Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-12-11

There are about ffty delegates present,
and they appear to be intelligent men
who know what they want and are ready
for business.
Mr.. Humphreys address Is slgni0-
cant document, inasmuch rs II is out
sp0kenfor third party politics and de-
cares unequivocHlly for the Henry
George single.tax idea.
After reviewing the growth OF the or.
der Superintendent Humphrey spoke OF
the deplofablc condition In which the
colored people had found themselves.
Unable to clothe and feed themselves,
return to abject slavery seemed iheyita-
BILE. Among the causes which retarded
the progress OF the Alliance, he men-
tlons the opposition OF MANY people to
negro education, and the opposition OF
newspapers which arc usually Under the
control OF monopoly. He denounced the
national banking system and the specu-
lators who sought to contract the cur
rency. He continued as followsi
II Is coubtful IL there is in circulation
this year money enough 10 pay for the cot
ton crop at four cents pound and the
wheat crop at thirty cents a bushel, and but
for the Influence OF the Alliance and It's ex-
changes there IL no probability that cotton
would now sell above four cents a pound,
NJ lHt TeQueSJ OI InOuSdnuS Oh lnt GC,b
and most influential colored people OF this
country. both within and outside the Alli-
ance, 1t becomes my duty to call your at
tentioh 10 the necessity that exists for inde-
pendence In political action, During this
year no less than five representative bodies
of colored men assembled In Chitago, Wash
ington, Raleigh, Richmond and philadel-
phla. and declared their disafection and
humiliation with the existing political
parties. None of these great conven-
tions have appeared willing to formu-
late platform that they consider
would be satisfactory to their race. IL re-
mains therefore, that you should give your
earnest attention To this all absorbing ques-
tion, and IL by n spirit OF MUTUAL compro-
misc you may be able to secure such
pledges from the great labor organizations
now represented IN this city rs will warrant
reciprocal and hearty confederation and
corporation, doubtless great good VIII re.
suit to both the white and the colored
races, Those who hope TO equalize the bur-
dens OF taxation, to relieve the depression
of agriculture, and to restore the Govern
ment to the service of tho people, must join
together and stick together and they must
have name as we'll as a platform 0f prln=
clples distinctly their own. To this name
and platform they must invite their fellow-
citizens OF the United States Us TO h refuge
and fortress,
IN the recent elections the influence OF
the Alliance was felt, and every man real
ized what tremendous power 1t Is destined
In the near future to exert, but IL must be
remembered that I'm this case the Alliance
was fettered by party names which it could
not bear and In many States refused to vote
at all We hear that I'm Mississippi 40 per
cent. of the white and 40 per cent. of the
colored people absolutely refused to vote or
even TO attend the polls. In Texas aud
many other States the elections went rather
hV 6nfanlf than Othhryy leo. Tho MANILA
were not satisfied with the standard bear
ers, nnd, rather than be considered Demo-
Gratis or Republicans, they remained at
their homes and refused to take part in the
election of mon In whom thap ~N''iA sH--i 40
Col. Humphrey commits himself with
out reservation to a platform of social
ism and Henry Georges singlc-tax idea.
He says:
God has given this earth to all the living.
Men have as much right TO monopolize the
air we breathe and the sunshine that warns
us as the land that by Gods ordination
feeds our families. We take this occasion
distinctly TO affirm that land Is not proper
ty, never can be property, holds no allcgi-
ance but TO the man who lives on IL. His
improvements are his. but the land belongs
to the sovereign people. in view OF these
indisputable truths we recommend to our
people the principles or the Single-TaX
party, and that we should remove the bur-
dens OF taxation from all property, because
the value of property is increased by taxa
tion; but, on the contrary, land, IL carrying
all the taxes necessary to support the Gov
ernment, would not be held by Spectators,
as IL is now, and would soon become abund-
ant and cheap. There are already millions
of our people, both colored and white, who
favor this single-tax plan. and we recon-
mend It to you nass as III Mr fe pt9r t99r
the people.
The convention was thoroughly in
harmony with the views expressed by
the National Superintendent. The Sec
retary's report showed that there were
now enrolled in the organization about
1,200,O as members, of whom over
100000 are male adults All of the
Southern States are thoroughly organ
ized, and the following are partially or
ganized: Delaware, Ohio, Illinois, In
diana, Missouri, and Nebraska. In
round numbers there are in Alabama
100, 900 members, South Carolina 90,-
900, Mississippi 10000, Texas 10000,
Georgia S4, 600, Arkansas 10000, Louisi-
ana and Virginia $4,000, Tennessee co.
600, North Carolina 55, 900, and Kentucky
1000 The balance are scattered among
the other States.
At the afternoon session q committee
from the white alliance, consisting OF q
delegate fIom Tennessee, Virginia, Ala
bama, and Louisiana, called in to extend
fraternal greetings. 1t would have been
a staggerer to the friends in the color
line to have seen the good feeling shown
on both sides. The white delegates were
introduced to the negroes, shook hands
cordially, and Toke to them as brothers.
They were cordially received, and an in
vitation for the colored men TO send a
delegation to the meeting of the whites
was accepted. The visit will be made
Friday.
Ono prominent man in the Alliance
said: "Had the Lodge bill been passed
twenty years ago it would have been a
blessing. It's too late now" He ex-
planned this by saying that the time had
come when white men and black men
would vote together. Mr.. Humphrey
was formerly Democrat, but says tho
Democratic party had come to be so bad
that IL had no politics at all.