Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-10-13
FARMERS, ALLIANCE.
Meeting of the NATIONAL Body Mt Chi
cagO.

thlcago, on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 8
| and 6. Delegates were present from Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas,
Nebraska, Wisconsin and New York.
! The Secretary reported that the alliance was
in 8 favorable condition. There we're nearly
600 subordinate alliances in existence, with
! tributed as follows: Nebraska, 29l Kansas,
! 245; Iowa. 150 New York, 60; Wisconsin, 81;
! Michigan, 10; Missouri, 10 Indiana, 10; Hi
nois, As; Minnesota, So
/ The presiding officer W. J. Fowler made
brief speech, in the course of which he stated
that the alliance had SO extended its field of
usefulness and its capacity for work that it
| could take hold of questions which year ago
| 1t was unable To grapple with. The alliance
would now be able to go for some of the patent
| mouopolies, such as the barbed-wire swindle, in
| instance. There was money enough to carry
1 the barbed-wire cases up to the higher courts,
| and thus much material aid could be given to
| the farmer.
| Mr.. Mulholland reported that the prospects
| of the alliance in Kansas were furnishing
Mr.. Williams, of Iowa, said the situation in
! that State differed good deal from that
4 in most of the Others. A State Alliance
| had been formed at Des Moines. and the only
| objection raised to coming into the National
Alliance was the lfe-membership rule. He
/ thought that the voting should rest with the
| active members, and that men should not be
allowed IN on the strength of their money.
MI. Anderson said that Wisconsin had not had
/ farmer representative in Congress during
| tho twenty years he had been a resident of the
| State He thought the farmers should unite to
support the alliance. The Wisconsin State
| Alliance was well differed and was doing we'll
| Mr. Wood, OF Illneis, reported a very cncour-
/ aging feeling throughout his State, and a firm
/ determination on the part of farmers to join in
the movement. II the two great political
parties continued to neglect the interests of the
| producers, the latter would swing loose and
vote independently. They would go into their
| own political conventions and vote for their
! own men. and, if they could not carry their
| point, they would support independent
men. The farmers Of Illinois had voted long
/ enough against their own interests, and had
! been led like lambs to the slaughter every time
! the ballot box was passed around. The alli-
/ ance was not designed to form q new party but
| to encourage independence among the members
Of the existing parties.
Mr. Norton, of Wisconsin, said that as long
as the farmers were content to be led by the
ears by the leaders of the two old parties it
suited the managers well enough. When the
| farmers were satisfied there was no hope from
either side they would come out and act for
| themselves.
Mr.. Wood, of Illinois, said it was mistake
| to think that nothing could be got from exist
ing political organizations The trouble was
that farmers stuck too close to their fields and
| barns and allowed the moss back politicians to
run the cauCuses and conventions He did not
| think it necessary to form q new party, for ex-
perience had taught them that they could Sc
cure their ends aud yet remain in the existing
| parties The farmers formed 80 per cent. of
| the voting population of the country and BY
influencing nominations, could compel the leg
islaton they wanted.
Mr.. Williams said the farmers could not con-
! troll nominations The nolitjcans ma ~, a.
conventions and freely distributed drinLs
lunches. and money if necessary. The com,
| bined influence of the whisky and railroad in
tere t. was brought to bear, and the farmers
| got left
| Mr. Root OF Nebraska said the great trouhla
| in Nebraska was with the machine" which
| had run the State until tho n1aanest men in Il
| got all the offices Ha proDoead tbat ,nara'
hers of the alliance shonll nnminate their own
/ men. and If Republleans or Democrats choose
| to v5tc for them. SO much the better IN Ma.
braska ths farmers sought 10 oct en,1al taTe-
ton, and that nonopohcs shonid treat ali mon
and all places alike and not pun down or net
| mp mon at their pleasure Railroads should
| not he allowed to freeze ont men bv a system
of rebates another name for robbery Ne
| braska farmers wanted no leg slation TO protect
| the interests of the producer, and only asked
| such legislation az would prevent other men
| from stealing.
