St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-05
FOR TIRE FARMERS.
President Sprasue of ,he Alliance
And ERsS Views.


chants yesterday. He is president of the
Minnesota Farmers Alliance, and has
served in that position during the past six
years, or since the organization of the alli-
ance. He has also served as president of
the National Alliance.
Referring to the alliance and the coming
general state election, he said that, while
not being able to speak with authority, as
the executive committee had exclusive con-
troll, he believed the alliance would not
figure as a distinct party, but would work
through the existing parties. He thought,
in other words, that the individual members
OF the alliance should be allowed to vote as
they saw tit, without having votes ex-
clusively of their own making.
1t was his belief that no attempt would
be made to name a state ticket, but that the
tight would be confined to legislative dis
trictS; and in the latter case district candi-
dates should not be put up without pledges
secured from all candidates that they would
not oppose, If elected, legislation for the
benefit of the alliance
He said that the alliance numbered 80, 900
in Minnesota, but this did not warrant the
organization of a distinct political party,
and the placing of candidates in the field
for state and county offices. He thought
that the dying out OF the granger and other
organizations similar to the alliance i'm
other states when they had entered politics,
was warning to the Minnesota alliance
that should be needed
~
He said that he did not believe that an
issue could be made by which the farmers
could be arrayed on one side and all other
men on the other side; in other words he
thought that when such false and forced
issue had been made it had resulted i'm the
diSintegration of the Farmers association,
as was the case in Wisconsin. In that
state the farmers attempted to run things
and they not only disguised other people,
but got disguised with themselves. After
being in power short time, the farmers
became disorganiZed and demoralized and
the monopolies had complete control of
everything, the state, in that respect, being
twenty years behind other states where no
such mistake had been made.
-
He claimed that while the farmers had
interests which they desired protected by
legislation, the railroads and commercial
interests generally required similar legisla-
tive protection, and that all interests were
anxious to enjoy general peace and pros
perity.
He said that the farmers would fare
better by making common cause with one
OF the two great political parties, and by
securing the election of members of the
legislature who were not unfriendlv to
needed legislation, they could hope to
accomplish something in the right direction
which time would prove of benefit, if such
was the fact, and thus enable improve
ments in the same line in the future. 1t
was better, he said, to have not enough
legislation of the right kind than to have
too much. In short, the farmers were try
ing to get legislation defining the rights and
limits OF monopolies; they were after the
| result and not after the means to accomplish
that result therefore they could make more
| Roadway by working through the existing
political organization, than by forming
| themselves into a distinct party, and 20
| under after the first election
~
He did not think that ex-Speaker Gibbs
could claim who the candidate of the
alliance was, although he was farmer. for
the reason that the alliance had no candi-
date for governor. The individual mem
bers of the alliance might favor Gibbs or
| Gibson, the latter being farmer. as that
was their right and privilege, but that fact
did not commit the alliance to any one
| candidate.
he SAID that he should oppose meeting
OF the alliance for the purpose of placing a
farmers ticket in the field, as the ex-
perences OF similar organizations in other
| states taught him that the political state
| presaged early dissolution.