The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-03-13
THE ALLIANCE MANIFESTO.

TO be BrOuQht
Forward NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Must Not Dodge tho Issues.
The Cotton Plant, the official organ
of the State Alliance, has come out
with u manifesto urging the immedi-
ate application of sundry questions to
the candidates now focking to the
field. The questions were adopted
last summer at Walhalla, and tho Cot
ton Plant is calling upon the Alliance
to enforce its demands for prompt and
unequivocal W The article is
as follows /:
1--WE have at various times set forth
the attitude OF the Alliance, as an or
ganiZation, towards candidates and po-
litical parties. We have underworld
to impress on the minds of our people
that q firm adherence to u principles,
as laid down in u platform, and their
unqualified support at the ballot box
by the membership of tho order, was
the only way we have OF making our
wishes effective. That adberance and
support should be given without u con-
sideratiOn of the aggrandiZement of q
political party or the elevation Of some
nan to a position of honor and profit.
This attitude OF independence and de-
J termination will force men and parties
to do our will and we can't enforce our
demands in any way except to make it
u matter of business.
This is u campaign year and the
candidates for all the offices, from
United States Senator down, are COM
ing out and getting themselves in posi-
ton to strive for their ambition. 1t is
time now that the Alliance was also
getting itself in shape to enforce its
demands. We are interested in the
election OF every officer, because every
office carries it's influence which may
be used for or against our cause. State
and county officers, for that reason,
should be required to pledge them
selves just the same as the members of
the State Legislature and the National
Congress. 1t is true that the members
of Congress ure she ones directly con-
ccrned in carrying out our demands
and their election should be moro care
fully looked after than those not so
directly concerned. We are forced to
depend on their 1irmncss, fidelity ard
energy in working for the enactment
of Il demands and every precaution
should be taken in making our choice.
We are also directly interested in the
election of members Of tho State Leg
islature because Of their participation
in h election Of a United States Sen
ator.
Tho election of a Gees to SEN
ator Butler is, for obvious reasons, the
most important of tho year. The man
elected during u period that will decide
the fate of this republic. He will help
to decide whether We arc to have a
rule of the people or the rule of o
money monopoly. AS the candidates
for that Office are very properly re-
CURED to come before the people and
express their views, the people can
and must apply the yard-stick to them
as well as to Congressman, and not al
low them to take any cquivocal or con-
dltlonal position that will admit of
lodging their responsibility when
elected. If II man is earnest and sim
cerc in his advocacy of IL demands he
Will have no reasons for not complying
with what we require.
I'll order to protect ourselves in this
matter the State Alliance passed reso-
lntiOns at its Walhalla meeting last
July requiring it's executive committee
to get Il written answer without am
biguity on equivocation from candi-
dates, as to whether or not they would
discuss n defcnd our demands and
pledge loyalty to those demands above
loyalty to party C In each coun-
ty the duties dcvolvc upon the eXecu-
tive committees in carrying out the
orders OF the State Alliance. The
hcsitancy and slowness Of men to act
in important matters of this kind when
their personal interests are involved
makes it extremely unfortunate for
one who is charged with this duty be
Il candidate. For that reason we have
always opposed Alliance officials be-
coming such during the time they arc
expected to serve the order. Such q
course has hurt us in the past by Civ
ing an opportunity to make tho plau-
sible charge that the Alliance was an
of~ice-secking machine and would bo
an impeachment to u progress as long
as it is kept up because, very natu-
rally, a man does not wish to leopard
ize his personal interest by taking &C.
ton that will likely be unpopular with
some.
I'VE call on the officials who are re-
sponsible for carrying out the resolu-
tions 20 get themselves in shape to do
so for a great deal depends on it for
the advancement OF the cause of the
people as represented by the Alliance
organization in the elections this year.
Let us take a long step forward and
do our duty fcarlcssly."
-Ro-> e.