The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1893-02-08
PRINCIPLE vs.. POLICY.

Nh. P. I. Rawl, January 13, 1893,
and Published by Resolution OF
That Body.
The growth and character OF the
Alliance is, especially to its adherents,
a matter of serious concern.
As it grows older the studious
members gain knowledge and be
come wiser. Looking back over the
past we see where we might have
done better; but taking all things into
consideration as an organization we
have done well. Our order has been
a gratifying success in some re-
spects; in others it has been par
tally a failure, because organized
p~lutocracy, with the United States
Congress and nearly the whole press
behind it, has successfully kept US
side tracked from the main issues IN
which u best interests are involved.
It had often been said that the time
would come when our fidelity to our
principles would be. tested-that
time is here.
The deeply laid schemes Of shrewd
designing politicians are maturing
and revealing themselves in such
damaging forms as placing shackles
on our hands through the primary
plan, boycotting Tie few papers that
were once loyal to US, the persecution
of our leaders, taunts and ridicule
heaped on us a body by our enemies
all combined constituted a fierce
devouring fire through which true
AlIiancemen had to pass. Indeed
there have beer times that have tried
mems souls. During such a crucial
test some have ignored Alliance OBJ
legations and few into the arms OF
* n eacherous old parties. Others
ignored party fealty, sham primary
obligations and preserved their IN
tegrity by voting our principles.
Evidently we were between the devil
and the deep blue sea, because both
obligations could not be filed. Now
we are much wiser than we were,
and the sad lessons learned will be
profitable if we will and
assxasiIeas W . 2
The Yeat truth stands out in
bold relief, that scores of true men
in our State and county, by their Pc
litical franchises, helped place the
crown on the head of the distin
guished anti free silver potentiate,
while at the same time conscience
smote them and babe them vote for
katie and the Baby" or not vote
at ill. HUNDREDS that voted for the
champion tariff rcformer wished at
the time from the depths OF their
hearts that he would be defeated. 1t
has been confidently asserted by
some of our clone Roman soldiers"
that revolutions never 60 back
ward" but it is nov very plain that
the Alliance has advanced for the
past twelve months. Our Order is
non partizan, we admit, but the sol
emn obligations that bind US that
We cannot now get rid of or shake
off, implies that we are morally
bound to stand by u principles IN
der all circumstances, and the ballot
box, instead of being an exception,
is the most important Of all.
The very fact that the Alliance is
non partizan in politics makes it
very plain that it is the mem
ber's duty to never hesitate a mo-
ment, under any and all circum-
stances, to step across party lines
vote our principles whenever we can
not vote them inside. If our party
ignores our principles it is Il duty
to repudiate the party.
If Alliance principles are good
sound doctrine in time of peace,
they are doubly so in time of war;
but if we are to be Alliancemen du-
ring the interim between elections
| and blind partizans when the criti-
cal moment arrives and vote against
our dearest interests, we greatly fear
that disintegration is at work. Did
not the trying ordeal through which
We have just passed convince every
one of us that we have very little
liberty, and that, SO fer as so c@'ied
liberty is expressed by a free ballot
and a fair count, is it not a glaring
farce? Well. We have some liberties
left in the primaries, some think, but
in order TO have that opportunity to
exercise that privilege we have
been compelled to swallow an iron
clad oath that we will with our votes
aid in the grand coronation to crown
him lord of all whomsoever Wall
street d~istates, and they never fail
to dictate those who will make plant