The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1891-05-22
jTH DAKOTA AND THE ALI
ANcE MOVEMENT.


inted from FRANK LEsL1E's ILLUSTRATED
NEWSPAPER of. May 10th, 1891.
Fe are indebted to the editor of The
Fly REPUBLICAN, an influential pa
printed at Mitchell, South Dakota,
the following letter, for which we
6ly make room. 1t shows that the
kmers' Alliance delusion has not alto
her captivated the peopleo of the West
Northwest, and proves what this
per has repeatedly said, that some of
crazy notions advocated are depriv-
the Alliance of the support of
bughtful men. The letter reads as
lows:
TO THE EDITOR OF FRANK LEsL1E's
EEKLY:-The mistaken impression
gone abroad quite generally that
at the term implies of radicalis1n, and
dicate that you have been laboring
mewhat under the same misappre-
Snsion. AS the Alliance movement is
sorts of financial vagaries and loose
tions Of political economy, justice to
Ee of the most progressive yet con-
kmands that the clear sunlight OF fact
thrown on her relations to that move
lent.
South Dakota is distinctivcly ;ln agri-
Lltural state, having but one town of
1n%s a
rds q better field for Judging of the
ndencies of the intelligent farmer in
blitics than even Kansas, Nebraska, or
bwa. AT her first state election in
eS9. when both of the old parties were
etively in the field and with a capital
cation fight to bring out every voter,
here We're cast 1854 votes, out of
hich the Republican party secured u
kajority of 80, 600 on its state ticket, as
ell as elected a large majority in the
tates Senators.
Meanwhile the Alliance organization
ad been progressing quietly ,ostensibly
ntside of political lines, it's leaders and
fganizers, who had been more or less
etive as Office seekers in the old party
hnks, disclaiming any intention of go
hg into third party movement. De-
eived by these false pretenses, a great
hany Republican farmers joined the
Alliance for the general benefits it
romised them in the way of coopera-
ion; and when, in June, 1880, it was
transformed bodily into distinct polit-
cal party quite proportion of these
Republicans remained with it, partly by
eason of the pressure of it's secret rit-
kal, with its oaths and penalties, and
bartly because, discouraged by sue
ession of dry seasons, they indulged q
ague hope that changed political con-
itions might improve their fortunes.
bake it easier in some unexplained yet
Dudl dly-promised manner to meet their
obligations, and secure to them aid of
ome ill-defined sort from the general
government. In fact, when one consid-
brs the assurances held out to them
by hired agitators, the marvel is
that any considerable number of farm
Eprs returned at all to their first partisan
Move.
n A spirited campaign followed, chiefly
Ebetween the Republicans and Alliance
Eparty, the Democrats going through
Ethe motions of canvass but fusing
Ewherever they could with the new
6ticket, with a view to getting joint con-
Etrol of the legislature. The result OF
kthis three-cornered fight was that the
Republicans elected their entire state
ticket by 10000 plurality, carrying thir-
ty-four out of fifty counties, and losing
several because of the internal dissen-
tions rather than by reason of any par
ticular strength of the new movement
in those localities. The Democrats
were third in the race, being 10000 be,
hind the Republicans in total vote Of
77,6O7.
The Legislative result was very close
the Republicans securing just half the
total number of legislators, as shown by
the organization of the two houses
The Senate was Republican by one vote
while in the House the Democrats and
Independents combined had majority
of one, which resulted in their organic
ing that body by making a Democrat
speaker. This organization was fol
lowed up by the arbitrary unseating o
several Republicans, giving the. Inde
crat combination a safe majority fol
any purpose upon which they nigh
agree. Then ensued a protracted tri
angular struggle over the senatorship
the Democrats holding the balance 0
power, which they finally threw in ia
vor of hitherto unknown man, on the
principle of s'anything to beat thu
grand old party" Kyle, the lucky man
is not member of the Alliance, beins
preacher, and perforce outside Of it
membership, and his past affiliations
have been with both the Republican
and the Democrats, the low tariff ide
being the cause of his more recent ALI
ance with the latter party. His utter
ances since his election, however, hav
been made up largely of glitterins gen
eralities, which indicate that his con
victions on public questions are ye
to be formed. He may be expected t
vote with the Democrats as a rule, q
that party secured satisfactory pledge
from him before making his electio
possible. His election, therefore, CAL
not in any direct manner be construe
as an Endorsement by the state OF Sout
Dakota of the extreme Alliance de
mands.
Neither does the actual work of tn
legislature, as it appears in the statute!
give any ground for the apprehensio
that South Dakota proposes to driv
capital from her borders, or throttl