Mississippi leader., May 12, 1892, Image 2

About Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
P UHL IS If ED WEEKL Y.
I*. T. HOBBS, Editor.
OFFICE-310 East Capitol Street.
Entered at the Jackson Post office as sec
ond-class mall matter.
THURSDAY, May 12, 1H1W.
)|J |L ■ | ■■■«■!■« ■■■■! I ■ ■ -1
ADDRESS all business letters to Mis
sissippi Leader, Jackson. Miss. Mon
ey may be sent by registered letter.
]>ostal note, jtostoffice money order or
enclosed in letter at our risk.
CAM. FOR A STATE FKOH1IHTION
PARTY CONVENTION'.
A State Convention of the Prohibi
tion party of Mississippi is hereby call
oil to meet in the House of Represen
tatives in Jackson, at 11 a. ni„ Tues
day, May IT. 18512, to elect delegates to
the National Convention of the Prohi
bition party which meets in Cincin
nati June 251, 18512. Also to nominate
candidates for Presidential Electors,
and to transact such other business as
the interests of the party in this State
may demand.
Each county will be entitled to double
the number of voters in the Conven
tion that it has Representatives in the
Lower House of the Legislature.
All citizens of Mississippi, without
regard to their past political opinions
and affiliations,who are opposed to the
continued legalization of the liquor
traffic in State and Nation, and who
desire to secure those moral, political
and financial reforms in government
of which our country stands so much in
need, are cordially invited and earnest
ly urged to attend.
HENRY WARE,
Chairman State Ex. Com.
W. H. Patton, Secretary.
niSTKICT ALLIANTE MEETING.
A meeting of the District Alliance of
the Seventh Congressional District of
Mississippi, is hereby called to meet in
in the city of Jackson at 12 o'clock m.
on Tuesday, May 17, 1892. A full at
tendance is earnestly urged, as busi
ness of importance is to be considered.
Each county Alliance of the District
is entitled to three delegates, and the
delegates who served at the last meet
ing are the Constitutional representa
tives of their respective counties.
T. J. MILLSAPS,
President.
E. Fleming, Sec'y.
Let the dead past bury its dead.
The Alliance leaders are hearing
from the brethren.
Madison will hold her Democratic
Convention June 1.
The Prohibition Party of Nevada
have declared for free silver.
The crop of sweet girl graduates
promises to be unusually large.
The Leader wants 1,000 new sub
scribers in the next thirty days. Won't
the friends of reform help us to get
them ?
The Hon. W. 1). Gibbs, of Yazoo, has
joined Messrs. Jamison, Barksdale and
Burkitt in trying to hold Alliance men
inside the Democratic party.
A specimen of Neely's Great Histori
cal Chart and Political Map, offered as
a premium with the Leader for $2.00,
may be seen at this office. For de
scription, see next page.
Every county should be represented
at the meeting of the 7th Congressional
District Alliance in this city next
Tuesday, 17th inst., by a full delegation.
The meeting will be a most important
one.
J. F. Slade, of Magnolia, writes:
“There are many people in Pike who
will follow the lead of the St. Louis
Conference and expect to organize for
the purpose of sending delegates to
Omaha.”
Bro. Keithley asks the Alliance lead
ers some hard questions. And there
are hundreds and thousands of Alli
ancemen of Mississippi taking the
same frank, sensible view of things he
The Mississippi Legislature was in
session three months, but in that time
adopted an entirely new code of laws
and did a large amount of work be
sides. Congress has been in session
since December 1st, five mouths. Just
think how little it has done by compar
ison.
The Simpson County Alliance has
adopted the resolutions adopted at the
last meeting of the District Alliance
and Messrs. T. N. Touchstone, S. M'
Williamson and C. B. Banks were elect
ed as delegates to the District Alliance,
which meets at Jackson, on Tuesday,
May 17.
A. H. Meckleu, the young editor of
the Canton Progress, is a genius in his
way— a little crude yet not lacking in
the polish which experience will give
to his pen—but a genius nevertheless.
There may be a future Bill Nye or
Mark Twain wrapped up in his cuticle.
Who knows ?
The arrant assumption of the liquor
traffic aud those who are debauched by
its iutluence, finds a fresh illustration.
Though a drunkard of national repu
tation and often requiring an attend
ant, ho it is said, to keep him out of
the Washington gutters, they are actu
ally seriously proposing to nominate
him for President of the Republic.
The Democrats dread the nomina
tion of Blaine, and weU they may.
