Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-05-12
AN ADDRESS
To the Brotherhood of the Ma
tional Farmers Alliance
and Industrial Union,
BY the Conference of Alliance
Leaders as Birmingham.
A Message to the Brethren in
the North and West.

We. the president and executive or
ficers of the States of Tennessee, Ken
tucl<v. Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Vir-
oinia. Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,
West Virginia and Florida together
with members of our national executive
committees. national legislative com
mittee. national judiciary committee
and President l.. l.. Polk, having been
called together in council to CONSIDER
the reported peculiar conditions IN the
order in the Southern States, which, IL
was believed, seriously threatened that
harmony, brotherly love and unity OF
action so necessary to the success OF
our cause. and the success of our order
in these States, after counsellng to-
gether and hearing detailed reports,
rejoice to say to you that we feel great
ly encouraged and inspired by the
splendid spirit of unity and determin-
ed adherence to principle, which per.
hapS the order in nearly every one OF
these States, Notwithstanding the com
bined effort of our enemies to SOW seeds
of discord in our ranks, pending the
heated political contests, local and
national We therefore feel 1t our
duty. as servants of the people we rep
resent, standing upon the out posts and
watch tower of this, the greatest point
| zeal revolution ever known to the ma
ton, to say to you that we have enter
| ed crucial period il the history OF
our great reform movement, IN which
| the greatest caution. earnest dellbera-
| ton and strict adherence to our primer
pies are necessary to preserve intact
| that organization which stands to-day
as the sheet anchor and hope OF mil
| lions of wealth producers in the great
battle for the God given rights OF
| humanity. You are congratulated
upon the great harmony and unity OF
sentiment in regard to Alliance primer
pies which prevails within your border,
and upon the fact that careful can
vass of the subject at this meeting has
shown that practically the members OF
| the order in these States stand square.
| ly upon the demands, with the aVoWed
| determination of holding devotion to
them above that to any method OF ac-
| ton. and that today the number OF
those who SO endorse the principles oil
| the Alliance is much greater than ever
| before. 4 sentiment also prevails
strong and uniform, that the great or
| der, as an organization is the greatest
| of all modern forces for the spread OF
| reform anu IIuO iO' WI ~
must be perpetuated and encouraged
in this high sphere, entirely free from
any partisan entanglements. The only
dangers which seem in any way to
| threaten a lack of the fullest develop
ment and prosperity of the order
are those which attend the dis
| position of few men and papers to
publicly criticise and condemn others
| for their methods. This is not of suf-
ficient extent to damage the order, but
it mars that perfect unity that should
prevail and always Injuries all concern
ed, and is contrary to the spirit of
brothcIly love and forboarance that
should prevail. Another evil which
| fortunately prevails only in very few
! localities is the disposition of mem
bers to seek political Office at the hands
of their brethren, forgetting that prin-
ciple of alliance doctrine which de-
clares that the office should seek the
man and not the man the office. In
consideration of these views as to the
situation the following rules of action
are suggested as we'll calculated to en-
able the order to go through the com
ing ordeal of fierce political contest
and comes out strengthened and puri-
| fed:
| First-Let spirit of harmony pre-
vail and let unity of action be the rule;
let none condemn a brother who stands
squarely by the principles of the order,
or speak in any way disparagingly or
disrespectfully of him because they
may differ as to the best methods of
enforcing our principles. Grant to
every brother honesty of purpose.
Second-Let fealty to the principles
of the order be the true and only test
of membership, and let those who value
their. partisan affiliations more than
| their Alliance obligations be informed
that their order demands strict and
full devotion to it's principles, and
leaves each to his own choice as to
methods, but that the methods can in
no case control the principle and there
fore all who affiliate should accept as
supreme the principles of the order.
Third-Every member who takes the
obligation always administered to
those who join is first told as condi-
ton precedent and upon which all that
is to follow is predicated: THAT it
shall in no way interfere with your
political or religious liberty"
Therefore this order, as such, or any
of its branches has no right to take
any partisan, political or sectarian re-
ligious action. We urge upon the
brotherhood of all reform organiza-
tions 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 leg
islative councils who stand pledged
to work for the passage of such laws
Finally, brethren, remember that de-
votion to our principles can only be
employed and our influence made eff
fectual by voting for our demands at
the ballot box We send greeting to
the brotherhood of the north and great
northwest and assure them that our
hearts beat in unison with them in
their efforts for industrial freedom,
and we will stand by them in all laud-
able efforts to redeem this country
from the clutches of organized capital,
and that we will stand with them at
the ballot box for the enforcement of
our demands. Signed by all the mem
bers of the convention.