The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-19
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1880.
THE THIRD PARTY,

The action ui the national farmers
alliance meeting which has just con.
cluled its session at Oscala, Fla, fur.
nishes grounds for good deal of spec,
nlation as to the influence which may
grow out Of it. and what effect that
influence will have on the next presl.
dental election. The alliance has
Reached the critical point where
ll" crisis of its existence must
be met, and lis future will depend
m""l upon the wisdom. or lack
of il. with which that crisis is
met. While ii Was merely an ele.
m"nt in local politics here and there
it Was not subjected to that rigid
criticism and thorough discussion and
consideration that it will receive now
when about to step into the arena of
national politics as Il distinct party
organization. IT. requires some great
central. aggressive idea of national
lpo!iry to establish Il new patty. 1t
cannot be done on the errors of other
PARTIES without Offering something
better than the old parties in their
stead. For Tie most part the alliance
has, TIP TO this time, heenicunoclastic,
den"nEcinS various policies of govern.
memt pursued by the old parties. but
ROW when it takes Il position us u
party Itself and submits itself to the
Goa sheraton and Judgement of the
people. j! will lave to offer and advo.
cate defined principles of its own aud
defend l;iem against innumprahle oh
icctonS. The three distinctive feat.
urrS of this new party movement are
the asib-ticAsiry scheme, the govern
inr'it m"mey lending scheme, and gov.
eminent control of railroads and tele.
graph lines. The first and third they
express doubts upon themselves, and
the *"cuE,l would me exclusively in
the interest Of land OWNERS who could
furnish tlle security for such loans,
ana only such of these as could clear
their titles so us To give ilst mortgage
security.
Bat there was IL feature of the ucala
con%tEtiun, ur rather conventions, for
There were two, denominatrd respec.
lively The white alliance and culorcd
allianrr, which was both impru,l.nt
an! unfortunate, and that WAS Tie IL.
d"ption of Il resolution hy the white
alliance in opposition to the Lodge
election bill now pending in congress.
The hand of the "Sulid south" democ.
racy was too plainly visible in that
resolution, an'l the action OF TIE col.
ore alliance the next day in rebuking
the white alliance and adopting Il
resolution in favor of the Lodge bill
showed that they appreciated the sit.
ua.ion, and that they were not ,lispos.
cd 10 perpetuatr the Shot gun domina-
ton of the solid SOUTH democracy
under the name of farmers alliance,
which defeat Of the Lodge bill means.
1t is Openly charged and not disputed
That democratic United States seiia.
tors in Washington. hy kilograms and
hy lobbyists, eXerted their influence
upon the white alliance to pass the
resolution against the Lodge bill with
a view 10 shaping the policy and prin.
cirles of Tie alliance So that they
could he adopted hy the national dem.
ocratic party in 1872, ana preventing
the possibility of aililiation with the
republican party. When asked on
the subject of party alnalyansation.
one democratic member of the alli-
ance expressed the opinion that the
republican party could not affiliate
with tie alliance in 1892. without
sinking its own identity, and also
that the democratic national c0nvcn.
ton would endorse and adopt the ALI.
anc principles and platform in toto.
The evident scheme Of the demo.
cratic politicians. is tn place the farm.
ers' alliance in irreconcliahle antag.
on!sm to the republican party. In
that case they hope to absorb the ALI.
ance and use it to help elect IL demo.
cratic president in 1892: or. il such
amalyamation cannot he affected, to
induce the alliance to put IL third
ticket in the field, which would in all
probability, throw the election of the
president in the lower house of con.
grcss aud by that means, insure the
election of Il democratic PRESIDENT
North Dakota Capital.