With him instead of Harrison, as the
Republican sbmdard-bearer, all the
campaign clap-trap about the Force
hill with which the wily political dema
gogues expect to ‘ whoop up” the South
would be a» stale, flat aud unprofitable
■■
i.orisi a !» %•* lwmox.
An Inspiration t« All Moral ai»«l Polltlral
Rffnrntfn.
The example of the anti Lottery earn
paign in Louisiana, which'culminated
on the l!Hh tilt, in such a decisive vic
tory for the Foster ticket, should ever ■
serve as a living inspiration to all mor
al and political reformers. Space
would fail us in an attempt to review
all the varying phases of this memor
able campaign and the conditions
which led up to it.
Brought into existence during the
corrupt carpet bag era in Louisiana and
enjoying a monopoly of that class of
gambling, the Lottery had amassed fab
ulous wealth. As the time approached
for the expiration of its chartered
rights much of this was dispensed in
ostentatious “charity” and in public
benefactions. In presidential cam
paigns it contributed liberally to the
campaign fund of both the leading po
litical parties, and in every fnction:’.l
tight in tiie dominant party of Louisi
ana it would open its coffers to both
factious to insure “a pull” on the win
ner.
It spent hundreds of thousands of
dollars annually in newspaper adver
tising throughout the United States,
literally subsidizing in its interest the
‘ secular press of Louisiana and also a
I large number of papers in Mississippi
and other States, which became its
open sympathizers and defenders and
t flaunted the advertisements of its
i drawings in the faces of their readers.
Lottery gambling gradually popular
i i/.ed all other forms of gambling, and
' its debauching influence and the glam
1 our of its wealth as insidiously as slow
poison permeated and impregnated
j every stratum of Louisiana society,
' and thousands of the most respectable
1 people of New Orleans and other por
i tions of that State grew to look upon
; it with toleration and even as a thing
to be desired for the money it brought,
j much as some Jackson church mem
bers regard Jackson’s high license
I saloons : Not exactly good places to
tram Sunday scnooi cnnuren in. oui
j places that may well lie tolerated by
I people who are not "fanatics" because
j they bring revenue to the city.
It even became the boast of the Lot
| tery advocates that 95 per cent, of the
| Lottery's receipts were gathered from
other States, just as it is the boast of
Jackson and other license towns that
the bulk of the saloon revenue comes
from the country and towns where no
saloons exist.
To add to the difficulty in the way of
reform and the overthrow of the Lot
tery, Louisiana had a cosmopolitan
population, largely foreigners, with
little moral perception at best, and
thousands with none at all on the sub
ject of gambling.
This was the situation when grand
old Governor Nichols spurned the
Lottery bribe of 8100,000 for levy work
in a time of great emergency, and drew
the fire of all the Lottery's hireling
press and heelers. When the Legisla
ture met iu May,1890, and t he same loyal
old Governor sent his memorable mes
sage to that body against a recharter of
the Lottery, the representatives of that
gigantic and purse-proud gambling con
cern who had grown to believe they held
complete control over the destinies of
the State, arrogantly boasted that
every man had his price, and all they
desired was to know what it was and
they would make him their servant.
The long and memorable struggle in
the Legislature for the submission to
the people of a constitutional amend
ment for a new charter, has become
historic and cannot be more than men
tioned here. It ended in the Lottery
gamblers bribing and cajoling two
thirds of the members of each house
into voting for the submission of an
amendment for a recharter. This
amendment, drawn at the dictation ol
John A. Morris, the Lottery's head
provided that he and six unnamed as
sociates should have an exclusive
monopoly of all Lottery franchises ii
the State for 25 years from the expira
tion of the old charter, for which the
Lottery was to pay the State the enor
mous sum of 81,250,000 per year. Te
make the bribe more tempting to the
people, it was specifically provided thai
this enormous sum was to be divider
out, so many hundreds of thousand;
each for charitable institutions, school
and levy purposes and to maimed and
disabled ex-Confederate soleliers. A
more brazen and cunningly elevised
scheme—a more insulting proposition
to bribe anel morally and politically en
slave a whole State was never witness
ed in a civilized nation.