The committee on changes in tbe constitution
presented report recommendin9 several ~
,,or chances IN he aoc,,,lat T seoel , il
poItant chapras snprested w@s one obnl;sh inr
/ the hfe-membership clause which xras odonto
| ed II was decided that a national Iect,,ra,
should be added TO the list of of4iears of tba ii
| lance An amendment To tba e,fact +ba+ 81,
| State having an alliance should Ia ort;tloa -
| two delegates snd To one axtra 49,
gate for eyerv 10 000 ;pdv;dnaI n,o,,br,, - ~
sIsenca no. 80 .-lai.; = "a 1i.e
representatives If all fsrnars enceto !. an
1 {
extreme Ienrth The chief nnesfion raise3 h g
inc Whether or NJ ne cra,l,-o $50 ~
| should be allowed To vote. The ITle on tbis
| subject was allowed to stand as before 60 tbot
/ the outsiders can both talk and vote
The Committee on ResoIutiops then ra,orte5
| the following which wero ma nimonsiv adorted.
& WHEREAS Farmers and others are orlpressea
/ by uneaual taxation. bv subsidies To Iaonono-
| lies nv seIfsb and diabonost ofscala - ~ y
| road extortion ana unjust disriminafions ana
by other privileged classes and.
wurnr,. fYn,,r,,on, - 80 ,,,,,o4 ,ov,-
| merce among tha states and a naffonaI nnion
| OF All Interested IL necessary fo,. s,,cceas-
ResoIred That fsrrners and ali IA sv1nngtl,v
| with +hen mite il, a tocoI etoIo a,a -notionaI
society for nnrti,ai aereo,nenf nd united action
Reso}ged. That all pror4rty real nd peraonal
| corrarota ond i,d;;d,tssi +s'lo,,I5 IL a,allr
| taxed and that the Nod - 81 morte,oges and
other lines Of ngonerfy shonld ba y ta1Tad 10,
their lien and the owner for the balance of his
/ property
| PeSofrfd That wa fovor a i1,st ircoroetax
Resolued. That The salaries Of ali pnbiic Off
| erals sh0nld be only /. fair nor1,ebsatlon for
| services rendered. that ali Government nos-
tions shouid be elective az FAR snraeficahle and
that the apno,,tn,nnt of staye ma 1tI,er
officers nv The sIIcoessi,il ,arfv ia GROSS viola
tion ~ ciyjieervic yosor,,i ana f,,;tsl ,,,ce
/ OF corr,,rti,,n '''s- - - =
+, Peso;,ad That We en,,ba +ico1Iv co,do,,,,, +te
practice of receyino free ra;lroad nsaaoa nv
f'ioa - W ileo lai1lo au passes y
otb y, congress- Legislatures ana
~ 1919 l..,'iie T rilleia !.
tseeo'oeo, inet y ID the outy OF the tr''ieTai
toe .rh. ~ a. oi.o eAerclso i1s con1'tsh
So So =. ~ suate commerce petwcen me
oes,es y passlils suon laws ana estahnsh'le
Tnel lss s,.a. a. VIII secure 70 the whole
tation Of freghts and passengers. '-' :
;5ati - ae ne eoliipisistloal anu colis4
| Iattvti o. Fa1iioad capitai ana 1hnuence Of the
Unitea STATES IN the maintenance OF an OPP
| press4Ye and tyrannical transportation system
Is an ACCOMPLISHED fact, demanding instant
vigorous ana uneeasIng action on the part OF
the producers of the country to remedy tho
game and we earnestly urge all farmers to Or
| ganize through tire Farmers Alliance or other
| organizations for systematic and persistent po-
| l,tcal action, and to subordinate other polti-
cal questions to the emancipation of the people
from this terrible oppression.
Resoicai, That we demand such changes in
/ our Patent law as will siye ratentees a rtpledy
for the infringement of their claims. from the
sellers of patents only and not from thcir
users, who arc usuaIlv innocent purchasers Of
| rights which they are made to believe are valid
/ HeS0 Utti. That all persons should be allowed