Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1890 — NATIONAL ALLIANCE. [ARTICLE]

NATIONAL ALLIANCE.

MEETING OF THE FARMERS AT OCALA. FLORIDA. Many Hundred* of Delegate* PresentAddress of the President—The Proceed, tag*. The National Farmers’ Alliance convened atOcala, Fla,,on the2d. A publie meeting was held at the Opera House, at which were one thousand people. President Rogers, of the Florida Alliance, presided. Gen. Fleming welcomed the delegates, and was followed by the Hon. John S. Dunn, State Senator, and a prominent aspirant for the U. S. Senatorship to succeed Senator Calk President Foulks, of the South Dakota Alliance, also made a short address, in which he predicted victory for the Alliance at the ballot box in 1892—a sentiment ■ which the delegates cheered to an echo. All the speakers of the afternoon dwelt forcibly upon • the breaking down of sectional lines, and predicted the general prevalence, within a short time, of the ideas embodied in the Alliance platform, adopted at St. Louis President Polk was introduced by Mr. Rogers, and delivered his annual address. After a few congratulatory sentences, he said: Profoundly impressed with the magnitude of this , great revolution for reform, involving issues momentous and stupendous in their character as affecting the present and future welfare of the people, the public mind is natuf all jr directed to this meeting with anxious interest, if not solicitude, and you can not be unmindful of the importance and responsibility that attach to your action as representatives, coming from States and localities remote from each other, and differing widely from each other in their material and physiological characteristics, and marked by those social and political differences which must necessarily arise under our form of government. It is our gracious privilege, as it shall be your crowning honor; to prove to the world by your harmonious action and thoroughly fraternal co-opera-tion, that your supreme purpose is to meet the demands of patriotic duty in a spirit of equity and justice. The address congratulated the Alliance on its achievements since the last meeting, and then reviewed the causes of agricultural depression. The president declared that this depression is an anomally to the student of industrial progress. He said: Retrogression in American agriculture means national decay, and powerful and promising as is this young giant republic yet its power and glory touch not the degradation of the American farmer. The harm incident to the centralization of the money power and the upbuilding of monopolies was then pointed out, and both political parties were condemned for forcing and encouraging this condition. With reference to extending the order, the president nrged that additional organizers be sent at once into Oregon, Washington, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Arizona and other States. In his remarks upon the proposed National legislative council President Polk said: I would respectfully suggest that a legislative council be formed, to be composed of your National president, who shall be ex-officio chairman, and the presidents, of all the State Alliances represented in the supreme council, and that this body shall hold its annual meeting within sixty days after the adjournment of the supreme council at such time and place as may be indicated by the National president; that it be empowered and authorized to appoint such legislative committees as in its judgmentmay be wise, and that it be required to transmit to each of the States, in printed form, through the National secretary ,for distribution to the reform press, lecturers and membership of the order, all such measures or bills, together with arguments in their favor, as they may decide should be enacted into law. j President Polk said that an organization of this kind would wield a mortal power which would enforce the respect of any legislative body to which it might appeal. Touching upon the political action of the alliance, President Polk said: While our organization is political it can not be partisan or sectional in its action. In support of we proudly point to our whole past record and to the recent popular election, and particularly to the noble and patriotic bearing of the brotherhood in Kansas and South Carolina. In reviewing the record of the alliance during the past year, and especially with reference to the legislation demanded by it, the speaker declared that Congress bad persistently ignored all alliance propositions and even suppressed discussion of them, notably in the case of the measure known as the sub-treasury bill. “Congress,” he said, “must con • nearer to the people or the people will get nearer to congress.” The remainder of the address was devoted to a discussion of financial reform and the policy of the alliance in uproqtjng sectionalism. As outlining the future financial policy of the alliance, President Polk said that it will demand the restoration of silver to all the rights and qualities of legal tender which gold possesses; the issue of government currency direct to the