The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-03-26
TO THE ALLIANCE BRETHREN.
State Secretary, Bro. Barnes Writes
Good Advice to the Brethren and
Farmers Everywhere.
RALEIGH, N. G., March 20, '95.

RALEIGH, Nc, March 20, 95.
DEAR BRETHREN The time for united
action all along the Alliance line has
come. A duty devolves upon every
individual member of the order, which
should not, and we hope will not be
shirked by anyone. Those who have
been members of the order and are
not now in good standing, must be
brought back; and the lodges that
have gone down should be put into
working order again. Each member
has an obligation to perform in this
work, and he should feel it his special
duty to strive to ''bring back to the
fold" every worthy man or woman in
his neighborhood. Our membership
can be increased greatly, if you, each
one of you, will dare to do his duty in
seeing those outside of the order, and
using his influence towards bringing
them to membership. Have you tried
lately to get any old members to re-
turn, or a new one to joint Have you
made an effort to get your neighbor-
ing defunct Alliance into working. or
der again4 If yOW haze not, Why not?
Are you so bitter a partisan that you
do not wish any one to join you who
voted different or belongs to adifferent
church9 If so, you had better study
the frt two pages of the State Ali
ance Constitution. No man can be a
true Allianceman who cannot be a
friend to a man because he differs from
him in politics or religion. There is
more need of Alliance education and
work to day than ever before. The
Legislature has restored to you your
charter in full (Which was tempered
with two years ago. without a dissent,
ing voice-so let US work for its up
building, as we have eve worked be,
fore. No greater mistake has ever
been made, than is made by some So
called Alliancemen, who claim, since
there is a party which endorses our
political demands the Alliance is of no
further use. No political party a
take the place of the Alliance. All
political parties need watching. Be
cause a majority of the members are
of one political party, that is no reason
that the Alliance should be called a
political party. No matter what party
is in power it needs the watchful eye
of the Alliance to expose the corrupt
legislation that may be enacted, and to
demand such legislation as we as a
body believe to be good for the whole
people. It must continue it's education
on economic questions until prejudice
and chickering's cease to be the ruling
spirit of campaigns. Five years ago
many Republicans left the Alliance be-
cause the claim was made by Republi-
can politicians that it was a Demo
cratic machine. Three years ago the
cry went out by Democratic politicians
that the Alliance had gone into poll
tics, the Peoples partly and therefore
they claimed it behooved every Demo
crat to leave the Alliance and many
thousands of good men were forced
from the Alliance by this cry of preju-
dice and bitterness. Nearly three
years has passed and perhaps the same
cry will be raised again by some other
political party if it should learn that
the Alliance stands upon economic
political questions which have been
treated with contempt by said political
party although endorsing them in it's
platform. The Alliance to day is COM
posed of members of all political par
ties and religious creeds, and no man
is ostracised by the Alliance because Of
his utilization with any party, and no
true Allianceman will refuse for one
instant a worthy mans entrance into
our order on account Of his political or
religious opinions. The Alliance or
g~anization and true Alliancemen every
where are to day holding to the princi
pies of the order as laid down ia the
constitution from the beginning of the
order. Parties may come and parties
may 60 but we move on as ever, turn
ing neither to the right nor to the left
Oo41oNLuS U4aV UA0 40AOAWS u0~0tAUON
will never be carried out by any party
unless the Alliance forces it to do 10
and any political party that does tram
pie these reforms will find itself trail
ing in the dust before the conflict ends.
The Alliance is dearer to day to true
Alliancemen than any party, and any
man who joins the Alliance to make it
subservient to his wishes, will find
himself (as many who have risen to
political power through the Alliance