Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-05-08
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
WHOM WILL YE SERVE 2
Pertinent Questions Put to Those En-
gagged In the Farmers Movement.

have been told. In case of differences
between the Alliance or Grange or
Union and the parties, which will we
serve as to the matter in issue? While
the Farmers Movement" is not
partisan. it is intensely political; and
as to certain great matters-fnanee;
| transportation, land; etc; there may be
party standard and an Alliance stand
ard; and in that case, what course will
Alliance men pursue? Will they aban-
! don the Alliance and it's platform and
remain with the party and its platform?
Or will they remain with the Alliance
and assist in establishing Alliance
doctrines among the people, leav-
! ing parties to take care of them
| selves? This question will have
/ to be answered very soon by
/ every member of the Farmers Alliance
and Industrial Union. The issue Is
| being forced faster than most members
expected: indeed, great many of them
did not expect it to be raised at all. But
it is here even now, and it must be met.
| Pray, do not understand this to be
threat of new party, for it is nothing
of the kind. 1t is only calling attention
of Alliance people to the fact that they
are about to be subjected to a prelirr1-
mary examination on the question: In
case the party to which you belong
ignores or opposes the principles of the
Alliance, will you remain in the Al
lance and continue TO work Tor its sue
cess? We expect you to answer yes; and
I IN loN f-n Nryba r
| effect will that course have on
your party. We do not know;
that is the party's business, and we have
not the management of the party. Let
us not deceive ourselves, II we have
gone into the Alliance to achieve GER
tain political results and if our parties
do not GO with us we must abandon one or
the other-the Alliance or the party
and this shows the importance of con-
verting the parties. 1t is a serious mat
ter; we fully comprehend its gravity,
and for that reason it is treated gravely:
Here is the first plank in the Alliance
platform, and it is Endorsed by all other
farmers organizations and by the
Knights of Labor:
banks and the substitution of legal-tender
Treasury notes in lieu of National bank
notes, issued in sufficient volume TO do the
business of the country on a cash system,
regulating the amount needed on per
capita basis as the business interests of the
country expand; and that all money issued
by the Government shall be legal tender in
payment of all debts, both public and
private.
Tho+ Sc Id ~ oI
is put in plain language and briefly that
there need be no mistake about it.
What action will the parties-the two
great parties, we mean-take on that
demand? viii they indorse it? and if
So when? And will present party
leaders take hold earnestly and work it
into law? If so, when will the work
begin? 1t is now nearly twenty-seven
years since the National Banking act
was passed, and up to this time no men,
Der of Congress in either branch has
ever introduced bill, and urged it, to
repeal the law, and when the question
was put on re-enacting the law for an
other period of twenty years, there was
no serious opposition in either party.
And now, of the two dozen or more bills
relating to finance pending before Con-
gress, introduced in good faith by the
member or Senator, not one proposes to
abolish the National banking system.
On the other hand it is held up as the
best banking system ever devised and
that it ought to remain substantially as
it now exists.
The second plank in our platform is:
We demand the free and unlimited coin
age of silver.
There are several bills relating to sill
yer coinage now before Congress, and
part of them provide for free and I'M
limited coinage, but none of these have
beer or are likely to be reported. Only
two out of the whole number introduced
have been reported one in the House,
one in the Senate-but neither of them
provide for free coinage or any thing
near it. They both treat silver as bullion
only; and while there are friends of
free coinage in the House, and enough
of them to impede the progress of OBJ
jectionable measures, still the gold
mOno-metalists are strong enough to de-
feat any free-coinage proposition. And
this is not limited to party lines. Both
parties are divided on the subject.
with the single gold standard doctrine
controlling.
What ground have we to build hope
upon in such a case? And this silver
question is vital with us. AS long as
our finances are conducted as they have
been, the gold men will control not only
the money but the business and there
fore the prices of the country. What
will the parties do about this?
Here is another plank in our plat
form:
Believing in the doctrine of equal rights
to all and special privileges to none," we
demand that taxation, National or State,
shall not be used to build up one interest or
class at the expense of another. We believe
that the money of the country should be
kept as much as possible in the hands of the
people, and hence We demand that all rev.
enues, National, State or county, shall be
limited to the necessary expenses of the
Government economically and honestly ad-
ministered.
What will the parties do in relation
to that? What have they done and
what are they now doing? The Mills
bill, which was given out as reform
measure, put wool on the free list, left
sugar at 65 per cent, and cut duties
generally from AZ per cent to AZ
per cent. The Senate bill which
followed during the same session
was practically the same as to rate of
duties-higher rather than lower
leaving wool dutiable but cutting sugar
duties in two in the middle. And now,
the Mckinley bill actually raises duties
ON wooden goods S5 per cent and on