St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-17
THE INDEPENDENTS.

THE UNDERGRADUATES.
The most important move that has
been made on the political chess board
in Minnesota for great many years was
the action taken by the executive COM
mittee of the Farmers alliance yester
day. While the call for state conven-
ton to be held in this city the 10th of
next month does not require the nomi-
nation of state ticket, there is scarcely
the shadow of doubt that full ticket
will be nominated, and that vigorous
campaign will be inaugurated. The
action of the Fifth district alliance at
Fergus Falls the other day was the pre-
cursor of what is to follow in state poll
tics. Whatever doubt remained of the
intention of the farmers to measure
their strength with the politicians this
year was dispelled by the firm and de-
cisive tone of the alliance leaders who
assembled at the Clarendon yesterday.
Even Mr.. DoNNELLY, who has opposed
the independent movement with vigor
and ability, was compelled to bow to
the inevitable, and confesses that the
independent movement is too strong to
be further resisted. With characteristic
gracefulness he fell into the procession,
and will continue to work in harness
with the farmers.
The step taken yesterday means a
good deal more than the politicians are
willing to admit. 1t is the foreShadoW-
ing of mighty revolution in Minnesota
politics. The alliance has grown to be
a numerous body, and the votes of its
members cast solIdly in any direction
will cut an important figure in state
politics. 1t is pretty well understood
| that an agreement will be reached by
which the united labor vote will help to
| swell the Independent movement.
There is likewise probability that the
$1,000 Prohibitionists will be added to
the column; so that altogether the in
dependents will present very formida-
BILE organization, and will naturally
| produce more or less dismay among the
machine politicians. Including the
alliance membership, the Knights of
Labor and the Prohibitionists, leaders
of the independent movement estimate
| that they will start off with nearly 100,
600 voters in line; and as the total vote
| of the state is very little IN excess of
! 260, 900, it is easy TO estimate how Serl-
ously the old party lines will be broken
into. Already far-seeing politicians Of
the old parties are trimming their sails
in the direction of the Independent
movement, and it is probable that be-
! fore the campaign is over good many
others will be steering in the same
course.
What is back of this new departure?
What is the cause Of this apparently
spontaneous uprising of the farmers:
The answer was very we'll told by an
alliance official yesterday, when he said
the MCKINLEY bill and the supreme
court decision in the Minnesota railway
cases were responsible for it. "If il
has come to pass" he remarked, "that
| the war taxes are to be increased. in
| stead of reduced, that luXuries are to
exempted from taxation while the taxes
on necessities are retained; if the doc
| trine is seriously announced from the
highest judicial tribunal i'll our land thai
state shall not have the power to reg
ulate its local affairs nor to control the
| corporations of its own creation, then,
| in my humble Judgment, it is time that
the yeomanry were asserting their
sovereignty. We are here to stay
After this terse and vigorous statement
of causes the GLOBE made no further
effort to seek an explanation.
Nor is this independent movement tt
be confined to Minnesota. The farmer;
of South Dakota led off several day:
ago, while Mr.. WARDELI., who is booked
for the United States senate from tha
state, was on hand yesterday, encOur
aging the Minnesota farmers to break
loose from the old parties. The SAINT
movement is also taking definite shape
in many of the Southern and Western
states. The alliance leaders in NORTH
Carolina and Georgia have publicly sig
nified their purpose to establish a new
party in those states. The farmers Of
Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and
other Western states are likewise organ
izing, and all the indications are thai
before another year has elapsed there
will be a tremendous alliance breeze
blowing all over this country.
The GLOBE is carefully watching the
movement, and will keep its readers
thoroughly posted on its progress. L
our farmer friends can manage to keeI
their organization out of the hands o
the professional politicians, they are liza
BILE to accomplish great reforms. But i
has been their bad luck in all forme
political movements to be wrecked OIL
the fatal shoals OF treacherous manage
ment. We will see how they come GU
this time.
PENNSYLVANIA POLITICS.
Unusual interest is being manifested
in Pennsylvania politics this year, no
because of any important results tina
may be expected, but rather because
will determine the strength of MAT.
QUAY's bossism. If he has thing