Though Morns and most of his Lot
tery associates were Republicans and
the Legislature overwhelmingly Demo
cratic (in name) a majority of the Dem
ocrats combined with the Republican
members to sell their State to this
gambling monopoly just as Democrats
iu Congress for the last 20 years have
combined with Republicans to keep
I the people in financial and political
bondage to the National Bank monopo
ly and the National Whisky Combine,
When the time drew nigh for the
nomination of a new set of State of
ficers and Legislature, the Lottery, by
the laws of affinity, had drawn to its po
litical support all the corrupt and vi
cious elements in the State, with what
is known as the old Burke-McEnery
ring in the lead. McEnery, by whose
decision, as one of the Supreme Judges,
the Lottery amendment was declared
constitutionally submitted by the Leg
islature, became the Lottery’s candi
date for Governor, and, wonderful to
tell, the newspapers and henchmen of
the Lottery, whose scheme had only
gotten through the Legislature by the
solid negro Republican vote, combined
with that df the traitorous so-called
Democrats, with an effroutry never
surpassed, boldly proclaimed them
selves the champions of white suprem
t ■ '
acy and the only representatives of
pure and undefiled Democracy in the
State.
The various dodges and subterfuges
resorted to by the Lottery and its
champions to deceive the people, at
different stages of the long and mem
orable struggle, is clearly and forcibly
set forth in an article copied on first
page of to day's paper from the New
Delta.
The Leader desires now to briefly
direct the mind of the reader to anoth
er aspect of the subject. That was
what appeared to be tin* utter hopeless
ness of the undertaking when the
movement for the overthrow of the
Lottery was inaugurated. Compared
to it the destruction of what remains
of the liquor traffic in Mississippi I
might bo considered a holiday frolic
and the overthrow of the money power
and whisky combine of the nation a
1 common place campaign. The New
Delta well observes, that people outside
of Louisiana could form no just con
i' eeptiou of its magnitude and the diffi
culties encountered by the anti-Lot
tcryitos in their brave and heroic ef
forts for the honor and emancipation
of their State from the Lottery's
clutches. Much has been attributed to
outside sentiment which constantly
grew in strength and potency as the
i light progressed, and to the passage of
the anti-Lottery postal law and the de
cision of the Supreme Court sustaining
! it. which caused the withdrawal of the
Lottery amendment before the election.
But it \v!is really due to the efforts and
agitation of the Louisiana anti-Lottery
League that the anti-lottery postal law
was secured and outside sentiment
crystalized.
When (lie anti-Lottery League was
organized soon after Gov. Nicholls
spurned the Lottery's bribe for the
levies, there were scarcely a corporal's
guard of people in New Orleans who
would dare be heard to whisper a word
iii'jmiM it. xnw iuntm*ut1 puiw-piuuu
gamblers with their &20,(X)0,000 a year
of ill-gotten gains, wore well nigh the
undisputed monarchs of all they sur
veyed. They had the press muzzled
and some of the pulpits. When the
l New Delta, edited by C. Harrison
1 Parker, a Jackson raised boy, of whom
j Jackson and Mississippi should ever
| foci proud, was started as a little four
page evening daily, it could scarcely
I liiul a place amid its cold and uucon
i genial surroundings for standing-room.
It was boycotted by the merchants and
business men. the news agents and the
nows boys, aud considered as much of
a meddlesome intruder as a Prohibi
tion paper was in Jackson ten years
ago, or a religious daily would be in
Vicksburg at the present. It literally
had to hew its way into public recogni
tion, and this the gallant and intrepid
Parker did with a nerve, ability and
incisiveness never equalled in South
ern journalism.
In the Legislature there was a brave
little band of one-third of the Senate
headed by the dauntless leader Murphy
|.I. Foster, h:k1 one-third of the House
by the equally intrepid Dan Caffery.
: "The little handful of fanatics" (a fa
! miliar charaeterzatiou to Prohibition
j ists), were sneered at and jeered at by
the Lottery lords, their papers aud
j political tools as beneath contempt,
j For a time, break after break in the
levies of the rich riparian parishes
seemed like the Great Father of waters
himself was arguing for a perpetuation
of the Lottery. Only the moral cour
age which comes of heaven-born con
viction and a patriotic love of State
like love for mother, could havo stood
j
; resolute and unblanched amidst such
untoward surroundings. The very
heroism of the little band of anti-Lot
tery reformers was enough to challenge
the sympathy and admiration of every
person outside of Louisiana who could
apprectate so noble a virtue.
But the heroic Elijahs who stood at
first for God and country against such
odds, soon found that their proud old
State had four hundred and many
times four hundred loyal sons who had
never bowed the knee to the Lottery
Baal. The right began to assert itself,
and wrong was quickly put on the de
i fensive. From the time the State Far
i mers" Alliance, which held the true
democratic doctrine of death to all
monopolies, and "equal rights to all
■ and special privileges to none,” met in
Baton Rouge aud formed an alliance
j with the anti-lottery forces of New Or
■ leans and other portions of the State,
the doom of the Lottery’ and the corrupt
| political ring which represented it, was
sealed. Every preacher in the State
: worth the band on his hat, from l)r. Pal
j
mer down, for the once, became a poli
tician, and the preachers aud the farm
ers became the best fighters in the re
j form army, all being aided, cheered
and encouraged by the true and de
voted daughters of the Pelican State.
