The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-08

COLUMBIA, September 25.- Secretary
of the State Tindal handed the follow
ing this morning to this correspondent
for publication il the News and Cou-
rier:
To the E ditor of The News and Cour
ier: Your paper and some other daily
papers have assumed an attitude to-
wards the Alliance which bodies evil to
the whole State.
The people who are not eligible to
membership in the Alliance are taught
to believe that the farmers are seeking
to rule them through secret, oath
bound political society. This is not
true. The secrets of the Alliance are
for business and social purposes. When
one enters a store to buy piece of
goods he finds J secret mark upon it. It
is the merchants secret. 1t is his right,
aud no one complains Of it,:IS is a very
unwise business man who parades bis
business affairs before the world. And
no orc has right to complain of the
secrets of the Alliance.
Suppose the merchants in their
boards of trade should conclude, from
frequent interchange of views, that
their interests would be promoted by a
certain Jaw, or by certain changes of
existing laws, what could they do but
go out before the whole people to advo-
cate their measures? This is all which
the Alliance has done politically.] In
their contest with the Bagging Trust,
and the cruel extortions of the credit
and lien law business, they naturally
enough inquired into the cause of the
evil and the way to remove It. They
laid their unfortunate condition before
the country, and the measures which
they think would relieve them in the
most public manner, and invited the
fullest discussion ofthem. They had
right to expect that in other classes
they would find many humane people
who would consider their case in fair
spirit.
MACUNE'S DOCTRINE DISPUTED.
No mans vote politically is bound
by any oath of the Alliance, nor can be,
for the reason that the Alliance has no
right uuderi: constitution or laws to
ask him how be voted at the last elec-
ton; and so far as politics is concerned
there is no Alliance oath nor secret. If
you can by fair argument show an
Alliance member that you have
better remedy than bis for the made
quate supply Of money, there is no
Alliance oath to hinder him from
asserting to your proposition. The de-
mand for more money and the best
way to get it is therefore as open for
public debate as any political question
which ever was before the people.
Senator Morgan, whom you quote,
says: "Before the great Democracy is
required to adopt the Ocala platform,
it should be discussed before the people
and voted on in Democratic primaries,
and every Democrat should be heard
datiently, fairly and fraternally, who
wishes to be heard" etc. That is pre-
:, cisely what the Alliance proposes.
It seeks to get patient, fair and frater-
nal discussion. It has failed to get it
so far, but is making very rapid pro-
gress. The enemies Of the Alliance
have tried to prevent fair discussion
and to denounce in advance every man
as demagogue who might sympathize
with the Ocala demands. Instead of
patient, fair and fraternaI discussion it
has been socialism," 'paternalism,"
"undemocratic demagogueism," which
is mere abusive assertion and not dis
cussion.
When Christ restored sight to man
who had been born blind it caused
great wonder among the. people, and
they took him 10 their rulers, the
Pharisees, to hear an explanation of it.
They denounced Christ as an imposter
and devil. The blind man demonstrated
that whereas he was blind he now
could see. This argument made them
mad. They said: "Do you who are
altogether born in sin undertake to
teach us?" and cast him of the temple.
WE MUST NOT DARE HIT BACK.
It will be an evil day for South Caro-
lima when every man whose eyes has
been opened to understand the wrongs
existing in our business and political
conditions is turned out of the Demo-
cratic party, and when, as in the case
of Col. Aidrich and Geo. Johnstone,
men are denounced as demagogues who
venture to sympathize with them. .
The liberties Of this country were
established by. men like Washington
and Jefferson, because their talents
were guided by spiritof humanity.
They believed that the best way to Sc
cure the rights of the people was to
give to them the right to rule, and to
correct whatever evils may arise. Men
then gained immortal honors by advo-
eating the cause Of the people. But has
it come to this in our day-that man
is "demagogue' who sympsthizes
with them? When the cities and towns
are arrayed against the country by the
present attitude Of the press, what must
inevitably follow?
THEY SHOULD SIT DOWN on THE FOOLS.
The Alliance may have imprudent
members, who say imprudent things.
Every organization has the same--even