Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-07
HON. W. H. GRAIN
Gives His Views on the Platform
of the National Alliance
AND INDUSTRIAL UNION.
He Points Out the Pure Democratic Path
way TO those Vine Have Gone Astray,
OcsIa and similar Platforms Discussed III
Response 10 :. Heques; of District
Alliance OF the seventh Con
gressional District.
CCERo, TEX. sept. >. 1921.

CCERo, TEX, sept. >. 1891.
/ ". p. Laughter, i.sg.. Pres den: District Alli-
ance. Seventh Congressjous. D>tr.ct, Tex,
DEAR Sri have received an official
communication from YOU in which You use
the following language:
! lion. ". II. GA n Dear Sir-Thc district Al
; lance OF the seventh congressional Llstr-c,
"hlch Net m LIHa on the I'D % July. re-
/ que>ted ne To- ascertain your views upu, the
I platform o! the National Alliance and In
( u.~trlai Union which = luclUSed They desire
/ an explicit pubic eNprt~>to ION Of yuuC opinion.
/ The '.haySctuS' are beginning 10 get in earnest
/ ana doubtless VII LIST All tn. power they pos
/ Sc>S 10 further their demands IN :. legitimate
! WAY o; course. The mass o. III" Alliance here
/ are Democrats, because they believe III, D-u-
/ ocrdtI party l. more the friends Of the people
. iGAn the Rcpub 1CyC. Tnat thcE - bOg uutCr
/ grievances they firmly bc.Ie,e AMI in the South
( a least they look 10 III" Democratic party Tor
! redress. l would refer yoE also = resolutions
PASSED by The lis jrict Alliance cOnct RI NJ Their
{ demands which You MIL Hud publ she'd IN the
! papers. l am yours truly
y. z. LAUGHTER
! lind from the report Of the Edna Pro
| Grc>s Of the proceedings Of the district ALI
! anre of the Seventh congressional district
/ that it adopted among othcr resolutions the
/ following. That we iuGorsc the OCaIa
! platform as the best expression Of pure
! Democratic principles ever offered 10 the
! people; that We will not support any per
| son for Office, either state or national, who
| opposes our demands: tha: the president of
! the district Alliance = hereby appointed
! committee of one 10 address Congressman
/ W. H. Grain aud ascertain his position on
| the Orala Demands
/ As your Alliance emphalically Endorsed
/ the OCdld demands and uueqUivOCally de
| c!ared that il would not support any per
son for office, either state or national, who
! opposes its demands" ! fail to sec any
/ good reason for the adoption OF the reSolu-
! lion requesting my views UPON them, for
| they evidently cannot have any effect upon
/ minds 50 firmly set III one direction as those
/ of the members Of the cOi.greSsionl dis
! trlct Alliance seem 10 be. In effect YOU say
| "a me. w" want your views. If they
coincide with ours we will support you; if
/ tnci 10 not. We Viii oppose You. Sc
Your Alliance occupies 4 very illogical
| position. You say you will support no man
who opposes the Ocala platform. and yet
| You look 10 the Democratic party for re-
| dress of your grievances. That party has
already, Ill this state, condemned the maip
features of that platform, III Il convention
composed largely of farmers, according 10
common report. That party Will, il its dis
triCt and national conventions.
CONDEMN THE PET MEASURES
of the Alliance, namely, the sub-treasury
and land loan schemes and governmental
ownership of railroad. It's nominees viii
of course stand upon the platform Of con
domination. Then what will your members
do; Will they stand by the resolution or
by the political party TO which they or the
mass of them, claim 20 belong. for they say
the Alliance is non-pOlitical organiZation2
You can not consistently with YOUR resolu-
ton, support the Democratic nominees:
nor can you vote for their Republican
opponents. for the Ocala platform declares
in favor of tariff reduction and opposes pro
lection.
You cannot expect to prescribe Demo
Gratis for advocating the fundamental plin-
ciples Of Democracy and then hope to enter
Democratic conventions as Democrats ana
attempt to control their platforms and their
nominations.
As you have resolved not to support me
for congress if my views fail TO conform 10
yours, | would be Justified i'll declining TO
furnish them; but during my whole public
career | have never Shrunk from defining
my position upon any public question and
al this juucture | deem it the duty of every
believer IN the true principles of genuine
Democracy TO come forward and defend
them against the assaults Of open enemies
or of prOfessed friends. We ought TO guard
alike against the catapult and the Trojan
horse. Therefore I am glad that you have
afforded me this opportunity to express my
views upon the Ocala platform. notwith-
standing the DamOClcsiIn sword which YOU
have suspended over my head.
I have this TO say. however that if YOUR |
members don't vote for ME they will not
vote for any other Democrat, for the Demo-
cratic convention will not indorse the Ocala |
platform and will not nominate any one !
who does. When they fully understand the !
Ocaia platform ! incline TO the belief that /
they will reconsider their hasty action and |
support the Democratic ticket as of wore |
That the demands OF the Ocala platform |
may be clearly understood | here insert a |
copy of it.
Ia. We demand the abolition 0; national |
banks.
b. We demand that the government shall o. |
tdblSh Sub-traasurie or repositories in the sPY-
cral states, which shall loan money direct 10 the
people at d low rate Of interest not to exceed |
per cent per annum on non peri,hable farm |
products, and also upon real estate. with |
proper limitations upoE the quantity of land |
and amount OF money.
{ We demand that the amount Of the CtrclI-
lItlng medium he speedily increased to not less
than so per capita.
= That demand that congress shall pass
such laws a. ri. cfectuaiiy prevent the deal
ing in futures 81 all agricultural ana necha;!i-
ca! productions, providing stringent system
Of procedure in trials that viii secure PROMPT
conviction. and imposing such penalties Is
shall secure the most perfect compliance with
tns law.
3 We condemn the silver bill recently passed
by congress. and demand in lieu thereof the
free and unlimited coinage Of silver
4. We demand the pas SAGE OF laws prohibiting |
prompt action TO devise some plan 10 obtain All |
lands now owned by aliens and foreign Syndi- |
Gates. and that all lands now held by railroads !
be reclaimed by the government. and held Tor
actual settlers only.
). Believing in the doctrine Of equal rights TO
all and special privileges to none. We demand
a. That our national legislation shall be 50
framed IN the future not 10 build uD one in
duStry al the expense OF another.
. We further demand a removal Of the exist
ing heavy tariff tax from the neceSs;lries OF life
that the poor O: our land must have.
c We further demand a just and equitable
system Of graduated tax on incomes.
d We believe the money Of the country should !
be kept as much As possible in the hands o. the
people. and hence We demand that all national !
and state revenues shall be limited TO the nee |
esSary expenses OF the government economic |
ally and honestly administered.
6. We demand the most rigid. honest and lust |
state and national governmental control and !
Of the means OF public communion /
ton and trans ortaton. and il this control and
supervision does not remove the abuses now !
existing, we demand the government owner ! 4
shlpof such means OF communication and trans
portation
We demand that the congress OF the United |
States submit an amendmelt to the constitu- |
ton providing for the election OF United States |
senator's by direct vote OF the people OF each |
state.
FULL DISCUSSION
Of all the planks in this platform would oc-
cupy too much space. and I shall there
fore consider each of them as briefly as
possible.
L l think the national bank act ought to
$50 amended as to prohibit the banks from
issuing any circulating medium; that they
should receive no loans from the govern