Let us in conclusion sum up some
of the lessons to bo learned from this
! memorable struggle.
1. That no oause is ever holeless
which is based on moral principle.
2. That the moral conviction of a
people, when once aroused by a sense of
wrong or an impending danger,becomes
j a mighty and irresistable force which
may remove mountains.
3. That this power is always under
estimated by men, no„ matter how
shrewd, who are accustomed to viewing
matters from a merely material and
sordid standpoint.
4. That the money power, the cor
rupt political parties and the whisky
oligarchy of this Nation are underesti
mating this power to-day, and their
overthrow will be the next great victory
the reform forces will accomplish.
5. That the farmers—the honest,
moral and patriotia yeomanry of the
country—are the bone and sinew of
every great reform movement. New
Orleans with her hoodlums and saloons
—her gambling hells and rich iner
chauauts’ exchanges—and all the
towns of any size in Louisiana,
arave big majorities for McEnery
sad the Lottery, and this vote was only
overcome by the large anti-Lottery
reserves of the country.
THE Hi ll-TRKASl KY IN THK SENATE.
On the 2nd inst. Senator Call, Demo
cratic Senator from Florida, offered a
resolution which was laid on the table,
subject to call, providing for a special
committee to consider and report
legislation to relieve the scarcity of
money among the farmers, to reduce
the rate of interest to farmers to ob
tain money on farms and crops, and to
establish some sub-treasury or banking
system by which, through government
aid, money could be kept within the
reach of a community in sums suffi
cient for their need, to be loaned to
them at low rates; to devise agine sys
tem of rates by which the flow of money
to commercial centres could be limited,
so as to leave sufficient amounts in all
sections of the country for the respec
tive communities.
Some may take comfort at this mod
est recognition which has thus been
given by Democratic Senator to the
demand of the tillers of the soil for
more and cheaper money, but the
Leader expects to see nothing serious
come of it. If the committee asked
for is granted, it will take pains not to
report until after the Presidential
campaign. Meantime Democratic ora
tors, on all safe occasions when the
representatives of plutocracy are not
in hearing, will use the Call resolution
as campaign thunder to catch A lliance
votes, by pointing to it as an earnest
of what their party proposes to do for
the dear farmer if he will only help to
vote them into power this one time
more. After the election, no matter
how it might go, these same orators and
the committee,woulddeclare“the whole
scheme as wild, impracticable and
visionary,” while the gold-bugs would
laugh right out loud at the way the
"hay-seeders” and "red-necks” were
gulled.
-—
A WOKI) or CAUTION TO ALLIAX K
MEN,
Alliancemen should take heed and
never, on any accasion, in the capacity
of their Alliance organization, take
partisan political action. The Alliance
must be essentially a political organi
zation to carry out its principles, but,
in its organic capacity, it should never
take partisan political action. It
should not commit itself to the sup
port of the Democratic party, the Peo
ple's party, the Prohibition party or
any other party. The moment it does
so it becomes partisan and violates
one of tho fundamental laws of its
being which declares it non-partisan
arid guarantees that the Order shall in
no way interfere with the religions or
political liberty of any of its mem
bers. As citizens, Alliancemen may
endorse any party they please, but not
when organized as an Alliance.
Alliance brethren are urged to bear
this caution constantly in mind. There
is nothing that will more speedily de
stroy the Alliance than to convert it
into a partisan political machine.
The resolution adopted by the Hinds
County Alliance last Friday, by which
an effort is made to commit tho Alli
ance membership bodily to the sup
port of the Democratic party, is sub
ject to this criticism. The Alliance is
too great and important an organiza
tion to the farmers, to be manipulated
for the benefit of the Democratic or
any other party. Remember that!
HON. CLABKE LEWIS.
Hon. Clarke Lewis is announced as a
candidate for re-election to Congress
Becoming a candidate for United States
Senator last year on the Ocala platform
to succeed Senator Walthall, when it
was necessary to pull Senator George
through by keeping the magnetic Wal
thall in the race, nolens volens, Mr
Lewis suffered a depreciation at the
hands of the George press and par
tisans which ilid him great injustice.
