The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-07-10
THEFARMBRS' ALLIANCE
What 1t Aims to Ac-
cOrnpliSh.
By Il. R. CHAMBERLAIN.

ECopyright, 1891, by the Minerva Publishing
Company, New York
CHAPTER v.~Continued.
1t began to be whispered about that
the pressure which was strongly exerted
to secure sweeping notifications of the
sub-treasury plan was being applied in
the interest of the Democratic party in
order that it might negotiate for CO.
operation with the Alliance in 1892. 1t
was further said that the tacit encour-
agement given the third party men out
side the convention had for its motive
desire to cripple the Republican party
in the northwest. These considerations
had most important effect in shaping
the action of the delegates on the last
day of the session, when platform was
finally adopted Instead of in any way
modifying the demands made at ST.
Louis the previous year, the Alliance
adopted platform even more radical in
some of its provisions. These are their
demands as finally framed at Ocala:
First We demand the abolition Of national
banks. Wedemand that the government shall
establish sub-treasuries or repositories in the
several states which shall loan money direct
to the people at low rate of interest, not to
exceed per cent. per annum on non-perisha-
bic farm products, and also upon real estate with
proper limitations upon the quantity of land
and amount of money. We demand that the
amount of the circulating medium be speedily
increased to not less than fifty dollars per
capita.
Second-We demand that congress shall pass
such laws as shall effectually prevent the deal
ing in futures on all agricultural and mechan-
ical productions, preserving stringent system
OF procedure in trials such as shall secure the
prompt conviction and the imposition of such
penalties as shall secure the most perfect COM
pliance with the law.
Third-We condemn the silver bill recently
passed by congress, and demand in lieu thereof
the free and unlimited coinage of silver.
Fourth-We demand the passage of laws pro-
hibiting alien ownership of land, and that con-
sress take prompt action to devise some plan to
obtain all lands now owned by aliens and for
eign syndicates, and that all lands now held by
railroads and other corporations in excess of
such as is actually used and needed by them be
reclaimed BY the government and held for
actual settlers only.
Fifth-Believing in the doctrine of equal
rights to all and special. privileges to none, we
demand that our national legislation shall be
SO framed in the future as not to build up one
industry at the expense of another, and we
further demand removal of the existing
heavy tariff tax from the necessaries of life
that the poor of our land must have We fur
ther demand q just and equitable system Of
graduated tax on incomes. We believe that
the money of the country should be kept as
much as possible in the hands of the people,
and hence we demand that all national and
state revenues shall be limited to the necessary
expenses of the government economically and
honestly administered.
ivfh Wa ~
and just state and national governmental con-
troll and supervision of the means of public
communication and transportation and if this
control and supervision does not remove the
abuses now existing, we demand government
ownership of such means of communication
and transportation.
The following planks, which were con-
tanned in the report of the committee,
were stricken out by the convention:
That congress issue sufficient amount of
fractional paper currency to facilitate ex-
change through the medium of the United
States mails. We demand the establishment
of a postal savings bank, in connection with the
postoffices of the country, for safe deposit OF
the earnings of the people in small amounts.
We demand that all patents shall terminate
In ten years, without renewal, and that patents
for improvements shall not be granted except
they be of essential and Independent merit as
an invention, subject to all regulations bearing
upon original patents, and that upon the grant
ing OF the patent the government shall decide
upon the amount of royalty to be assessed for
the right to manufacture and sell such pat.
ented article, and whenever any person or per-
sons shall pay said royalty they shall have the
right to manufacture and sell the article pat
ented.
The debate upon the platform was a
warm one. 1t was almost entirely con-
fined to the financial features. The re-
port was presented by Cole, of Mich
igan, with the statement that it was the
unanimous recommendation of the com
mlttee. The meat of the question was
reached at once by Loucks, of South
Dakota, who moved to amend the first
plank by making gthesub-treasury scheme
apply to all merchantable products in
stead of farm products exclusively.
Perden, of Texas, argued that such q
plan would protect the manufacturers,
and it was not the business of the Farm
ers' Alliance to look after the interests
of that class. The object of the COM
mittee was to provide protection for the
farmers. The manufacturers were able
to care for themselves. Whatever was
for the interest of the farmer, he af-
firmed, was for the interest of the whole
country.
Hall, of Missouri, opposed the whole
scheme. The ground of his objection
was that it was class legislation of the
worst description. He had advocated
the Alliance principle of equal privileges
to all and special privileges to none all
over his state. While the Alliance men
in Missouri favor the st. Louis platform,
they do not support the sub-treasury
bill. They regard it as a violation Of
principle
Congressman Jerry Simpson, of Kan
sas, said his state raised last year 27O,-
100000 bushels of corn, which was sold
to the Chicago gamblers at 131 and Ia
cents bushel. By the gambling ar
rangements at Chicago the purchasers
We're able to dispose of that corn at 40
cents per bushel. If the government
had protected the farmer, the speaker
declared, as it has protected other class
es, the farmers of Kansas would have
received the margin of 30 cents bushel
instead of the gamblers. This situation
took from the farmers of Kansas $780,
100000. Thirty millions could have been
used to lift mortgages which are driving
farmers from homes, and the balance
would have supplied the difference be-