The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-11-20
FARMERS IN IN COUNCIL
PRESIDENT POLK ON THE DEMANDS
OF THE ALLIANCE.

The Financial Question in His Opinion
the Most Important Now Before the
People-The Cordage Company's Strong
FigIlt-A Sensations.
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 1S.-Five hundred
persons are in attendance at the National
Alliance council at Tomlinson hall.
Secretary Tillman, of the Alliance coun-
eli, is waging an open war on the Peo-
Sullivan's welcome and endeavored to
outline the policy of the convention. He
said he was not here in the interest Of
any political aspirant. He called atten-
ton to the "billion dollar congress. I"
which expended an amount equal to $50
a day since the birth of Christ, and said
the tariff must come down to reasona-
BILE basis of taxa ton, and reckless ex-
penditure must stop or they will change
the personnel of every congress. Two
sets Of three initial letters, .s.T'ss and sc, .
comprise the unwritten oath of the AL
lance - transportation, tariff, trust,
crush, change and control-and they
must crush the trust by change in the
tariff and control of transportation.
j. F. Willets, late candidate for gov
ernor in Kansas, responded in behalf Of
the Alliance, and Jerry Simpson and
Mrs. Mary Lease of Kansas and General
Weaver of Iowa spoke briefly.
Polk's Outline.
In his annual address delivered Pres
ident Polk began by calling attention to
tbe grave responsibilities which rest up
on the members of the supreme council
and predicting glorious results if the
power Of the alliance is wisely directed.
The speaker after presenting an argu-
ment showing discrimination against
the agricultural classes, proceeded to
state their demands, saying:
We demand governmental control of
transportation; we demand the retention
of our public domain for the use of our
own people; we demand the prohibition of
gambling in futures of agricultural and
mechanical products; we demand the free
coinage of silver; we demand that no class
or interest shall be taxed to build up any
other class or interest; we demand the
election of United States senators by the
direct vote Of the people; we demand a
graduated tax on incomes; but more i'm
portant than ali these. broader and deeper
than all these, an d first of all these is the
transcendentally paramount demand thaS
our national bank system be abolished,
and that the peoples money shall be is
sued to the people, direct by the govern.
ment, at low rate Of interest, and in suf-
fcent volume to meet the requirements
Of our growing population and trade The
supreme issue before the American people
is and must be financial reform. These
powers and functions designed by the
trainers of our constitution for the benefit
Of the people, and which have been
stealthily usurped and appropriated by
corporate and monopolstic combinations,
must be restored to the people, to whom
they rightfully belong. This can be done
only through persistent effort, unswerv-
ing fidelity to the principle AID harmoni-
GUS united action. Not the war of twen-
ty-five yeas ago, but the gigantic struggle
Of today between the classes and the
masses, involving the stupendous issue OF
freedom of honest labor from the degrada-
lion aud slavery of plutocratic power, en-
cages the public mind, and is the supreme
incentive and object of this great political
revolution.
The aIost Troublesome Thing
that the Alliance viii have to deal with
is a question Of business. The connec-
tion of the National Union company
with the state business agents, has al
ready been mentioned somewhat extern
sively At the meeting of the state
business agents a resolution was re-
ported on by a committee of seven. This
resolution was an endorsement of the
National Union company. The COM
mittee reported in favor of the plan
prn,,ocal 11,t foi1nI +n +l,o
pany itself. The chief reason for this
action is the strong opposition of the
reform press association to the COM
pany. Its opponents charge that this
company is
The Union Cordage Company
under new name, and that the Union
Cordage company was itself resurrec-
lion Of the jute trust. The reason that
the Cordage company changed its name to
the National Union company" it is
said, was because certain circular
which it sent out to all the state agen-
cies OF the Alliance was exposed some
month ago. This circular opens as fol-
lows:
Napoleon was the greatest general the
world ever saw, because he was a govern
ment in himself, a law unto himself. II
fou WILL iSICO ~ ODCS OuF ILL.,
structions and directions, whether you
believe them right or wrong, and ask no
questions, we promise you wealth and
honor beyond your widest dreams.
The National Union company, as one
the United States managers, who is also
state agent of the Farmers Alliance,
explained, has a capital stock of s21,-
100000. This stock is owned by manu-
For noah fon
taking 100000 stock Its incorporators
are said to be men interested in the
Union Cordage company. AS the manu-
facturers are stockholders, they will
naturally have control of the organiza-
hon, yet this organization has already
obtained control of the Alliance CO.
operative stores in many states. In fact,
it is in its conception one of the most
gigantic trust schemes that even this era
of trusts has yet known. The opposition
has taken tangible form in movement
to organize another association, ostensi.
bly, ''for the benefit of the small manu-.
facturers who cannot get into the trust
controlled by the jute cordage outfit"
Decidedly Sensational.
At a meeting OF soiue of the reform
editors, some correspondence was read
showing why the Kelly Ak company OF
Louisville, had been booming the Alliance
at the expense Of the American Ak com.
pany. Some of the correspondence was
very sensational in its nature, and
showed a plain effort of one of the ALI.
ance agents to blackmail the American
company. It is said that there is other
correspondence of sensational nature in
existence connecting some of the highest
officers of the Alliance with the dealings
with this National Union company.
Briggs Opponents Appeal.
New YORK, Nov. 1.-THE Briggs
committee on prosecution have appealed
to the synod from the decision of the
New York presbytery, and have laiG
complaint against the dismissal of the
charges.
AGAINST MoNoPoLY.