The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-05-15
AGAINST CLEV ELAND.
President Polk of the Farmers Alliance
Says the Organization Will DC S"iid
Against the Ey-Prcsident.

ATLANTA, May 1l.-prcsdent Polk. of
the National Alliance. was interviewed
by Constitution reporter Yesterday III
Atlanta and made 4 number OF scnsa-
tional statements He was asked: ." hat
will be the effect Of the failure to agree to
The farmers demands?''
lie said: THAT will be the great pro-
polling power which Will drive the farmers
into the third party. Ii their just claims
and lust demands for simply nothing more
than their lust rights be ignored by ether
parties, no power on earth can keep the
farmer out of the third party. This is my
Judgment. They have reached point
where they must have rclef, and ! think
that they have determined that they VIII
have it, ! think that il was unfortunate
that the present parties did not pay more
attention to the appeals o. the American
farmers in the Fii'tv-irst Congress. We
are hoping for something from the Fifty
second. Ny observation is thar The aver
arc congressman Of these latter days
subordinate everything TO party success
and the chief end Of the average Con-
gresham when he gets to Washington
seems to be what can he do for the next
campaign, and not what he can DO Tor the
country"
What is the most pressing question
before the pcoplc:'
"All want the next Congress to devise
some system and to so change the present
financial system Of this Government as to
furnish the country with al abundance OF
currency to supply The legitimate de
&c ., Ia
which we cannot get % Icing ~ the car
rcncy Of the country j. controlled by i
few men. | think. that this is the para
mount question. Silver legislation would
be a step in the right direction, but we do
not believe that free and unlimited coin
age would give Us all tEat is needed. We
want it, however, and are going TO demand
it, We are solid for that, and do not
believe that there is a nan belonging TO
the industrial classes OF the country who
will support any ticket that docs not stand
soidly On the platform OF unlimited free
silver coinage
Ii Mr.. Cleveland should be tie next
Democratic nominee, how would the farm
crs regard him.
Ny judgment is that they would go
SoiIul| aSilliSt III NttfCi'H", N"'
speak for my own State, and | think that
they have been as trac and loyal to the
Democratic party az any men in the
South. They will certainly.
Indeed we are very much opposed to
tayoring any man who comes from The
eastern States. We are afraid ofWall street
power. We have no particular man in
view. think that the Southern Alliance
men would rather lave It clean, solid,
patriotic friend Of the people from some
one OF the N0rthwestcrn States.
"What about the third party convention
in Cincnnati?"
My idea of it is ibis 1t is called
ayowcdly for the purpose of considering
third party movement. OF course the
order az al organization can have Moth
ing to do with it. There viii he doubtless
Alliance men in that conventional suf-
licient number, at least, if they commit
any errors, to have the enemies Of the
Alliance attribute it 30 the order | am.
therefore, in favor Of good conservative
men belonging 10 the order being present
in that convention. with u view Of keep
ing them from committing any rash act or
doing anything premature. If it does
anything at all, in my Judgment it should
simply refer the whole situation TO the
people i'll their primary and sovereign
capacity In other words | do not think
that the conference would be justified in
sustaining or formulating ANYTHING except
Il conservative and patriotic address to
the people"