Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-24
PARTISAN POLITICS.
U. S. HALL SHOWS THE ALLIANCE
LEADERS UP.
He Produces Letters to Show that Polk
and Others are Turning the Alliance
into a Political Machine.


be the most prominent figure in that move
ment, consented tonight to be briefly inter-
viewed in regard to the reported tendency
of the National Alliance to be merged into
partisan political organization.
MIR. Hail." said an Associated Press re-
porter. do you believe that the tendency
and disposition of the national officers of
the National Alliance is to lead the organi-
cation into partisan politicsl
81 do most certainly he replied.
''What evidence have you OF any such dis
position or tendency
at is that the national president applies
partisan political test to the membership
in our ORDER
But have you any proof that he does
make such u partisan political test, for this
seems to be a grave question in dispute
now"
Il have in my possession information that
is to me conclusive on that question
Would you object to produce this evil
dence2''
~ do not see any improperly in my Civ
ing to the brotherhood in the United States
through the medium of the Associated Press
official communications that have passed
between President Polk and myself rela-
tive to this matter, and letting the order
judge whether the tendency of the organ
ization is not directly and Immediately to
partisan politics."
Mr.. Hall then gave to the reporter the
correspondence referred to, of which the
following is the gist: President Polk
opened the correspondence with letter
dated Washington, June q, the kernel of
which is contained in the statement that
one of the important statutory laws of the
national Alliance provided that all measures
presented to the national legisla'ivH council
or committee for consideratio~ frlly
and most thoroughly discu ~
the action of the majority -, 1e-u n,..
who participate in MS meclin,. are
pledged to support suc' action ard that it
is the duty of memhC, to stand as 4 unit
before the world.
Mr. Polk then says that the sub-treaSury
bill was adopted by convention held IN
st. Louis in December, 1889, and Endorsed
by the Ocala convention 4 year later; 1t
therefore had become an Alliance measure,
and one of the acts of the supreme council;
further, that the national legislative COM
mittee had been constituted to look after
the legislative demands of the Alliance, one
of which was the passage of the sub-treas-
ury bill, which was before the United
States senate committee on agriculture.
He then informed Mir. Hall that he, (HalD
as u member of the national legislative com
mittee. has violated the law by his active
opposition to the sub-treasury bill, and
frankly tells him that unless he can ac-
quiesce in the will of the Alliance, he owes
it to himself and the cause to resign his po-
sition on the committee. Mr.. Hail six days
later replied at great length and made, ap-
parently, some very strong points on the
president.
He begins by saying: 81 was uncon-
promisingly opposed to this measure, the
sub-treasury bill, before at the time of and
since my election as 4 member of the ma
tional legislative committee. and no one in
our order knows better than yourself of
nnDpSitinp n did
every member of the council. | am heartily
in accord with all other demands of our
order except that part of the financial
plank which makes the government a
lender to the farmer. Despite these facts l
was elected member of the national legis-
alive committee and l see no reason for
rendering my resignation. You say am
bound 10 support the sub-treasury bill be-
cause was so instructed by the laws and
resolutions passed at Ocala.''
Hall then quotes from the constitution
of the Alliance to show that the object of
the order is the education of the agricultu-
raj classes in the science of economical gov
eminent in a strictly non-partisan spirit
and to bring about perfect union of those
classes, and that any white person sixteen
years old believing in supreme being and
belonging to the classes designated is elig
ible to membership, and says that under
this constitution the Alliance can never be-
come partisan political body. He also
says that prior to the taking of the obliea-
ton of membership by applicants therefor
the following statements should be made to
candidates:
"'You are assured that nothing contained
in this obligations shall in any way conflict
with your religious or political views
This shows clearly that no one is to be
debarred from our order for opinions sake
There is no clause in that constitution
l. sob bot a MT hn1S
in a sub-treasury scheme ne snail oe in
eligible as member, yet you claim that
while these constitutional provisions are
still in force the Alliance in convention
can, by what you call statutory enactments,
declare that an officer has no right to differ
from conclusion reached by majority Of
the committee after action has been taken,
and that members of the committee must
act as unit
Speaking of the stress that was laid upon
his public opposition to the sub-treasury
bill, Mr.. Hall says to show how fully and
fairly that bill was discussed at OCala he
will state that each delegate to that conven-
ton was limited to a five-minute speech
upon a measure which if enacted into law
would change the whole financial system of
our government, and, he claims, bankrupt
and destroy it. He makes this statement
SO any Alliance brother farmer in the coun-
try may know that the sub-treasury scheme
was fastened upon the organization at Ocala
by 4 gag-law designed to prevent its here
sizes being exposed.
Leaving the sub-treasury question Mr..
Hall says: The reason why Macune
makes the sub-treasury demand the most
important of our order is because it is the
one demand upon which he can hope 10
form third party out of the farming class,
knowing, as he does, that the existing po-
htical parties, or at least one of them. will
come to reasonable demand of the farm
ers, or that we can force them to come there
by misled action on our part, and that no
political party Of any prominence would
make the sub-treasury bill 4 principle of its
platform. This is the most important point
that should be considered by the farmers of
the United States.''
After hoping that President Polk may
yet see where he is drifting the order and
stating that he has the most kindly per-
sonal feeling for Mr.. Polk, that their rela-
tons have been pleasant and that he con-
siders him an honest man, he concluded as
follows:
LAS was placed upon this committee by
the national legislative council, feel it is
my duty to guard as far as lies in my power
the rights and interests of the farmers of
this country, and that l have no right to
consult my own personal feelings, and rec
ognizing that you have no right to demand
my resignation as a member of the legisla-
lative committee, refuse to tender it
While suppose from what / have learned
through others that the national executive
committee. of which c. w. Macune is chair
man, will remove me from the position I
now hold. feel it my duty to allow them to
act instead Of aiding them and their scheme
by acting myself In Offering my reSigna-