Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-18
A THIRD PARTY BRACE.
Southern Alliance Leaders stinening the
Backbones Of Their Kansas Brethren
Some interesting Side Lights on the
Wz,or,..s 4. Ha,a.. ond the South


TOPEKA, KAN, Sept. H-ISpecfdil- year
ago Kansas was the camping ground of the
Peoples party leaders. They came here
from North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and
other sections of the South. A year prior
Terrill, Mccune Turner and Others had
planted the seed which grew, blossomed and
ripened into the Peoples party. AT that
time, however, the Alliance, which was the
forerunner, was welcomed by all classes of
citizens. 1t was a nou-parttsan organizn-
tion, and its obligation did not conflict with
the religious or political opinions. Lifelong
Republicans looked on the movement with
suspicion, because 1t was officered by South
ern Democrats, and they did not hesitate to
tell Polk, Livingston and others go.
This objection was removed, however,
when the Kansans were assured that in the
South Alliance men wsre all Democrats, and
in Kansas they could remain all Repnbli-
cans. Political discussions" they con-
tended, were not tolerated in the Alliance"
Republicans and Democrats alike went into
the Alliance by thousands. Within period
OF two months the organization spread into
every school district in the State. Then 1t
was that the State was visited by horde OF
travelling lecturers, who went from school
house to schoolhouse at so much per month,
and behind lock and key, and with newspa-
pers pasted over the windows. these alleged
reformers (who were too lazy to go into the
fields and plow, and too ignorant to instruct
any one in the science of government) COM
menced the agitation which has unsettled
values. pitted neighbor against nsighbor,
and arrayed the farmers against all other
classes of business men and trade.
A Case in Point.
II have in mind an instance which lis
worth recalling. 1t was an Alliance picnic,
held last year in Kansas, at which Mrs.
Lease, who recently went to Georgia to sing
the praises of the Third party, was the prin-
cipal speaker. She had an audience of 900
people. They were well dressed, well to dp:
and were happy and contented. AT 10
o'clock they gathered about the stand 10
hear the music and speaking. Mrs. Lease
opened on them with the remark that "ydl
are slaves" and the majority or then
cheered her. She told them that they wee
bowed down by depression and that tie
heel of grinding corporations was on their
neck, choking their lives out, and they
howled approvinglY. She declared that they
we're starving and that their children Wee
almost naked from sheer won't but the
farmers yelled That's So" despite the fa;t
that hundreds of little ones before her wete
clad in silks and satins who never had
known what it was to want for clothing or
food.
And then what q sight, when the loo
lunch baskets were spread, and all the gocd
things and delicacies which heart could wish
were spread out before this bass calamity
howler, giving the lie to the assertion that
her audience were in a starving condition."
The reason these people applauded such as.
sertions was that it had been hammered
into them SO many times in the country
schoolhouse by the walking delegate, VINO
was paid for such work. that they simply be-
came insane on the subject. 1t was nothing
more or less than temporary insanity. .
Then came the organization of the Peo-
ple's party, and with it came Polk, Living
ston and other Southern leaders of the
Alliance movement 1t was anything with
these men to break up the Republican party.
They were urged to come here by local lead
ers, who had been In the old greenback
movement and help in launching the new
party.
Some Leading Questions.
Polk and Livingston were stumped a
great many times when confronted by Re-
publicans who wanted to know If the South
was readyto meet Kansas half way in the
severing of old party ties. They were re-
minded of the, fact that Tiliman, of South
Carolina, Northen, of Georgia, and Buchan-
an, of Tennessee, were Alliance men, ana
that they were Endorsed by the Democratic
party. If the Democracy and the Alliance
in the South were one, the Kansas Republic
ans were little bit desirous to know why
certain Southern gentlemen were so anx-
ious to array them against their partyf
II the Alliance were purely non-partisan,
why should Kansas Republicans be asked to
leave their party? Why not work out these
reforms within the Republican party, as the
Alliance men in the South were doing
through the Democratic party?
These were hard nuts for Polk and Liv-
ingston to crack, and right here was the be-
South. 1t was done in this way: Every
Republican paper in the State commenced
pouring hot shot into the Alliance move
ment, referring to 1t as q Democratic
organize and disrupt the Republican party
in Kansas and in the West. 1t was shown
that Tillman, Allianceman, vas elected
Governor of South Carolina as Democrat;
D,,a oil tod
of Tennessee as q Democrats; Northen, of
Georgia, an Alliance man, elected as Demo-
crat; Livingston, of Georgia, an Alliance
man. but ELECTED to Congress as democrat;
prove that Alliance and Democracy in the
South meant the same thing: No opportun-
ity was lost to prove to the Republicans
who had gone into Polk and Liv1ngston's
pulling Democratic chestnuts out of the fire,
and it had its effect
, PETER, Jerry Simpson and other leaders of
the movement i'll Kansas, who had been
washed to the shore by the Alliance wave,
saw. that something must be done to hold
their forces together. Late Republicans
were dropping out one by one and going
mont was losing many voters: So council
of war was held and it was decided that a
conference with Polk, Livingston, McCune
and others must be had.
All Must Cut Loose.
The leaders got together and Polk and
were told that to maintain a
Peoples party in Kansas there must be
breaking up of the Democracy in the South.
AS long as Alliance men stuck to the Demo-
cratic party down there it would be impos-
sible to hold the Republicans of Kansas in
the Peoples movement. PETER and Simp-
son declared that there would be no trouble
in carrying Kansas, Nebraska and the two
Dakotas for the Peoples ticket, provided
the South toted fair, but 1t must cut loose
from Democracy. Polk and Livingston
agreed with PETER, Simpson & Co., but they
pleaded for little time to educate the peo-
Pile, and to get them in O. frame of mind
ready for the change. Livingston had been
elected to Congress by the Democrats and
at any time. The ocala convention was held
and a platform was framed which the Dem
ooracy could not indorse.
OF course, this. would be their excuse to
disrupt an old party in the South Then
Polk, Livingston and the Alliance leaders
In the South were to pose as martyrs They
were to eonstrue criticism and discussion of
the sut-Treasury scheme and of the Ocafa
platform as abuse Of the Alliance, and this
they have done in remarkably adroit
They have denounced "bosses and
ring politicians" as they put 1t, and en-
ieavor to blind the eyes of the people by |
that the leading Democrats and |
newspapers were their enemies |
and opposed to measures of financial reform |
which would directly benefit the agricul- |
tural classes. |
Another part of the programme was to be |
fulfilled and IL was carried out to the letter. |
Jerry Simpson, ex-Congressman Weaver |
md Mrs. Lease were to go to Georgia and |
start the Third party ball to rolling They |
lid it, and on their return to Kansas chuck |
ed over the great success OF their meet |
ngs; and told how the farmers of that State |
we're getting ready to rebuke the old Demo- |
ratio machine. 1.-THE South" they declareu. |
was with Kansas in the fight against both |
I'D parties"
Polk Novu in I'm