The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-09-17
THE ALLIANCE SPLIT.
HALL PRESENTS EvI.
DENCE OF MACUNE's PERFIDY.
Letters from Frank McGrath, of Kansas,
Tending to Prove that Macune was
Whitewashed at 0cala to Save
The Order.

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 4.-U. S. Hall,
EX-President of the Missouri Farmers
Alliance, who is engineering the
movement against the Third party
and subtreasury wing, and who called
the convention which will meet here
tomorrow morning, was seen by an
Associated Press reporter this even
ing and questioned regarding the dis
agreements, examinations and re-
examinations which have been tie
feature of the Alliance literature for
long time past.
1t will be remembered that at the
time of the Ocala convention an in
vestigation was had into the so-called
crooked methods of President Macune
of the national body and that the re-
port of the investigating committee
virtually eXOnOrated Macune from all
wrong doing. This was called white
wash by those of the members of the
Alliance who were opposed to him.
The Kansas City Times OF July -,
contained an interview with Frank
McGrath, president of the Kansas AL
lance, in which that gentleman was
quoted as saying that Macune was a
scoundrel and that he (Macune) was
working to break up the Alliance;
that he had received money from Pat
Calhoun as bride to aid his election
to the United States senate, that he
regretted very much that he was
forced to sign the report exonorating
Macune, owing to the fact that it was
the only means of saving the Alliance
from disruption, and that he was
standing with President Hall to the
last to eXpel Macune. Shortly after
the Times article appeared, the Ma.
tional Economist, the organ of the
National Alliance, came out editorial
ly and denied that McGrath had ever
uttered the words ascribed to him.
Hall was asked whether or not the
McGrath interview was authentic. II
have been in correspondence with
Frank McGrath," said he, "for over a
year. While L have not asked him
point blank question as to the re-
liability of the statements, / wrote
and thanked him for the way in
which he seconded me in my desire to
put Macune out of the Alliance, where
he would do no harm"
'Have you those letters in your
possessionW
eyes; here is one dated January 3,
1891. In it he says: Since L came
home | have thought good deal
about that investigation business.
have regretted earnestly that 1 did
not stay with you in that matter, as l
see now it was the only true principle
of honor. / commend you for your
manly course. / feel that there is
something back of all that we have
not found out YETI"
"Another dated July q was re-
ceived after the denial by the Ma
tional Economist of McGrath's
interview in the Times. The
of the first before me, and contents
noted with great deal of satisfac-
ton. So far as the committee work
and my signing that report is con-
cerned, / have never felt satisfied
with myself since. AS you well know
it was only to save an open rupture in
an otherwise harmonious national
at Ocala, that we sacrificed |
our manhood. 1 believe, as you did,
that it was the intention to divide |
that committee and besmirch the |
character of that true and loyal man,
Polk, in order to defeat him in the |
presidency, so that McCune
and his accomplices would have entire
control of the organization, and carry
on their INSCRIPTIONS works, which |
they have been engaged in, and I be-
lieve are still at"
$50 you see that far from McGrath's
being in favor of relieving Macune of
the odium which should have followed
the investigation, he was really de-
sirous of eXpelling him, but to save
the Alliance from impending disaster,
he sacrificed the interest of the farmer
to save Macune from complete dis
grace"
"But the day of reckoning is COM
ing. The wool will be pulled from the
farmers eyes and then Macune will
appear in his true light before their
eyes and we will then have firm and
organization, outside of all
secret and political parties; one that
will do it's politics with the ballot and
not with "party."
The horny handed sons of toll are
here in great numbers.
It is expected that the
Texas delegation will be the
banner one, but Mississippi, Arkan-
'as and Kansas are not far behind,
while Missouri will of course be more
argely represented. The convention
will assemble at 10 o'clock in the
and the utmost harmony is
as the delegates come with
me end in view-the counteracting of
he Third party and subtreasury
blanks of the Cincinnati platform
md as stated by one of the delegates