The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-06-06
CORRESPONDENCE.
b Editor are not responsible for the views
Of CORRESPONDENCE.
FROM BRO. BARNES TO ALI.
ANCRMEN AND EX-AL.
LIANCe MIN.

DEAR BRETHREN:-The following
resolution, as an amendment to the
Constitution will be introduced at the
annual meeting of the North Carolina
Farmers State Alliance in August
next:
'tAuy person who is a candidate for g
political office, or who is elected to a
political office, is debarred from join
ing the Farmers Alliance during the
period of his candidacy or while hold
ing office; and any person who is a
member of the Farmers Alliance and
is q candidate for a political Office or is
elected to a political Office. must be
given q withdrawal card by his Sub
Alliance at the earliest possible meet
ing OF his Sub Alliance, and the said
party is ineligible to membership go
long as he is a candidate or SO long as
he holds q political Office"
The enemies of the Alliance for sew
erRl years, in order to destroy the Or
ganization, have heralded it far and
near, time and again, that ''the Ali
ance is a good thing if it had been kept
out of politics" Sc. While it is a right
and a duty for each member to study
political questions and vote as seems
best and as he pleRses, just as much so
as it is for members Of the different
churches or OF any of the other fra
ternal organic atoms or as much right
as the lawyer, the merchant, the banker
or any OF any of the many pro
LESSONS, yet this increasing fight upon
the Or1er has had the effect of ( eeping
many from joining US because it a
not be denied that in many instances
it has been clearly shown that office
seekers have gone into the Alliance for
the sole purpose Of riding into ofic9,
and then, as 0 on as they had obtained
the position sought, have turned their
backs upon the Order and many Of
them have then taken up this same
hypocritioaI cry perhaps es an excuse
for their perfidy and deseI tom that
1.-THE Alliance had gone into politics"
Now, brethren, the above resolution
il adopted as part OF our Constitution,
will remove from the Alliance III
the greatest curse that has ever fallen
upon the organization-the use of the
Alliance voters for selfish and political
ends and then deserting the cause.
These dastsrdly acts have not been
confined to one political party in North
Carolina, but come members OF each
political party have used the name OF
the Alliance and the voters to ride to
Office, and then, viper like, have turned
on their banefaCgors to destroy them.
But, brethren, this is the dark side
of the picture for there are many true
men holding eff e and many WHO have
held cmcs while Alliancemen yet who
to-day are standing firm in our GAUGE.
No true Allianceman ear object to
this resolution, because no true ALI
ancemRn would desire to cause the
hurt Of the Alliance l1hough il might
for q time be FOR his individual prciD,
but be would willingly take a with
drawai card, knowing that when his
time was out as an Office holder or
office seeker the doors would be open
for him" and no dishonor or rehaction
had fallen upon the Alliance name
through any act of his. We hope
every Sub Alliance will discuss this
resolution as early as possible and then
with their delegates go to the County
Alliance and discuss II there, and then
to the State Alliance. Brethren, let Us
by adopting this resolution or n sim
liar TO it, show 10 those who have been
kept from Us that we need every
farmer and laOorer in North Carolina
to ] Din Us in this fight for freedom and
right, that We have removed the chief
cause Of danger TO the Alliance and
that we need them and they need US
for the battle OF our lives. Let preju
dices that have been e~ngeDdered by
politics be thrown aside, and let Us
work in our respective neighborboods
for the upbuildiug OF the farmers and
the Farmers' Alliance. And after get
ting together, let US device some plan
or plans for selling u products and
buying the things we need. We can
co operate to the mutual advap tage of
each one We urge the Sub-Alliances
to push the work in their respective
localities. Appoint each one of your
Sub as a committee of one to see a GER
tain member Of the citizsns and let
there be g house to house canvas in
the interest Of the Alliance. Sendyour
truest best men to the County ALI
Rnce, and If you a do so go with
them and there try to devise some plan
by which the farmers can save the