The Bossier banner., 1893-10-26
The Official Organ.


Copeland, President of the State AL
lance, at Lake Charles last August.
Mr.. Copeland's views are pointed,
practical and worthy of adoption
An official "organ," q mere mouth
piece, is of no practical value to any
person. party or organization. 1t is
a wilful waste of money to invest in
such an enterprise. Jay Gould tried
the experiment years ago when he
bought the New York World. He
thought he could control Wall street
through the columns of the World,
but he failed to do so, and came very
near wrecking the World. He soon
saw his mistake, and got rid of his
''organ." Nearly every would-be po-
litical leader wants an "organ," and
hence communities are sometimes in
ficted, particularly in years when
State election takes place, with an
"organ,' which, as Mr.. Copeland
truly says, ''creates more disturbance
and confusion in an organization than
all others combined" and we would
add, often estranges friends and di
vides parties into bitter factions
One newspaper, conducted as legit-
innate business enterprise, for ''the
greatest good of the greatest num-
ber," is worth more to any cause OR
community, than a dozen so-called
"organs."
In the above we have reference
only to the political, or partisan side
of the "organ" question, and do not
wish to be understood as in any de-
string to dictate to the Alliance as
to what policy it shall adopt along
this line. But we do believe that
the Farmers Unions will be just as
we'll served, and that too without any
cost to them, by their local papers,
when they wish anything published
for "the good of the order" But
we started out not to write anything
ourself, but to give our friend Cope.
land a hearing on the subject, and
here is what he says:
cit is with regret that I inform yor
of the loss of our State Organ, the
: Vidette. As is well known to mos
of you, this body was informed at it,
last session, that the Vidette plan
! was under seizure, and likely to b.
t sold, to satisfy the claim of a New
, Orleans firm for material furnished
, to run the paper. There was a com
} mittee selected by this body to repre-
. sent the State Alliance in the sui
t then pending. That committee
: presume will make report at thi
} meeting. Since the loss of our pape
} [ have had various suggestions from
5 members of the order in reference tt
} re-establishing our official organ
4 but I have thought best to defer al
a action until this meeting. Ny opin
! ion is, that our organization has beel
S injured more or less, by every bust
ness enterprise in which it has enter
! ed; and I would advise you not t.
S invest any more money in an oficia
a organ, as they seem to create NOR
| disturbance and confusion in an OF
r ganization than all other causes com
:, bined. [ cite you to the management
< of both our State and National OF
, gans. We can look back here in ou
State, and see that our organizatio
!, would have been much stronger an
: more effective to-day, if we had neve
f had an official organ. 1 would rec
q ommend, that instead of owning a.
e official organ, that you select fror
among the Alliance papers of th
State, some paper that is convenient
ly located, and already on bushes
footing, and adopt that paper as you
:, official organ"
n About 100000 worth of pearl