people; the equalization of taxes; prohibition of alien ownership of lands: ownership and control of transportation lines by the ! Government; a limit of public revenues to the economical administration of the Government; gradual taxation of incomes and the election of U. S. Senators by a direct vote of the people. At the conclusion of President Polk’s address the Alliance resolved itself into a sort of “love during which C. A. Power, and old Union soldier from Indiana, moved that all ex-soldiers in the hall who indorsed the sentiments expressed in the speech of President Foulks, of South Dakota, with reference to the burial of sectionalism, rise up to be counted. The motion prevailed and between forty and fifty stood up amid the wildest enthusiasm. Under the inspiration of this good feeling an ex-Union soldier from Wisconsin stood up in his seat and called upon all Union soldiers present to give three cheers for the old confederates in the Alliance. They were given with a will. Then it was the confederates turn and they cheered the old soldiers of the Union with a volume and heartiness that raised no doubt as to the ended with a wild, old-fashioned “rebel yell.” As its echoes died away one aged veteran of the confederacy shouted in a voice that rang out clearly through the hall: “That’s the genuine article. I’ve heard it before.” The convention then adjourned until 8 o’clock. la the National Alllangeon the 3d, Press

fdentLivlngstone, of tho Georgia Alliance, and L. E. Polk, of the National Allianaa* said that they had engaged in corrupt practice in the election of a Senator from Georgia, and asked for an investigation. A resolution opposing the federal election bill was adopted unanimously and ami? much enthusiasm. The resolutions declare that: Whefbts, In the holy war which we have declared against sectionalism, the firesides • of the farmers of the North, East, South and West are the citadels around which the heaviest battles are being fought, and to the end that victory may crown our crusade, and fraternity and .unity reign; therefore, be it . « ’ Resolved, By the National Farmers’Alliance and Industrial Union bf America in National counsel assembled. That we do most solemnly protest against the passage of said Lodge election bill; most earnest, ly petition our Senators to employ all fair and legal means to defeat this unpatriotic measure, which can result in nothing but evil to our common and beloved country. The Louisiana lottery was also denounced. In the National Alliance on the 4th a committee was appointed to secure closer relations ot the Farmers’ Alliance and Citizens’ Alliance. An appeal was made for similar action in connection with the various labor organizations. In replying to this Mr. Livingstone said : “The Farmers’ Alliance deserved no particular credit for havingdiscovered that these reforms were necessary, nor for taking the lead in the matter. The masses of the country were practically in the same boat,and all should work together.” “The money power of thia country,” he continued, “backed up by the money power of . Europe, and aided and encouraged by railroads and corporations, is our common enemy. To meet this enemy and to cope with it successfully, co-operation is absolutely neces. sary, and tit must soon come about. I therefore recommend co-operation and fraternity with other National bodies, but not consolidation.” Glimpses of a third party movement appeared in the convention Thursday. It is chiefly agitated by the Kansas delegation. Gen. John H. Rice, candidate for the Kansas Senator* ship, and Captain Power, of Indiana, have a call to be issued to the Farmers’ Alliance and all industrial union* of America which favor the principles of the St. Louis platform, to meet in convention in Cincinnati the 23d of next February to consider the third party or people’s movement. The name of this new party will be the “National Union Party of America. ” This call is not expected to be issued before the close of the Ocala convention. The efforts seem to be to keep the National Farmer’s Alliance from inaugurating the new party and yet to make it the main basis ol the new National party. Various resolutions were introducod and referred. The National Alliance on the sth took steps looking to a consolidation with the F. M. B. A. The St. Louis platform, with some amendment, was adopted. A part of the platform now reads that “the liberty to control and operate all such lines shall vest in the government, and if, after a fair trial of this system, it is found that it does not afford relief or effect reforms in the management of them, the government’s ownership shall be complete;” also, “that every Alli ance lecturer,State and National, and all newspaper organs of the Alliance shall support the St. Louis and Ocala platforms, or suffer suspension from the order, and further that no candidate for any national political office shall be supported by the Alliance members unless he indorses this platform, and any subAlliance not complying with these conditions may be suspended at the pleasure of the President.” Resolutions were adopted