He is not only a man of fine scholarly
^attainments, with a thorough knowl
edge of the political history of this
country, but possesses a knowledge of
the finances of the government to
which few men of his age can lay
claim. His speeches on that subject
were never answered in last year's can
vass, except by ridicule, which did not
meet the arguments he advanced. He
is a clean man, an honest man. He
spurns the tricks and methods of the
time-serving demagogue, and lias the
courage of his convictions on all ques
tions. He is always in his place in
Congress and occupies the second place
on, me committee on Agriculture,
where he is ever watchful of the inter
ests of his constituents and the farm
ers of the country generally.
It is announced that Mr. Lewis is a
candidate, subject to the action of the
Democratic party. It does not matter
whet her he runs as a Democrat or not;
he is every way worthy of the support
of the people of his district and should
be returned to his present seat.
TWO PARTIES W ITHOUT DANGER TO
WHITE SUPREMACY.
We believe we have one of the best
Constitutions in the United States, if
not the very best for our peculiar condi
tions. We can now hare two competing
parties in the State as safely as any
State iu the Union, and we are in a con
dition to so protect and guard our local
affairs, that the Federal Government
cannot interfere with us to onrdetrhnent,
any more than It could with any North
ern State. Our civilisation Is safe, for
white supremacy is guaranteed forever.
—Vicksburg Commercial-Herald.
The more cotton seed the farmers
points this year in the shape of fprtil
user around his corn, the better will be
the yield for him next fall
TO AUIAKCKMBH.
An original Alliance man who has
long read the Leader and appreciates
it for its independence, candor and
courage in discussing men, measures
and parties, has furnished ns the names
of many Alliance brethren he would
like to have sample copies of the paper
sent to. If you are an AlLiauceman
and receive a sample copy this week,
understand that is why it was sent,
and that you are requested to read the
paper, and if you like it, become a sub
scriber. It will be sent one year for
one dollar ; six months for 50 cents, or
three mouth for 25 cents. Any broth
er who sends us a club of five yearly
subscribers ami five dollars, will get, an
extra copy otic year; or any one sending
us a club of ten subscribers at '>0 cents
each, will got the paper himself one
year free.
The Leader claims that it is the only
paper published at Jackson that will
give the plain facts about men and
parties without fear or favor. Head it
awhile, and you will be convinced its
claims are just.
THE rKOri.E’S PARTY.
The Call for the Konriuako Convention
Tomorrow Reneimlotl.
The Leader is requested to give
notice that the call for a State Conven
tion of People's party men at Koscius
ko, Friday, May 13th. issued by the
State Executive Committee of the Peo
ple's Party of Leake county, has been
withdrawn by the authority issuing it.
The Leake committee join with chair
man Lynch, of the State Executive
Committee, in requesting all People's
party men to meet in their respective
counties on June 15th, and elect dele
gates to the State Convention of the
People’s party to convene in Jackson
Wednesday, June 22nd.
THE PROHIBITION STATE CONVEN
TION.
The Leader hopes to see a large at
tendance at Hie Prohibition party Con
vention in Jackson next Tuesday, 17th
inst. Chairman Ware and other rep
resentatives of the Prohibition party
specially desire and invite People's
party men, who favor tlie suppression
of the liquor traffic and a declaration
of war on the Whisky Trust, as well as
on all other monopolies, to attend the
Convention for a conference, looking
to a union or co-operation of the two
parties in Mississippi.
There oughtuiot to be any insuper
able difficulty in the way of all earnest
reformers finding a common standing
ground.
Roducod Rates to State Prohibition Con
vention.
Chairman Waro writes us that all
railroads in the State will pass and re
turn delegates to the State Prohibi
tion Convention May 17th for one and
one-third regular fare, on the certifi
cate plan. Delegates should be cer
tain to secure certificates from the
railroad agent at starting point, so
they can be countersigned by the Sec
retary of the Convention.
Mr. Ware also authorizes the Leader
to say that he desires as many People's
party men as possible to attend the
[ Prohibition Convention for the pur
pose of conference, with a view to unit
ing and co-operating in the coming
campaign.
A Test Case.
The Natchez Democrat of Friday last
has the following:
Probably the first test of the saloon
law will be made in the circuit court
of Adams county, and the outcome will
of course be watched with interest.
Services in mandamus proceedings on
the sheriff and city clerk by Mr. George
A. Finnell, who had been refused a li
cense, were executed on Wednesday
night, and the case will come up for a
hearing in the circuit court next week.
