Workmen's advocate., 1889-12-14
WHAT IS IT?
KNIGHTS AND FARMERS CALL IT THE NEW REVO-
 LUTlON."
They Pool Their Issues-Finance, Land and Transportation the Three Points of "COmm0n Inter est"-Great Expectations.

|
 est"-Great Expectations. The Convention of the Farmers and | Laborers' Union met in St. Louis last Tuesday, There was no deviation from the policy evidently prearranged to con- trol the gathering. All the important committees were so arranged as to con- prise its leading and most influential advocates. Every official action taken bore directly upon the one great issue. The Knights themselves held informal conference with the farmers, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, oddly enough, had their Grievance Con- mittee present in St. Louis during the whole week.
 One of the ablest addresses was deli vered on the second day of the Conven- ton by A. J. Streeter, of Illinois. He made point after point in favor of | general confederation of labor, industrial and agl ;cultural, and brought in pictures of the farmers woful plight with quaint home.iness of speech that caught the Convention at the close of every period, and kept it cheering federated labor" all the time.
 "Stump" Ashley, of Texas, who described himself as "a man kept back in the rear of life by excessive timidity," then indulged in humorous address on the farmers movement that held the | Convention on broad smile for quar- ter of an hour. Ashley is the only dele- gate who can see any fun in "the new revoution," and he brought out the points of the war against class legisla- tion, trusts, etc., in remarkably comical light.
 Many other addresses were made, and from the utterances of the speakers it could readily be seen that the old green back element was present in great force. As this element, at the time of the "greenback craze," was very strong among the Knights, especially in Penn sylvania, 1t IS easy to perceive that this was the influence through which the proposed combination between Knights and Farmers was advanced to it's present state.
 | Powdery arrived on the evening of the second day, and on the following morning the Convention went to work in earnest, mostly through its com mittees.
 The first practical result of the Con- vention was the final merging of the National Farmers Alliance and the Farmers Mutual Benefit Association in to the Farmers and Laborers' Union. The first organization, claiming a nu- merical strength of 600, 900, had delega- tion of 75 members, representing the States of Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Wis. cOusin, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, both Dakotas, Colorado, and Washington The second claimed total membership of 50,000, chiefly in the States of Illinois and Indiana. By adding to these the membership of the Farmers and Labor CTS Union, whose field has been in the Southern States, the total strength of the combination is given as 2.250, 000
 Thescontest for the presidency of the consolidated organization was between l.. L. Polk, of North Carolina, and c. w. of the National Economist Polk was elected. He belongs to the Mecklenburg family of Folks, from which issued William Polk, of revolutionary fame, and James K. Polk, once President of the United States. He served in the Confederate army, was a Henry Clay whig in politics, then Democrat, and finally "New RevoIutionist." In an interview with reporter he said that he favored atfiliation with all organiza tions of the people upon whatever points of common interest might exist and be heved that in such confederation lay the strength of the new revolution" tC overcome the present great evils exist ing by reason of class legislation.
 THE SECRET CONFERENCE
 between Powderly, Wright and Beau mont, representing the Knights of La bor, and the Committee on Legislative Demands of the Farmers and Laborers Union, was conducted upon the basis outlined by Polk. Powderly was re quested to state in what points h' thought the two orders could act to gether, and in reply he strove to show , the identity of interest between tn farmers and wage-workers on the thre questions of finance, land and transpor tation. After some further expression
 of opinions from both sides a series 0 l resolutions was agreed to, which furn 3 ishes a full and clear outline of tn
 future policy of the new revolution.
 The first of these resolutions was of preliminary character, defining tn 8 action to follow and recommended tha