rvcrrant
10 the trust reposed in me by an
ho1orable aud praiseworthy organ
ization as my assailants, | prefer
while this can ,,igi of COL
umnv l.sts TO st,nd silent in
the presence of misguided public
sentiment, manufactured by a vim
dlctive, partisan press, until reason
and jnstio. may resume their sway,
In the meantime | shsll not be
surprised TO be charged by the
minlons of plutocraoy IN .nd out of
the alliance with any orlme in tn.
calendar, but dis .greeAbls AS sue 4
a contest must be. neither fo.s
without nor traitirs within, saall
deter me from the advocacy OF the
cause Of an oppressed peopIe.