The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-04-25
OLD FASHIONED PEOPLE ARE
STARTLED BY THE NEW
FINANCIAL PROPOSITION.
The Wealth Producers Have Made
aDemand In Good Faith and
are in Dead Earnest,

1t is TO the Farmers Alliance, it seems
that we owe the new financial propositions
which have startled old fashioned people
within the last week-such as Senator Gull
lom's bill directing the treasury to lend
money on real estate at 2 per cent, and
Senator Staptord's similar joint resolution
to lend at per cent.
The Farmers Alliance is an organization
which claims to have a large and rapidly
increasing membership in western and
southern states. What may be the aggre.
gate number of this comparatively new
society's membership we do not know, but
it intends to cut a great figure in the fall
elections, though not by.setting up as third
party. Its leaders are too shrewd for that.
The members agree to vote only as for a
fellow-member for any Office from congress
man down, but that fellow-member may be
of either party. We have been told that in
Missouri alone the alliance has 100000,
and it is apparently powerful also in Geor-
gia, Illinois, Texas and California.
The alliance favors, in general, "more
money" 1t demands, therefore. the unlim
tied coinage of silver. 1t would probably
accept the schemes of Senators Cullom and
Stanford for government loans on real
estate, and the chief of the order for Georgia
a few days ago announced his determination
to force all candidates for congress in that
state to commit themselves to an act OF
congress directing the treasury to lend
money on the security of crops in the field.
The great measure of the order, however,
to which il seems to have committed itself
everywhere, is found in bill introduced In
the senate by no less person than Senator
Vance, of North Carolina, and in the house
by Mr.. Pickler, of South Dakota This bill,
declares, "Embodies the demand of the
Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union
1t directs the federal government to set up
lin each Of the counties of each Of the states
of this United States" where the annual
gross product of cotton, wheat, corn, oats
and tobacco shall be worth 100000. and
where 100 citizens shall petition for ii, "a
branch Of the treasury department" This
county sub-treasury is to consist of ware
house and elevator and printing office, and
the county sub-treasurer is to receive from
the farmers and store safely all the ton,
wheat, corn, oats and tobacco brought TO
him by the farmers. and issue 10 them
paper money to The amount of so per cent
of the estimated value of their product
stored, on which the farmers are to pay l
per cent interest. Tine notes thus issued
against G. ain, cotton and tobacco are TO be a
full legal teRder for all public and private
debts.
The secretary of the treasury is command
ed to put up proper warehouses in every
county which comes under the law, with
elevators and other conveniences, ana the
bill approprates $50, 900, 900 for this pur-
pose. To make the duties of the secretary
OF the treasury the more easy and pleasant,
the bill directs that the sub-trea3urer shall
be elected at congressional elections and
shall hold office for two years.
All this may make seine readers smile,
but, after all, these alliance people are in
earnest. They assert that they have at
this time in their membership over
1000 900 voters, and they haye had suffi-
cient influence to induce Senators Stanford.
Cullom and Vance to introduce measures
pleasing to them Nor should it be fors OF.
ten that, by decisions of the highest court,
and by prrty policies approved by the peo-
pie and enforced, even this absurd bill of
Senator Vance can be justified Herald,
New York.
1.-The Herald speaks for New York greed
and gamblers, but trembles while affecting
to sneer.