The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-09
Enterprise and Alliance Monitor.

Enterprise and Alliance Non!tor.I
It beng very apparent that Dr..
Stokes, the president OF the State Ali
ance and the editor OF the Cotton Plant,
had been left out OF the June Confer
eneen entirely reporter Of the Enter
prise and Alliance Monitor sought him
ont to see what he had to say about the
matter. He was not at his office, but
was at his country home which is about
six miles from C-angeburg. l went
out TO his residence and found him
busiiy engaged with his farm work.
z He had not seen the World Yet, be-
cause be had rot gone TO the pos-offce
TO get his mail, so that I had the pleas
ure of first presenting him with the
great news. I presented him with a
copy of the World, and he read the
account through with much interest.
Every once and while he would smile
and say:
.eIhey got it pretty straight" which,
of course, meant that the Worlds
wonderful kinetograph had taken
thing down very correctly.
I first asked him ifhe had received
an invitation to the meeting, which
was held at Columbia on June ).
He said that ne had not; that be did
not know why he had been so un-
tremendously left out, and that he has
not yet received, nor does not expect
an explanation Of the why and where
fore Of the matter. Any explanation
along this line would have N come
from other source. as he certainly had
none, nor knew ofany to give.
In answer to other questions, DR..
Stokes said: had some inimation OF
this gathering, but did not know when
it would come OF.
.sThe views of those who discussed
the matter Of the establishment OF an
ont and oct administration paper with
me beforehand, seemed to recognize the
difference between the Farmers move
ment and the Alliance. They drew
the same distinction between the State
Alliance organ and paper designed
TO defend the Reform adminisf ..tion.
1t was recognized as very desiral':: that
there should be daily paper in Colum-
bia, fully sy1npathising with the ad-
ministratlon and capable as we'll as
willing to defend its actions--or at any
rate, to see that its actions were fairly
presented to the public. This function
the Cotton Plant was not in position
to perform even if it were within the
scope Of its purposes. It's field is the
advocacy of Alliance interests and prln-
eiples along lines Of political economy
not the defense Of any party or fac
ton. It is at liberty 20 comment upon
current events, and does so whenever
IL sees proper; but that is 40 part ofits
duty except as its duty is to do the
right and see that the right IS done.
Consequently there could be 10 con-
hict between the Cotton Plant and
sueh a paper as I understood was
under contemplation.
II certainly think that such paper
IS I have indicated above would be
very desirable, and in fact, almost ne
cessary to the presentation OF the ac-
tiops and purposes Of the Reformers in
Office"
ssDo You not think, Doctor Stokes,
that the fact Of the Cotton Plant ad-
/ yocating the demands Of the Ocala
platform, and especially the sub-treas-
ury idea, while Governor Tillman and
others Of the dominant element oppose
the sub-treasury scheme, absolutely
prevent the realization ofany hope that
the Cotton Plant could ever become
the organ OF the present administra-
tion?n
DR.. Stokes replied that ne did not
think 50, though the Cotton Plant had
never aspired to that position, think,
said he, that there would be 20 more
iu,propriety in our occupying that 7e-
la:ion than there would be in an anti
silver Democratic paper occupying the
same relation, Tor the great majority OF
the Democratic party are pronounced
in favor Of free silver. II my Judgment
a sub-treasury Democrat is about as
good Democrat as an nanti-silven Dem
ocrat.''
SIS it not somewhat more than prob
able,'' asked, that the chief function
Of the proposed organ, by the June
conference, would be to boom certain
men for future political pretermentee"
"Well, while such paper might be
used in that way, in my judgment the
controlling motive IN the minds OF
those at the conference, in its establish
ment was to secure for the friends OF
reform a fair statement OF what was
being done by the exponents OF reform
in Columbia"
"What in your opinion, will be the
effect Of the present iactional fight
among the leaders OF the Reform ele-
n,en:; for do you not regard this con-
ference as naughr else but throwing
down Of the gauge Of battle to the ad-
vocases Of the sub-treasuTy plan oy
those opposed 10 it::''
Il 10 not construe this newspaper en-
terprfse as challenge 10 the suh-t7eas
ugv element Of the democracy. 1 have
never considered the difference between
the sub-treasury Democr~,s and other
Democrats as a. all likely to be serious.
These differences, I have no doubt, will
be happily composed, SO far as the ALI
ance IS concerned, by agreement, at the
Spartanburg meeting ofthe Alliance IN
Jply"