Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-07-24
THURSDAY, JULY "a, 1890.
The Alliances Demands Analysed

The Alliances Demands Analysed.
The Kansas farmers alliance and in
dustrial union has, in addition to the
principles enunciated in the national
platform, made five specific demands.
There is nothing in any of these de-
mands which is antagonistic to any
doctrine or position ever held by the
republican party. In fact the legisla-
ton demanded has already been adopted
by the republican party. The first of
these demands is as follows:
We demand such legislation as shall effec-
tually prevent the extOrtion of usurious in
terest by any form of evasion of statutory
provisions.
The last legislature of this state en-
acted a law to meet this very demand.
1t provides not only that usuriOus in
terest shall not 0e collected, but pre-
scribes heavy penalties for contracting
for usurious interest.
The second demand is as follows:
Wedemand such legislation as will provide
for a reasonable stay OF execution in ali
cases of foreclosure of mortgages on real es
tate, and reasonable extention OF time be-
fore the confirmation of sheriffs sales.
The last legislature had under con-
sideration a number of bills, all intro
duced by republicans, embracing this
question Of staying executions and ex-
tending the time i'll which property
sold under mortgages might be re-
deemed. The whole difficulty rests in
the constitution which provides that
no law shall be passed violating the
terms of existing contracts, and hence
no law that any legislation of Kansas
could enact would afford any relief to
an existing debtor, but could only ap-
ply to future Indebtedness, and the
legislature did not pass bill. But if
there is possibility for relief to the
farmer by the enactment of stay law
the party to look for such relief is The
republican party, which has provided
Kansas with the most liberal home
stead and exemption laws of any state
in the union.
The third demand is as follows:
We demand such legislation as Will effect
ualIy prevent the organization or mainte-
nance of trusts and combines for purposes OF
speculation in any of the products of labor
Ut necessities of life, or the transp ortation
of the same.
The last legislature enacted law
against trusts and combinations in re-
straint of trade and products" 1t is
the most rigid law against trusts and
combines that can be found upon any
statute book in the union. And if
state laws can reach trusts and combi-
nations our law must prove effective
against them. If any alliance of this
state will draft measure that prom
Uses to more effectuallY do away with
these accused instruments of oppres-
sion, the republican Legislature of Kan
sas will put it into our statute book.
There is no necessity for the farmers
to look elsewhere for legislature to
enact law against trusts and COM
bines.
The fourth demand is as follows:
We demand the adjustment of salaries of
public officials TO correspond with existing
financial conditions, the wages paid to other
forms Of labor and the prevailing prices of
the products of labor.
The last legislature of this state en-
acted number OF special statutes re-
ducing the salaries of county officers,
and we are informed that in every in
stance where such a law was asked for
by representative, the law was en-
acted.
The republican legislature stands
ready to reduce the salaries of public
officials whenever a demand is made
therefor, and all the farmers need do is
to instruct their republican representa-
tive to ask for the reduction and it will
be made.
The last of these demands is as fol-
lows:
We demand the adoption OF the Australian
system Of voting and the Crawford system of
primaries.
The masses of the republican papers
OF this state including the REFLECTOR
demanded the adoption of the Austria
lian ballot system long before there
was an alliance in the state of Kansas.
and the demand from the republican
papers throughout the state has been
so nearly unanimous that there is
scarcely doubt but the Australian |
system will be adopted by the republi-
can legislature which meets in January.
1891. There are no opponents of any |
kind of ballot reform in the republican
party. AS to the Crawford county sys-
tenn of primaries, an honest difference
of opinion exists not only among repub-
Icans who are not members of the alI-
ance, but among alliance men also.
The system has been tried by the re-
publicans in number Of the counties
of this state. In some it has been
abandoned, in others is still used. But
this is not q matter of legislation, and