The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-04-09


by the leading statesmen OF both houses OF
formed by this national council IL the cleo
ton OF national legislative committee OF
three, whose duty Il 10 to draw and present
bills to congress in behalf of the alliance.
This 10 the committee of which DR.. G. w.
Macune was chairman last year, and which
gave him such amazing and sometimes die
tatorial power. This legislative committee
Of three Is tho ali-powerful political factor
Of the National Alliance, and was tho agency
through which the third party advocates
hoped to bring about . breach between the
Farmers Alliance and the old parties, by
having Il present radical and revolutionary
bills to congress such as the old parties
could not support In consequence the Sc
lection OF legislative committee at this
time was Of absorbing interest to tho politI.
clans Of both the old parties II 10 an open
secret that there has been q conflict Of ideas
between the national section Of the alliance,
led by Mr. Hall, of Missouri, and the jobbing
section. led by Macune, hailing from wher
ever he may Ind himself when night strikes
him. The battle royal occurred at the
meeting tonight. There were thirty i've
state presidents present. The legislative
committee OF three was elected by ballot. Il
has been understood from the time the state
presidents began to arrive that tho fight be-
gun ut Ocala between Hall and Macune would
be fought to Il finish and determined finally
1t this meeting It was fought to . finish.
and Hall won by largo majority. Jobber
Macune Is Sin the soup" to night. The de.
tails Of the meeting, OF course. can not be
obtained fully. ~ the alliance people, rs q
rule, keep their business to themselves.
Enough has leaked out, however, to enable
your correspondent to state that ON the first
ballot Mr.. Hall was chosen. ART that his -
sociates are L. l.. Polk, tho rational presi-
- rn1n ~
gan State Alliance Mr.. Halt took . very
active part In the proceedings Of the Ocala
convention. Ev0ry member Of tho order
knew him to be then, and knows him to be
now, N inveserato enemy OF the sub treas
ury bill. The fact that he was elected .
member Of the legislative committee on the
drss ballot 70 night II significant 1t means
that the cool. common sense OF the alliance
II sxersing itself: that the dreamers and
0ohsmers and jobbsrs In the order
have beon daunted, and that the mem :
boro favOring rational reforms are In con i
troll. This - the most important item Of
political news that has been sent from Wash
ington since the defeat Of tho force bill. With
the rational. lucid. honest. earnest men Of
why there should not be full and complete
sympathy between the democracy and the
alliance in the next congress. At any rate,
the oy orthrow Of the Macune element Is OF
overwhelming consequence. Macune's chief
desire, II seems. was to invent measures,
schemes and ideas that no sensible man or
conservative party could under any posi-
bility support. His object was to create a
third party and sell it to the republicans He
has been dethroned to night and reason and
common sense will in the future reign In his
stead. The compliment paid to Mr.. Hall Is
very significant and remarkable in view of
the fight he made on Macune and his wild
c.hn a. he a.,
selection as member of the legislative COM
mittec makes Mr.. Hall one of the most con-
spicuous and influential members of the or
der.
Tho letters received from the brother
hood in all sections show no small de-
gree of alarm and indignation. in
some sections bordering on revolt,
since the above publication is going tho
rounds of the subsidized press.
In answer to Brother Leonard's in
quiry, why and how it was done?" I
will say: Since the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union at st.
Louis did adopt the sub-treasury plan
by large majority and submit it thor
oughly to the order, where it was freely
and fully discussed for year, and at
the next national meeting indorsed it by
a practically unanimous vote of the
delegates fresh from the people, with
their instructions ringing in their ears,
and the supreme council said in the res
olution creating the legislative council
that its duty was as follows:
Sec. ?. That 1t shall be the duty OF the said
national legislative council to formulate
measures and devise such necessary meth.
DDS in conformity with the principles, pur-
poses. and acts of the supreme council as
may secure the enactment of such laws as
may he indicated by the supreme council
In view of all this it is fair to pre-
sumo that Brother Hall, as an honor
able gentleman and consistent mem
Der of the order, did by the act of ac-
cepting that position on the vote of five
presidents of the State Alliance give up
all opposition to the sub-treasury, and
pledge himself to an active support OF
the measure. 1t is hard to see how he
could have otherwise accepted the
place. To say that he could accept the
position and then work against this
measure is to say that he would accept
trust and betray it, which of course is
not true. The way it was done, there.
fore, is probably that it made friend
to the measure out of one Of the
few men in the order that
opposed it. As to how it was
done, / have talked much with the
brethren, and believe that the following
ID as near true statement Of the situa.
ton a. can be had until the members OF
the council see fit to make more Of the
proceedings public. The presidents Of
the following State Alliances were pres.
mt and voting when Mr.. Hall waa
elected: Virginia, Maryland, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama,
Tennessee. Missouri Kansas, west VIZ
ginia and Michigan. OF these ton l
have BEEN crediably informed that four
did NOT vote with tho majority. This, il
shows his vote to have been by
~ state presidents. This is all regular
And correct Ten states made aquorum.
and had Brother Hall refused to vote.
Eve would have been majority Of the
nine. II I am In error IS to this vote !
will gladly make tho correction. Twas
not present when the vote was taken.
| believe under the circumstances that
the order has . right to know, and
give Il Is reported among the brethren
here present at that time. Consequent
y In reply to how 1t was done, say in
. legal manner.
A. to the publication above quoted. l
will AMPLY say it is false from begin
ming to end. There has never in any
sense Of the word been any conflict be-
tween Mr.. Hall and myself for that or
any other position, either direct Or indi-
rect. In support Of this present the
following certificate:
We the undersigned hereby certify that
there has been no conflict OF any kind what.
ever between Brothers G. w. Macune and z.
q Hall tor place on the legislative commit
- Or Any other piaoe. and that Brother Ma.
eu1e VS. not eligible TO msmbership on the
lo9lo2otlvQ oOunctl OF the le9iolotlyo com.