The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-08

Win some Republicans who think no
one but a Republican can be a good
AlI1anceman. The Alliance teaches no
such doctrines as these, but promises
us That our private political opinions
shall be respected.
Brethren, shall u principles live
and grow until the whole country shall
again blossom as the rose" or shall
they die by a suicidal policy of our own
ana by that act, doom our posterity to
a life OF bondage and shame? Shall a
brother be permitted to remain in the
Alliance and vote for our demands
through the Republican party if he SO
desires7 Shall a brother be permitted
to remain in the Alliance and at the
same time claim to be a Democrat.
though he stands squarely on our de.
mar Shall a brother be permitted
to remaln In the Alliance if he chooses
to vote for the demands through the
Prohibition or Peoples party? Yes,
surely he must. When he Joined the
Order, did not you promise him that
his political feelings should be re-
spected? Those who are unfriendly to
us and who wish to see the Alliance 90
down, are calling every man who
stands upon the Ocala demands as a
Third or Peoples party man. This is
done to lrrltate you, to worry you, to
lash you out of the Alliance, to drive
you back to party affiliations under
" boss" rule, to break up the Alliance,
anything to keep in power.
If a man should come to you
hungry, sick and naked " and you
take him to your house and feed,
nurse and clothe him, and he should
afterwards show his ingratitude by
claiming your house and your prop
erty,. will you quietly give it up and
say this fellow is a rascal and demands
all | have; that I will leave it to him
and go somewhere else-will take my
wife and children and try to find some
other place where this fellow will not
trouble me? Is there a man in the AL
lance who would act so cowardly, so
foolishly?
Let each n of us weigh this matter
carefully before taking any step that
might set us back from our cherished
demands a long time, if not forever.
We read in our declaration of pur-
poses on the first page of the Constitu-
ton, 22d paragraph, to endorse the
motto, I'm things essential, unity
and in all things, charity" I regret
to see such harsh vindictive letters and
resolutions published about some of
our brethren in our reform papers.
Are you showing Gny charity in these
attacks, my brother7 Are you show
ing yourself a true Allianceman9 Are
you exercising charity towards often
ders2" Are you granting honesty
of purpose and good intentions to
others5 Article 6, section 8 says:
When any officer or member shall be
guilty Of conduct ~unbecoming an Ali
anceman, charges and specifications
shall be preferred against him (n your
lodge, not through newspapers) if it
cannot be amicably settled" Section
4, article 6 tells you how the trials
shall be conducted. Have you pre-
ferred charges through the proper
channels? Have you acted right in
making your charges public7 Do you
not know that you have laid yourselves
liable to have charges preferred against
yOu2 Brethren, you must not let too
much zeal lead you astray, Have you
followed the scriptural injunction and
taken 1.-The beam ont Of your O1Cn eye?"
For the sake of our wives, children
and homes let us get nearer together.
Let nothing separate us from
Order. Let us be charitable and fra
ternal to each other. If we will only
stand true to our principles, if we will
refuse to listen to the siren voice of
the tempter, the political office seeker,
who is endeavoring to lure us from AL
lance principles-if we will make up
our minds to vote only for those who
stand sQuarely upon our demands, no
matter to what party they belong, no
matter whether he belongs to our Order
or not, we can win another signal vic
tory for reform. We can accomplish
this if we will by requiring every can
didate to state publicly how he stands
as to our demands; and if he answers
in the affirmative, send some one with
our demands printed on a card which
he must sign and on which he should
promise not to antagonize but to work
for them to be made into law. POliti-
cal clubs will be formed all over the
country. Be careful how you join them
or you will regret it. Let each n of
us determine to exercise his rights as
an American citizen by voting for his
principles in any party he may choose
and let US grant the same privilege to
all others. Let there be no ostracism
or public denunciation of a brother.
The duty of every Allianceman to
each other and to the Order is most
t~ouchingly and forcibly picture l in the
verses below. Read them and ponder
them, and let each one of us be to each
other and to our Order as Ruth was to
Naomi, her mother inlaw:
And Ruth said, entreat me not to
leave thee or to return from following
thee; for whittier thou goest I will go,
and where thou lOdgest 1 will lodge:
thy people shall be my people, and thy
God my God. Where thou die5t will
l die and there will I be buried; the
Lord do to me and more, also, If GWght
but death part thee and me.
Fraternally,
W. S. BARNES,
Sec-Treas. N. Q. T. S. A.