Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-29
Two Kinds of Alliances.

sition to the southern domination so
plainly observable in the farmers alli-
ance of Kansas. it is interesting to note
how it is looked upon by gentlemen
from other states. Kansas seems to
be alone in running farmers secret
society for politics only. In other
states the alliance is used to benefit
the farming community and accomplish
something besides giving offices to
lot of jawsmiths.
Hon. John Livingston, president OF
the New York state alliance, says the
farmers Of the Empire state are not
that kind. In an interview in the To-
peka State Journal when visiting that
city last week he said:
81 am surprised to find," said he,
''that your Kansas alliance is so closely
associated with, not TO say controlled
by ,utheIsouthern alliance which has
its headquarters in Georgia. New
York state farmers alliance has re-
fused to endorse the wild subtreasury
scheme, which is the main foundation
of the southern alliance, and on last
Thursday the Pennsylvania state ALI
ance, one of the strongest in the cOun-
try, repudiated the Ocala convention
and the southern alliance. Both the
New York and Pennsylvania alliances
are therefore practically independent
state organizations. Our organizations
have never been of a secret, oath bound
character as the southern organizations,
which is too suggestive Of southern
methods and practices which we have
never been able to endorse, and l am
surprised to find that the Kansas ALI
ance has followed the style and the
spirit of the south in that regard. Our
sub-alliance meetings are always pub
lie and there is no secrecy whatever in
our proceedings.
Then, as president of the New
York alliance, you do not endorse the
late Ocala convention and the railroad
and sub-treasury planks in the plat
form adopted theTe?"
mo sir. The sub-treasury idea 1
consider one Of the widest and most
impracticable schemes ever proposed,
and it would Cause ruin to the country.
The railroad plank was the result of
railroad lobbyists who went to Ocala
as alliance officials and hoodwinked
the convention. The alliance had
always advocated government owner
ship of railroads; it had been i'll all
their platforms, and every alliance
candidate and every alliance officer had
been committed upon it. Yet that
convention, through the efforts of
Colonel Livingston, of Georgia, (who
is no relative of mine), DR.. McCune, of
Texas, and others, the railroad plank
adapted there calls for government
control" of railroads first, and if that
is not successful, then government
ownership. Government control"
means nothing, for we have govern
ment CONTROL now. The men who
engineered that convention knew that,
and they admitted in confidence, In
explaining their sudden change of
policy, that with the plank in that
shape they would secure railroad help
in the election of senators ard other
officers in certain southern states. L
am in possession of facts which prove
conclusively that the southern alliance
at leasti the southern alliances, are
standing in with the railroads, and the
people of their party whose purposes
are good, who have gone into the alli-
snce in good faith for the purpose of Sc
curing needed reforms of political con-
ditions and protecting themselves from
monopolies, railroads and other corpo-
ratiOns, are simply being hoodwinked
and deceived"