Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-01-06
THE ALLIANCE coneREssMeN.

Those Elected as Democrats, Upon Demo-
cratic Platform, Did the Best They Could
Under the Circumstances.
The eyes of the nation are turned to-
ward those members of congress who
were elected by an alliance constituent
cy, during the organization of both
houses, in order to note what position
each would take in regard to the poiit-
ical parties The position of such MEM
bers has been complicated bV the fact
that the supreme council at its
recent session passed resolution re-
Questing co lgressmen to stay out OF
party caucus unless the alliance de-
mands were made a test of admission.
This was perfectly satisfactory to con-
gressmen who belong to the peoples
party, because the demands have been
Incorporated in the platform of that
party; but some of the alliance
congressman belonging to the demo-
cratic party were the regular
nominees and were elected by
that party, and largely by voters who
reside in cities AMI towns and do not
belong to the alliance, and the demo-
cratic party has not yet indorsed the
alliance dem ands. and, therefore, they
could not at this time make them test
of admission to the democratic caucus.
In this emergency small band OF
brethren, nine in all, headed by Hon.
Thomas b. Watson, of Georgia, as t ieir
candidate for sYeaker, immortalized
themselves politically, and made tracks
in American history which will never
be obliterated, by refusing to go into
the caucus of either party, and by hoist
ing the independent banner as nu-
cleus for the gre t reform hosts to rally
to. Each one of these men is hero;
each has ser ed his constituency ac-
cording to their desires and wishes.
| Their names are: Thomas B. Watson,
of Georgia; Ben Clover, of Kansas;
| Jerry Simpson, of Kansas; John Davis,
of Kansas; ]. G.. Otis, of Kansas; Will
liam Baker, of Kansas; Z. Halverson,
of Minnesota: o NJ. KEN, of Nebraska,
and Fl. A. McKeighan, of Nebraska.
| These men Gang go back to their constit-
uencies with the full consciousness of
having done what the people who
elected them expected them to do, and
they were fort innate in having the re-
quest of the supreme council harmonic
with their obligations to their constit-
uences
The balance Of the alliance cont
tingent in congress have also made his
tory Of which they may be proud and
their constituents grateful They, too,
did just what the people who elected
them expected to be done; but they
were compelled to do it in the face of a
request not to do it by the supreme coun-
| all
| ton to the cause of the people, and
they, too. ca go home and receive the
plaudits of admiring and thankful con-
stituencies, because in disobeying the
supreme council as to method they
have made a gallant fight for principle
and achieved the greatest victory for
the alliance that has crowned its ban
ners to date. and they have opened the
way for the triumph of the cause of the
| people
| The relations between congressman
| and the supreme council is one thing,
| and their relations to their constitu-
encies is another, and they may be de-
pended upon to meet their obligations
to each. When the supreme council
again meets those congressman who
have been able to comply with its re-
] quests will receive due acknowledge
ment, and those who have not been
able to do so, but have nevertheless
achieved great victory for the princi-
pies involved, fare sumptuously as we'll
There should be no word of censure for
either, as this is a matter of method,
and the order will say: SIN things es.
sential unity, in all things charity. y
Let every member grid up his loans fol
the money fight and the principles in.
volved in the demands National
Economist