St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-02
Farmers End Their Conven-
ton Amid Rancorous and
Personal Quarrels.
Donnelly at the Head. and the
Redoubtable "Doc" Fish
at the Tail.
A New Constitution Forced
Upon the Alliance and Dis
ruption May Follow.
The Principles Upon Which
the Changers Go Forward
to Do Battle.

State Farmers Alliance adjourned
shortly after 80 o'clock last even
ing, after day that will long be remem-
bered for its Quarrels and the rulings of
the president. A constitution was
adopted, solely through the bulldozing
tactics of Mr.. Donnelly, that will, Inside
ola year,rend the Organization in twain.
For the sake of putting slight on the
lect urer of the National Alliance, n. B..
Ashby, and showing the devotion of
Mr.. Donnelly and DR.. Fish to the secret
Alliance organization of the South, no
delegates were elected to the annual
meeting of the national body soon to
convene in Omaha.
"Hon. j. j. FurlOng and myself being
members of the executive committee of
he National Alliance" said Mr.. Ashby
last evening, I'VE shall proceed to ap-
point delegates to represent the Mime
sofa Alliance at Omaha. The constitu-
ton brought in here was not legally
adopted and to-day the Minnesota AL
lance has not legal organization. In
my opinion the state will be reorganiZed,
as the true Alliance men will never sub
nit to having this grand organization
disrupted for the promotion of the polit-
ical intrigues of any man."
From start to finish yesterday there
was flight" in the airin the convention.
The committee on constitution, instead
of suggesting amendments, brought in a
new document which, as one delegate
I said, was the longest thing he had ever
read. 1t soon developed that its author
was none other than Mr.. DonnellY him
self. 1t was read over partially once
aud in spite of the most
H Determined Efforts
on the part of some of the delegates no
5other reading could be had. 1t was
characteristic Donnelly document, filled
withmalice and hatred. The qualifica-
tions OF members were so fixed that
rigid Interpretation of it will shut out of
the organization many of Mr.. Donnellv's
|. enemies. Besides this, and in addition
for the opportunities afforded
to such schemes as a grand
purchasing agency, it actually
provided for the organization
of the laboring men into citizens AL
liances. the men who enter which are
afforded the exquisite pleasure of doing
considerable voting for the Alliance and
having nothing to say as to what shall
be done. This was fought earnestly by
every representative of organized labor,
as well as by the most prominent men
in the Alliance. 1t was once defeated
by good majority on square vote.
But this did not kill it.
Just as soon as the leaders in the
ranks of the opposition had left the
hall Mr.. DOnnelly did little very effect
f,yn InlN NlNtyir1 oil Mt
rose up and wanted the matter recon-
slider for the sake of hearing argu-
ments on the other side of the question.
The previous question had been ordered
OH another matter short time pre-
viously, and Mr. Donnely held this TO
be still pending, and by dint of pure
force carried the Objectionable matter
through. To do this he decided that
the house could decide how the vote
should be taken.
During the day, whenever one of Mr..
Donnelly's pet schemes was in danger
the Sage did not hesitate, without leav-
ing the char. to speak as many as three
or four times in advocacy of them.
This naturally grew rather monotonous,
and many of the delegates who came
here Donnelly
Men Deserted
during the day through pure disgust, as
will be seen from the fact that the vote
dwindled down from nearly 700 to
hardly 300 in less than tweD,y-four
hours. AS one of the delegates re-
marked: 'It was all Donnelly, and
nothing but Donnelly from the begin
ming to the end"
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Minnesota Alliance is subordinate to
the National Farmers Alliance, which
is n0n-Secret, the new Donnelly consti-
tuition admits members of the Industrial
union, the secret organization of the
South, to seats in the annual cOnyen-
ton. This is exactly what was pre-
dicted in the GLOBE month ago, when
DR.. Fish's departure for the Florida
convention was noted. There are now
six or seven of these Industrial union
subordinate Alliances in South
western Minnesota, and it is said
to be the design of Donnelly
and Fish to increase them and
finally turn the whole state over to the
secret order. thus shutting out every
member opposed to secret societies.
This is the scheme which was worked
in South Dakota with success last year.
But the convention. while itdid swal-
low many of the Sage's specifics, re-
volted when it was suggested that
the GreatWest be made the official organ
in spite of the manner in which it slew
the Alliance state ticket in the late
campaign. A motion to adjourn was
made Immediately after the Great West
motion, and was carried by large ma
jority in spite of the absurd and illegal
rulings of the chairman.
Had the convention adjourned twenty
four hours earlier Donnelly would in
deed be in the saddle as far as legisla-
ton is concerned at the coming session.
No Alliance man would have dared to
oppose him. Now, however, all is diff
ferent. His tyrannical actions yester-
day effectually unhorsed him.
There will be a rival organization in
the state in less than six months.