The representative., 1898-04-27
THAT ALLIANCE spw AGAIN.

Let Brethren Dwell Together in Har-
mOny.
Woodbury., Mimi, April l, 1898.
Editor OF Representative
Dear Sir:-I wish YOU would publish
this letter in your valuable Journal. I
was delegate to the late Farmers Al
lance convention held in st. Paul last
January, and as I do not belong to the
political party Of either President L. q.
Long or Secretary ]. c. Hanley, and as
SO much has been said in the daily and
weekly papers about the circular letter
sent out by Secretary Hanley. I wish
to protest to the introduction Of a DO
littcal faction fight Of the Peoples par
ty or any other party into the state
Alliance The Alliance Is not political
party. and II 1t was would not be in it.
AS I understand 1t, 1t is society OF
farmers, and farmers exclusively. It
seems to me Secretary ]. G. Hanley did
sentatives OF all political parties to read
papers and deliver addresses before the
Alliance convention. I think Mr.. Long
did an injustice to Secretary Hanley by
publishing the article and addressing
same to the farmers OF Minnesota, In
which he severely critisizes the act of
the Alliance in taking practical steps to
secure representation ON the boards and
state institutions which farmers con-
tribute to support. Mr.. Longs denuncia-
ton Of the Alliance. in bodily stating
that we were all wrong and Mr.. Long
was right reminds me Of saying OF an
old Scotch lady when I was a boy:
"See, the whole regiment is out OF step
but Jimmie" Mr.. Long must be Jim
mie; and as an old Alliance man l wish
to enter my protest against the state
ments Of Mr.. Long, when he says that he
would not lend his assistance to an or
ganization that would stoop to such an
abyss of rottenness that would ask Jim
Hills plutocratic- made governor for
favor. I would like to ask Mr.. Long who
has a better right to ask and demand
that the farmers Of this state receive
their just representation, according to
taxation, than the alliances great so
have seen further evidence in Secre-
tary Hanley's enterprise In Alliance
work. have seen him give whole
year Of active, energetic work without
the assistance Of single state officer,
and he spent in sending out in the state,
at his expense, about $4,000 in literature
for the benefit Of the farmers, and has
brought to the attention OF the farmers
of Minnesota their position Of being
ignored for representation, and has
awakened an interest once more among
us farmers that I thought would never
be accomplished. He also spent out Of
his own pocket for the Alliance proper
$24O, and received from all sources the
sum of $28 for the past year Gas I re-
member the secretary's report). He
also gave his entire time to this work
without recompense whatever. He has
done more efficient work for the ALL
ance than any secretary we have ever
had; and 1 wish to have fair play and
hope that Secretary J. c. Hanley will
continue in the work which he has SO
we'll begun. I believe with Vice Presi-
dent Erick Olson, that those outside Of
our organization should mind their own
business and we will mind ours.
hope the Alliance members will pay
no attention to the effort Of coterie Of
Minneapolis politicians headed by Owen.
Dobbyn. Bowler. Lynch and others. who
raised a row last winter in seeking to
prevent the state Alliance from meet
ing. II those men have any quarrel
among themselves. we must. as an or
ganization, insist they must do their
fighting outside Of the Alliance.
Yours for Justice,
u. Cook.
Anril 1200