The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-05
TO SAVE THE ALLIANCE.
AN ADDRESS FROM THE BIRMING-
HAM CONFERENCE.

| hAM OONF ME-
Declaration That the Order Has No
RICH: to Take Any Partisan Polit-
ical or Secterien Religious action.
Members of the Order Allowed to
Vote With ANY Party They May
| Choose.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA, May Awhile
majority of the members Of the farmers
alliance conference, which adjourned this
afternoon, are for enforcing their demands
through the Peoples party, an element de-
veloped which was opposed to any action
which would appear like interference with
the right OF member TO vote the demo-
cratic ticket II he wishes to. The result Of
the deliberations is a long address issued to
| the order, IN which it is set forth that it Is
! first told TO each applicant for membership
| in the order that his obligations shall in no
way interfere with his political or religious
| liberty, and that the order has no right to
| take any partisan political or sectarian re-
| ltgious action.
TEXT OF THE ADDRESS.
Following is the text of the address:
] To the Brotherhood of the National Farmers
! Alliance and Industrial Union:
| We, the presidents and executive officers of
| the states OF Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri,
| Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Mississippi, Ala
| bama Georgia, West Virginia and Florida to-
| gether with the members of our national execu-
tive committee, national legislative committee,
| national judiciary committee and President
| l.. L. Polk, having been called together in
council TO consider the reported peculiar condi-
| lions 10 the order in the SOUTH which it was be-
lieved seriously threatened that harmony, broth
| erly love and unity Of action SO necessary
to the success Of our cause and the success of
our order In these states, after counselng to-
| gether and hearing detailed reports. rejoice TO
| say to you that we feel greatly encouraged and
| inspired by the splendid spirit of unity and de.
| termined adherence to principle which pervadeS
| the order in nearly every one of these states,
| notwithstanding the combined efforts of our
enemies to SOW the seeds Of discord in our
ranks pending heated political contests, local
and national
| CRUCIAL PERIOD.
We, therefore, feel it our duty, as servants of
| the people we represent, standing upon the
| outposts and watch towers of this greatest
| political revolution ever known to the nation,
| to say to you that we have entered a crucial
| period IN the history of our great reform move
| ment, in which the greatest caution, earnest
| elaboration and strict adherence TO our princi-
pies are necessary to preserve intact that or
| ganization on which stands to-day as the sheet
anchor and hope of millions of the wealth pro
ducers in the great battle for the God. given
| rights OF humanity.
You are congratulated upon the great har-
mony and unity of sentiment in regard to the
| alliance principles which prevails within your
| borders, and upon the fact that a careful can
vaSs of the subj sct at this meeting has shown
| that practically the members of the order in
| these states stand squarely upon their de-
| mands, with the avowed determination of hold
| ing devotion to them above that to any method
| of action, and that to-day the number of those
| who so. indorse the principles of alliance is
much greater than ever before The sentiment
also prevails, strong and uniform, that the
great order as organization is the greatest
| of all modern forces for the spread of reform,
| education, and that its work must be perpet-
| uated and encouraged in this high sphere
| urely free from any partisan entanglements.
THE ONLY DANGERS.
The only dangers which seem in any
way to threaten lack OF the fullest
order are those which attend the disposi-
| tion Of a few men and papers to publicly criti-
else others for their methods. This is not of
sufficient extent to damage the order, but it
mars that perfect unity that should prevail and
| always Injuries all concerned, and is contrary
| to the spirit of brotherly love and forbearance
unately prevails only in a very few localities. is
| the disposition of members to seek political
office at the hands of their brethren, forgetting
! declares that the office should seek the man
| and not the man the office.
In consideration of these views as to the stu
alton the following rules of action are suggested
as well calculated to enable the order to go
| through the coming ordeal of the fierce polit-
| ical contest and come out strengthened and
purified:
/. Let spirit of harmony prevail, and let
unity of action be the rule Let none condemn
a brother who stands squarely to the principles
of the order or speak in any way disparagingly
| or unexpectedly of him because they may
| differ as to the best methods of enforcing our
principles. Grant to every brother honesty of
purpose,
2 Let fealty to the principles of the order be the
| true and only test of membership and let those
1 who value partisan affiliations more tina their
| alliance obligations be informed that their
order demands strict and full devotion to its
principles and leaves each to his own choice as
/ TO methods, but that method can in no case
control principle. and therefore all those who
affiliate should accept as supreme the principles
| of the order.
8. Every member who takes the obligation
| always administered to those who join it is
| first told as a condition precedent and upon
| which all that is to follow is predcated: That
| it shall in no way interfere with your political
| or religious liberty" Therefore, this order as
| such, or any or its branches, has no right to
take any partisan political or sectarian re-
| ligious action.
We urge upon the brotherho God of all reform
organizations and all good citizens who believe
as we do, that the enactment of laws based
upon our demands is for the preservation of
the free institutions of our government and to
rescue the masses from degraded servitude /;
that they use all honorable means to secure the
election of men to our national legislative
council who stand pledged to work for the pas
sage of such laws.
to our principles can only be emphasized and
our influence made effective by voting for our
demands at the ballot-box.
| We send greeting to the brotherhood in the
north and great northwest and assure
them that our hearts beat in union
| with them in their efforts for
industrial freedom and we will stand by them
in all laudable efforts TO redeem this country
from the clutches of organized capital and that
we will stand with them at the balot-box for
the enforcement OF our demands.
The address Is signed by all the members
of the conference
1