Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-03-18
OFFICIAL,
A Letter From the Chairman of the Ma
tional Executive Board.

A Letter From the Chairman of the Ma
tional Executive Board.
Brethren: / am SO flooded with let
ters like the following, from Brother
Leonard, that deem it best to publish
his letter in full, and make such com.
ment as think necessary to lay all the
facts before the order and satisfy this
universal demand for information, and
at the time aHay the fears and the in
dignation of many who may think they
see the signs of political intrigue at the
expense of the order:
MARSHALL. No., February g. 1891
DR.. c. w Macune. Washington, d. c.:
Ny Dear Sir and Brother: The enclosed
special is taken from the ST. Louis Republic
of January Z. To say that 1t created surprise
in my mind after reading 1t is only a mid
statement. knowing Brother Halr's opposi-
tion to the sub treasury plan, and the unan-
Unity with which it was supported in the
Ocala convention, am at a loss to under
stand why Brother Hall should have been
elected as member of the national legisla-
tive committee. If it is not asking too much
OF you, will you please write me why and
how it was done. Fraternally yours,
A. LEONARD.
Enclosed in Brother Leonard's let
ter was the following from the St
Louis Republic:
Mdcune Dethroned-State President IT, S. Han
chosen member OF the Alliance National
Legislature Committee.
THE REPUBLIC BUREAU, WASHINGTON
Feb 6. 1891 The meeting of the state presi
dents of the Farmers Alliance here is at
tracing a good deal of attention, and the
proceedings are being followed with interest
by the politicians of both parties Hon. o.
s. Hail, the Missouri state president, is one
of the most conspicuous men in the gather
ing. He is very popular among his brethren
of the order. and because of his well
known ability and the broadness
OF his views Is sought out
by the leading statesmen of both houses of
congress. The most important duty per-
formed by this national council is the elec-
tion OF a national legislative committee of
three, whose duty it is to draw and present
bills to congress in behalf of the alliance.
This is the committee of which DR.. G. W.
Macune was chairman last year, and which
gave him such amazing and sometimes die
tatorial power. This legislative committee
of three is the all powerful political factor
of the National Alliance, and was the agency
through which the third party advocates
hoped to bring about breach between the
Farmers Alliance and the old parties by
having 1t present radical and revolutionary
bills to congress such the old parties
could not support. In consequence the Sc.
lection OF a legislative committee at this
time was of absorbing interest to the politi.
clans of both the old parties. 1t Is an open
secret that there has been a conflict of ideas
between the national section of the alliance
led by Mr. Hall, of Missouri, and the jobbing
section. led by Macune. hailing from wher-
ever he may find himself when night strikes
him. Tne battle royal occurred at the
meeting o-night. There were thirty five
state presidents present The legislative
committee of three was elected by ballot 1t
has been understood from the time the state
presidents began to arrive that the fight be-
gun at Ocala between Hall and Macune would
be fought to a finish and determined finally
at this meeting Ii was fought to a finish,
and Hall won by large majority. Jobber
Macune Is Gin the soup" to- night The de.
tails of the meeting, of course, can not be
obtained fully, AZ the alliance people, as a
rule, keep their business to themselves
Enough has leaked out, however, to enable
your correspondent to state that on the first
ballot Mr.. Hall was chosen, and that his as
sociates are L. L. Polk, the national presl-
dent, and Mr.. Cole, president of the Miohi-
gan State Alliance. Mr.. Hall took a very
active part in the proceedings of the Ocala
convention. Every member of the order
knew him to be then, and knows him to be
now, inveterate enemy of the sub treas
ury bill. The fact that he was elected a
member of the legislative committee on the
first ballot to might is significant 1t means
that the cool, common sense of the alliance
is exertng itself; that the dreamers and
schemers and jobbers In the order
have been daunted, and that the mem
bers favorng rational reforms are In con-
troll. This is the most Important item of
political news that has been sent from Wash
ington since the defeat of the force bill. With
the rational, lucid, honest, earnest men of
the alliance in the lead, there is no reason
why there should not be full and complete
sympathy between the democracy and the
alliance in the next congress. At any rate,
the overthrow of the Macune element is of
overwhelming consequence. Macune's chief
desire, it seems, was to invent measures
schemes and ideas that no sensible man or
conservative party could under any posi-
bility support. His object was to create a
third party and sell it TO the republicans He
has been dethroned to night. and reason and
common sense VIII in the future reign in his
stead. The compliment paid to Mr.. Hall Is
very significant and remarkable in view of
the fight he made on Macune and his wild
cat schemes at the OcaIa convent on His
select on as a member of the legislative COM
mittee makes Mr.. Hall one of the most con.
spicuous and influential members of the or
der.
The letters received from the brother
hood in all sections show no small de-
gree OF alarm and indignation, in
some sections bordering on revolt,
since the above publication is going the
rounds of the subsidized press
In answer to Brother Leonard's in
quiry, why and how it was done?"
will say: Since the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union at st.
Louis did adopt the sub-treasury plan
by large majority and submit it thor
oughly to the order, where it was freely /
and fully discussed for a year, and at
the next national meeting indorsed it by
practically unanimous vote of the
delegates fresh from the people, with
their instructions ringing in their ears.
and the supreme council said In the res
olution creating the legislative council
that it's duty was as follows:
Sec 2. That It shall be the duty o. the said
nat onal legislative council to formulate
measures and devise such necessary meth
DDS in conformity with the principles. pur.
poses, and acts of the supreme council as
may secure the ENACTMENT OF such laws as
MY be indicated by the supreme council
In view of all this 1t is fair tn nra-
sumo that Brother Hall, as an honor
able gentleman and consistent men,
Der OF the order, did by the act of ac-
cepting that position on the vote of five
presidents OF the State Alliance give up
all opposition to the sub-treasury. and
pledge himself to an active support of
the measure. 1t is hard 70 see how he
could heVe otherwise accepted the
place. To say that he could accept the
position and then work against this
measure is to say that he would accept
trust and hetray it, which of course is
not true. The way it was done, there
fore, Is probably that it made friend
to the measure out of one of the
few men in the order that
opposed it. As to how it was
done, / have talked much with the
brethren, and believe that the following
as as near true statement of the situa-
ton as can be had until the mem bers of
the council see fit to make more of the
proceedings public. The presidents of
the following State Alliances were pres