Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1890-03-12
The State Alliance.

1
adopted by the State Alliance at its
meeting last week, may be said to be
u good one--as good as could be ex-
pected from n body of men who have
given more attention to the cultiva-
ton of the soil than they have to !
formulating declarations OF prin-
ciples" to be carried out by those In
control of the state and the general
government. But it must be ao-
knowledged that the platform. IN
some instances, shows the "ear
marks" of certain political wire-phl-
lers, who, having lost caste IN their
respective parties, seek office through
the Alliance. Every honest farmer
should guard against all such trick
sters. Every popular movements like
the Alliance organization, that has
ever been started in this country, has
been cursed by chronic otfice-seekers
and broken down politicians, who
have Joined those organizations for
self-promotion and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
It is hoped that the Alliance VIII
keep out all such characters, and that
the efforts to better the condition Of
the farmers will be crowned with
success.
One thing is certain, so powerful
has the Alliance become in Mime
sofa, that the political party that ex-
poets to win in future elections will
have to adopt many of the planks in
the Alliance platform.
But it strikes us that the Alliance
is a little "off" in its tariff plank
We may be wrong, but we think not.
It has long been contended and pref
ty clearly shown that our manufac-
turers did not need any further "pro-
lection" In order to enable them to
compete with the manufacturers OF
other countries, yet the Alliance de-
mands that what is generally termed
"raw materials" shall be placed on
the free list, in order that our manu-
features may compete with other
manufacturing nations In the markets
of the world This demand for " free
raw materials originated with some
of the manufacturers of the eastern
states, who desire to use foreign ma
terials, instead of American materi-
ais, and whose interests 1t is to pre-
vent the building up of manufactures
here in the west. These eastern man
ufacturers say that they want " free
raw Materials" so they can compete
with the manufacturers of other ma
lions in the markets of the world, not
because they are anxious to furnish
the farmers with cheaper goods. 1t
is the foreign market they are look
ing after, not the home market, nor
the home purchaser. It looks to us
as though the tariff plank of the AL
lance, as regards "free raw materi-
As,u was calculated to benefit foreign
nations who ship "raw materials to
this country, and the manufactures
who uses them, and not the farmer OF
this country who has "raw material
to sell and who buys back this "raw
material" in the shape of manufac-
tured articles. AS we said above, we
may be wrong, but we can't help
thinking we are right. The demand
of the Alliance for the removal of the
duty on the necessaries of life and the
taxing of the iuxuries, is all right
and will be heartily endorsed by
everybody except the millionaires.
The resolution adopted by the ALI
ance in relation to securing legisla-
ton to require assessors to ascertain
the amount Of insurance carried on
stocks OF merchandise, and In no case
to make the assessment less than the
insurance, is good move and we be.
lieve it would be o good thing if such
a law was passed.
But we have not the space to dis
cuss the Alliance platform further this
week. When 1t is published in full
and we have an opportunity to read
: it carefully, we can judge better Of its
merits.
Stevens county was complimented
by selecting one of her citizens as
president. Perhaps this was owing
to the fact that the Stevens County
Republican convention of 1883 was
the first county convention in the
state to endorse the platform adopted
by the State Alliance of that year
and that Mr.. Hall was largely instru.
mental in having that platform en-.
dorsed. At any rate, a Stevens coun.
ty man has been elected president Of
the State Alliance.