South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-11-04
AN APPEAL
TO THE FARMERS ALLIANCE
For the South Branch lnie'si ,sRss-,
BERRYyILLE, CLARKE Co., VA. ,
October 1892.

October 1892.
BROTHERS AND FRIENDS As .
member and officer OF the County
Alliance, and feeling deep inter-
est for the welfare and general good
OF the people Of our county and the
State Of Virgins and sister States.
permit me to appeal to you. When
the attempt is made (as is now tho
easel to induce members of the AL
lance to defeat the election OF a
Democratic President by casting
their votes for the Weaver Electoral
ticket, it is the duty of every DEM
ocrat and especially every Southern
man to do all that. no consistently
can do to avert such calamity.
The Electoral Vote OF Virginia or
West Virginia may decide the con-
test, and the Third party vote which
will come from the Democratic
ranks may decide whether Virginia
Electoral Vote shall be cast for
Cleveland or for Hsrrison. Under
these circumstances vote for Wea-
yer is practically vote for Har-
rison. 1t Is also vote indirectly
for the odious Force bill, vote for
the Mckinley worse than war tar
III, vote for centralized dcspo-
tism and against home rule Every
body knows that tho so called third
party has no possible chance to elect
its candidate. There is not a single
Southern State that it can carry. and
it is doubtful if it can secure a
single electoral vote elsewhere lit
may perhaps by fusion in the North
west. The most that it can accom-
plish would be 10 enable the Repub-
licans to carry several Southern
States. The question then with
every voter is whether he prefers the
election of Cleveland or of Harri-
son, and the Southern man who en-
dangers the success of the Demo
cratic ticket by casting his vote for
Weaver, might just as well cast his
vote directly for the Republican
party. In fact the Third party
roads always lead directly
into the Republican camp sooner or
later. 1t is true that by vote of
less than ga block of five" Repub-
lican Senators the Force bill was
defeated in the Senate alter it had
passed the House, but it has since
been Reimbursed by Republican
National Convention, and their
candidate (Mf. Harrisonl urgently
endeayored to force the bill through
BOTH houses of Congress, and has
repeatedly declared for it before
and since its defeat in official and
unofficial utterances. Should the
Democratic party fail to elect a
pre-ident now tits possible Gas was
the case in 1880 and 1881 that it
may also lose the House of Repre-
sentatives, in which case q Repub-
lican Congress backed by Repub-
lican President would without
doubt enact such legislation as
made the horrors OF reconstruction
days possible, ard once more turn
over the states of the South to ne
gro domination, backed by Federal
bayonets, as the chief promoter OF.
the Force bill declared "there will
be bayonet behind every ballot"
under its provisions.
Are our good citizens who have
Joined the Alliance from pure and
patriotic motives, willing to aid
such a cause directly or indirectly ?
DO they want to sec eectionalism
given life, Republican returning
boards deciding as to who shall re-
present them, Republican spies en-
tering every household to canvass
for votes, and do they desire to be
taxed still more heavily to pay the
campaign expenses Of the Republi-
can party ? Do they want to see
the Federal Judiciary prostituted
to ih3 work of deciding election ca
ses and the army quartered at The
polls If they want TO see all this
III they desire to see Tin the Ian
guage OF OK Speaker Reid "the
Republicans hold their own cleo
tons, do their own counting and
their own certifying" and thus per-
petuate their power, then they
might more consistently vote for
Harrison than for Cleyeland. Az
| understand the Alliance however. |
It has nought 70 do With politics or |
religion, and az 8 body can take no 4
part in either. Every member is
allowed to use his best Judgment IN
he matter Of local, State and Fed
iral elections and yet notwithstand-
ng this freedom Of judgment
3 tho very root and foundation
4 the Alliance, men am bitious
or personal notoriety IN Wis.
onaries in politics, who have
Yild ideas that a third party may
ucceed "some time" and eadeav. ;
ring to use IL to promote their SCI (
sh aims. The only wise oourse to
ursue is to aihere to the Demo
ratio party which has always been
be Peoples party, and refuse to
blow these new leaders, whose
access is The only hope Of the Re-
ublicau party.
General Weaver aided in the de.
ct Of the election Of General Han
)ck in 1880 by drawing of Demo
.atic votes for his mcnurel Cream