The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-17
THE THIRD PARTY MOVEMENT.
Schemes and Counter schemes Come to
Naught.


Naught. /.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Dec. 13.--A meet
ing the national alliance was held here
today to endorse their pet scheme for
third party. 1t soon became apparent,
however, THAT this endorsement
could not be secured, although vigorous
work in this direction was put In during
the first three or four days of the session.
When the sub-treasury scheme came up
for endorsement on Monday last final
vote on the passage of this demand was
surprise in many respects. Northwest
erners were found solid in their support
of the measure, although their political
affiliations in the past and the sentiment
of the people whom they are supposed to
represent would naturally have led to
open opposition to this measure. The
leaders in the third party movement
from that section are McGrath OF Kansas
Loucks of South Dakota, Wardell of
South Dakota and WillIts of Kansas, and
they are warmly supported by delegates
from Wisconsin and other near by states.
During tour of the state, which has
been in progress for the past four or
five days, these third-party plotters
have unbosomed themselves to certain
extent In their conversation with their
fellow excurtionists and newspaper men,
and their admissions have laid bare the
political scheme which has prompted
their every act. In general, their state
ments are to this effect: That they are
really opposed to the sub-treasury bill;
that they regard it as wrong in principle
and as legislative devise which can end
only in financial ruin to farmers and every
other industrial class. That the people of
their section are opposed to it, and that
they, as delegates, were particularly
charged with the mission to defeat the
measure when they left their homes.
They say, also, that upon their return
they will be asked to make an explana-
tion of their strange conduct in giving
their support to this demand of the Ma
tional alliance, and the explanation which
they will be forced to make is this:
That the sub-treasury demand is of
such nature it can never gain the sup
port OF the democracy of the southern
states and that the attempt to secure
such democratic support can end only in
a split in the democratic ranks in the
south. This, they say will break
up the ''solid south" and this is the end
which they have had in view. They pro-
fess to believe that their people will ap-
plaud them for having entered into an
arrangement by which this end can be
accomplished and that they will feel that
the sacrifice Of their principles in con
nection with the seb-treasury scheme has
not been too great, if, thereby, the demo-
cratic party can be hopelessly divided.
In support of this general
policy as outlined. several of
these plotters have been placed upon
record. For instance President McGrath
of the Kansas alliance, said in the presence
Of several witnesses yesterday, "We did
not vote for the sub-treasury bill because
we believed in it, The fact is, we are
opposed to it; but we saw that by making
1t an issue in the south we could break up
the democratic party. This is the ex-
PLANTATION we will give our constituents
when we return home.'
Wit1itc ne a. ~
prominent candidate for the United
States senatorship in opposition to In
gals, said: awe never did like the sub
treasury bill and we have no confidence
In it now, but we supported it at Ocala 80
as to divide the south and break up the
bourbon democracy"
Hon. F. r. Carskadon, an influential
banker of West Virginia, has been heard
to say: 1--WE Eortherners were opposed
to the sub treasury bill until we found by
making 1t an issue that the southern
democracy could be divided and room
made for new party" 1t Is needless to
add that Carskadon Is a republican and
and Incorporating third party man.
In this connection it is learned also
that the recently organized Reform Press
AATeoSAes'soA 10 - DotiJ WACnC puEpOSc IL lS
to mould opinion among alliance men in
every state toward the promotion of a
third party movement. The facts sur
rounding its organization and subsequent
reorganizations, Its action and its evident
policy proves this beyond doubt, The
third party men at Qcala, who have
connection with the reform press in the
alliance, IN the Farmers Mutual Benefit
association, in the Knights of Labor and
in other kindred organizations, decided
that their aims could be accomplished in
q large measure through newspaper in
fiuence, but when they saw that their
project would not secure the out-and out
endors ement from the organized body of
delegates, they set about to carry their
schemes through in another way. They
saw only defeat in pushing the project to
vote in the convention and the speech
OF DIR. Macune, chairman of the national
executive board and strong third party
man, In which he advocated non-action
until the alliance should find out what
one or the other of the two existing parties
proposed to do in the way of giving leg
islative relief was too tempOrizing for
their purposes, they therefore deter
mined to push the thing through their
own channels. Not all the "reform press''
representative could be relied upon to ad
vocate the third party, SO the press pro-
moters of this scheme awaited the oppor-
tunity tor organizing.