A correspondent of the Clarion sug
gests the following as delegates-at
large to the National Democratic Con
vention : Hon. Wm. H. Sims, of
Lowndes; Hon. P. W. Peeples, of Hinds;
Hon. LeRoy Percy, of Washington, and
Hon. T. S. Ford, of Marion. Three
lawyers and one bank president!
Where do the Sub-Treasury Alliance
leaders come in who are exercising
themselves to hold the Alliance in the
good old party ? We presume they are
expected to be satisfied with “taffy”
and “conservatism."
rue IjEADEB does not impugn the
motives of the Alliance leaders of this
State who are trying to commit Alii
ancemen to the support of the Demo
cratic party organization. We accord
them the same houesty and sincerity
we claim for ourself. But we are none
the less persuaded they are making u
tremendous blunder in trying to make
the Alliance a tail to the National
Democratic party kite, while Wall
street controls its flight.
The Leader must not be considered
as editorially endorsing the opinions
of correspondents and the utterances
of uewspapers from which it copies,
unless It is expressly so stated. We
believe in allowing great latitude of
expression on all matters of public in
terest. Much is published to excite
thought, and to show one class of read -
ers what anolher class is thinking
about. __
Ignorance is the implacable foe and
inherent enemy of honest thought and
candid expression, The man who
thinks independently, and expresses
his thoughts boldly, is sure to he the
target of obloquy and ignorant envy.
It is a sad fact, but it is nevertheless
true, that some people can compliment
you only by their opposition ami dis
like for yon— Greenwood Enterprise.
The Hattiesburg Democrat and
Courier have consolidated, and will be
inducted in the future by J. M. Wil
liamson apd R. H. Harris under the
name of the Democrat.
■ MB*-*' v; ■
* >-rv.*■ * • t
AN ADDRESS
To the Brotherhood of the Na
tional Farmer's Alliance
and Indrstrial Virion.
By tin* Conference of Alliance
l.oaders a; Blrnt’«?rh«ni.
A Message to tin* Bretliren in
the North and West.
We, the president and exceuuvo oi
flcers of the States of Tennessee, Ken
tucky, .Missouri, Texas, Louisiana. V ir
ginia, .Mississippi, Alaoamu, Georgia,
West Virginia and Florida together
with members of our national executive
committees, national legislative com
mittee, national judiciary committee
aud President L. L. Polk, having been
called together in council to consider
the reported peculiar conditions in the
order in the Sout hern States, which, it
was believed, seriously threatened that
harmony, brotherly love and unity of
action so necessary to the success of
our cause, and tho success of our order
in these States, after counseling to
gether and hearing detailed reports,
rejoice to say to you that we feel great -
ly encouraged and inspired by the
splendid spirit of unity and determin
ed adherence to principle, which per
haps the order in nearly every one of
these States, notwithstanding the com
bined effort of our enemies to sow seeds
of discord in our ranks, pending tho
heated political contests, local and
national. We therefore feel it our
duty, as servants of the people we rep
resent. standing upon the out posts and
watch tower of this, tho greatest polit
ical revolution ever known to the na
tion, to say to you that we have enter
ed a crucial period Ih the history of
our great reform movement, in which
the greatest caution, earnest delibera
tion and strict adherence to our princi
ples are necessary to preserve intact
that organization which stands to-day
as tho sheet anchor and hope of mil
lions of wealth producers in tho great
battle for the God given rights of
humanity. You are congratulated
upon the great harmony and unity of
sentiment in regard to Alliance princi
ples which prevails within your border,
and upon the fact that a careful can
vass of the subject at this meeting lias
shown that practically the members of
the order in these States stand square
ly upon the demands, with the avowed
determination of holding devotion to
them above that to any method of ac
tion, and that today the number of
those who so endorse tho principles of
the Alliance is much greater than ever
before. A sentiment also prevails,
strong and uniform, that the great or
der, as an organization is the greatest
of all modern forces for the spread of
reform education, and that its work
must 1)0 perpetuated and encouraged
in this high sphere, entirely free from
any partisan entanglements. The only
dangers which seem in any way to
threaten a lack of the fullest develop
ment and prosperity of the order
are those which attend the dis
position of a few men and papers to
publicly criticise and condemn others
for their methods. This is not of suf
ficient extent to damage the order, but
it mars that perfect unity that should
prevail and always injures all concern
ed, and is contrary to the spirit of
brotherly love and forbearance that
should prevail. Another evil which
fortunately prevails only in a very few
localities is the disposition of mem
bers to seek political office at the hands
of their brethren, forgetting that prin
ciple of alliance doctrine which de
clares that the office should seek tho
man aud not the man the office. In
consideration of these views as to tho
situation the following rules of action
are suggested as well calculated to en
able the order to go through tho com
ing ordeal of a fierce political contest
ami comos out strengthened and puri
fied :
First —Let a spirit of harmony pre
vail aud let unity of action be the rule;
let none condemn a brother who stands
squarely by the principles of tho order,
or speak in any way disparagingly or
disrespectfully of him because they
may differ as to the best methods of
enforcing our principles. Grant to
every brother honesty of purpose.
