Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-10
THE ALLIANCE AND THE PARTIES.


has on hand is to go ahead. It is beset
with party prejudices and party de-
mands on all sides. Every body on the
outside is Offering advice. One friend
they are all good friends of the
alliance, these advisers are-insists on
the ''order'' going into politics, but
would have it go right into his party;
another wants it to stay out of politics
less it injure its prospects; another.
more bold than the rest, assures his
alliance friends that if they undertake
any political movement his party is so
strong that it will teach the alliance a
lesson by breaking it to pieces. Dem
ocrats assume that the alliance demand
for an equitable adjustment of tariff
duties so that farmers may enjoy share
of whatever benefits flow from protec-
ton. is movement along democratic
lines, and hence papers of that party
are patting the alliance on the back
encouragingly. The Kansas City
Times, Chicago Herald, New York
World, st. Louis Republic. Mont
gomery Advertiser, and other leading
democrat papers manifest great interest
in the movement of the alliance, wish
ing that party advantages may follow.
On the other hand. Republican papers,
the New York Tribune, Philadelphia
Press, Chicago Inter-Ocean, st. Louis
Globe Democrat. and Topeka Capital,
speak less patronlzingly, more boldly,
debating rather than exhorting. COM
manding rather than requesting, and
there is no disposition to conciliate or
compromise. The republican party
proposes to go right along independent
ly of the alliance, continuing as it has
been gong, asking no questions and
answering ncne. AS to Kansas-and
the remark is applicable in other
states, notice has been served upon the
alliance that no attack upon the policy
of the republican party will be toler-
ated, and in the notice nothing is said
to indicate a disposition to even listen
to complaints upon the part of the MEM
bership coming from the alliance.
The Kansas Farmer is not authorized
to speak for the alliance officially, but
it knows very well what the alliance
wants and how it expects to attain the
object sought. We assure our neigh
bors that there is no intention on the
part of the alliance to make war on
any party. nor is there any present in
tention to organize a new party, or to
unite with any existing party. The al
lance is agreed upon few fundament-
al propositions relating to finance,
transportation and land and they want
legislation upon those subjects. They
want more money in circulation; they
want the government to issue all the
money directly, and get it to the peo.
pie without the Intervention of inter
est-charging agencies; they want
money made plenty and put out at low
rates of interest; they want the govern.
ment to take charge of the money OF
the country so that its benefits may be
enjoyed by all the people upon fail
terms and on equal terms-the same
rate of interest on the same amount OF
money for the same length of time
it wants transportation controlled by
the government in the public interest
80 it may be cheap, certain, safe and
equal in its burdens and benefits; il
wants readjustment of our land sys
tenn, that all the public lands may bt
gathered in speedily and disposed of tt
settlers under the homestead law; il
wants alien ownership of lands abol
ished in some equitable way; its want.
to secure for the people the larges
possible measure of benefits from ths
unused lands of the country; it wants
legislation that will cause vacant laud
to bear their full share-acre for acre
of the public burdens resulting from
taxation; it wants homesteads pro
tected in the interests of citizens ant
their families; it wants a restoration o
the redemption law so that citizens
when misfortunes befall them, ma,
have opportunity to pay their debt
and save their homes; in short, as t,
these three great matters first, and a
to all related matters afterwards, th'
alliance wants such legislation as will
eQualize burdens and benefits of gov
ernment, affOrding equal protection t.
all the citizens, destroying the influ
ence of the money power, suppressin,
combinations against freedom of trade
and placing the debtor on terms eqna
with his creditors.
These things the alliance has set on
to achieve. They naturally expecte,
to have the work done through the ma
Ghinery Of existing parties, and henc
po questions of parties building OF part
dislntegration have yet been discusses
BY the alliance. It has been expecte
that, inasmQch as the alliance is mad
up of members of all parties, ever
member of the alliance would be
missionary In his own party to sprea