The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1890-10-23
LETTER OF JAMES n, BuaLInetmf

LETTER Of JAMES n. BuaLI nctMf
Doclining the Nomisatisa fer AttsrRs1
General On the Aliiancs-LahoP TiskOe-s
Farmers ana LabosinG Asa, Rod ~
Reflect. -. 90. IL.
To the State Central Committee Of the
Farners' Alliance and the industrial
Union Of the State Of Minnesota:
GEN N-First Of all, lot me thank
| you for the high honor which you have con-
ferred upon me in selecting me, upon q re-
view of my past political opinions and &C.
lions, to place upon your State ticket II
is no mean distinction to be thus honored by
| the great agricultural and other industrial
organizations of the State Of Minnesota.
After further consideration, feel that
must still say, as said at the meeting Of
gust. that cannot accept your nomination
for the office Of Attorney General Of tho
State As stated to the committee, Ihave
always been in sympathy and acted
in harmony with that elemsus es
the Republican party .sp.s.:nsssd y IT, 4:
classes, wherever and Wheneyer hsvo
been in q condition To aid them, have -.
ceived my unqualified support.
The demands now made BY the industrial
| party that the tarif. wherever Il existed On
| the nccessaries of life, should be redacod or
portation companies shall ocaso, aud that
reasonable rates shall be established: that
| watered stocks shall notroceive the rewards
Of honest toll, and that the pooling Of rates
shall be absolutely prohibited; that mort
gagged indebtedness shall be dsduced iron
! money shall be reduced, and . full free
and fair ballot secured. with many other Of
the demands In your platform, are such - I
| shall in any party to which may belong
give my most cordial support; and II -
should become necessary in order that the
work for their success, that the Republics
rarty should become disrupted and its sev.
eral elements gather In support OF distinct
| I'VE principles, l shoald not for . nomsat
hesitate to ally my hopes and my isbOrs vita
hose who should strukgls for the su1sent
| Most Of The aazmberse Of your nsw sBS.ls'
| zat!on have, but lately, boon either Rspub-
Leans or Democrats, and q such until 70
Gently you have hopefully sought for The
establishment Of tho abote PRINCIPLES n
"tir respective partieA
nc Alliance and LABOR party sad ~
nds will not, then, an sure, ntstudge
NE and the thoussnasOf otasys who, vodaSA
20 the above principles, still believe, - ne
Alliance until now believed, that the 70
forms that thoy and We seek WIN cone
] quicker by adherence - the Rspublieaa and
control and direct than by . separsNsa
from thom for the purpose Of buil1ing now
party to carry out these principles.
| With the Republican and Democratic par
tics existing ~ thcy have existed during
tho twenty four years that hats beeA .
resident OF this 6tate, the -onS' Has nevC
been when any measure in the intsnest q
the farming and laborinS classes could hsTo
been defeated by any Legislature which hes
assembled In the Htate within thSt period,
II those classes could be convinced Of Tho
merit of the measure. Party HINES Asve
never been drawn, during that period, 70
and other industrial classes have had ~
power in every Legislature during that psr4-
| cd to enact any such measure II they Chose.
II any such measure has failed duriuS
that period 1t has been because the farmers
and others naturally allied with them have
been opposed to 1t or divided a. to It's util
| ity or necessity.
AS evidence Of this let US recall some OF
the reforms that have been iusugurated by
this Legislatures Of the State under the con-
troll Ct parties as they have heretofore OK
| istc,!.
Money twenty -four years ago was loaning
at per cont per month or "a per ceat per
annCm; now the highest rate OF interest A.
lowed by law Is reduced 20 10 per cent and
contracts for more than that rate arc void.
BY the Legislature Of 1858 free and open
markets, the freedom OF traffic law. tho
grain law, the law for the distribution OF
cars and the right to equal and reasonable
| TRANSPORTATION were secured In such IN ap-
proved form that the maintenance Of these
laws Is demanded in the present platform OF
the Alliance aud Labor party. As to the re-
forms demanded inthe Alliance platform one
or both of the great existing parties is
| pledged to the following, namelyi To Sc
cure the reduction of the tariff, to preserve
our remaining lands to actual settlers in
small quantities. to the Improvement OF our
| waterways; to the adoption Of an 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 to vote on
| a constitutional amendment has never, to
| my knowledge, been questioned by any
| party.
lam unable to discern demand for re-
form in the generally very excellent plat
mittcd 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 tho govern
ment is not and will not be, demanded by
as part Of its political creed the imposition
| OF duties upon importations that VIII pro-
| duce more than that amount
The control OF railroads BY the government
leans are in favor Of such control, and II Is not
fair to presume that the party VIII refuse tts
| tried.
| But Of oil the reforms demanded in No Dlst-
form Of the new party none Il more vital 70 ne
| which asks for an improvement In tAs conduct
| Of our elections. reform u DE-
%herss, lar, q.
the lower house Of Congress that ,dey % i
90 o. out tho
institutions AMI leave the system but N empty
shell rs the honest eoavic.ion Of ".y eonstdera-
e els I ssa rssa % the r.:
I law making branch OF our goVernmeh:G Upon
pG1 pos III: Rssns .h:S .
People q the county Il. s.paScs S' ps,
hi sad .ssaa the part,
disrupted and the country huned into the nael.
| stron Of uncertainty. If not Of dissstesi
State upon ali Industrial and economic quss
lions, and Of the faithful enforcemsns Of tlis
y ss ~
friends. and ask them 70 seriously isquirs Of
themselves, what gain oan be hoped for in Dc.
feating the Republican party this fall and In
| stalking In its place another party.
| am Republican, and must remain such 30
long as Isbelisve that party n the best instYu.
mentality through. which. 70 secure The tusS o.
| mands and protect the interests Of the farming
| and other industrial Glasses. When the Re
| public an party. In my judgment: ceases - DO
| that party 1 shall seek 9 homo In Dons ether
| political Organization. But IL DOCS Aet seem 70
| me that that time has come.
| Gentlemen you may be right ana wrong. but
| IL am wrong am honestly wrong in the boiief
that tho only result Of separate political action
on the part OF the Alliance and In ussrial vnion
this fall If any result follows will be the defeat
| Of the Republican party and The -snocess oftAe
Democratic party, What viii that meant
| Aside from the unoe rtafpty ihypiyedin the in.
auguration Of Democratic sdminfsfiasioa N
| this State Is will mean the dsfest OF ses,s Of
| our Representatives In Congress and the poesi.
| BILE or probable return Of Democratic hoIee
| Of Representatives to the next Congress. This
win mean the long delay, II not anal defeat. Of
| much national legislation OF great Importance,
| the prompt enactment Of which 10 now earnest
v demanded by a majority Of the people. For
| hesc. among other reasons feel constrained
20 decline the honor SO generously tendcred me
| hy YOUR convention. Very respectfully.
JAMES M. BURLINGAME