The morning call., 1890-12-10
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.

The platform of the Farmers Alliance is
quite as radical as any one expected. 1t is
embraced under three heads-finance, COM
meree and land-owning. As to the first, the
alliance adopts the Sub-Treasury plan,
which is a modification of the scheme for
lending Government money ON land at
per cent. The alliance proposes that loans
shall be made at tine same rate on nom
perishable farm products, such as cotton
tobacco, wheat and corn, as well. The
money TO be loaned is TO be created. that is
to say printed. In order that the Govern
meft shall have no rivals in the business,
the $500 national banks now in existence,
which have So, COZ, COO coo loaned out, are to
be abolished.
AS to commerce, the alliance proposes
that customs duties shall be abolished on
the necessarleS of life, such as blankets and
the cheaper kinds of clothing; it further i'll
sists on laws prohibiting sales of merchan-
disc for future delivery. At the present
time farmer or planter can realize on his
crop, in advance of its readiness for market,
by contracting for its future delivery. The
alliance aims, however. to put an end
to gambling in options by brokers, and de-
mands stringent system of procedure to
secure the conviction of all who pursue it.
As to land, the alliance requires the Gov
eminent to resume possession of all lands
sold to aliens or granted TO railroads in ex-
cess of the quantity actually needed for the
operation of the roads. The notion is that
this would largely increase the area of land
open to settlement, and as the Government
would lend half the purchase money at per
cent, the opportunity offered to settlers to
acquire homestead would be increased
Add to this plank demanding the repeal
Of the present Silver Act and requiring the
Government to issue silver dollar in eX-
change for s. or 90 cents worth of silver
bullion when rendered at any Mint, likewise
plank instruciing the Government to ac-
quire the ownership of the railroads, and
pretty accurate view will be obtained of the
present aims and purposes of the new politi-
cal party.
1t will be observed that the platform was
adopted by majority of 20 in total vote
OF IFS. The minority was thus large; nearly
as large as the majority. AS the convention
sat with closed doors, no report of the de-
bates has seen the light. and the public have
no means of knowing what planks in the
platform met with opposition, nor whether
the leading minds in the convention who
will control the party hereafter voted with
the majority or the minority.
One feature is common to the early his
tory OF all political parties. They all start
out with a creed which they subsequently
find it expedient to modify. Among
the doctrines which they begin by pro-
Tossing, there are always several which OH
due consideration they recant. 1t will thus
be prudent, in forecasting the destiny of the
Farmers Alliance, to allow for the future
working of sober second thought, which
may place the party on more conservative
grounds than its present sponsors, who, we
judge, are inexperienced in politics, have
seen fit 10 occupy. 1t may be time enough
TO predict its fate when the forty-six me m
bers whom 1t has elected to the Fifty
second Congress have laid before the coun-
try matured confession of faith.