Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-16
HON. F. M. SELLERS.
HE MAKES AN INTERESTING
SPEECH AT THORNTON.
Prominent State Representative and Farm
ers' Alliance Man, but Has Been
Read Out" of the Party.
Special TO the Gazette.

Special TO the Gazette.
THORNTON, Tx, May 15.-Last night at
this place Hon. F. NJ Sellers spoke TO I
large and appreciative audience upon the
political issues of the DAY. Mr.. Sellers is
an OLD citizen OF Thornton, a prominent
member of the Farmers Alliance and
representative in the present legislature
from this Pictorial district. composed of
Limestone, Falls and McLennan counties.
He was a gallant Confederate soldier, en-
tering the service from Alabama when a
mere youth and serving faithfully through
out the war, and IS, moreover, rock-rlbbed
Democrat. he was consistent supporter
of Governor Hogg during the past session
and enjoys also the distinction of being one
OF the immortal eleven who during that Ses-
sion issued the famous manifesto deloupc-
ing certain Alliance leaders for alleged mist.
management and peculation.
The gentleman, amid frequent and pro-
longed applause, gave an account of his
stewardship to his home people, TO whom,
he said, he thought it first due, announcing
at the same time his purpose TO visit every
part of his district in the near future. His
resume of his legislative career was brief,
logical and conclusive. Among other things
he defended his vote in favor of an appoint
i've instead of an elective commission, say
ing that the ante-election utterances OF
Governor Hogg plainly demonstrated that
he would not even accept Office hampered
by an elective commission, and that the
people of Texas knew and recognized this
fact when giving the governor his ire
mendous majority. He paid the Tyler
statesman glowing tribute as man, u
patriot and q model executive and thorough
Texan.
He next paid his respects to the late
Waco aggregation of nondescripts, who
were kind enough to read him and his ten
associates in the above mentioned mani
festo out of the Alliance. He said that he
hurled the charges of treason and disloyalty
back into their own traitorous teeth. and
dared them to institute proceedings against
him in due form in the order; that he WaSs
not only willing and ready, but anxious to
meet them before the proper tribunal, and
said that whenever the issue was regularly
Joined evidence would be Forthcoming
which would make these pseudo Alliance
Henderson misleaders, as he styled them,
who had led the organization to the verge
of ruin-know a great deal more, though
they might not look SO pretty afterwards.
Continuing, the speaker expressed his
unqualified condemnation of the sub-treaS-
ury scheme. 1t was undemocratic and
merely Trojan horse devised by the arti-
flee of cunning enemies for the betrayal of
the Democratic garrison; an entering
wedge for the disruption of the party OF
the people. When he joined the Alliance
he had been assured that nothing in its
principles or act ons would conflict with
either his religion or his politics. The con-
Stitution, bylaws and various regulations
of the order so assured him. Yet here was
an effort on the part of these self -styled
saints of the earth at Waco to organize
third party, with for cornerstone q scheme
diametrically opposed to the vital principles
of the party with which he had acted
throughout his life; and he and others who
refused TO bend the knee to the dictatorial
commands of these autocrats were to be
scourged out of the order and branded
with the odious name of traitors. He was
no third party man. He was and always
had beeu Democrat. II the party was to
be purified, let it be from the inside and
he believed that the Alliance, rightly man
aged, could and would be potent factor ins
that publication; but he warned Macunef'
and his satellites that any attempt to trade
on the name and prestige of the order would
be futile, as it contained too many sensible
men and true Democrats, and the barterers
would be unable 10 deliver the goods bar
gained.
Mr.. Sellers here closed A number of
Alliance men were in the audience, and
they especially seemed to concur in his
views, applauding him heartily at the more
vigorous portions OF his remarks.
Mr.. Sellers stated that he had made his
charges in the Alliance, but that they went
UNDECIDED, and he proved his statement by
certain most respectable Alliance men pres
ent. He said that he had been assaulted
through the public press and other mediums
as traitor and man recreant to his trust;
that the blow in the face had been given,
and he proposed to resent il on the spot,
regardless of any fine distinctions.
Altogether, the fight in this section OF the
political vineyard is very pretty one. Mr..
Sellers made manly, candid and able pre-
sentation of his side of the case