The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1891-08-31
of \. C..

The following dispatch from Washing
ton, printed in the New York Morning
Advertiser, tells the whole story Of 900
per cent Polk. All farmers should read
it; all honest citizens should remember it:
The National Farmers Alliance Soft
Snap-that is the popular local name for
the enterprise In a town SO free Of such
things as the nations capital necessarily
IS, for one soft snap to receive more at
tentiOn than all the others combined
means that this particular scheme has be-
come so tender and toothsome as to pro-
woke the envy of all its ncighbOrs. Moth
ing so simple and SO beautifully success
full was ever before conceived. Hereto
fore the most brilliant of these money
getting enterprises have been satisfied to
make the United States treasury their
chief object Of attack. One of the last of
the supreme justices to establish his resi-
dcnCc here told friend month after his
arrival that he could think of the United
States treasury only as a gOod-natured
and very productive COW, which a ma
jOrity Of the residents Of Washington
made it their duty to milk as often as
possible. But such clumsy and anti
quated proceeding as this is beneath the
sCOrn of Polk, Macune Il Co. These gen.
tlemen quit milking when they sold their
farms and engaged in the more lucrative
pursuit of turning the Farmers Alliance
into political party, at comfortable sala-
rics, with more comfortable prospects.
Their income is not drawn from the
United States treasury, upon which, in
fact, they have only remote and specula-
tive designs. They go to the same source
which the treasury goes; they are COM
pcti1ors Of Uncle Sam, levying their own
taxes and collecting them, and will drive
him out of business if they can.
Congressman Tillman, of South Caro-
lima, and others denOunce the national
alliance leaders as demagogues and cor
pOration hirelings who have no business
in the alliance, anyway, because they are
not farmers. Any well-posted resident
of Washington can refute the latter part
of this assertion. Macune has a fine farm
within a stones throw of the capitol. 1t
is in high state of cultivation. 1t yields
abundant weekly and monthly crops OF
sub-treasury and and third party litcra-
ture, which finds ready market at Ma
cune>s own quotations. 1t is the most
profitable crop harvested anywhere. Wet
or dry weather, the average is we'll sus.
tanned, and the soil seems to grow richer
every day. Moreover, Farmer Macune
has a soft seat in the shade, with hopes
of still softer one.
Macune's literary farm is also the head
quarters of the national alliance enter
prise. The two concerns occupy two
story building on North Capitol street
opposite the historical mansion in whicl
President Washington at one time lived
On approaching this building one is i'm
mediately struck by the evidences Of s
rushing business carried on there by the
national alliance, or Macunc, or both
Until you begin to make inquiries, the
more you try to determine which is Ma
cune business and which the alliance,
business, the more hopelessly confused
you get. Beneath the sign of the Far
mers' Alliance is that of the Nationa
Economist, Macune's paper, and still fur
ther down on the front wall is reques
to get your job printing done there. The
halls are full of printing paper, and stack:
of the same, after it has been sOwn Will
sub-treasury philosophy, harvested, anC
gathered into pamphlets of various size:
and colors, touch the ceiling of most o
the rooms. Scattered about IN those
rooms are desks and tables. They are
sometimes used by Macune for his farm
ing operations, and sometimes by him
self and others for official alliance busl
ness. Secretary and Treasurer }. IL
Turner occupies the second floor front
Two or three farm hands with chr
whiskers are employed about the place