Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-03-20
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
Liahi on ,he sI,nnlion in Kansas.


accompanied by copies of various newspa-
pers published there, throw much ilumina-
tion upon the anomalous condition of things
which exists in that state Concisely
summed up the facts appear to be that the
farmers of Kansas, especially those in the
western part of the state, have lived too
fast, and borrowed too much money they
grew dissatisfied when a day Of reckoning
came, and we're made the easy prev of un-
principled men who diligently told them
the story that their ills we're due to a sys-
TEN Of political and financial tyranny which
ought to be overthrown. Up to six years
ago, one Of these letters says, the people of
Kansas were prosperous They thought
the outlook before them good, and, filed
with the idea that good times would always
last, Welded to the alurements of money
lenders agents, and mortgaged their farms
for new buildings better stock, and all
sorts of improvements, many of them need
less and unwise.
About ne-half of the state is situated in
what is known as the arid belt. which is
subject to severe and protracted droughts
One season Of drought alone is not seri-
Gus matter but three seasons came one af-
ter the other, and the result was that the
owners of these mortgaged farms had to
either borrow more money to live upon, or
sell their stock and other effects at half
their value One i'll follow ed another, and
then sprang into prominence an uneasy,
Il l.I
which poured into the ears of the farmers
the story that they were the victims Of the
ruinous political and financial policy of the
Republican party, aud that their only
means Of relief lay in asserting their rights.
repudiating their mortgaged debts if need
he, have plenty of fiat money, and manage
things generally in their own way IL was
by such means that the Alliance movement
gained its impetus aud made such a sweep
at the November election that it surprised
It's leaders even more than it lid its oppo-
uents
One of the letters above referred to SAYS
in 50 many words that the leading element
IN the new movement is made up Of ''the
rag, tag and scum Of the state. an element
which does not know from experience what
industry, diligence. thrift and settled hard
work mean. Its greatest numerical element
is composed Of men, formerly Republicans.
whose impulses and intentions are honest
but who have been misled and deceived
aud whose better natures will in due time
reassert themselves. The disturbance is
serious one, and time alone can set the peo.
pie right, ami show them their true bear.
lngs. of the great mass of the state it is
as true now as it ever was that they believe
in temperance, education, moral progress.
and all the Christian virtues.
One Of the features Of the movement
that swept over the state last fall is Vet to
be touched upon This is that the Alliance
movement was literally in charge of men
from the South who came there to encour-
age, develop and engineer it, the leaders
being three ex Confederate officers, whose
names are given When these men arrived
and got 10 work they formed an inner coun-
ell of six, which in due time was increased
and hrnadeued. and complete system
throughout the state was carefully organ
lied. The discipline was almost military.
The farmers were told that the Republican
party WAS opposed to their interests and
was ON the side of the bondholders and
their vilainous tariff, the express object of
which WAS to rob the farmers. Lecturers
were sent into every township under the
guise Of teachers The opportunity was a
rare one for socialistic cranks nf every de
gree to come to the front, and was i'm
proved to the full Even two women, rep
resenting the Chicago anarchist press, were
given engagements under the Alliance. and
went into the canvass with fiery ewes.
wild loosehying hair aud inilamed faces,
shouting with the fury Of viragoes" For
the first time the influence of the secret so
cieties was introduced as an active, politi-
cal element Individual voters were sworn
into solemn organizations and agreed under
the severest penalties to do the bidding of
their leaders.
Under such circumstances il can be east
ly imagined to what extent the excitement
was carried. In some places it amounted
almost to madness, the absolute misery,
starvation and suffering into which the
drouth- stricken farmers had been plunged
forming the hest possible basis for design
ing men TO build up a revolt like this 1t
was this and the temptation peculiar to hu-
man nature tn try a new thing Just for
once, to see how it will work, that did the
business ard brought about the "revolu-