Warren sheaf., 1890-10-02
LETTER OF JAMES N, L|AGAME
Declining the Nomination for Attorney
General on the Ali,ancc-L1bor Tick ct-.-5
Farmers and Labortng Men, Read am.

1AI1-NEsN - ilSJ OF dll, mC thank
you for the high honor which YOU have con.
TERED upon me in selecting mo, upon re
view OF my past political opinions and ac-
a414s, to place upon your State ticket. It
Is IS no mean distinction to be thus honored by
me great agricultural and 0 her Industrial
organizations Of the State of Minnesota.
After further consideration, feel that I
must still say, as said at the meeting of
your central committee on the 7th of Au-
gust: that cannot accept your nomination
1or the Office of Attorney General of the
State. AS stated to the committee, Ihave
always been in sympathy and acted
III harmony with that clement of
!he Republican party represented by its in
dustrial classes. Tho demands of these
classes, wherever and whenever ! have
been in condition to aid them, have re-
ceived my unqualified support
The demands now made by the industrial
Earty that the tarin, wherever it existed on
the necessaries Of life, should be reduced or
even abolished; that atdlscrimination by trans
portation companies shall cease, and that
reasonable rates shall be established; that
Hatercd stocks shall nOtreceive the rewards
OF honest toll, and that the pooling of rates
shall be absolutely prohibited; that mort
gagged indebtedness shall be deduced from
the tax on realty; that the interest upon
money shall be reduced, and full. free
Ut ana 1alr ballot secured, with many other Of
the demands in your platform, are such as
shall IN any party to which l may belong
give my most cordial support; and If It
should become necessary in order that the
friends Of those principles might hopefully
work 1or their success, that the Republican
party should become disrupted and its sew
eral elements gather in support of distinct
I've principles, should not for a moment
hesitate to ally my hopes and my labors with
those who should struggle for Inc suprem-
acy OF the principles above named.
Most Of tho members of your new organ
Iy.lffn hnVv H,,k lrk L
means or Democrats, and as such until re-
Gently you have hopefully sought for the
Establishment of the above principles in
.rour respective parties.
The Alliance and Labor party and its
:l,nds will not, then, am sure, nlisiudge
to tho above principles, still believe, as the
Alliance until now believed that the re
forms that they and we seek will come
quicker by adherence to the Republican and
Democratic parties which we now help to
control and direct, than by a separation
from thcm for the purpose Of building new
Earty to carry out these principles
With the Republican and Democratic par
ties existing as they have existed during
the twenty -four years thatI ha,e beca
ceslltn: 1T this State, the time has relc.
been when any measure III thu inter ST ci
Inc farming and lahorlng Glasses coulti have
peen defeated by any Legislature whi,h has
-
il those classes could lie Convinced Ct tne
merit CT the measure. Party lines have
EeVer been drawn, during that period, to
oppose any such measure. and the farming
and other industrial classes have had the
power in every Legislature during that peri
Cd to enact any such measure if ;ney' chose.
lfany such measure has failed during
lhat period it has been because the farmers
ana others naturally allied with them have
been opposed 20 it Or div 9eG as to lis i.tii-
ity or necessity
As evidence of this let Us recall soma OF
the reforms that have been ina egarated b.
the Legislatures OF the State undeI. the cor
tro' e -.arties as they haze heretofore es
iste5.
My twenty fo.ir Yeats ago was leaning
1T 2 PEI cent per month orr! Per cent ,.c-
a:>:.li:.t; now ti.c highest rate GE Interest al
loved Dy law is reduced % - Pcr cent t.sl
cottraGts fes more tla.t t:4at 2Fate- are v0.G
B-tlie Legislature q 50 Free and open
;2-:-.=iszts, tic fi9edcrD :;.;::ar !:.W. the
Et.!.: I -, he l;Gtg 10. - ilhtit!Cn cf
81: and the i ght &c cVHat all,l reasonable
transportation were secured il such an ap-
proved form that the maintenance of these
iaTs is demanded in the present platform CT
fsslas demanded din'the Alliance platform one
or bot, Of the great existing rartics is
pledged to tho following, namely: TO Sc
cure the reduction of the tariff, to preserve
Jr:' remaining lands to actual settlers in
small Quantities; to the improvement Of our
waterways; to the adoption Of ar approved
system of voting; to the prohibition of the
employment Of children under fourteen
years of age in our mills and factories; to
the settlement of strikes by arbitration; and
to equal pay for equal work irrespective of
sex, while the right of the people tovote en-
d constitutional amendment has never, to
ny knowledge, been questioned by any
purity
I;.u, unable to discern a demand for re-
form i'll the generally very excellent plat
form OF the new party that has been sub
mitted TO the Republican party, and its
adoption refused.
The reduction OF the tariff below what is
needed to produce sufficient revenue for
the necessary expenditures of the> govern
ntnt is not. and will not be, demanded by
any party, nor will any party dare tode>lare
as a part of its political creed the imposition
oi duties upon importationS that viii pro
duce more than that amount.
The control Of raj. roads ty the government
Gas never been asked of the Republican party
yrttt is we'll known ihatmai.y eminent Kepso-
ct are in favor OF such col troll, and it is not
--is to presume thai tho party will refuse its
support to such demand unit. it Las been
tried.
i5ut Of ali the reforms demanded in the plat
form Of the nt W al ty none is vital TO the
safety and seeulat' sf the republic than thai
which asks tor all iLip.ovsm IL in the conduct
maaded wi,traay hundred " t.c
S II Zei,S Ill osc lar. oi thc &C :i,.r.
le,i rave ey;t,. y The s;tnse i, pi,scnt:,fi, , il,
tie SIZE i.,i.se u Cui...teas ';stst I.cs II;
g. E5 {. Ecr roi1ic:.s OF TIE vvs.hisy. Ri E;.ci
Ill sc.sui HI ~ g., he liseof rernuncsln
,i.s;i !.s .u !. L III :ystrn b al er.lpty
Ia, ,h.- Lu.ts, 6, nIle ,t,a any Gi.si G a.
t,l;.;l II re f4.,s. e.. !. 4 ,r & i.t,I.; in the
Y !. L.. L! I ~. II :5utr gove,1 !l,s:t / {. on
z;:@i II l.c;. ;tlp AZ. pee; ia y s.. s..
nsws4 IL IA Ii :.4r viz, is>:.e core the
Etos i, u.s; c. try the Ia. :.!,o.ica party is
81 l. iien ;i.d t,sps.i.o e,it, Il wrong.
Why til II III the i.ctu;!can party be
strcm CT uns crta :ty II lot uf disaster:
a ss ss ssSsss q spSs