Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-05
ALLIANCE DEMANDS
Arguments Presented Before the House
Ways and Means Committee.

AILIHNCE De MANDS
Arguments Presented Before the House
Ways and Means Committee.
Mr. MaeuRe, representing the Farm
ers' Alliance, recently made argument
before the ways and means committee
of the House of Representatives in favor
of the bill TO establish sub-treasuries
for the receipt of agricultural products.
He was questioned by members of the
committee respecting the details and
probable effect of the bill. Mr.. Bayne
wished to know if one effect would not
be to encourage reproduction. Mr..
Macune replied that it would not, for
just as soon as the farmers calling be-
came more profitable than others
there would be an influx of men
into that business which would
result in reaction and finally
the restoration of an equilibrium.
To his mind no fixed volume of cur
rency, no matter how great, would meet
the needs of agriculture. 1t wanted an
elastic medium. The farmer sold his
crops in the fall when prices vert ]cz-
est and bought his supplies before
harvest, when prices were highest
Crops were marketed in two or three
months of the year, and this market an
nually caused a great stringency in
money. Mr.. Flower feared this plan
would lead to banking on livestock,
iron, lead and silver ore. They were
getting along now in the latter di-
rection at the other end of the
Capitol. In time we would have
every thing lin hook" In the
course of ten years the Government
would be nursing the children and the
women working in the field. The true
remedy for the farmers ills was the
manufacturers plan. They should reg
ulate production. Raise only enough
produce to meet the peoples wants and
thereby get fair prices. Mr. Macune
proceeded to explain the process pro-
posed to regulate the issue or produce
certificates. lie said that the necessity
for excluding imports of agricultural
products was obvious if the quality OF
the certificates was to be preserved.
The certificates would constitute the
soundest and best currency in the
world. Probably not one-half of the
fifty million-dollar appropriation asked
for to put the new machinery
in action would be required, but
the sum should not be absolutely
fixed at minimum, as in time
it would be necessary to extend the sys-
tenn to include all of the products of la
Dor not covered by patents. In conclu-
sion, Mr.. Macune said that the Nation
al Alliance had not sent out single
printed petition, and that those petit
tionS and demands now pouring in upon
Congress were the spontaneous offer
ingS of the farmers of the United
States, who were convinced that they
knew what they wanted and were 60
ing to have it.
Mr.. Livingstone, the National lectur-
er of the organization, took up the ar
gument. He quoted President Lin
coins prophecy that corporations would
be enthrOned; that the property OF
the country would be concentrated
and that the Republic itself would
be overthrow. Thank God, the last
prediction had not been fulfilled. But
the others had been. One-twentieth OF
the people of this country owned three
fifths of the property. He also quoted
Garfield, jefferson and Calhoun, and
said that what they recommended was
just what the Alliance asked. If Con-
gress refused to approve the sub-treas-
ury plan, let it remove the restrictions
hedging in the National banking sys-
tenn. The farmers would care nothing |
about trusts and combinations and con-
centra ton of money if they could hold |
their crops in Sub-treasuries and |
were not compelled, as at present, |
to sell them at stated times-in Octo- !
Der in the South. lie could thus escape |
the Spectator. 1t would be god-send |
to this country to pass the sub-trcasury |
bill for the reason, if for no other, that |
there would not be bucket-shop left in
the United States. The day of specula-
ton in crops would be done away with, |
and the producer and the consumer
would be brought together. 1t had been |
charged that the farmer would form a
trust, but this was against the farmers
nature. Sixteen million dollars would |
build all the warehouses the Alliance
wanted What good were river
and harbor improvements to the
debt-ridden, oppressed farmer? Never
more than a third of the cotton crop
would be warehoused. When the GER
tifcateS issued on that crop came in
they would meet the needs of the wheat
crop, and then the tobacco crop, and SO
On. There would not be excessive
changes in the volume of the currency.
In conclusion, he said, that il the COM
mittee thought the landed basis was
the best; if it could not accept that
crop basis let it put it in the bill. Do
something to relieve the farmer. Re-
port the bill to the House in some shape
20 that it could be acted upon. Don't
make it a question of tariff or of pol
tics, but let the bill stand on its