The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-24
NeaU York World.

WAsmSGroS Aug. IA highly interesting story
was communicated to the World correspondent to-day
by in posititon to know. IL shed ne" anu
startling light on the campaign no" peims WIZ" ~
the South and West in the name of the Farmers AL
liancr 1t reveals the existence oi an oatn- oohH Or
der within the Alliance known the Band OF CID
con-"
This band, rs the story goes was organized by DIR.
Macune and Others at the Ocaa meeting tw" years
ago. 1t was utliccrcd at that meeting ana IS SAN t
embrace in its membership ut present oil "r ner ~
of the Alliance leaders, Its object IL to SIhe tne
two old political parties wherever they may DC III co
trDi. ~
The plan of this secret society, az laid down ny Dr;
Macnnr was simple. 1t contemplated the rhlsihe oi
political legion of 800 men in each G"hSiessl"la
district in the Union, whose object should be the
| spreading 0f the Alliance party.
The oath presented is of the most sweeping ciarac-
! ter. and runs rs follows: -,
l. free citizen Of This Republic, do hereby in the
presence of God and these witnesses, solemny swear
never to reveal to any human being on cartn any
the signs and secrets Of this order or the existence
! the same.
| will not dvulce by any means calculated to con,
vey idea, either directly or Indirectly the name oi
any person belonging to this order or the methoa ns
which its work is conducted or any work that mas
been done accomplished or sought 70 DC accoii'
plishcd.
will implicitly obey all laws rules and regulations
of this order. and unqnesti0nngy carry OUT nl ''I
struct0ns and commands from superior olhccrs. l
WILL without any evasion mental reservation wnat-
ever. speak the eyGct truth when c"nversihS VIII
| brother of this order, nnder the
will Immediately upon receipt OF any Information
which leads me to suspect the fidelity to the cause ar
integrity Of brother repurt the SAME u my sHpc-
ror officers. will not make or present fOrn my own
qualification any written or other evidence cal
cuatrd tu convey the nalcs of brothers or signs grips
| passwords or other secrets of this order. ,
will never propusc any one fur member snip VINO
is not honest. faithful, true and devoted 10 the caisc
| which we espUusc. | will labor for the acc"mprsIi-
mrnt Of industrial freedom fr"n m"nopnistic greed.
will upon any and all occasions defend the prlhc-
pies Of this order and the good name Of Tile members
thereof.
To ali Of which most solemnly swear and sisn my
name binding myself under no less penalty thai; lhat
of being held up to the contempt Of all mankind.
And fn thrr pledge my life my liberty ana my S"I
hereby surrender my body to the just vengeance OF
the members Of this order.
Order -. P. o. O.--, Connty of ,---1 -
S'H5s sSsr1ce of If District No. ESaS a@G signed
Dale - -, Record pa:c--. Date - =
A candidate for admission to the order Is thus nd
dressed when he presents himself
YOU are about to rfItrr mn organization llht ae-
pends upon the zra fidelity and devotion {" lts
members than upon their numbers. 1t Is honnd to-
grther l:y solemn compact, in which each mehOer
o"s in pledge of secrecy and loyalty strong as ca"
| small band, devoted to the cause OF humanity, inc
members Of which be depended on 10 act together
in any emergency, fOrsaking every other cause, ahi
defending the principles Of this bnrd with their Ses
| II need be.
| I'VE read in Gods word rs follows:
And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are
into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against
me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now
therefore g" TO- prucaim in the ears Of the people
saying, Whosnerer Is fearful and afraid, let MN re-
turn and depart early for Mount Gilead. And there
returned of the people twenty and two thousand anu
| there remained ten thousand.
From these verses OF divine writ lcarn that the
most important undertaking does not require the
Mt .rh htf If,al
and strict ubedicnca If therefore. yOn lack In deyO-
liun ater in Outrage or do not yield full and cl-
prte obedience, you ure at liberty to turn back with
the twenty and two thousand who were rejected III
the formation of GXXX ByXX.
You on the threshold of one oil the purrst anu
strongest organizations formed. Onr obIiSatlon
demands surrender of all allegiance to any Ptrty
aud full and complete obedience even to The saclnce
of life.
