The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-08-01
HON. L. L. POLK, AT eREENyrLLE.

hun L. L. fOLk, AT GREENVILLE.
Your Editor had the pleasure of an intro
ductiou to and conversation with president
Polk on the train from Spartanburg to
Greenville, and then the od fortune to at
tend the session of the State Alliance at
Greenville on the 23d and 24,h inst. and to
listen to q masterly address of two hours
and ten minutes from Hon. L. L. Polk, on
the evening of the 23j. We found Nv.
Polk very plain, unpresumiug, but digni-
fed and great man.
While on tho train he remarked to us, 81
find politics are warm in South Carolina,
and that the oppressors of the farmers are
trying to scare ou, and rejoice to know
that you are not scary crowd. beg you
to do nothing rashly, but be firm and true
men. ON glad to find such unpr ecedented
unity and zeal among my Alliance brethren
in South Carolina, they have. never ceased
to work a single day from the time they
first organized at Florence. And can say
without any qualification that you brethren
in South Carolina have the best State Secre-
tary in the United States" (And by way
Of parenthesis am glad to tell my brethren
that Mr.. Ried was unanimously reelected
again to the Office of State Secretary
Speaking to my young friend, DR.. Jef.
ferries, Mr. Polk said, II am glad to see the
zeal for the Alliance manifested by the
young men and boys of our country. We
old men are soon to enter the frost that
knows no melting, and We must leave our
cause 10 the hands Of the young men and
boys Of our country. The farmers from the
Atlentic to the Pacific and from the Lakes
to the Gulf have woke up to their God
given rights and ere no longer going to be
enslaved without protest." beg you
to guard against the two things that broke
the Grange in South Carolina-the throwing
open their doors to everybody and trying
to use brains without paying for thcm."-
We reached Greenville on the evening of
the 22d and found the U. s. Court, the dis
trict Court, the Methodist district Conference
and the teachers State normal, all in session
making the city lively
The State Alliance composed of the best
men iu the State was two entirc days trans
acting business. AS the constitution re-
quires, new officers were elected whom VIC
believe will fully sustain the exalted position
our State Alliance now occupies.
President Polk added much to the interest
Of the occasion by his presence and council.
On Wednesday evening MIR. Polk made q
public address Of two hours and ten min
utcs. The Teachers Normal and other
bodies were especially invited. The opera
house was filled to overfowiug by the hon.
est tillers Of the soil, together with judges,
lawyers, teachers, merchants, &c., but our
verdict Of tho address was given-the best
OH the subject we ever heard, and too short
greatly regret that the Alliance did not
employ stenographcr to have taken down
the address in full. The newspapers seem
afraid their popularity-among certain
olasses-wll be in danger if they pay too
much attention to such movements, and they
are represented only by note takers.
There is wonderful magnetism in Mr..
Folks appearance, and his address had just
enough of chaste and illustrative anecdotes
to keep the attention Of this audience
firmly rivetcd to the subject. Among othe T.
things, he said that the great contest of the
American citizen Of to-day, is between the
citizen and the dollar, and not between the
democrats and republicans.
"We farmers have got the largest fight
before us that ever existed before people
fight against the money Of America backed
by the bank Of England. But thank God
We have the numbers aud, l believe, the man
hood, to bring about reform
Speaking of men i'll the Alliance who ex-
pect to be supported for office simply because
they belong to the Alliance, he said "a
man in the Alliance, and has got his little
axe to grind Oh the Alliance gripdstone
brethren you just sit down on him just as
quick as you can"
In 1860 the farmers owned more than 80
per cent. of the property in the United
yes. In 1890 they own % per cent. and
pay 80 per cent. of the taxes. You farmers
and your wives have lived hard for the last
20 years, and are tonight poorer than you
were 20 years ago. challenge any farmer
in this house to stand up with o $50 suit of
clothes on. The farmers are patriotic and
God knows they are oppressed enough to
feel it, "In 1870 there were 1868 more
farms in the United States than in $780,
We are rapidly resolving ourselves into two
classes--the extremely rich and the extremely
poor Our country is safe only when the
middle classes are protected.
(To BE cosTISUED.)