Second—Let fealty to the priuoiples
of the order he the true and only test
of membership, and let those who value
their, partisan affiliations more than
their Alliance obligations be informed
that their order demands strict and
full devotion to its principles, aud
leaves each to his own choice as to
methods, but that the methods can in
no case control the principle and there
fore all who affiliate should accept as
supreme the principles of tk,e order.
Third - Every member who takes the
obligation always administered to
those who join is first told as a condi
tion precedent and upon which all that
is to follow is predicated: ‘‘That it
shall in no way interfere with your
political or religious liberty."
Therefore this order, as such, or any
of its branches has no right to take
any partisan, political or sectarian re
ligious action. We urge upon the
brotherhood of all reform organiza
tions and all good citizens who believe
as we do, that the enactment of laws
based upon our demands is for the
preservation of the free institutions of
our government and to rescue the
masses trom degraded servitude ; mat
they use all honorable means to secure
the election of men to our national leg
islative councils who stand pledged
to work for the passage of such laws.
Finally, brethren, remember that de
votion to our principles can only be
employed and our influence made ef
fectual by voting for our demands at
the ballot box. We send greeting to
the brotherhood of the north and great
northwest and assure them that our
hearts beat in unison „ with them in
their efforts for industrial freedom,
and we will stand by them in all laud
able efforts to redeem this country
from the clutches of organized capital,
and that we will stand with them at
the ballot box for the enforcement of
our demands. Signed by all the mem
bers of the convention.
The W. c. i. u.
0O8I3TH, Miss., May 7 - The sessions
of the State Convention of the W, C,
T. U. closed to-day. The next meeting
place is Greenville, the time being May
5,1893. There has been a large attend
ance and much interest. The officers
for the ensuing year are: President,
Mrs. L. S. Mount, Greenville; first vice
| president, Mrs. Fannie Clark, Shannon;
! second vice-president, Mrs. Beall, West
Point; third vice-president, Mrs. Quineh
Oxford; treasurer, Miss Zella McLau
ren, Meridian; corresponding secretary,
Mrs. Harper, Fayette; recording secre
tary Miss Madge Montgomery, Stark
ville; Stated organizer, Mrs. Erviu, Co
lumbus; State. evangelist, Mrs. Snell,
Columbus.
Delegates to the national convention,
which meets at Denver: Mrs. Marj^Cur
lee, Corinth; Mrs. Fannie Clark, Shan
non; Mrs. W. H. Wall, Sardis.
' • - f T
WHY WAX,, sthIT
rh»t i. w-h„ % %In
Pertinently A*ks the Am ""■•a
Krlitor Mississippi *"*'
Our State President, Mr j
in liis address to the Allhue. £?**’
to “stand Mill." As one who ; M
ions for information, i ,,,k * anr
should stand still, if Wo “ . h' we
l,y what we have been taught
lenders have formulated demand, £
impressed the necessity „f
upon them, but as soon as the”41**0*
least some of them, find th«t
unit on them, and are ro i.lv 7® area
forward and intend to abide
they call a halt. Is it wILYk0*®’
a violation of tho Allium.,, con&w
in our making an ofr<>rt t„ *♦„, £!!
evds of class legislation that the?hm
been so industrious y educating n.
»»? No. Mr K.Wo,..u,Y..,:,TC
a violation of any of the iiiiaJI! .w
ciples, but they do see if the tmeS
cy of the Alliance is carried out in a ,
attempt to enforce our demands C
it iuovitably loads from modem deni,
racy, and their partisanism islstlT
they tell us to “stand still' tron#
But the history of the organization
shows that a great many leaftm £°“
come to the front, got at the headTf
the advancing columns, and even did
efficient work for awhile, hut srm«
cherished part isan hobby would l*come
endangered and then they fell hv th*
wayside or were set down upon hv th.