partially exonerating L. L. Polk, Dr. Macune and Col. Livingstone for their part in the Georgia Senatorial election. Officers were elected as follows; President —L. L. Polk. Vice-President—B. F. Cover. Secretary—J. H. Turner, of Georgia. Nat. Lecturer—J. S. Willies, of Kansas. A public meeting at-night was attended byj2,ooo people. T. V. Powderly was among the speakers. A resolution was passed reciting that the United States census returns with respect to farm mortgages were grossly incorrect, and calling upon all county and sub-alliances in all the States °f the Union to take immediate steps toward securing accurate statistics from the county records and make prompt reports thereon. A resolution was adopted, also, opposing the opening of the World’s Fair on Sundays. During the past year 1,009 new charters were issued to sub-AN liances as follows: West Virginia 252, Colorado 151, Indiana 132, Michigan 106, Virginia 95, Illinois 87, South |Carolina 83, Ohio 61, Pennsylvania 59, New Jersey 20, Minnesota 5, lowa 5, Oregon 1, Oklahoma 1. State charters have been issued to the following States: Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, West Virginia, Oklahoma and North Dakota. COLORED ALLIANCE. At a meeting of the National Colored Alliance on the sth a resolution was offered reciting the fact that the Farmers’ Alliance aimed at the betterment of the condition of the farmers industrially, morally and socially, and regretting, criticising and condemning the action of the white alliance in passing a resolution in opposition to the federal election bill because such action has no reference whatever to the aims and purposes of the organization, and was calculated to check the growth and influence of the Alliance. The resolution was discussed at some length. The opinions expressed were not so much in favor of the federal election bill as in condemnation of the white Alliance for going out of its way to intermeddle in politics. At night, at an open meeting, several colored men delivered speeches. They all agreed that the money power, transportation oom panies and corporations in general were oppressing the masses of the people, and they plainly intimated that they were ready to vote hereafter for their own advantage and not for the benefit of office seekers and money kings. AU this is in--1 terpreted as undoubtedly indicating th* leaning of tho colored Alliance toward a new political party. v ' , the third party. Following is the call for a third party conference signed by Gen. Rice and John Davis of Kansas, and by about seventyfive other Alliance men. I Whereas, In unity there is strength, therefore it is desirable that there should

be a union of all the variously named ins' 1 dustrial organizations that stand on com-' mon grounds to thisend. The from various States, whose names are hereto signed, make this call for a National conference to be composed of delegates from the following organizations, viz: The Farmers’ Alliance, The Farmers’ Mu-> tual Benefit Association, The Citizens’ AU liance, The Knights of Labor and all other industrial organizations that support the prinejple of the St. Louis agreement of- 1839. Each State organisation to send one delegate from each congressional district and two from the State at large and each district organization to send not less than three delegatee and each county delegation not less than one delegate, to be chosen according to the custom* of each respective organization during the month of January, 1891. Also that the editor of each newspaper is hereby invited as a delegate that has advocated the principles of the St. Louis agreement and supported the Alliance candidates nominated in 1890; the delegates to meet in the city of Cincinnati, 0., on Monday, the 23d day of February, 1891, at 2 o’clock p. m., for the purpose of forming a National union party based upon the fundamental ideas of finance, tranportation, labor, and land in furtherance of the work already begun by those organizations, and preparatory for a united struggle for country and, home in the great political conflict impending that must decide who in this country is the sovereign, “the citizen or thedollar.” A dispatch to the Indianapolis Sentinel says: “The third party movement is gain : ing ground rapidly. The presence of so 1 many representatives of the national labor and industrial organizations strengthens the opinion that the entire ‘reform’ element in the country will join this new movement The western and northwestern delegates are said to be practically united indorsing the Rice-Davis call and it Is predicted that they will demand of the' Southern Democrats in the Alliance to joint in the movement—this in payment of debt incurred by the latter to the Western 1 Alliance men who sat by and raised no protest against the passage of the antielection bill resolution. It is not believed,' however, that the Southern members will! renounce one particle of their allegiance to the Democratic party. This third party project is the uppermost topic of discussion in the hotels and everywhere in the city outside of the Alliance hull.”