The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-07-07

l.F.r.HHL HE....X LL.M.NL
tsntiss TO Ailsance Domands--rhe Mat
Ter 81 Candidates prusebe Considered.
ORANaEBURa, y. g., June &c.
Ever since the third party was promul.
gated there has been o certain amount
of curiosity Throughout the state and
elsewhere as TO how DIR. y. w. Stokes,
president of the South Carolina State
Alliahce, stood on thG matter.
This curiosity has amounted to anx-
iety and every ono and a while some
one Of the states weekly journals comes
out with The great question of the hour:
'.How does the president of the Alliance
stand on the third party question?'
To satisfy these papers and the public
generally, your correspondent visited
President Stokes at his Office yesterday
and asked his views concerning the
third, or peoples party.
DIR. Stokes seemed perfectly willing
for a chat, and what he had to say I give
as follows:
tIt does seem that our newspaper
friends will get nervous every once In a
while, and then they try to make others
neryous and clamor for somebody's
views on this or that question. 1 have
frequently expressed my views upon
cognatc questions, ard 1 have quite re-
Gently been in print upon the specific
questit OF Alliance relation to the new
party, so that our inquistors are respon-
sible for the repetition.
First, then, as to the faction of the
Cincinnati conference AS we UNDER
stand the proceedings Of that body, it
did not erect itselfinto q separate party.
Indeed, n plank In its declaration of
purposes explicitly sets forth a refusal
TO erect a party until the results of GER
tam other conferences to meet In '92 are
ascertained.
"Sull, it's avowed purpose is to as
sumo distinct party existence, unless
satisfactory concessions are made before
the campaign of '92 opens.
"Its platform hugs the lines OF ALI
ance demands very close; and hence
good Alliance men must regard it as a
good platform to fight on If separate
fight is determined upon neat year,
whether they elect to fight on 1t or not.
~. AS to the attitude Of the Southern
Alliance towards the new party,-if It
become a party. 1t is assumed that the
question has exclusive reference to ma
tiOnal issues; for why should any new
party be recognized in local and state
politics at the South? Surely the farmer
has the remedy for local abuses here, if
any exist, in his own hands. He knows
this, and he is reasonably content with
his local affairs; his principal complaints
relate to n national legislation, and his
demands are addressed to national par
ties.
"Once again, then, let us repeat that
tie Alliance will never assume any at
tltude toward the new party, any more
than it has or will toward the old par
ties. It's constitution does not admit O
its assuming an attitude toward any par
ty whatever; and it would be bad policy
ifthe constitution allowed. It's function
is purely educational. 1t seeks to ar
rive at and promulgate economic truth;
and then leave the conscience (political
as we'll as religlous) Of the membership
free to express Itself in its own way.
"As a matter Of course, since the
platform of the proposed new party con-
ours 90 closely with the conclusions al
ready reached by the Alliance, its claims
upon the individual conscience OF ALI
ance men must needs challenge careful
consideration. If the old parties turn
their backs upon the demands of this
long suffering class of people, If only in
coldness, the case will assume great
gravity. If, however, as now seems de-
plorably prevalent, the Democratic
press and leaders, not only turn in cold
ness-but, refusing to listen with pa
tience, intolerautfy attempt to read out
of the party all who are slow to accept
their dogma as to men and measures,
theSituation will assume the proportions
OF political tragedy.
''This is no mere alarmlst utteTance.
An opinion of existing conditions is
asked; and q frank, honest judgment, if
any, should be given. And our deliber-
ate Judgment ia that If the current intol-
Grant expressions Of Democratic leaders
and papers fairly represent the spirit that
will dominate the party, the party must
calculate upon losing a goodly number
Of its hitherto sturdy adherents-bear in
mind the national party is referred TO-.
1.-THE Alliance masses honestly think
thet the Alliance demands are more
democratic than the Democratic party
management is at present; but they are
willing to submit their case to the arbi-
trament OF reason before the masses of
the party, if met in a spirit of fairness
and tolerance. And why should Alli-
ance men not strive to control party as
much as anti-silver democrats? They
find in the Alliance demands every sub
stantial reform that the Democracy has
contended for since it's organization.
Besides these, they find certain demands
mmed at conditions that have arisen
since the organization of the party
which conditions are equally obnoxious
to true democratic principles. In short,
they find in these demands more of the
spirit and principles of genuine democra-
cy, than appears in the practice Of the
party which bears the name.
"Take tor instance the tariff and
iinansial issues of the Alllsnce for which
it has been most abused. The Demo-
cratic press and leaders have denounced
the Alliance most bitterly because it
will not make the tariff the single issue
next year; and yet seeking to look at the
question broadly as patriots, 1t is appar-
ent that the difference between the
Democratic tariff tax upon the people as
proposed in tho Mills bill, and that Of
the Republicans, as expressed in the
Mckinley bill, is not proportlonate to
the radical difference between the Re.
publican protective policy and the
Democratic revenue only policy. 1t
seems unreasonable that so radical a
difference should be expressed by Is per
cent.
.'They observe further, that the fnan.