New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-09
THE tILIINCE PLATFORM.

Tho official platfOrm of The Farmers Alliance
ontiraly sustainS the statement Of President
Polk. that the tariff question had little or moth
ING to do with that movement. The plan "oA-
tains only - reference to the whole subject
Of taxes: Believing in the doctrine OF equal
richts IN ali and special privileges t. hone we
demand that taxation. National or STATE Shlil
rot be used TO build up one interest or ca>S
nj the expense Of another" Protectonst' hold
that 3, Protective Tariff does not huild UP one
interest or class at the expense o: another ana
therefore are able Ia lnGor>c this declIrit"A
without reserve. Bd- the platform of th'e Nlii-
apcc is qIr4,l wholly devoted 10 the currency
question. and il, demands on that sublcG are
exceedingly sweeping and definite.
The first demand is the abolition of National
banks. and the issue OF enough lcgal-t'nder
Treasury notes ito do the business OF the conn-
trv OH a cash SYSTEM ~ matters stand less
than a tenth of the pay mcntN are hllW WIN
cash. and the rest by use OF checks ana c'A'f
forms OF credit. If the Alliance means what
il SAYS. and knows what il means. II demands
a circulation ten times groa: - The country
now has which would make cheap money
indeed Another demand j. tor the Tree ana
unlimited coinage OF silver. and another Tor the
issue of "a sufficient amount of fracIioTI paler
currency to facilitate exchanges Trough the
medium of the nteG States mails
The other demands of the platform are for
prevention OF "dealing in futures of all agrl-
cultural and mechanical products" fin prohlbl-
ton of alien ownership of land and ICclami-
ZION of all lands owned by aliens or by rail
road, and other corporation, not a1Ially used
and needed by them These two proposals
need not be discussed at length The pldc-
teal difficulty of their enforcement VIII he
recognized by everybody. II will I've seen Win
surprise that neither of the two great schemes
for the peculiar benefit Of farmers has been
adopied. The ub-Trea,ury Schcns has host
of passionate supporters tut 80 has the plan OF
loans on land, and in the conflict between the
two each fails as yet to secure approval. 1t Is
not to he inferred that neither VII command
support. The apparent intention is - enlist
rs Uiauy of the farmer, a> possible by holding
out both schemes IL attractions, without deli
nitcly rejecting either.
! II will be seen that the Vital part Of this
! platform i that which demands unlimited IN
crease of currency. The National banks are 50
rapidly passing ont of existence rs note-issung
organizations that the reference - these Is com
parativcly unimportant. The issue OF frac-
tional paper will be approved by great many
and might not be seriously disputed by any.
but the unlimited coinage OF silver and the
issue in addition to all silver COIN OF lcgal-ten-
der PAPER enough to do all the business OF the
country on a cash basis are propositions 80
sweeping and cxtlayagant that il Is hard IL
believe them seriously made by men OF prac
teal capacity.
NO mode is suggested in this platform for
getting the immense body OF legal tenders out
of the Treasury and into the hands Of the per
sons who want il. Loans on farm lands, or
advances on farmers crops. would distribute the
money, but otherwise nearly all of il would lie
idle in the Treasury. For the platform prup-
cry opposes extravaganza in expenditures and
it docs not Yet definitely propose the Scizcrc.
purchase Or Government control OF railroad and
telegraph lines. In that process, or in acquir-
ing land from aliens or CORPORATIONS, enormous
sums could be distributed, but would 90 - the
very people whom the farmers do not want 70
enrich. The Alliance scheme is, therefore, a
body without legs. II cannot march until ono
or the other Of the plans for distributing money
to farmers is added. But when this dStribll-
tion begins why should not all other hborcrs
and producers have part in the division OF
spos rs well a the farmers? Is il not tocr-
ably clear at all events, that they would ,
When reckless demagogues promised 4 give
every negro forty acres and a mule they blazod
out the path along which the Farmers Alliance
is trying 70 move.