The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-02-14
TO TIE BROTHERHOOD IN THE
SOUTHERN STATES.

aa.e of IT L. LOucks, President No
t;oroi Farmers Alliance and In
dastriaI Union.
WASHINGTON D O..
DEAR BRETHREN: am reliably in
formed that an attempt Will be made
IN the near future 10 olVIde the AN
80 ON sectional lines. The appeal If
- Re made to the South alone, and
iii ho made on what is known as a
ro1-nortisan issue. / amnOt posted on
the details, but know that h a is the
general plan. Preparation for this has
Rean made. and is being fOstered by
irving 10 create the impression that
there are two factions III h Alliance
on the question of nOn-partlsanshlp {;
that the dominant faction are In favor
az trying to cOerce the Alliance into
endorsing the Peoples party, etc. This
is NOT only unfair, but absolutely I'M
tT4te | defy any one to point TO the
record and show where any such at
tempt ever was made at any session of
supreme council either by speech or
resolution, or to any prominent ALI
aneeman who tavOrs it. If there ever
was q thing on which we was more
firmly united than another, it is that
the Alliance should remain mon par
tisan." This is the sentiment, l am
sure. of every one of the present OH
GERS. [ know it is of the executive
committee. The movement Is beng
engineered by those who are Democrats
first. 1t is q partisan move for the
purpose of destroying the power OF the
Alliance by dividing us once more on
sectional lines. l want you to seri
ously consider the effect in case they
are successful to any great. extent. l
know they cannot be wholly, for l
know there are a host of true Alliance
men in the South who will resent the
attempt. To those who are about to
be influenced by this partisan move
ment, beg of you to consider well the
consequences that would follow If 1t
were successful. You know how earn
estly your representatives plead with
ms to bury the bloody shirt; to fill up
the CHASTITY chasm that divides US; to
obllterate the sectional barriers that
had kept us apart for thirty years,
leaving us an easy prey to our common
enemy, the money power.
- The Erandest work, the crOlCnGng
glory Of Brother Folks life, was the
success of his mission In reunltlng us.
When he came North with your fra
ternal greeting, with the message from
the brethren in the South, full of
brotherly love, inviting us to unite
with you we accepted. uncOnditIOn
ally, not as from the North, but as of
the Union. Will you consent that his
grand work shall be destroyed for par
Fan purpOses2
Our opponents in the North claimed
and insisted that the objects of the
Southern Alliance, as they called the
II. A. and | U, was to mislead the
Northern Alliancemen away from their
Republican mornings that the Demo
cratic party might come into power
We know that III our work we pressed
eur principles regardless of the effect
on political parties, but tue result has
been TO the advantage of the Demo
cratic party as predicted. Should
the present scheme of disruption sue
ceed, it would confirm the claim that
was their Object Consider tn & we'll,
as it affects yourselves. You need the
aid of your co laborers in the North
and west. We have had not only to
meet the oLtentiOn that we are a
Democratic aid society,"" but that it
was a Southern Alliance, differed and
managed by Southern men We re-
GCA4GCO TIC lIlCAlludJAJus AbO" w wei 1
that 1t had been a question Of fitness
for Office, and not of location. Now, |
when the hand of death has removed
him whom we delighted to honor. and
O man from the Northwest happens to |
be Gle ted your president, should di
vision cOme it will place us in a doubly
embarr aseiDg positions God knows, |
and your delegates at Memphis know. |
that 7 made no eff )rt o secure the
place. I asked Brother Ellington, Of |
Georgia, who placed me in nomination
TO withdraw my name He and other
delegates from the South insisted that |
/ should not In Difference to their
wishes l accepted. Should the blixhted
ambition of Il man, or of a thousand
men, shatter our forces and t cur !
progrsss7 God for bid. The men who
are attempting it are committing a
crime against humanity. Close up
the ranks. we are in the fight to win.
Men ere nothing, the cause we love is
everything.
Yours fraternally,
H. L. LOUCKS.