The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-07-10
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE
SENATOR VANCE WRITES A WISE
AND PATRIOTIC LETTER.


AND PATRIOTIC LETTER.
And Defines His Position on the Sub
Treasury Bill and Other Questions Before
the People.
SENATE CHAMBER, June 2S, 80.
Elias Carr, Esq, President Farmers
AHtance Of North CaroZinr, Old
Sparta, NJ c.:
DEAR SIR: 50 many reports con.
corning my position on what is known
as the Sub Treasury or Farmers
Warehouse bill have been circulated
in our State, and 1 hav. received SO
many letters of inquiry on the subject
thst have deemed it my duty to an
swer them all in this way 1 write to
you as the honored head of the Farm
ers' Alliance Of North Carolina, and
desire in this manner to make known
to the people my honest opinion on
these cognate subjects. I do this all
the more readily because I am con-
scious that 1 have never, in the course
of my life, concealed from the people
who have honored me any candid con-
viction in regard to any important
public matter. 1t is too late for me
now to begin such course.
On the 24th day of February, 1890,
at the request of Col. L. L. Polk, pres
ident of the ssN. F. Alliance and In
dustriaI Union 1 introduced the
Senate bill 2S06, popularity known as
the Sub-Treasury bill, and procured
reference to the committee on Agri-
culture and Forestry, where it was
supposed that it would receive more
friendly consideration than from the
committee on Finance, to which it
would otherwise have gone according
to the rules On receiving it I told
both Col Polk and DIR. Macune, the
chairman of the Legislative Commit
tee Of the Alliance, that [ was not pre-
pared to promise them to support the
bill; that it was great and radical
departure from the accustomed policy
of our legislation, and that there were
questions both of practicability and
constitutionality which 1 wished to re-
serve. l sid them also that [ hoped
for good results from its introduction.
and believed that its discussion would
attract the attention of the country to
the condition and the wants of the ag-
ricultural classes, and if this bill was
not deemed the proper one, that some
other would be formulated in the di-
rection of the needed relief | pro-
cured an early consideration of the
bill by the committee, and very able
and most interesting discussion bv
Messrs. Polk and Macune was,had.
But so far without result. The COM
mittee has not yet made report,
though | am assured that majority
OF its members are anxiously seeking
to devise a method of relief which
shall not be open to the objection of
that bill.
My own position remains the same:
l cannot support the bill in.its present
shape. But am not opposed to the
principle and purposes of the measure.
On the contrary, they are those which
[ have for ten years advocated, and
for the accomplishment of which I
have in every county in North Caro-
lima agai, aud again urged the organ
lzation of farmers, pointing out to
them how that all other classes of So
ciety were organized for the promotion
of their separate interests. 1t is
shameful truth that in the enormous
growth of the wealth ofour country in
the last twenty years the farmers have
not proportionately participated. All
candid men admit that they have not
had their share of the aggregate pros
perity of our country. The reason for
this is aslplain to be seen as any cause
for any effect. For a quarter of CEN
tury the legislation of our country has
been notoriously in the interest of cer-
tain combinations of capital. The
have been protected by
enorm 'us duties upon foreign imports,
many of which are absolutely prohibi-
tory. The currency has been system
atically contracted by the withdrawal
Of circulation and the demonetization
IF silver in the interest of the bankers,
brokers' and bondholders and all the
creditor class. In this way the inevi-
liable results have been produced. The
enormous wealth Of our country has
more and more ceased to be widely
distributed and has become concen.
rated in the hands OF few. Over
grown fortunes have been accumu.
ated by the favored ones, while mort
cages have been the chief acquisition
If the many. The farmer being COM
)elled to sell his surplus wheat, beef
md cotton in free trade markets of the
world, was not allowed also to buy his
supplies in the same place, but was
to bring his money home
rom Europe and buy his iron, his
,lothing and all his farm supplies from
he domestic manufacturers at prices
only by these enormous
ariff duties, but likewise by this
evere contraction of the currency.
What else could possibly have follow
d but indebtedness and bankruptcy
or that class who had thus to bear the |
Ultimate burdens caused by this dis
urbance of the laws of economy, and
" which alone the undue riches of |
me class was secured?
All efforts to secure the repeal of |
he outrageous taxation and to restore
he full use of silver as money, having |
o far proved uDavailing, reasonable |
nen are not surprised that the op-
PRESSED of our people have at last or
,anized and determined to do some
hing. For one I sympathize most |
and sincerely with this de- |
Inasmuch as it is i'm