Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-05-21
CINCINNATI.
Gathering Of the Farmers Alliance
and Affiliated Forces.
fHE OUTCOME APPEARS UNCERTAIN.
Hardly q Conventional ConyentIon-More
Likely = Big Mass MeetIng-Many Not
Ready to Go Into Third Party
Movement-The Craftsmanship.

Movement-The Craftsmanship.
CINCINNATI, May 1S.-The advance
guard of delegates to the national union
convention which will open here to-
morrow has been struggling in Many
OF them are men long acquainted with
the plow and harrow. Others bear
names that are prominently identified
with economic and radical movements.
Among these are ex-Congressman Wei
ler of Iowa, more familiarly known as
Calamity" Weller; General Secretary
HAYES of the Knights of Labor, W. u.
Crull, of New York, editor of the wall
Street Farmer and president OF the re-
Gently formed National union league;
Thomas Green of the Boston national
ist club, Col S. T. Norton of Chicago,
W. 7. Wakefield of the Lynn Mass
nationalist club, John II. Crouch OF
Fort Scott Kan, brother of the de-
ceased Oklahoma boomer, and c. &.
Post Of Georgia, the alliance leader OF
that state
The temporary lion of the hour is
farmer H. L. Brian, of Winnemucca
county, louisiana, whose acceptance OF
Q delegates commission necessitated
his riding fifty miles on plantation
pony to the nearest railroad station
His credentials bear the signatures of
1900 grangers out of total voting
strength of all parties of 1.700 in the
count Stragglers are also here from
Maine, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mime
sofa and other states, but the full dele
cations will not begin to arrive until
this afternoon.
The Kansas contingent, which is en-
route on special train of ten cars, will
be met in the morniug by all the dele
gates in town and a couple of brass
bands and escorted to the headquarters.
Despite the fact that it is called
convention, however, it is apparent
thus early that the forthcoming gather
ing will be nothing more than big
mass meeting. There has been no idea
of conforming to basis of representa-
ton. While It is anticipated that two
thirds of the states will be represented,
yet two of them, Kansas with her five
hundred and Ohio with nearly as many
more, will control at least a third of
the total voting that will be cast on
every proposition. Hamilton alone will
furnish credentials for nearly one hun
dred participants, representing such
elements as the Knights of Labor, City
Railway Employees association, Mu-
nicipal Congress- United Labor party
and the Nationalists or Bellamyites
A good many of the southern gran
gers are kicking over the condition of
affairs, coutending that it is unjust that
after having travelled long distances in
order to represent the views OF their re-
spective organizations, their votes and
consequent influence in shaping the
ends of the gathering should he swamped
by packed delegations from near by
points.
As to the outcome of the conference
there is not. one delegate in town that
Is willing to express himself with any
degree of confidence or certainty.
There are two elements with widely
divergent intentions One is desirous
that the conference shall bring new
party into existence, give it a name and
erect it upon n platform of declarations
and principles. These are mostly from
the north and the west. The
southerners, on the other hand, depre-
cate hasty action and urge that it would
b. more polite to simply reaffirm the
views enunciated in the St Louis and
Ouala platform and appoint an ex-
ecutive committee tocontinue the prop
aganda and assemble again next spring,
to determine whether a third party
should be brought into existence and,
Il so, 10 christen it and place its candi-
dates in the field for the next presi-
Dental election.
Men like Polk, of Georgia, and Brian,
of Louisiana, say that the alliance men
of their respective states, and who have
hitherto been allied with the demo
cratic party. are not yet prepared to
change their political coats and go into
q third party movement. On the other
hand, such delegates as Weller, of
Iowa, and Greene, of Boston, are work
ing hard to bring about the formal in
auguration of the third party aud are
asking "What else are we here for?'
It is an open secret that the Knights
of Labor men, who will be reinforced
to-day by General Master Workman
Powderly, Lecturer Beaumont and
John Devlin of the executive board, are
here to fight for time with the view of
putting off the definite action until
after the meeting of the Farmers Alli-
ance in February next
Speaker Elder. of the Kansas assem-
bly,, Is the unanimous choice of the del
gates on the ground for temporary
chairman and either Congressman
Simpson or Senator PETER will be the
permanent officer.