The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-07-28
THE FACTS IN THE CASE.

Some days 3 Uu6 N6IS U'V| w
serUer contained a clipping from the
Milwaukee Sentinel charging Col. Polk
with saying that "every step gained
by the Alliance in the South was al
most i'll the face of shotguns IN the
hands of Democratic leaders"
President Polk emphatically denied
the charge at nee.
In the Nelrs and Observer OF Friday
we found the following statement from
the editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel
which shows that he has crawhshed
to such an extent that his statements
carry no weight whatever;
I'VE should be extremely sad if any
MISREPRESENTATION of Col. Polk in the
Sentinel should cause trouble at his
home. At a private meeting of the
Wisconsin Alliance at La Crosse, Col.
Polk made a speech full of fire, the
most Of which he repeated in the even
inc. The Sentinel man walked into
the private meeting without knowing
If was private, and he refrained from
reporting anything that was of a pri-
waite nature when he learned it was
private. In the course of his speech
Col. Polk said that he had always been
q Democrat: that he was now ashamed
of it and that no doubt the Alliance
men in Wisconsin who had been Re
pu5licans were also ashamed. To the
charge that he had been sent North as
an emissary of the Democratic party
and that the Alliancemen in the South
would stand by the Democratic party
rather than by q new party formed on
Alliance lines, he replied that the
Southern farmers were AllianCeElen
first, last and all the time. To the best
of a memory that is accounted fairly
good, at least, he used almost the exact
words-that every step gained by the
Alliance in the South was almost in the
face of shOtgunS in the hands of Demo
cratic leaders. The impression made
was not that the Democratic leaders
were actually armed with shotguns,
but that their opposition to the pOliti-
cal organization Of the farmers almost
reached the extremity of violence.
The Sentinel, if it were influenced by
party considerations, could have no
object in interpreting Col. Polk in that
direction since that would tend to dis
sipate the fear that he came as a Demo-
cratic emissary, the very thing at
which Col. Polk aimed his speech. We
are sure that the Republican farmers
who heard the speech received the inn
preston that it was a far more serious
thing to organize in the South than in
the North. owing to the extreme bit
terness Of Democratic opposition,
reached almost to the point of violence.
If that IS not the impression Col. Polk
intended to give, his words were not
well chosen. The feeling seemed to be
4ID4 &c +l1 fN-,D,Dr- &C Tho GO71+l w
the face Of this extreme opposition, had
the courage to break from the old party
ties, surely the farmers in the North
could do it. We think that Secretary
Moody, or somebody connected with
the Alliance, made notes Of Col. Folks
speech; if anybody did and he re
Ceived no such impression and heard
nothing to the effect Of the SeRtjneES
report. we shall, even in the face of a
very firm conviction that Col. Folks
exact language was as reported, admit
that the evidence Is against the report.
But We should like to have Col. Polk
tell what he thinks he said on this
head"
Friday mornings mail brought the
two letters printed below. They were
written voluntarily and addressed to
Col. Polk. Our business manager
opened them, and as they relate entire
ly to the question at issue, which is
public property, we publish them in
full. They were each written by re
porters Of papers that are not even in
sympathy with the Alliance move
ment, and therefore are indisputable
evidence.
Ia CROSSE, Wis, July 81, 81,
Col. L. /. Polk, President National +.
A. and T. u:
DEAR SIR:-I have Just written a
letter in answer to n of enquiry re-
garding your statement in regard to
Southern shOtguns,n etc. You Of
course know to what [ allude. l have
done you the Justice to refute the state
ment and to also state that you stated
nothing but what was creditable to the
South and Southern people. Twas one
of three reporters who took your speech
at Germania Hall during the ALI
anCe convention. | sat next to DR..
Kane. Of the Milwaukee Sentinel. l
took in full, he noted here and there a
sentence. / afterwards went over and
condensed the speech for our columns.
There was no such utterance recorded.
Neither OF the three city papers re-
ported you as making the remark that
the Alliance was formed almost in the
face Of Southern shotguns.7 The files
of these papers have been referred to
in confederation of this. | also have
my notes which I think | can find.
Whatever allusion you made to South
crn shotguns, if any, was in a humor-
Gus way, Nothing you said can be
tortured or construed into a reflection
upon the South or Southern people. [
enclose a letter also from another re