Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-11
WANTNO CLASS LEGISLATION
The Farmers Alliance Protests
Against Fostering One Industry at
the Expense Of Another.
The Hardy Sons of Toll Want Free
and Unrestricted Coinage
of Silver,
The Abolition of The National Bank.
ing System and Other Institu-
tiOnS is Demanded.

OCALA, Dec. S.-Early in the forenoon
session of the farmers alliance, the fnan-
cial policy of the order came up for dis
cussion under a report of the committee on
legislation. 1t contained the following
amended demands:
Flrst-The abolition of national banks,
the establishment of sub-treasuries in sew
eral states to loan money direct to the
people at rate of interest not to exceed
two per cent per annum, on non perish-
able farm products and real estate. with
proper limitations upon the quantity of
land and amount of money; that the
amount of the circulating medium be
speedily increased to not less than fifty
dollars per capita.
Second-Congress shall pass laws to
effectually prevent dealing in futures on
all agricultural and mechanical produc-
tons, preserving stringent system of
procedure in trials to secure the prompt
conviction of offenders and such penalties
that shall secure the most perfect compli-
ance with law.
Third-It condemns the silver bill re-
Gently passed and demands a free and I'M
limited coinage of silver.
G Fourth-The demand of the passage of
laws prohibiting alien ownership of land,
and that congress take prompt action to
devise some plan to obtain all land now
owned by aliens and foreign syndicates,
and that all lands held by railroads and
other corporations in excess of what is
actually used and needed by them, be re-
claimed and held for actual settlers only.
Flfth-Believing in the doctrine of
equal rights to all, and special privileges
to none, we demand that our national leg
islation be so framed In the future as not
to build up one industry at the expense of
another. We further demand the removal
of the existing heavy tariff tax from the
necessaries of life that the poor of our land
must have.
We further demand just and equitable
system of graduated tax on incomes We
believe that the money of the country
should be kept as much as possible, in the
hands of the people and demand that all
national and state revenues be limited to
the necessary expenses of the government
economically and honestly administered
We demand most rigid, honest and
just state and national control and super
vision of the means OF public communion
tlOn and transportation, and If this con-
troll does not remove the abuses now exist
ing, we demand the government owner
ship of such means of communication and
transportation.
A spirited debate followed the intro
duction of this report
Loucks, of South Dakota, offer
ed an amendment to strike
out the word farm before products, but
after some discussion changed it to read
understandable instead of farm" Then
Davie (Ky) offered long amendment and
speeches for and against these amendments
went On for long time President Hall,
of the Missouri alliance, declared himself
opposed to the subtreesury plan. 1t is
unconstitutional and it is directly opposed
to principles of the order; it is unjust and
lnequitable; very extravaganza; would
bring financial ruin to the farmer and
all classes of business; would lave,
and is now having the effect of drawing
the minds of farmers and other
laborers from the greatest curse of the age
class legislation. In conclusion, he SAID,
if such step is taken it will destroy the
order in Missouri in less than ninety days.