The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-09-29

EXaCLS SIT1CL Loyalty OF It's
Oficers--They Must be
National, Not
Sectional.
copyright, 1891, by the Reform Press News AS |
ISOLATION, New York;
A new dodge" in the fight against
the Alliance by the partisan press IS
the latest thing on the boards. 1t has
been said time and again by this Blu
reau Cbut may be repeated) that for
more than a year past the old political
press has done and is doing everything
possible to stir up strife and doubt
within the organization by slandering
Alliance officials, and by nOising
abroad reports that the Order here and
there vas splitting and going to pieces.
Some of the more reckless anG more
desperate organs are still trying to fool
the people in this way, but the major
ity of them have found that such tao
tics are ridiculOusly foolish and futile,
and to these belongs the credit of the
new dodge"
After having asserted with fourishes,
whOops and hUrrahs that the Alliance,
was busted all to smash" on the Sub
Treasury plan, these partisan organs
have had the pleasure Of noting the
hard fact that sixteen States have had
their annual Alliance meetings during
the past few weeks, and that every
one of them has endorsed the Ocala
platform, including the Sub-Treasury
plan. and all but two of them unani-
mousIy. The States referred to here
are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia,
Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,
North Carolina, North Dakota, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,
West Virginia, Indian Territory and
Oklahoma Territory.
The endorsement of this measure by
these States is not ~unmeaning. Nearly
every county in every State was repre-
scented at the Alliance meetings. In
Arkansas one vote was cast against the
Sub-Treasury. In Virginia there were
two. All the other States were unani-
o in their Endorsement. No better
proof of a solid unanimity among the
Alliances and among the people is
needed.
Then with this stunning proof comes
that dodge" The old party organs
are now ~quadrupling the vindictive
and malicious fight on the officials of
the Alliance. And some of them all9ge
a s a reason for this that they are not
opposed to the Alliance, but the Ali
ance has put forth dangerous" men
as its leaders and officers. On this plea
the onslaught of the old party organs
if terrific and as merciless and con
scienceless as they know how to make
it. Lying? Lying is not a strong
enough word to apply to the reports
they have circulated and put out dur
ing the past few weeks. As an instance
it may be cited that a report has been
sent all over the country to the effect
+h0+ tho Duo-ilno+ Of tho National
Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union
had gotten into a quarrel and was
about to be forced into fighting a duel.
This yarn was sent out and repeated
and elaborated with such perSistency
that some friends of the National PreSl-
dent became alarmed and began to
telegraph him, begging him not to take
such a step.
The whole yarn was a fabrication by
somebody who can get better pay by
connecting such lies for the old party
press than he can make by respectable
efforts. The bigger the lie in such
cases as his, the bigger the pay, and
for this particular n the fabricatOr
must have received a nice little sum.
There is not so much as q shadow of
truth in any part of the circulating re
port. Prominent newspaper men in
the National Capital have been care
fully told that the whole thing was
false, but so far none Of them have
been honest and fair enough to contra
dict it by the channels through which
it was sent out.
From now on this kind of sneaking
and knavish warfare on Alliance Off
Gals may be expected. The Reform
Press Bureau warns Alliancemen and
friends everywhere to weigh every
slanderOus attack we'll. The attacks
will be noted at headquarters and dealt
with in a proper way. The lei whom
the State and National Alliances have
chosen as officers and leaders will be
pointed to as men who are trying to
"miSlead the people" They will be
"ShOwn up" as men who are seeking
high political hOnOrS, and who are try
ing to gain them thorough the power
full organization of the Alliance. They
will be subjected to more SANDER and
v~iiificatiOn than any other men on
earth. But, brethren, let it be remem-
bered that these men hold their offices
among you through no seeking of their
own There is not a single office in
the National organization held by a
man who sought it. You put the re-
sponsibilities of Office upon them. And
now when they are subjected to the
vilainous and outrageous ISLANDERS Of a
power whose most intense wish is to
see our organization disrupted and
ruined, what shall we do? FrOmevery-
where comes the shout and cry, STAND
by them"
There is a man down in South Caro-
lima named Tillman. He has been a
member of Congress for several years,
and yet nobody ever heard of him till
he began uttering foul and malicious
and f0undationless SANDER on Alliance
officers. When he began this work
tha old nartY press took him I'D and