Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1891 — POLITICAL CONFEDERATION. [ARTICLE]

POLITICAL CONFEDERATION.

farm-r < andKal-hta Combine and Notlfj the Country of Their Demand*: A conference of the different farmers’ and labor organizations was held a t W asta iugton on the 23d, The delegates considered plans of agreement by which all the organizations cm unite on some- satisfae? ry platform and form a close confederation of the State organizations for both offense and defense. The demands o* the organizations as finally agreed upon and ratified are as follows: First—Wedemand the abolition of nas tional banks as banks of issue, and as a substitute for national batik notes we demand that legal Treasury notes be issued in sufficient volume to transact the business of the country without aam age or special advantage oi any elass or calling, such notes to be legal tender in payment of all debts, public and priva.e, arid such notes, when demanded by the people, to be loaned to them at not more than 2 per cent, per annum upon non-periehubie products as indicated in the sub-treasury pian, and also upon real estate, with proper limitation upon the quantity of land and the amount of money. Second—We demand the free and unlimited coinage of Third—We demand the passage of laws prohibiting alien ownership of land, and that Congress take prompt action to devise some plan to obtain ah lands now owned by alien and foreign syndicates, and that all lands held by railroads and other corporations in excess of such as is actually used and needed by them be reclaimed by the government and held for actual settiers only. Fourth—Believing in the doctrine of equal-rights and special privileges to none, we demand that taxation, National, State or municipal, shall not be used to build up one interest or class at the expense of another. Fifth- -We demand that all revenues, National, State or county, shall be limited te the' necessary expenses of the government .economically and honestly aummistered. Sixth—We demand a just and equitable system of graduated tax on incomes. Seventh—We demand the most rigid, honest and just national control and super vision of the means of public communication and transportation, and if this control and supervision does uot remove the abuses now existing we demand the government ownership of such means of communication and transportation. Eighth—We demand that the Congress of the United States submit an amendment to tne Constitution providing for the election of United States Senators by the direct vote of the people of each Slate, the President and Vice-president by a popular vote. Resolved,' That this confederation of ins lustrial organizations demand that in each State a»«ys4em—-shall ■ta -previdcdv«®d faithfully executed, that will insure an honest and accurate registration o> all votes, a free, fair, secret and official'ballot iud an honest public count, and we demand that each State Legislature shall make it afelony for any improperinterferance with the exercise of the registration, ballot or count. A permanent organization was then formed by the election of Benjamin Ter a rel, of Texas, as president and J. W. Hays as Pennsylvania, secretary and treasurer. Upon invitation L. L. Polk, President of thaNalional Farjpors’ Alliance, addressed ihe meeting. Mr. Polk spoke warmly in support of the views of the confederation is expressed in the above series of denands.