New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-24
THE FARMERS IN POLITICS.
THE ALLIANCE VIEW OF THE RECENT
ELECTIONS.

PRESIDENT POLK REVIEWS THE oAMPAi'N
FROM THE FARMERS POINT OF vIEw-Hh
INSISTS THAT CONGRESS MUST HEED
THEIR DEMANDS OR GO.
Washington, Nov. 1O.-At the National farh'o.'
Alliance headquarters here everybody Is smiling on"
full Of hope Colonel L. L. Polk. the president n"'
Just returned from extended tour through 'o
South and West. and looks remarkably fresh ~, q
that has travelled $4,000 miles In the i,'
five months and made hundreds Of speeches HIS
secretary is as busy bee and business seems 10 10
the order Of the day at headquarters. on being ash
what in his opinion the cause OF the reco"'
upheaval in politics. Colonel Polk replied. wi'hou'
moments hesitation: "The failure Of this Congress
to heed the demands OF the people. We went beiore
Congress armed with petitions, representing the wiz
Of over 100000 voters, and Congress said: we
are your masters yOu not ours. We know better
what you need than You do Your petitions ahioui''
to nothing We could get your petitioners 10 SIS"
Just the reverse IL to go among thcm.' Iha'
the people learned all this that they heard their
Representatives ISLANDERS on their ability and integrity
is open secret. and in their wrath they said: III
this Congress will not heed us, the next one Will.
TO what do you particularly referl"
"First, to free coinage Of silver We thought tha'
II the policy of this Government to foster and aid
the development Of the iron industry, 1t ought to ala
and foster tho development Of silver That Is, that
without regard TO silver money metal silver was
entitled protection applied to other metals, to
protection we'll iron nickel other minerals
We knew that silver the unit of values when Jefer-
son gave to the people the formulas of the Democratic
party. When the Republican party built itself up silver
was the standard and the great statesmen Of neither
party taught single gold standard idea. we
held that had good right TO go to the minis with
silver and have it coined as with our gold Then
1t would increase the volume OF currency For these
and other reasons the people demanded free coinage
Congress passed law placing the power Of the amount
coined in the hands Of the Secretary Of the Treasury.
We object to one-man power. We opposed the bill.
Congress paid no attention to The people said {:
We will teach these servants OF that are their
masters and they did. Again We demanded that the
selling Of futures be prohibited. Again we were ig
norcd We presented bin for an increase OF the cur
roncy. We were ridicucd hayseeders, agrarian
humbugs, ETC., and our bill was not reported
$50 you regard the uphcaval directly traceable
to the close organization and cooperation OF the
farmers and laborcrs7'
81 most certainly do. Take the Pacific Coast
States. The Senators and Members of Con
gress were in favor Of greater volume
of currency. and the farmers and laborers made
no organized effort there. Had they done so they
would have supported their friends, not punished Them
In the Southern States the fight was made in the
primaries and the Democratic party accepted the sua
ton in South Carolina where they openly fought
us with a candidate OF their own. The ground-swcll
was not Democratic but Alliance in that fight. In
Ohio we have no state organization. The ground swell
did reach that State The Democrats lost heavily
In McKinley's district. although the Major did not sue
coed in getting elected Take any State yOu please.
Show your figures and compare them with the figures
that show the strength Of the League, tho Grangers the
Patrons of Industry. the Farmers Mutual Benefit As
Knights Labor Farmers ALI
and just in proportion to the strength of these
organizations has been the cyclone
I" Does this that these organizations Demo
cratic? ?"
"By no means. We held this Congress RESPONSE
BILE for what it did and for what it failed to do just
will the LID Congress. II is novel procedure
the great reform party working within the lines Of
the two old parties. You will see that we required
no costly machinery, money, and neither party
could tell where would strike. All depended on
the pledges OF the candidates We wanted sectional
ism punished ingalls,. of Kansas the great
promoter of sectionalism. The Republicans OF Kan
sas stood by their brethren the South and we
stamped out sectionalism and proved TO both parties
that bloody shirts will longer avail in a political
"what has the tariff had to do with this campaign -
Comparatively little The tariff is the same In
California that IL is in Kansas the in Ohio that
it is In Michigan. Pennsylvania has not abandoned
tics, The people asserted themselves. The people
said object to the inequalities of the tariff If it
is proven that it is better for the country to have
so per tariff. the farmers always willing
do what is best for the country, would be willing
endure the tariff, though II is oppressive ~ them
large percentage do not believe. but, accepting
the tariff fact, VIC oppose the taxing Of Our
cessities 20 per centum and Injuries only % per
centum We want Injuries placed at rs per centum
and such manufactured goods used by the poor
at 25 per centum, some other figure that would
be Just and equitable. The National Alliance has
never made demands Congress In reference TO tho
tariff. In Kansas and other Western States the poo
pie refused 90 out and hear the great tariff orators
They demanded currency-not tariff, taxation"
viii you act with the Democratic party in the
future!"
I'VE not partisan in any matter. We only act
for benefit. If the Democrats heed demands
we will stand by them. II they do not will be
forced TO down the new Congress and elect OF
our own"