The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-03-21

friendly to the Alliance as an organiza-
ton, as a non partisan organization.
They feared and hated it, for 1T would
benatural for partisans 10 do SO. Under
n consideration only could they love
1t, that Is, if it would become an III
tenseIy partisan organization, and be a
partisan for their party.
But there were still other persons
who were behind the legislature who
urged that body to take the action it
did. Who we're they? They were the
same persons who tried to prejudice
you against the officers and manage
ment OF the Alliance last summer and
TALL, by wlifully lying while they knew
the truth; they are the men who
charged that the funds of the Alliance
were being used to pay political speak
ers aud TO run partisan papers; they
are the men who advised you not to
attend your Alliance meetings nor to
pay your dues; they are the men who
advised you to disband the sub-lOdges
and return your charters. These are
the saIne men who stood behind the
scenes prompting the legislature AMI
l~nsslgating it to take such action. Even
after the Joint Address" signed by
the State President and the Executive
Committee, q majority Of whom are
Democrats, was issued, and the several
cards written by Bro. w. A. Graham,
the Trustee of the 5. B. A. +. were
published, all giving the lie to the false
II Sl&nderOus charges, these same
malicious towards and covert enemies
of the Alliance, some Of whom claim
to De members Of the Order, still in
Sisted that the funds Of the Alliance
H,I bow ,,,ol - c,,,Ll1- l. -
the Peoples party in short they used
all their devclish ingenuity to still
further arouse the partisan prejudice
of the legislature. On these presenta
tiOns Though that body professed that
it was on other grounds and for other
reasOns) the house passed the bill re.
pealing the charter of the State ALI
ance. It was decided in a secret
political caucus to force this bill
through without a debate or giving
any one a hearing. The prograne was
carried out in the house. In fact the
bill Wa7 passed not only without giving
a hearing In committee, not only with
out allowing a debate on the floor, but
even without being read on the second
and third readings, so that those who
were not in the secret political caucus
scarcely knew what they were voting
on. The bill was sent owe to the sen
ate without engrOssmenE to be passed
by that cody In the same indecent
haste. Being notified by telegram of
sucn high handed proceedings, your
State President appeared next norm
ing and demanded a hearing He was
at first told that it was no use, that the
bill would certainly pass as it was.
But we demanded and forced a hear
ing. When the committee was asked
who were the parties that were asking
for such actions on their part, they re-
fused to give the names of the cowardIy
sneaks some Of whom no doubt were
not far off at the time; when asked for
what reasons they We're about to pass
a Dill without warming. effecting several
thousand of our citizens they simply
pointed 10 the preamble of the bill,
which set forth that whereas some
AlliGncemen wanted to draw their
money from the Business Agency fund.
and whereas some were afraid that they
were personally liable for any debts of
the Alliance etc, that therefore be it
enacted that the charter be repealed
etc. These charges were not valid and
no one appeared to father them, but
recognizing that we were not before a
court of justice but a partisan political
body, we offered to accept two amend
ments to the present charter of the
State Alliance covering these two
points AT first it seemed that this
would be acceptable to the legislature,
but il fact, how could that body refuse
to accept amendments covering all
that any one (thOugb unknown to us)
had ever asked for? But there was a
hidden purpose behind all this and the
cOwardly schemers were forced to
show their vlllainy. If they accepted
our amendments, they did not accom-
plish their secret purpose, which was
to cripple and destroy the Alliance as
a . business organization. They hest
tated they caucused for nearly a week,
| they called in distinguished LAWYERS to
labor with them in their evil designs.
At last they decided on a lot of amend
ments that they thought would &C
| complish their purpose, and these they
rushed through both houses without
| giving time to those concerned to con
suit and to have a hearing The State
Secretary sends you a copy of these
amendments so you can read and see
the animus of their villainy for your
self.
Now, brethren, no matter what your
politics are or has been, if you believe
in equal justice al you endorse such
action? The same powers and infu-
ences that have feared and fought the
Alliance from the beginning, though at
times less openly, are now trying to
crush the organization by legislative
measures. There has never been a
time when organization was more
necessary. These powers which are
working to the detriment of the farm
ers and laborers, and which have been
fighting the oa AIiiaR nee DECAYS because n in that !
themselves, are to day organized and
will stay organized party or no party.
Then what is our duty7 Clearly to
stand together and keep organized for