The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-11-24

Patriotic Response by Secretary Tillmau
president Polk's Annual AGdress-.
Tarin and Financial Reform tho Issue.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Nov. H.
The Supreme Council of the farmers
Alliance was called to order in Tomlin-
son Hall at 1O:4O O'Clock by President
Force, of TIE Indiana Alliance, with
nearly all the 120 delegates and 500
spectators in attendance.
Mayor Thomas l.. Sullivan was intro
duced, and welcomed the delegates. T..
f. Tillman. secretary Of the Alliance
Executive Committee, in responding,
thanked the people OF Indianapolis for
their warm welcome, and. after paying
IL tribune to President Harrison, he con-
tinued: sit is the farming and laboring
people who feed the world, who fought
the battles of this country, and to whose
energy and patriotism this great and
glorious land. of ours is indebted for its
richest blessings of liberty and peace.
1t is not our mission to tear down nor
disintegrate our honestly conducted in
dustries, but to preserve them. Yet we
do mean the death.knell to all illegiti-
mate combinations and monopolies that
tend to destroy the very spirit and in
tent of the constitution.
"We are not here as politicians, seek
ing to dispute as to partisaa political
parties or to promote the fortune of any
.politic' asplrant, nor are we here in
the interest of any third party, for by
the very organic teachings we have the
right to vote with whichever political
party we may think will best advocate
good government.
Il desire to call you attention to the
last billion dollar Congress. It's eXpen-
ditures reached grand total of 81 ,0O9,.
26O, All, which is nearly two-thirds of
all existing United States money.
More money was spent by that protli-
gate billion dollar Congress than was
spent by all the Congresses during the
first seventy-two years Ct the history of
this government. 1t is more than So
l77,000 for every day from the time the
Tii ty-tirst Congress met till itadjourned.
every family to support the general gov-
ernment alone. How long would they
endure it if collected directly from them
instead OF indirectly as it Is now collect
ed through our tariff?
"Say what you please about tariff, but
it must and shall come down TO yeas-
enable basis of taxation. and these leck-
css expenditures by Congress must be
stopped, or we will continue to change
the personnel OF every Congress.
Yet this is not all, nor is it the bot
tom which brought about the uprising OF
the people of all parts of this great coun.
try. Transportation, tariff and trust,
here is the trouble. There are three
C.'s-crush, change and controlled
that constitute the unwrittcn and IRON
bound oath that our friendly political
newspapers abuse us 50 about. l will
now tell you what the oath is. 1t IS to
crush monopoly, change tariff and con-
Lrol transportation. We are going to
succeed in our efforts TO OBTAIN IL large
circulating medium. We must have
more currency and will have it.
MIR. Mayor, the Farmers Alliance
means the greatest good for the ~"eat-
est number, and is determined to nave
exact justice for all and especial i;,yors
10 none. 1t numbers in cooperation
near 4,000,000 and it has como to stay,
and Will be held intact as u nonpari isan
organization. Members OF all poll litical
parties may join the organization, aud it
will never become third political par
ty. There is big political significance
In it, but no party pslitical significance,
because that would mean hopeless ruin.
We have already taken party extremes
out OF us, have made a lew governors
and Congressman and bid fair for 200
next year."
Tillman's references 30 the non part
isan nature Of the Alliangc caused
something of sensation and were re-
ceived with about equal evidence Of ap-
proval and disapproval.
General Weaver, OF Iowa. was called
for and made speech on the general
situation, which was received with en-
huslasm. lie was followed by Con-
grcssman Jerry Simpson, of Kansas, in
the same strain. President Willebc, of
the Kansas Alliance, spoke briefly and
the meeting adjourned.
The attendance at the opening to-
night was something less than 10000.
President Polk delivered his annual adj
dress. The farmers, he said, had be en-
Disseminated against and were now APP
pcallng to the ballot box. The Alliance
sub-treasury bill has received no con-
sideration except denuncatlon bv The
billion dollar Congress. L. was AZ i'm
pera;ive duty of the people to arrest the
evident and alarming tendency to CEN
tralize the money power Of the country.
This was one of the grand purposes of
The sub-Treasury bill. II would have
supplanted or unjust and oppressive
national bank system by securing to the
people an adequate amount OF II oneY
direct from the government, at a lower
rate OF interest. to meet the legitimate
demands of the country. But in iusti-
iication of the silent contempt which
| characterized the reception of the meas
ure, assaults vehement and pcrsis tent
have been made on its minutesL details,
instead OF arguments on the under yin9
principles. But despite these assaults,
the sub-treasury had grown unit tho
sentiment of the order in thrty-four
States was unit. Government control
Of railroads, Polk said, ls one OF the
essential demands Of the Alliance; also
the retention of the public domain tor
our own people; also the prohibition OF
gambling in futures; also the free coinage
OF silver; also that no class legislation be
enacted; also that United States Sena-
tors be elected by popular vote; also a
graduated tax on incomes; but the
greatest demand off all is that the ma
tlonal banking system be abolished an |
the peoples money be issued direct by
the government to the people. The
supre nc question before the people is
thnt pf financial roEoc,, UNI,n I.