Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-26
Y. w. BARKsDALE. PROPRIETOR
A Word to Our Alliance Friends.


The LEAF-CHRONICLE has dealt
frankly and candidly with the farm
ers, sdhering strictly to the plain
landmarks of Jacksonian Democ-
racy, wavering neither to the right
nor left, and yielding to none OF the
popular tidal waves OF either ex-
tremes which have been and are still
sweeping over the political horizon,
bringing discord which threatens to
rend Democracy asunder. We have
adhered to this policy because we
have believed it was right, and the
only safe ground for Democracy, ana
certainly is the common ground to
which all the conflicting elements
must come to maintain that har-
monious action which is absolutely
essential to party success. There can
be but two partie, of any force in this
country. Democracy in the South
means white supremacy, peace and
prosperity. Republican success
means to Us negro supremacy, strife
and reign of terror. This is the way
the situation presents itself to any
reasoning mind, and having dealt
honestly with the farmers all
the while, presenting sound prln-
ciples and pointing out a con-
sentative course, we feel that we
can now appeal to their sound reason
and unprejudiced minds for the COM
mon welfare.
We are encouraged to believe that
such an appeal wilt not be in vain
from the fact that so many good AL
lance men, who have at times been
at outs with US for condemning GER
tain jsms, have come to acknoWle ige
that this paper bad occupie ! the cor.
rect position.
So far as national politics are con-
cerned, the battle for leadership and
principle has been fought and will
wind to close in the next thirty
DAYS. The matter will be settle i at
Chicago June Dist, and we believe
from the general expression of States
that have acted, it will be settled
with perfect satisfaction ID the farm
ing element. HOw?ver that may be,
there is but one safe course for South
ern Democrats to pursue and that is to
stand together for our common good.
Though we may differ on questions of
policy, Democracy must gain the as
sendency first, and then we can settle
our differences in the famiIy. Far
mers can't possibly hope for any
good through a third party, and may
lose ell by dividing. TO follow the
fortunes of the third party at this
time would be like mans cutting
off his nose to spite his face. There
is no good in it and no good can be
gotten out Of it.
Leaving the national situation to
work out its own salvation, our atten-
ton is invited to the local situation,
which is full of significance to
every man in the Srate, and no claSs
has more to lose by divisions than the
farmers. The contest is now between
Gov. Buchanan aud Judge Turney,
and il must be plain to every
man that Buchanan's chances
are hopeless. lie can only fight for
the defeat of Iurney by some other
man, which would make it no better
for him or his followers. Gov. Buch'
anan has nobody to blame for this
but himself and the officials he has
drawn around him, whose ill-advised
council he hes followed. He has
thrown away every opportunity pre-
scented for proving himself a leader
and has allowed Mr.. Mcdowell to
shape for him a narrow, selfish, un'
democraticpoIicy revolving to a very
large class of Democrats. Backed
as he was, by the entire farming ele
ment of the State, instead of standing
by the platform on which he was
elected, proclaiming principles bold
~ on all occasions, and advising
against heresics, calculated to divide
the Alliance, as they have done, he
has kept his mouth shut and allowed
Mcdowell to speak for him, paradine
before the people his own fancied
greatness, seliilshness, conceit and
e consuming ambition for office.
McDowell's policy was TO whip the
farmers into line, denouncing all who
refused to swallow the Ocala de
mands as traitors, conceiving in his
own mind that he could hold the
farming population under his thumb
to be voted like sheep, as he might
dictate. He knew nothing OF human
nature and the spirit of independence
that moves men. On the other hanC
he attacked every prominent Dem
ocrat in the State, demanding thai
they should endorse Ocalaism or steI
down and out, and threatened every
newspaper that dared to criticise o.
expose his methods with boycott.
Is it any wonder that general re
volt was set up in the Democratic
party, when he, in addition to this
Haunted Ocalaism IN every Demo