The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-19
AN ADDRESS TO THE ALLIANCE.
The Oracular Utterances of the President
of the South Carolina Alliance.

The following address of President
Stokes ito the Alliance in South Caro-
lima" is printed in the Carolina Spar.
tan:
The past year has been one of unu,
sual crises. Every timber in the old
ship of State has been put to the sever
est test.
The struggle has been ostensibly be-
tween the old parties, but in reality it
has been struggle between organized
monopoly, which has laid unholy hands
upon the old party organizations on
the one hand and the people on the
other.
The most potent factor in the revolu-
ton wrought was beyond doubt the
Farmers Alliance. All unsupported
by the party bosses, unconsciously to
itself, this young giant left an inefface-
able mark wherever 1t laid its hand,
and its hand seems to have been we'll
nigh omnipresent.
Not that the organization entered
actively and distinctly into the po;iti-
cal arena; for this is not true. IT.
potency became actual and expressed
itself in the main through th4 old
party organizations; but it ws.s none
the less the work Of the Alliance as a
great educator. The leaven stimulated
by the work of the Order, like Ill true
leaven, worked up and worked out
ward. Even the lordly Senate, the
least sensitive branch of the Govern
ment, has passed one.of the most radi-
cal measures demanded by the Alli-
ance, and those members who stood
out most stoutly against certain other
measures demanded by the Alliance,
upon grounds that involved fundamen-
tai and radical principles, are much
less clear as to their duty since the peo-
pie have spoken.
Does any Allianceman falter in his
faith in view Of these facts? Does any
Allianceman in South Carolina permit
his zeal to grow cold at the very mo-
ment when the conflict is coming to a
crisis with all the odds in favor of our
side if we are a unit? Perish the
thought. The past is full of inspiration,
and the future is inviting. Let us
rouse ourselves, and grid our loins for
the crises that are surely coming.
AS one of the first and most neces-
sary steps in this direction let US correct
and purge our rolls. Those who are
not eligible to membership should be
dropped from the rolls and notified by
the secretary. Read over carefully the
eligibility clause and apply it faith
fully. BY tie action of the recent Su-
preme Council, the word "country"
when it occurs in this connection
means those who live in rural districts
aid unincorporated villages. This ex-
cludes workers in factories and all edi-
tors of papers that are not agricultural
strictly, and that do not support all the
demands of the Alliance.
All who have been received hereto
fore who are ineligible should be
dropped from the roll and notified by
the secretary of the fact. Let US get
our forces together in compact and
homogeneous mass, and then be ready
to press our demands efectually. Put
lecturers to work in every county. Let
the county Alliances provide for the
payment of lecturers, and let each Sub
Alliance put its lecturer to studying
and working. AS necessary step to
his equipment for his work he should
have the Cotton Plant and the National
Economist. Let the Alliance supply
these papers to him if need be, and
then require of him some work.
Let all hands then subscribe for the
Cotton Plant at least, so that they may
know whether he is talking the right
doctrine. Brethren, let US get together
and get to work. The prospect before
US is limitless. 1t really begins to look
like the farmer is going to have "his
inning now after all these years. Let
US use wisely our opportunities. But
to use them wisely we must educate
ourselves, and there is no better school
than the Alliance for farmers.
Brethren, take courage and lend a
hand! J. WM. STOKES,
President S. G. S. F. \.
The worldwide reputation of Ayers
Sarsaparilla is the natural result Of its
surprising value as blood medicine.
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