The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-09-14
GIDEON'S BAND.
THE OATH AND FORM OF INITIATION.

Organized at Ocala Two Years Ago--A
Complete Account of it's Plans and
Purposes.
The Chicago Tribune of Monday con-
tains the following special from Washing
ton, with a scare head on the first column
of the first page:
Washington, Aug. 14.-"Gideon's
Band is the newest factor in this year,
campaign. 1t proposes to smite the hea-
then of the old parties after the biblical
method. This development of machine
politics, as unfolded to the Tribune cor
respondent, is remarkable one. Yet
every detail can be taken as absolutely
correct, and the leaders will be
slow to deny the existence of the secret
oath-bound order within the order
Congressman Livingston of Georgia,
National Lecturer Willetts, Ben Terrell,
of Texas, and Jerry Simpson can en-
Tighten the puolic if they will. Maybe
chairman Taubeneck has also heard of
at
Time and again it has been charged by
the politicians of the two old parties
that TIE order of the National Alliance
and Industrial union was being manip-
ulated by certain of its leaders for their
personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT and prefer
ment, but not until few days ago were
these complaints and charges verified, and
the motor, the wheel within wheel, by
which the mass of the order are moved,
fully exposed.
This wheel within wheel is a prefer
red oath-bound society, to the few known
as the "Band of Gideon" which was or
gauized by DR.. Macnne and others at the
Ocala meeting two years ago. 1t was
duly differed at that meeting land en-
braces in its membership all, or nearly
all of the Alliance leaders. It's object
is to strike the two old political parties
wherever they may be in control. The
plan of this secret society as laid down
by Macune, its originator, is simple one,
but the results expected were to be wide
spread. II contemplates the raising of a
political legion of 800 men in each con-
gressi0nd district in the union. This
SecEet inter-Society seems to have been
suggested by the biblical legion laid
down in the book of Judes, wherein is
reclted the story of the overthrow of the
Midianite and Amalekite hosts and the
deliverance of Israel under the leadership
Of Jerrubaal, who is Gideon.
Not even the despised "Know Nothings"
aAnntoH q N 10Th co hn
one gwen below. The Gideons are not
only required to subscribe to it but to
pledge their lives TO obey it, The form
is a copy of those printed for general use
throughout the country. 1t runs thus ::
l, -, a free citizen Of this repub-
lie, do hereby, in the presence of God and
reveal to any human being on earth any
of the signs Or secrets of this order or
the existence of the same.
That I will not divulge by any means
calculated to convey an idea, either di-
SON belonging to this order, or the meth
any work that has been done or accom-
plished or sought to be accomplished.
That / will implicitly obey all laws,
AktIC AAkO "a bLl1S OIOCI anu
nnquestioningly carry out all instruc-
tiOns and commands from superior off,
cevS.
That will, without any evasion or
mental reservation whatever, speak the
exact truth when conversing with a
brother of this order under the
That will Immediately, upon receipt
of any information which leads me to
suspect the fidelity to the cause or integ-
rity of any brother, report the same to
my superior officers.
That | will not make or preserve for
my own use or qualification any written
or other evidence calculated to convey
the names of brothers, or signs, grips,
pass words, or other secrets of the order.
That | will never propose any one for
membership who is not honest, faithful,
true and devoted to the cause which we
espOuse.
That l will labor for the accomplish
ment of industrial freedC m from monop-
Olistic greed.
That l will, upon any and all occa-
SiOns, defend the principles of this order
and the good names of the members
thereof.
To all of which | most solemnly swear
anu sign my name, DtnulnS myself unueI
no less penalty than that OF being held
up to the contempt of all mankind. And
/ further pledge my life, my liberty, and
my sacred honor, and should | willfully
break this oath hereby surrender my
body to the just vengeance of the mem
bers of this order.
p. o., County Of, State Of,
District No.
Read and signed in the presence Of
Approved. Date. Record =. Page
Accompanying this oath is the printed
military form used when new member
or members are to be installed. An idea
of the full scope of the work of the Gid
i eEaa