Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1891 — THE FARMERS ARE FOXY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE FARMERS ARE FOXY

THEY AVOID ALL ENTANGLING ALLIANCE®. They Stand by the Ocala Platform, the Sub-Treasury' Plan, and Fire the State Business Agents from MembershipPresident Polk Re-elected. Result of the Convention. Nearly every politician in the country had his eyes upon ths Supreme Council of the Farmers’ Alliance at Indlanap

oils. The Alliance 1 has not been a pollt- • ical organization, , and it was the un- , certainty whether it , would declare in fa- • vor of taking a han 1 , ■"-in the saving of the country, which will be in the regular or- J dor of th ugs neyear, or not, t' kept alive so n

of interest among the professiona' lors. Then, too, the National F. B. A. whs also in session at the sa’ and place, which tended not a f Untutle to excite speculation as to the outcome. There were present nearly men who have attained prorXiamwe In this movement, among the A those w hose portraits are presented, t n this article. Upon the assembling of ithe Supreme Coun-cil Jlhyor Su/Hvhn delivered an address to which J. F. Till-, man, secretary of the executive committee, responded. At the open meeting on the first evening President Polk delivered his annual address. He began by calling attention to tho grave responsibilities which rest upon the members of the Supreme Council and predicting glor.'ous results if the power of the alliance was wisely directed. The speaker, after presenting an argument showing discrimination against the agricultural classes, proceeded to state their demands, saying: “We demand government control of transportation: we demand the retention of our public domain for the use of our own people; we demand the prohibition of gambling in futures of agricultural

and mechanical products; we demand tho free coinage of silver; we demand that no class or interest shall be taxed to build up any other class or interest; wo demand the election of United States senators by the direct vote of the people; we demand a graduated tax on incomes; but, more important than all these, broader and deeper than all these, uro first of all these, Is she transcendentally paramount demand t|yit our nat oual bank system fie abolished and that the people’s money shall be issued to the people direct by the government at a low rate of interest and in sufficient Volume to meet the requirements of our grow'ng population and trade. “The supreme issue before the American people is and m ;st te financial reform. These lowers and functions, designed by tho framers of our constitution for the benefit of the j eople, and which have been stealthily usurped and Appropriated by corporate and monopolistic combinations, must be restored to the people, to whom they rightfully belong This can be done only through persistent effort, unswerving fidelity to principle and harmo ilous,united action.” Early in a business session President Polk laid before the convention the official letter addressed to him by Chairman W. S. McAllister, of Mississippi, requesting to be heard in behalf of the

complaints and protests of the anti-Sub-Treasury Alliance men. The letter produced the wildest confusion and disorder. Several members yelled out. “We don't want to hear anything from McAl ister. He has done more to destroy us than all our enemies put together. Down with his trick to sow discord among us. ” Finally a motion to appoint a committee of five to consider the protest,prevailed by a two thirds majority, and the convention also immediately adopted a resolution to stand by the Sub-Treasury plan. It was arranged that Dr. Yeamans present the protest before the National Alliance, and that a reply be permitted. Later, the committee of the antis was informed that they could not be heard unless they furnished the council with a copy of the protest. This the antis refused to do un ess they could present their protest in icrson, and that ended negotiations between the two wings of, the Alliance. Discussions upon many questions were spirited, but resulted in no decisive action. The election of o ncers resulted in the re ection ot L. L. Polk, President; J. H. Loucks, of South Lakota, Vice President: J. H. Turner was re-eiected Secretary Treasurer, and J. F. Willetts, of Kansas, National Lecturer. The committee on -confederation of the various industrial organizat:ons is composed cf five representatives from each of six organizations, and was chosen by the latter for the purpose of calling a congress of all the labor and industrial classes It had been decided previously to convene the congress at Washington, on Feb 22, but the South and West made such strong objections to that place that it became necessary to decide upon some other location. The matter occasioned lengthy discussion, and ended in reierring the question to a s b-committee. consisting of Messrs, 'lerrell, Taubeneck and Baumgarten, with instructions that either Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Chicago, or Springfield, 111., be chosen This committee will make a decis on soon. A committee of fonr, consisting of G W. MaCune and H. Baumgarten, F. W. Gilrnth and J. B. Steele, was appointed to prepare the address to the laboring people, setting forth the objects and purposes of the February meeting, which address is to be published within twenty days. The committee on constitution «ubMitted a lengthy report, making various

recommendations, and eve „ mendation was adopted. p amendments th • State btr J 01 the who have heretofore be- i£awsss agents, the council, were exclr ®‘ erabers °* burs hip. from memAn amendment a' > Knisht; of Labor •«•’»•» the Under the const! .T* 8 ® BO adcpted. “mix.d oecupatic w & member-hip. br /on.. W ' e^ e ent t!ed t 0 pealed and the J '“"‘t « !a “ B ® * as *«” tormina on or ®«’« ii s>on showed a deto confine it< ‘ >’ art of the Alliance farm labore •Omtership to farmers and The cla tloual ler 4ft,ew h' c 'h provides for a navarious council com posed of the strick' ¥ita * e Alliance presidents was con ♦ A substi ute was adopted elec a committee of five to be v j. A'rtilby the council and to act as ad--r Asry to the Pre idcnt. Another amendjftntt permits females to pay the ier owpita tax and become the basis of repI mesentation as well as males. f A. resolution was offered, asking Con- : 'Brees to pei.sion only honorably discharged an 1 ii.d gent soldiers anl to i (PM>v.de for the i ayment of ad pensions 1 'by issuing Sub-Treasury- -notes for that (purpose. Jerry Simpson and General Weaver lei the opposition, and Congressman Livingston, 1 resident Tolk and others from the South favored its adoption. When put to a 'ote the resolution was carried by a decide! majority. The scandal growing out of the connection of the State agents with the National Union Company was called to

the at ention of the council by the submission of a report which recommended that the National Union Company be indorsed by the council. The whole matter was laid upon the table. A resolution was then adopte 1 declaring that the council was not respon ible lor the acts of the business agents. lhe Ocala platform was approved with but two changes in the word- <?■? t * le Ü b-Treasury p'ank. \\ here that sect’on now reads “sha'l loan money” upon imperishable farm products it is changed to “shall issue money,” and where it reads “not morn than 2 per cent interest” the last word is changed to “tax. ” The report was received with cheers. '1 he first official boycott ever declared by the Al ianre was ordered against the clothing exchange of Rochester, N. Y. Some 13,C00 garment makers are now locked out, and the Alliance denounced the concern as a trust, and ordered the State Alliance to investigate as to stores thgtsolj exchange goods and refuse to buy thenl. The resolution instructing alliance congressmen not to take part in party caucus was defeated and a substitute adopted asking them not to participate in a caucus “if the Ocala demands were . likely to be sacrificed.” A memorial indorsing D. P. Duncan, of South Carolina, for a place on the interstate commerce commission to succeed General Bragg was adopted, and a committee composed of President Polk,

J. B. Beverley, of Virginia, and Hugh Afitchcll. of Maryland, named to personally present it to President Harrison.

L. L. POLK.

JERRY SIMPSON.

TAUBENECK. L. F. LIVINGSTON.

C. W. M’CUNE. NORTHERN .

TILLMAN. F. M’GRATH.