The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-09-18
An Incendiary Ally.

erts referred to is the same Roberts
who made the rantankerous sui
treasury speech at Fly's store in this
country about month ago. And this
shows the kind of material your
worthy President John Henry sends
to represent him when he can't come.
The farmers of Maury County are in
deed In dangerous way for their
coming peace and prosperity when
they will turn their backs upon the
leaders they know have been true to
them through the dark days of war
and the darker days of reconstruc-
ton, and look to such turncOats as
Mcdowell and such municipalities
as Roberts for advice. If there is one
thing the South has been more fortu-
nate in than the North, it is its COM
parative freedom from labor agitators
and their accompanying evil-strikes.
Will the farmers of Tennessee, like
guIlible children be unwittingly led
to ally with labor agitators and an
archists? We hope not and we trust
not, but it is certainly time the ALI
ance was given to understand that
they must stop using the name of the
farmers, or else do away with all such
dangerous and treacherOus leader
ship. The Americans article says:
"Mr. ]. c. Roberts, who by some I'M
fortunate accident was made orator of
the day upon the occasion of the cele-
bration of Labor Day, seized upon the
opportunity thus given him to exhibit
his talents as an agitator by one of the
most incendiary appeals ever heard by
an audience of Nashville people. 1t is
but just to the working men of this city
to say that more conservative and in
telligent body of mon are not to be
found anywhere, and that agitator Rob-
erts mistook the temper of his audi
ence when he assumed that they were
ready to follow the red rag of Anarchy
or bear with patience the fierce coun-
sells of political incendiary. Most Of
them heartily approve the neat but cut
| ting rebuke administered by Hon. Nj.
II. Bryan who followed. There may
have been, however, q few turbulent
] spirits in the audience who heard with
! pleasure the efforts OF the orator to
rous6 class against class and by appeal
Ing TO the most dangerous passions
stir thoughtless men to pitch of I'M
reasoning excitement.
"In this address the orator told his
audience that they were upon the verge
of labor conflict and that the military
we're preparing to put it down. Unless
| relief cath- SION there would be revolu-
ton. He hOped it would be done by
the ballot'-but he limited that blood
shed would be necessary. He told his
hearers to pay no attention to the warn
ings of the press-they had the power
and the right to protect themselves.
He also advised them to cali for dele
gates to a convention at Nashville, out
line a policy, join hands with the
| Farmers Alliance and dictate to the
capital element of the State
ITO understand the significance of
this suggestion it must be understood
that Mr.. Roberts came to Nashville to
obtain Office under Gov. Buchanan, and
failing to secure it he became sort of
attAche OF the Toiler office, and lieu
tenant of John McDowell's, filling vari-
Gus lecture appointments for him and
making Alliance speeches over the
State. We do not know who employs
him to do this, but suppose it is Nc
Dowell. At any rate he has become one
of the shining lights among the coterie
of Alliance politicians of which Nc
Dowen is the head and wherever there
are two or three of them gathered to-
gether to lay plans or pull wires, there
is Mr.. Roberts in the midst of them.
"Mr. Roberts is not farmer but a
labor agitator; his political partnership
with Mcdowell is the latest develop
ment in the schemes of the Alliance
leaders to control the State. His part
of the work is to manipulate such of the
workingmen as follow his inflamma-
tory counsel and unite their political
power with that of the McDOwellites.
1t is desperate effort on the part of
Mcdowell to recruit his wasting army.
Roberts is to raise his red flag bearing
the false legend of ''labor" and gather
all the turbulent and violent spirits to-
gether in a convention of which he is to
be the ruling spirit and hard and fast
political partnership is to be struck be-
tween them and the Alliance, of which
Mcdowell is absolute master. This
convention, of course, would be no
more representative of the wOrkingmen
of Tennessee than was the Alliance con-
vention of the farmers of Tennessee.
'If the Alliancemen of Tennessee VIII
suffer themselves to be thus made the
subjects of bargain and intrigue, if they
can suffer themselves to be made a
party to this unhOly combination, we
think they will regret it. We ask them
to carefully consider into what they are
being led by men who in their mad en-
deavors to strengthen their own pOliti-
cal power seek alliances with such dan
gerous elements.
"Fhe conservative people of all classes
will not fail to see the danger to result
from such combination ruled by such
reckless agItators. What do these men
mean by ID ictating to the capital ele-
mentr What do they mean by their
dark forebodings of revolution and
labor conflicts? We can only know GER
tainly when once they obtain the |
power of legislation. In the meanwhile |
we know that spirit of intense bitter
ness is being engendered against every |
man who does not do manuel labor, ex-
C0pJ LnOS6 VINO arc LuOSb dCblN6 III
fom enting the strife. The "capital ele- |
ment" in the vocabulary of these men
is all that element engaged in merchan-
dising, in the professions, and all, In
fact, who are not eligible to member
ship in the various orders of which the
sgitators are members.
care these mon so mad that they
suppose the conservative people of the
State will sit quietly by while unscrup-
ulous demagOgues unite with prophets
of labor conflicts and revolution to con-
troll the destinies of this State? Do they
suppose the Intelligence and honesty
and conservatism of the State will be
handed over to the tender mercies of
such a combination without a protest?
We have already heard the insolent
threat that the Alliance, as a secret, ex-
elusive, political organization, intends
to control the Democratic party and tie
State, ignoring and practically disfran-
chising all not members of the order.
If the new force which made itself
heard on Labor Day is to be admitted