The Robesonian., 1917-08-09
A NORTH CAROLINA
REVOLUTIONARY
Reported Utterances of DIR. Alexander
Were Dangerous and Revolutionary

Reported Utterances of DIR. Alexander
Were Dangerous and Revolutionary
Greensboro News.
The reported utterances of DIR. n.
=. Alexander at Liberty were So rev
olutionary, and especially in view of
the positions of the speaker as pres
ldent of the North Carolina Farmers
union and member of the State board
of agriculture, that it was deemed
advisable not to comment hastily,
since it is always possible a speaker
may have been misquoted. Time has
elapsed by or on behalf of DIR. Alex
ander. Mr.. Pou was therefore Jus
titled in the assumption upon which
he took occasion, in his address at
Louisburg, to direct public attention
IN an emphatic way to the words of
DR.. Alexander. The Statesville Land
mark speaks of the report as con-
stltutlng grave charge. It's dispo-
sition, as expressed in its issue of
yesterday, is to wait for statement
from DR.. Alexander before accepting
the report. The Danbury Reporter,
copying the despatch to the Daily
News from. Salisbury, July %, giving
the gist of DR.. Alexander's speech,
COIIlIIleIltS as lOllOWS.
The Reporter was both panied and
surprised to read the above. DR.. AL
exander has stood very high in the
estimation of the farmers of Stokes
county, where once the organization
of which he is the head in this State,
enjoyed probably the largest men,
bership of any county in the nation,
proportioned to population. The peo-
pie respected and admired DIR. AL
eXander as a man who was sober of
thought and judgment, conservative
in utterance, and careful with facts.
We did not believe he would make
statements notoriously untrue. We
|, thought he was a leader who would
| counsel submission to law and order,
| no one who would incite anarchy.
When DIR. Alexander attacks the
draft, which was passed overwhelm-
ingly by both houses of Congress,
: and-is therefore law, is not this state
ment from him in his position cal
/ culated and intended to defeat the
operation of that law, and to discour-
5 age the young MN of the country,
specially farmers, from defending the
;. nation in its hour of greatest peril.
: Is DR.. Alexander good and loyal
i citizen, and fit to be the leader of
}. the farmers of North Carolina, when
g he counsels resistance to lawful au-
thority? =
a We should be glad to apologize to
5. DIR. Alexander if we knew he had
4 been misquoted But if not, we would
: denounce him as no longer fit to
I head the Farmers union cf a great
wi State. He is not a fit leader of
e North Carolina. His counsel means
n ruin.
<. If anv considerable number of peo-
eI pie were to be influenced by the SEN
1t timents of DR.. Alexander and those
II of similar view, including such
t. avowed revolutionaries as Alexander
a Berkman, Emma Goldman, William
,r D. Haywood ard Little, who was un.
is fortunately lynched, the other day
lei rioting would be the result. Ii
great number of people were to be
10 come persuaded that DR.. Alexander
n- and these others are correct, the re
suit will be revolution in the United
le States: revolution and violence, chaos
n anarchy. All the restless and turbu
s. lent elements, all the enemies of or
Of ganized society, are looking on a
is this sort of thing like hungry jack
ty ais.
n This particular assertion of righ
es and wrong, this particular body o.
" doctrine. is war doctrine instead o.
r anti-war doctrine. Carried to IT.
OF logical conclusion it means the shed
s. ding of American blood, and not bI
al Germans or Austrians or Turks, bu
te bv Americans. 1t is to promote IN
al ternal war and in presence OF tns
v menace of a foreign enemy.