The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-05-21

the order being present at that con-
vcntion. with view to keeping them
from committing any rash act, or dong
anything premature. Ii 1t does any
thing at al, iii my judgment, it should
simply refer the whole situation to the
people in their primary and sovereign
capacity. In other words, L do not
think that the conference would be
justified in sustaining or formulating
anything but a conservative and patri-
otto address to the people,
in how many states have you now
efficient organization:'
Our jurisdiction extends to thirty
six states. They are organizing very
rapidly on the Pacific coast. Twenty
nine Of the fifty counties Of California
have organized, with a membership OF
10000. They are organizing very
rapidly in the states Of Washington and
Oregon. We have no state organization
in Delaware or New Jersey, and some
Of the younger states that have lately
been admitted into the union are with
out state organizations.''
What progress is the subtreasury
idea making?'
The more that subject is discussed,
the more the people think about it, the
more it grows upon them. We have
been anxious from the beginning to
have it discussed. and have challenged
discussion. But no one has yet come
forward to answer our arguments.
[ have seen it stated that majority
of the people in some of the southern
states ore opposed to it. My own
opinion is that in no southern state IS
there a majority of the people opposed
to it, When I say the people, do
not mean the alliance alone, but the
people. I have heard that inMississippl
Senator George has been forced to take
the stump against it, and what the
result will be the election only can
tell.
You will notice. said President
Polk, smilingly, that | am not much
impressed with the leaders of either
party. They work with view to the
next campaign. and not with view
to the good of the country. We hope
to do away with a great deal of unjust
and discriminating legislation. We
want to restore agriculture to its true
position Of dignity. We want to bring
to the front a purer craftsmanship than
has been seen for the last quarter OF a
century, and to give to all classes and
all men an equal chance in the race OF
progress"
Commenting editorially on the above,
the Constitution says:
The talk Of President Polk, Of the
National Farmers Alliance, printed
in another column, is full Of suG-
custom.
According to the distinguished
speaker, the discomfort which has led
the farmers into organization, arises
neither from civilizations Of special
products, nor from local conditions i'll
certain sections. The discomfort is
just as deep in the farming country
| around New York city, where diversi-
fed crops and easy markets work out
| their best results, rs in Georgia, where
| cotton is king. or in Kansas, where
| corn has to be used for fuel. This
discomfort, which knows neither section
| nor class, pervades the agricultural
community of every state in the union.
Crops are bounteous, lands are fertile,
the people work with an industry never
before known, and yet the husbandman
is in straits.
When Mr.. Polk finds the cause OF
this universal depression in the financial
legislation Of the country, which is Ill
favor of the gold standard, he really
arraigns the republican party, for every
! evil of which he speaks owes its origin
and development to that party. On
the contrary, the democracy has ever
been the party Of the people, repre-.
senting their wishes from time to time
as against the centralism which would
make them the grist for huge fedora
financial system. The party pledged
| to the free coinage of silver, and tC
such measures as will give the greatest
elasticity to currency; and if refron
comes at all, it must come from demo
cratic triumph.
| In view of the record of the demo
cratic party as the organ of the people
shown by its passage of the silver bill
which was strangled by the Intervention
of the republican president, there i:
neither room nor occasion for thir(
party. The people acting through
the democratic party can effect thei
own reforms, untrammeled by bossisn
which makes the republican party bu
the tool Of few brokers on Wall street
The allianceis doing good in arousins
the people to the pressing issues which
are upon them, and awakening then
to the necessity of looking out for them
selves. There is true democracy il
every such movement, and when tn
people are thus aroused democrat.
scores its greatest triumphs.