Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-11-01
For the Spirit of Jefferson.l
An Appeal to the farmers
alliance.
BEaRry1L1E. CLARK Co. VA.

Brothers and F7fendS:-AS member and
officer of the County Alliance, aud feeling a
deep interest for the welfare and general
good of the people of our county and the
State of Virginia and sister States, permit me
to appeal to YOU when the attempt IS made
Gas is now the casc.) 10 inducc members of
the Alliance to defeat the election of Dem
Ocratic President by casting their votes for
the Weaver electoral ticket. IL is tile duty of
every Democrat and especially every south
ern man to do all that he consistently can do
to avert such calamity. The ELECTORAL vote
of Virginia or West Virginia may decide the
contest. and the Third or Peoples Party vote.
| ESQ called.) which will come from the Demo
cratic ranks. ,1ay decide whether Virginia's
electoral vote shall be cast for Cleveland or
| for Harrison. Under these circumstances a
vote for Weaver is practically vote for Hair
rison, it is also vote indirectly for the odious
| Force bill. vote for the Mckinley, worse
than war tariff. II vote for q centralized dcpo-
| tism and against home rule. Everybody
knows that the sO-callcd Third party has no
| possible chance to eject its candidate. There
| Is not single Southern State that it can car
nv. and it Is doubtful If it car secure IL single
| ELECTORAL vote elsewhere; it may. perhaps. hy
| fnsion in the northwest. The most it can ac-
complish would be to enable the Republicans
to carry several Southern States. The qucs-
| ton then with every voter is whether he pre-
| fers the election of Cleveland or of Harrison.
| and the Southern man who endangers the sue
cess of the Democratic ticket by casting his
vote for Weaver might just as well cast his
vote directly for the Republican party. III
fact. the Third party roads always lead di-
rcctly into the Republican camp sooner or
latter. 1t is time that by the vote of less than
..blOck of five" Republican Senators, the
| Force bill was defeated in the Senate after it
| had passed the House. but it has since been
| Reimbursed by Republican National Conven-
| ton. and their candidate. Mr. Harrison. ur-
gently endangered to force the bill through
! Both Houses of Congress, and has repeatedly
declared for it befGre and since its defeat in
| official and IN official nttcrauces. Should the
f.RTl EIs.f
now it is possible Gas was the case in 1850 and
| 1889 that it may also louSc the House of Rep
| rcsentativcs in which case n Republican Con-
grcss. backed by Republican President,
would. without doubt. enact such legislation
az mnde tue horrors of reconstruction days
possible. and once more turn over the States
| Of the South to negro domination backed by
Federal buyoncts, rs the chief promoter OF
Onct behind every ballot under its provi-
| siOns.
Are our good citizens who have Joined the
Alliance from pure and patriotic motives wiz
| ling to aid such Il cause directly or Indirectly
| Do you want to see scctioualisu given life {?
1 Republican returning boards deciding as to
! who shall represen: them Republican, spies
| entering every household to canvass for
votes q? And do they desire TO he taxed stiIl
more hCG!ily To pay the campaign expenses
| of the Republican party DO they want to
see the Federal Judiciary prOstituted to the
| work of deciding election eases, aud the army
| chartered at the polls? If they want to see
| all this. if they desire TO see lin the language
of ex-Spcakcr Reid .'thc Republicans hold
their own elections. do their own counting
| aud their own certifying. and thus perpctH-
ate their power forever. then they might more
consistently vote for Harrison than for Cleve-
! land. As ! understand the Alliance. however.
| it has nought to do with religion poli-i les.
and as u body can take no part in either.
Every member is allowed to his best
Judgment III the matter of local State, and
Federal elections. And yet notwithstanding
this freedom OF Judgment is the very root and
foundation of the Alliance. men ambitious for
personal uOtOrtv, are Missionaries in politics.
who have wild ideas that third party may
succecd sometime. ana cndearoriug to use it
to promote their selfish aims. The only wise
course to pursue is to adhere 10 the Demo,
cratIc party, which has always been the pco-
pies party. aid refuse to follow these new
leaders. whose success is the only hope of the
Republican party.
General Weaver aided in the defeat of Gen
eraI Hancock in 1880 10y drawing off Demo-
cratic votes ?or his mos grcl grcrnbIck tickle
in the doubtful States. lie shoniG not be per
mittcd to play the same part under IL new
! name in 1892, and especially should no South
cru man be found so wanting in sclf~rCspect
| as to vote for General Weaver whose hatred
of the South and her people has been so re-
p"utedIy expressed iii the West and most
abusive CpCthctS.
II The Democratic party is to lie murdered
III The South it would be more decent to select
seine less poisoned Instrument than the veni-
nous Iuwuu politician. who rcjoicrd Mt her
sorrows. and lOrEcd for the opportunity to iu-
jurC her vet more surely. In 1855 Cleveland
carried Virginia by less than 1000 majority
over Harrison aud if the same vote should he
pOlled in November next with less than 5000
Democratic votes cast for the third party
would secure She State for Harrison (and thu.
like rule applies to West Va.) BY this course
Harrison may succeed as our next President
III this view ! regard Virginia and West Vir-
gIuiI the only doubtful States SnUth. and APP
peal to you MY bEsthS auI. cIti=ens not 10
cast away your votes OH Weaver and leave
that dark blot ON the scrutchuous of the dear
old commonwealth and her sister State. West
Virginia. J. T. GRIFFITH.