The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-01-18

DEAR SIR: In the election of 1892
you voted the Peoples Party ticket,
! voted the Democratic ticket, You
believe in Democratic prlnci piles, SO
do |; YOU want honest reform and re-
lief for the people, so do |. Then
why do We ueutraIize each others in
nucnce by killing each others vote
ihis Is an important question. 1t
is, indeed, Il serious question for both
# Us, t We have convictions and are
honest in our professions.
We 10th, joined the Alliance about
the same time and are still active
members Of the organization. We,
both, believe in its principles and
want the same results, in fact, we,
both, believe that the best govern
mcnt will be- secured when the de-
mands Of the Alliance are enacted
into law. But the constitution of
the Alliance was formed with so
much wisdom and infused with SO
mucn patriotism and true Chris
tianIty that our obligations to the
organization, and to each other, as
Alliance men, left us free to use our
vote and influence to secure these re-
suits IN whatever way, or through
whatever channel that our con-
sciene enlightened by our un-
derstanding) might direct. Ex-
ercising this right IN the per-
formance Of a great duty, you
took the Alliance into Peoples Par
ty politics, took it into Democratic
politics. This did not hurt the
principles of the Alliance any more
than taking religion into politics
hurts religion, but on the otherhand,
helps politics, provided mans re-
ligion is any better than his politics.
Both Of us were lighting to advance
the principles of the Alliance and to
serve the ends of good government,
but one Of us was mistaken as to the
method.
In the beginning of this fight
against bad laws, and for good laws,
YOU and |, both took the Alliance in
to Democratic politics. You and |
were, both, elected to the Legislature ie
Of 1891 as Alliancemen, who were
striving to get the reforms needed
though the Democratic party and, III
q large measure, we succeeded IN
that Legislature. But every inteli-
gent man rea lied that if every pos
slbie reform that the Legislature
c1uId enact was secured, that the
real measures or relief must still
come through Congress and d Ma
tional administration that was guild
ed by a sense Of justice and desired
to do the right.
In the spring of 1892 you, as Pre-
sident Of the State Alliance, labor.
ed hard to get the Democratic party
committed to the reforms needed by
the people. | was with you in that
fight, for we, both, always affiliated
with the Democratic party and want
ed to see that party in line with the
people 50 that every Alliance mar
could consistently affiliate with
1t.
You wer, salts led with the position
Of the party III 5he State, but whef
the National Convention met, wrote
its platform and nominated its can
didate, you, as the President of the
Alliance, said that every Alliance
man must decide for himself, bu
that you believed that the Chicago
platform was written to deceive tn,
people and that Grover Cleveland
was a Monopolist and a gold bug o:
the deepest dye.
Then it was that you and |, as Al
liancemen, for the first time differed
as to the best methods of getting re
form. | believed that the State ant
National platforms of the Democra
tic party were written in good faith
and | further thought that Grove
Cleveland, if he could have botl
branches of Congress with him woul(
wipe out all the evil laws from
which we are suffering and give tn
! people an honest government ol
D,mocratic principles. Besides tn
leaders of the Democratic part
pledged the people and all Alliance
men, that if we would give them
chance they would wipe out ever
bad law we complained of, that they
would make the wealth of the coun
try bear its share of the burden O
taxation, that they would tax
the control of the money 0
the country out of the hands 0
the National Banks, that they woul
give free coinage of silver and furth
er increase the currency with Trea
sury notes to fifty $4,000 dollar
per capita. All these and other re
forms demanded by the Allianc
were promised.
| thought you were wrong in nc
using your influence and position t
give the party chance. Yet, whe
we met, it was as Alliancemen, an
we accorded to each other honesty G
t purpose, but a mistaken judgmen
} | believed that when you saw you
| mistake you would so announce t
the public, and that you and | woult
in the future, be together as to tt
method and party, as we have aIway
been on principle. But the develop
ments for the last founteen month
r have robbed you of such an oppo
tunity to show that your devotion