Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-10-31
The Alliance and Democracy.

county Democrats:
Occasionally we hear some trim
ming politician who is anxious to
hold with true Democracy and run
with the Alliance deprecate all criti-
cism of Alliance methods or any inti>
nation that secret political society
whose membership is confined to a
single class is not exactly the
right thing. Such persons care
nothing for Allianceism and noth>
ing for Democracy-in the Ian
guage of the base vulgar they are
Tout for the stuff" No secret, politi-
cal, proscriptive, one.class political
organization is or can be other than
inimical to the best interests of socie-
ty in a free government. In a coun-
try where liberty of speech is carried
to the verge of license, where men
and measures may be advocated or
opposed with perfect freedom, where
even the Anarchist may fiaunt his
red flag and hurl his anIhemas at law
and government, there is no excuse
for secret, oath-bound political socie-
ties. When mems methods are such
as can bear the light they do not hide
in the dark, and when they do those
who are denied the right TO partici>
pate in the secret deliberations have
the right to believe that they are
prescribed for hostile reasons.
"Secret path marks secret foe"
The man is blind who cannot see
that the Alliance organization is now
to all intents and purposes political
party. Where political Organiza-
ton is secret there is, of course, much
more that is hidden than there is re-
vealed. You cannot accept the pub
lie professions of the leaders of Sc
cret society. Men do not plot and
plan in the dark and then lay bare
their real purposes to the public.
What is said in public is merely to
further the schemes concocted in Sc
cret. "Secresy and unity" "YOu
never know what an Allianceman is
going to do"
If one were foolish enough to judge
from the surface indications hewould
suppose that there was a frightful d.
vision in the counsels of the Alliance
leaders. He would suppose that the
organization was split into warning
factions, pulling against each other
and between them rending the AL
lance in pieces. Yet he would be
puzzled TO account for the serene and
peaceful and harmonious relations
which exist between men whose po-
litical plans appear to be as far from
each other as the east is from the
west.
Let us see, PETER and Simpson, OF
Kansas, say that the "noblest work
Of the Alliance" is to break up the
Democracy in the South, and to free
the negro from the domination and
control of the Southern white man;
and that if it can do this it will have
done enough, even if it accomplishes
nothing else. All the Alliance lead
ers in the West declare it to be their
purpose to break up the Democratic
party. In the South the Alliance
leaders generally claim TO be uncom-
promising Democrats, and devoted
heart and soul to the salvation Of the
Democratic party from all its enc.
mics. In Georgia, for instance, Pres.
ident Livingston has said that he is
for the Democratic party under all
circumstances. In North Carolina
President Polk has likewise avowed
his loyalty to Democracy. Yet We
have seen the queer spectacle Of Polk
and MISUNDERSTANDING
misunderstanding over the State
and speaking from the same stump
with Jerry Simpson and Mrs. Lease
who every day assailed the Demo
cratic party and urged its destruction,
Between PETER and Simpson and Nc.
Dowell and Macune there is the most
perfect harmony of political thought
and purpose. They meet and confer
and scheme together with respect tC
political matters and publicly pro-
claim the perfect concord which
binds them together; yet the former
proclaim their desire to destroy the
Democratic party, and the latter their
desire to upholdand defend it. How
can there be harmony between men
whose political aimsare so antagonis.
tic?
The man who pauses on this ques-
tion makes the mistake of accepting
the public utterances Of men Joined
together in secret bonds. Ii all these