The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-09-12

LETTER FROM MR.. wARDALL.

gress at Council Bluffs, Iowa, held
Aug. 81, % and 20. 1t was the
tenth annual session, and is com
posed OF delegates from every state
in the Union, equal in number to
their representation in the United
States congress, plus two flor each
state agricultural society and one
for each state experimental station.
Thus making the body consist of be-
tween five and six hundred members.
They are appointed by the governors
OF the several states for a term of
two years and serve without CON-
pensation and pay their own ex-
penses. The objects are to devise
ways and means for the benefit of
the farmer in all departments of his
work. If carefully selected farmers
are appointed, and they give the nee
essary time and attention to it's de-
alterations, it should be productive of
valuable results; but if mere political
farmers are appointed simply to pay
political debt, as is too often the
case, it becomes travesty.
The late meeting was held in the
opera house at Council Bluffs, which
was tastefully decorated for the oc-
casion. About one hundred delegates
were in attendance from perhaps one
half the states. They were ably and
impartially presided over by that
staunch Alliance leader, R. E Kolb,
OF Alabama, whose annual address
was a strong and radical one. Sec
rotary B. F. Clayton, of Iowa, was
interchangeable in his efforts to make
everything pass off smoothly, and
considering the limited number
present, it was a successful meeting,
though little could be done in the
way OF deliberations, as time was
too limited, and they had too much
junketing and sight seeing to devote
the care and attention to the sub
iects presented (some thirty or more)
in the resolutions.
The usual resolutions were adopt
ed, though in a milder form than the
Alliance states them, viz: Favoring
an increase of currency, free silver,
tariff reduction, adjustment of ma
tional banks, favoring the pure food
bill, election OF senators direct, grad
uated income tax, farmers Institutes,
limiting term of patents, asking for
appropriations for irrigation in
states desiring it, bill against option
dealing.
Very little discussion was INDUCED
in TO- lack of time, though there was,
as might have been expected, wide
diver sity OF opinion. The strongest
opposition was to a resolution OPP
posing the snb-treasury bill as I'M
constitutional. This was urged
strongly by Pres. Hall, OF the Mis-
souri, state union, who originally op
posed it at St. Louis. Many Of the
delegates had never examined, and
some of them never even read it, but
with the same spirit that actuates
our political conventions when they
pat the dear farmer on the back and
fealty to his interests, persistently
refuse to nominate farmer candi-
dates, or inaugurate specific reforms.
they opposed and voted against this
measure because it was a farmers
bill, just as they would any other
specific bill that might be introduced
in their interests. ''Glittering gener-
alities" please the politician.
The city OF Omaha, through her
council and mayor, rendered us an
excursion through the city, to the
packing houses, stock yards, by the
smelling works, the United States
bonded whisky warehouses nothing
constitutional about them,) and
lunch at the Willard House-all very
pleasant. Gov. Bots and the mayor
of Council Bluffs welcomed us. Inter-
esting speeches were made by Prof
Atwater, of Washington, on Gov
eminent experiment stations" and
by Pres. Chambers. of Iowa Agricul-
tural College on "Legislation affect
ing the agricultural interests" q
long and dry paper by E. Rosewater.
of the Omaha Bee, on the silver
question: an excellent article on
''Main's agricultural interests" by
the Hon. VIM. Freeman, Of that
state; n paper on 1.-The imponder-
able" by H. E. Work, of Indiana !;
one on ''Legislation for farmers" by
Hon. Josiah Wheeler, of Kansas, in
which he took the ground that the
farmers we're getting fair share of
attention, and one by Alonzo War
dali, of South Dakota, who insisted
that the farmers interests were being
sacrificed, and urged the farmers to
wake up and take hand in public
affairs themselves, alleging that con-
gross was made up mainly of lawyers
and bankers who necessarily gave
us class legislation as any legisla-
tire cOmnnSpd mainly of one or two