A Ilian#. Then the plutocUc
would make a hero or martyr as the
case may be, of such a one, while the
Alliance, ns a body, has bravely and
successfully moved on as though noth
ing had happened. But since we have
been taught by our leaders the cause
of the discrimination against the labor
ing people by the lawmakers of our
government both Republicans and
Democrats why was the necessity of
uniting upon these demands so im
pressed upon us if the intention was
not to enforce them ? Do they see
any hope for any reform in the Demo,
cratie, party while it clings to the hast
and allows Wall street to dictate the
policy of the party? We Alliaucemen
see no hope except for the South and
West to form a political union and take
tho control of the government from
the hands of the Eastern States. The
intornsfM of 1l»f» Ss.illtli ninl
the same, politically and tinaneially,
and our oppression comes from tiie
same source; we realize further that
the Democratic bosses are as bitter
against our demands as the Republi
cans have ever been. What can we ex
pect in the future from the Democratic
party when we see the silver coinage
Dill defeated in the House of Repre
sentatives with a Democratic majority
of 118 and the People's party congress
men aud a few Western Republicans
voting with them ?
Again, have we not as much right to
cast our vote for the man or party that
promises to help us out of trouble as
have any other class to cast their votes
for their choice? When we propose
to stand by our demands the cry goes
out “tho Alliance has gone into poli
tics! " I deny the oft repeated charge
that the Alliance has gone into politics,
1ml will emphatically assert that poli
tics has gone into the Alliance and
gone there to stay.
What argument does our worthy
State President produce in behalf of
modern Democracy'? Can lie show
any difference between tho Eastern
and even some of the so-called South
ern Democrats, and the Republicans
on the question of linanee ? Why send
us to school, educate us and then try
to keep us from taking advantage of
opportunities that present themselves
to us ? Jt would have been much easier
to make us “stand still” if we had not
been trained, than it will be since we
realize the cause of our trouble.
What brought the Alliance into ex
istence ? Was it not political oppres
sion ? That being the case, no one can
justly claim but that tint is its princi
pal mission, i. e. to combat that oppres.
sion. 1 can see no cause for obstruct
ing the progress of tlu‘ farmer in his
effort to obtain relief unless it be blind
partisanism or mercenary motive. 80
long as the Alliance man went on ana
did not question tho right of Wall
street to dictate Democratic policy ana
voted for some office-seeker that cared
more for spoils of office than he did for
his people’s interest, there was not that
continual slur thrown opt, ,"ttie Ai •
ance has gone into politics. On- u >
he was a very good Alliance man •
long as he followed mutely on and li -
ed to please somebody else; but now
soon as he proposes to work and to
for principles the cry increases gone
into politics.” Well, yes, Mr. E •
none into politics, if it (neases o
the demagogue and partisan. il11 , t
make no mistake, in the near .
we will make it lively for some po
bosses. We would gladly fccei , „
reforms asked for through the^agenoj
of the Democratic party, but a •
have stood still too long hoping
Congress would see the needs of tn
people and come to their re lie . ^
could not get what litt»e benefit
have come to us through free siRer
coinage, • “the dollar of the » uow
So I say in conclusion to my n(i9
farmers, move on, stand by oiu < t1
and vote for them like 4$e ketulky.
MSGUSTEU WITH THE PLI> TAKTI
Another Copiah Man S|aah» HU S**
inenta.
Gallman, May 6,1*B.
Editor Mississippi Loader:
I think the time has <-ome when^N
rank and file of our farmer.
u«* ^1/1nartv leaders, ^*55
every farmer who has k,oi{l ‘"present
regard to the actions of
congress is awfully disgust* rm 0J
that there is no hope for any ejt^3
relief for the laboring dlasa* ^
of the old parties. 1 . u0 more
a few men among us, *ho« tKJ
interest in the Alliance
some of our enenuos- i ‘ nd thd
all some men want «' ° t'l0W. can
great question with t¥*Vether in tb«
be the more successful, , * ^jjeq
old party or in th.
some have come to tne c *1
the old party is best tlx
ready organized, and t T tj,e onlj
party lash, you know, I wheth
thing to be governed by { ,md if it b
er a thing is right oi •t
right, do it at all hazimt ^ yeI
I find the third party »^u““d it is «
strong among the ft*‘''u ir(^iy flirt '
strong that you can oB tb
group of them on the ■ t(joy say1
farm or elsewhere, b’lt * ^e £>eopk
new party is allthe *??* 0f jntelligeh
I was In a mass meeting sfutim®*
farmers last week and i imOUs. 1
seemed to be almost una.un^
not, it was so noarlyu eveiyfa
no one darod oppose it ^ wa
low that spoke of “-ftrnu every ef
greeted with applause tbaJtl