Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-04-09
SENATOR EDMUNDS.
The Farmers Alliance Discussed
and Criticised.
ITS FUTURE EFFECT NOT FORESEEN.
The Silver Issue Not Likely to Be One Be
tween Democrats and Republicans
Communism Believed to BE Small
and Not Responsible.

j y
mittee room of the senate, where he
was occupied in disposing of various
odds and ends of work before retiring
to his home in Vermont for the sum-
mer, and being asked, ''Is not the
present political situation one of extra
ordinary interest and importanceP" re-
piled, after a moments thought: 81
think it is in one sense applied to one
aspect of affairs, namely, the Farmers
Alliance subject In other respects ]
do not see that it is essentially different
from what it has been for several years.
The attitude of the two great par
ties in respect to each other and public
affairs is apparently the same. In re-
spect to the Farmers Alliance matter il
is, in its present form, new expert
ment in this country, but not an un-
natural one. There have been anala-
gous foments in former times, but the
present condition makes the political
situation in this respect interesting and
important, for what its effect will be
upon the next national election, l take
it, no one can foresee with precision"
What gives rise to the feeling of un-
rest which appears to be abroad in the
land?"
81 think large part of it arises from
intrinsic qualities of the human mind,
which has its periods of rests and then
of excitement, just as nature has in re-
spect to storms and diseases, and the
time happens to come when one OF
these periods of fevers is at hand Some
people are trying to persuade the farm
ers of the country, who always have
been and always will be the most use
full and important faction of the COM
munity, that laws have been made
which operate unjustly upon them, and
that laws have not been made which
would or should furnish them a more
rapid and steady prosperity. In both
these cases, think, they are in a large
degree mistaken, and in due time they
will discover it.
Indeed, presume that the largest
part of the rejecting ones perfectly un-
derstand that crops cannot be increased
by legislation or debts honestly paid by
cheapening the value of what is called
money The most of them, think,
understand that money to be of value
and serve its only true purpose, must be
staple, Just as every other measure must
be-as of weight and quantity-in deal
ing with commodities or lands, and that
if a farmer agrees to sell his next years
crop for so many dollars, he must be
able to know what that number of dol
lars will be good for when he gets it.
What dangers TO both parties and to
the country are there in the situation?"
81 don't think there is any danger to
the democratic party" the senator re-
piled with a faint smile, ''for in the
next presidential election, if the Farm
ers' Alliance should carry many states
without having a majority of the whole
electoral college, the simple result
would be that there would be no cleo
ton by the people, and the present
house of representatives having a very
large democratic majority of states as
well as members, would elect the dem
ocratic candidate il a constitutional and
regular way, although he may have car
ried the smallest number of states. As
to the danger of the republican party,
it is that the Farmers Alliance may
carry in the next presidential election
some states that would otherwise vote
for the republican candidate and thus,
in effect, if there should be no election
by the people, give the election to the
democratic candidate by the house of
representatives.
do you think that silver will be an
issue in the next election?"
81 don't think it will be an issue be-
tween the republican and democratic
parties, for think that the democratic
party will hardly care to make the sill
yer question an issue to the extent of
running any considerable risk of sepa-
rating gold and silver as the coin money
of the country, and certainly the great
body of the republican party, am sure,
will not. Up to the point of safety
have no doubt the republican party will
/ be in favor of using silver as money as
it always has been. What the Farmers
Alliance platform, if it should nominate
a candidate for president, will be In
that topic, am quite unable to say"
How is the feeling of unrest among
certain classes to be metz"
Il think it is best to be met as every
other disturbance in society ought to
be-by candid consideration, by correct
information, just reasoning, and the
enactment of such laws as may fairly
appear to be promotive of the general
public good. 1t is upon such considera-
tions that every government of the peo-
pie must be carried on. "
SIS a third party movement likely,
and if so, what might it lead tor Is
communism at the bottom of it?''
"a third party movement" replied
the senator, docs not exist in the
Farmers Alliance enterprise. If sue
cessful TO the extent of having the
president and both houses of congress
It would doubtless lead to the enact
ment of the measures they have already
indicated. and then in a very short
time. whether those measures were
good for the farmers or extremely bad
for them, would manifestly appear.
do not think that communism is at the
bottom of the Farmers Alliance move
ment. The percentage of communists
in this country IS. | believe, at
present almost infnitesimally small
The great body Of The laboring people
of the country, which, taking all the
departments OF human activity, en-
braces probably ninety-fve one hun
dredths of the whole number of grown
up people, are altogether too intelligent
and too honest to think that commun-
ism viii be OF any benefit to them or
their families, but they believe that it