Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-09
PENNSY'S J. SIMPSON
Talks Entertainingly About the Alli-
ance Split in This State.
PRESIDENT POTTS SMILES AUDIBLY
At the Idea Of Corporation Running
Farmers Campaign.
THE OLD AND THE NEW CONTRASTED
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.


SOMERSET Pa, July s.-The article concern
ing the Pennsylvania Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union in Mondays DISPATCH oc-
casioned considerable comment hereabout,
because Somerset is the home of the new
State Farmers Alliance, of which E. ii. Wer-
ner, editor of the Highland Farmer, is Secre-
tary and J. S. Potts, of Indiana county, is
President.
President Potts, of the new Alliance or
Ranization, is in Somerset to-day on busi-
ness connected with the Alliance. Mr.. Potts
is a tall, lean, lank young man, not over 80
years OF age, walks awkwardly, and swings
his long arms with a longitudinal and lati-
tudinal freedom that suggests his home in
Indiana to be sparsely settled community.
The DISPATCH correspondent is unable to
complete the parallel between Jerry Simp-
son and President Potts, because he over
looked the essential inquiry as TO whether
Mr.. Potts wears socks. Up to the time when
the new State Farmers Alliance was formed
in Western Pennsylvania Mr.. Potts
followed farming in Indiana county
during the summer months and taught
school in the winter. He now gives
all his time to the organization of new Alli-
ance lodges, a work in which he is said to be
remarkably successful, being well equipped
with the current Alliance arguments and
makes the regulation Alliance spread-eagle
speeches. He is regular Alliance hustler.
President Potts Takes Exception.
The DISPATCH correspondent directed Mr..
Potts attention to The DIsPAToH's article.
"Yes,'' said he, Il have read it," Continuing,
he said Il may say it is exaggerated. Who
ever gave that information to the news
papers did it with the purpose of overawing
the organizations in the western end of the
State Up to last March L was State Lecturer
and State Organizer OF the Farmers ALI
ance and Industrial Union, and when = re-
signed that position the organization over
the State did not exceed 1900 members
From this membership the new State
Alliance took over 40 subordinate organiza-
tiOns avera ging about 50 members each. Our
organization has nearly doubled its mem
bership since the work of active organizing
began in April last, while the old organiza-
tiOT has made very slow progress east OF the
mountains, and none whatever in the west
ern half of the State since them"
what was it that caused the split In the
old organiZatiOn?'
There were number reasons" Mr. Potts
replied. "The Farmers Alliance and Indus
trial Union was started in this State under
the auspices of the Mt. Gretna Picnic Asso-
citation, or Farmers Encampment, as they
call it, for the sole purpose OF boosting their
picnic after their efforts to transfer the an
nual Grange picnic from Williams Grove to
Mt. Gretna had failed. This picnic enter
prise is headed by the Cornwall and
Lebanon Railroad Company, and backed by a
corporation or trust known as the 1mple-
this State has degenerated into q gigantic
picnic enterprise which feature has sadly
shaken the confidence of the conscientious,
intelligent membership of the organization.
The Cor wall and Lebanon Railroad Com
pany is the original protector of the Mt.
Gretna Association. Its officers are officers
of the picnic association, and they control
the Farmers Alliance and industrial Union
in Pennsylvania. The idea of farmers or
ganization conceived, originated, led and
Dominated by a Railroad Corporation
is too preposterous to enlist intelligent
farmers in its ranks. Only last winter the
organized farmers OF the State, under
the splendid leadership of Mr.. Giles
ID. Price, OF Erie, had q revenue bill,
known as the Grange tax bill, passed by the
House at Harrisburg. In the Senate the
railroad influence had the Boyer tax bill
substituted, which gives only partial relief
TO the tax-oppressed farmers of the State.
THE Immediate cause of the rupture, how
ever, was the arbitrary removal of Brother /
Valentine Hay, of Somerset county, from the |
Office of State Treasurer of the Alliance |
without trial or formality of any kind, for |
the only conceivable reason that Brother |
Hay would refuse to pay over the money of |
the State Alliance to defray the expenses of |
the picnic, from which the Alliance organi- |
zatiOn received no financial benefits what |
ever, but the entire profits therefrom going
10 the individual stockholders of the picnic |
but was not Mr.. Hay thrown overheard |
because he WIS ineligible?"
THAT was only lame pretext. To show |
YOU how ridiculouSly and utterly incon sist- |
ent was the action of the Executive Board 1 |
need only mention the case of Mr.. HI. q. /
Demming, who is now Secretary, Treasurer |
(vice Brother Hay), business agent (vice |
Brother Werner), and State Lecturer (vice |
myself, OF the old organization-the only |
leading and guiding spirit remaining whom |
1t is worth while mentioning Mr.. Demming |
is a professional shorthand writer who /
farms with ''pothooks" instead of the prun-
ing hook, and who has long since, if he ever |
SAW one, discarded the plowshare for the |
more profitable manipulation of railroad |
shares, and farm live stock for picnic stock. |
Another leading member of this combina-
tion who cuts sorry figure as a farmer L |
may mention is ex-Brother Hiram Young, of |
the city of York Pa, whom we saw in at
tendance at the state Alliance sporting |
gOld-headed cane and high creased hat. |
Such
Monuments of Ineligibilitv,
Stalking among the farmers of the State, |
challenging the eligibility of such plain, |
earnest worker as Brother Hay who enjoys |
the fullest confidence of the membership in |
Western Pennsylvania, shook the conf |
dence of the members in the West so ire |
parably that complete abandonment or a |
new organization were the only possible |
alternatives. Eligibility, like charity, |
should begin at home"
is it true, Mr.. Potts, that your organiza- |
tons are stampeding back into the fold of |
the old organizations"
Nonsense! One or two organizations in |
Somerset county made applications for new |
charters last week under the influence of sew
crai professional politicians who are |
seeking to wreck the Alliance organizations |
IN somerset county, but their members were
imposed upon and they will be enlightened |
IN cue time. Our organization possesses as +
good, and even better business and co-opera-
tive facilities than the other. Some people |
are led to believe that the old Alliance is
dlvinely inspired from somewhere, but it is
only human institution like ours. As a
matter OF TACT the Farmers Alliance and In
dustIlal Union is the youngest of the ma
tlonal examinations bearing that name. 1t
is making q great noise throughout the |
country and much resembles the Greenback |
movement of the seventies. 1t is identical |
with the Old Greenback party in all its prin-
ciples"
THE DISPATCH correspondent afterwards |
attempted 10 interview Mr. E. H. Werner |
whom the opposition characterize as the |
'head devil of the new move. Mr.. Werner |
is Clerk of the County Commissioners and
innocently pretended to be too busy to be
interviewed.
Pennsylvania Pickings.
a CIRCUS has stranded at Greensburr. and
its property has been attached.
MISS Anna HINDMAN a DrettV girl of 1s