"'rhe people are In bondage ard they cry fr deiv.
erancr, rs Israel did three thousand years ago just
as they were driven ON their hornes driven 10 re-
sUrt In caves and mountain businesses through lear
the Midianrs are the people forced To yirld
their inheritance 10 satiate the greed Of monopoly
| There is now impending revolution "hich, unless
| checked. will astnund the world-corpnlate nhd mni'-
ry p"wr on the one hand, and struggling humanity
the other. The masses have been patient and ior-
bearing while the vOiaries Of money have been arr0-
| CANT aud prnnd
| HAS not God spoken truly in these words:
And they have said in their hearts, My power and
the might Of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God Tor IL IS
he that gyeth thee power to get wealth. that lie may
establish his covenant which he sware unto thy faith
ers 1t is this day and it shall b.. II thou do at a
forget the Lord thy God and walk after other gods
and serve them and worship them, testify against
thee this day that ye shall surely perish. AS the mn
iinns which the Lord destroyed before your f'ce so
shall We perish; because ye wnnld moi be obrdient to
the voice of the Lord thy God.-peut. vii, lT.3O.
This furcibly teaches us that God has covenant
with his people and that if they break the covenant
rill surely DnriSh Th. formation OF this band
dtes back to the dcvcrancc Of israeli and rs God IN
his wisdom, chose only three hundred from the vast
army of Gideon to overcome the mighty host OF the
Midanites, 50 hast his Gxxx BXxX been formed from
the vast multitude of tOerS that the peoples inhcr-
tance may be Icacraby and quietly wrcsted from the
money power and forever protected from its greed.
'as God chose only 300 To redeem Israeli demand
ing Of Gideon that each should he honest. faithful
true and devoted, so may we BIZ successful II we 1n-
low out this divine precept and example. A vast
multitude can only b. controlled by having few nc-
ing man for just rs Gideon invaded the camps
of the Mdantes under protection of secrecy and ST.
lence, must we 90 forth to fight our battles We
must quietly band ourselves together ana invade The
camps Of monopoly. With the information we can
| gain of their weakness and yunerabiity, we VIII br
enabled to successfully overcome them. More de-
pends the fidelity of this band than on great num-
hers. This three hundred, whose purity Of purpose
and abandonment of selfish ambition and prefurment
is so firmly established that neither the riches Of
CiEsrs the kingdoms of the world can move them
will succeed"
Here Rrr the INSTRUCTIONS.
The G. shall be the superior officer in each
Congressional District and shall have full power 10
call meetings whenever the good nfhe order demands
and each member shall report promptly To MIN ana hc
will he held personally responsible ior all limitations
and the work done IN his district he will receive In
structions from G r j scr j
dmrin. an interval of any session. The initiation tee.
81 ami quarterly dues 30 cents for each member oi
the three hundred. must be paid in advance t" the
4 81, who will remit On the first OF each quarter
with his report onc.half the fees and dues to the Ma
tional Secretary. p. o. box l3, Now York. In every
instance .he majority must rule and it must be iul
| free action.
| ~ the success Of our mission depends upon the
| Courage and fidelity Uf its members each Il
will srr that uI w. the very best material shall const
iutc his alD and these shall be property distributed
ILrnurhout n : district j i q shall upun receipt
Of Information call the G = Of any State tOsrlh
rr whenever any question of interest to the State de-
| uln: ,ls such 4 uirriinr q 3, i Shall
be- convened br :. q Il whenever questions OF ma
tinnal ailrctin. two Or more States de-
| nian'i siIcI y meeting.
| Each 800 may adopt such rules and regulations as
submitted tu j II for approval before going into
effect Each q y shall be appointed by j y -
and shall hold office during faithful performance OF
duty aud the consent ni his BOO
! II is reported that Col. Livingston, of Georgia. was
the first .Jrrrubhrcl or Mighty Chiri Gideon. lie,
however. is said To have Resigned the olicc at the
| time of the -. Louis Convention.
The present officers Of the band are not known. but
the ur.nz,tun is declared tu be- in ionrishn. COLI
Teachers. Association.