Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-03-25
ABOUT CONFERENCES.

There Are Conferences Called That Are
Not Authorized-AC Criticism Answered.
At the meeting of the Southern Alli-
ance at Ocala, some parties joined in
calling conference to form a national
party. This did not suit the Washing
ton junta, and they succeeded first in
postponing it, and then in belittling it
to committee meeting at Washington,
under the immediate eye and manage
ment of Macune and Terrell. This
committee meeting amounted to moth
ing. 1t was not representative in its
character, and attracted little or no at
tention. Less than a dozen persons at
tended it. A new call is now issued for
conference to be held at Cincinnati,
May 10. The paternity of this call is
unknown. We regret to know that
names were appended to it without au-
thority by their owners. Mr.. Powers
did not authorize the use of his name.
Mr.. Beecher, of New York, writes us
that his name was forged to it. How
many names were thus used it is i'm
possible to determine, and we do not
care. We have little hope of
good results from these confer
ences. Too many separate and distinct
hobby-riders go to them, each deter
mined to sacrifice everybody's hobby
but his own. The plan proposed by
the National Alliance at Omaha, to or
ganize the units and ignore the socie-
ties, is the one that gives promise of the
greatest success. 1t proposes six planks
upon which great many people agree.
1t proposes practicable and easy plan
for Assem- bling a national nominating
convention in 1892. 1t uses all reform
organizations to carry forward the
work, but gives none of them repre-
sentation or control. A convention as
sem bled in pursuance of that plan
would be pre-eminently peoples con-
vention, and might do a grand work
Schemes and plans and candidates may
be ''set up" by organized societies and
committees; but under this plan to or
ganize the units they could not. We
| care nothing for men, parties or socie-
| ties We want to see a peoples inde-
pendent national convention in 1892,
that will nominate a peoples ticket,
without any fusion or combination with
any party whatever. Such ticket will
sweep the country. Organize the
J units. (Neb.) Farmers Al
| lance.
| Commenting on the above / would
! say that it is hard TO understand what
| Brother Burroughs means by the
washington junta.'' Does he mean to
| apply the term to the president of the
| National F. A. ard l. U? or the chair
man aud secretary of the national ex-
ecutive committee and the officers of
the order? If so, how would it do to
call President Powers and Editor Bur
roughs the "Lincoln junta-" So sfar as
the statement is concerned that the
| Washington committee meeting
amounted to nothing" and the further
statement that ''less than a dozen per-
SONS attended it, !" it might be well for
| Brother Burroughs to remember that
| at the convention to be held on Febru-
airy %, 1892, to which the National
| Farmers (northern) Alliance is conn
mitted. the whole of said order will be
represented by only ten delegates, as
will be seen by the resolution adopted
by the order at the Omaha convention,
which provides that each state shall be
represented by one delegate More
over, if / am not mistaken in the
premises, it was at the ear
nest solicitation of delegation
appointed to wait upon the Omaha con-
Tention, bs this very identical Washing
ton conference, or committee meeting,
that the National Farmers Alliance
adopted the resolution declaring for n
convention on February %, 1892; the
day already designated by the Wash
ington conference. The Washington
conference, or committee meeting, was
held in Washington February %, 1891,
IN pursuance of basis for a confedera-
ton between the Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union, National Alliance,
Knights of Labor and the Farmers
Mutual Association, agreed upon at
ocaia. and approved by the supreme
council of the Farmers Alliance and
industrial Union, and the Colored Ma
tional Farmers Alliance and an execu-
tive committee from the Farmers Mu-
tuai Benefit Association and the knights
OF Labor. constituting also an executive