Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1891-03-19
ALLIANCE NOTES.
NEWS OF THE ORDER AND IRE
MEMBERS.
What is Being Done In the Various
Sections for the Advancement
Of the Great Organization.

n
nited States Alliance senator from
-ansas, speaks to readers of Frank Les
ELS Illustrated Newspaper as follows:
seThe farmers alliance and industrial
nion is made up of farmers and rural
people, with country preachers,
chool teachers, physicians and editors OF
agricultural papers. Primarily social,
women and young persons of both sexes
,ver the age of is years are eligible to
1t is, also, semi-religious,
for every member must be believer in
the existence of a Supreme Being, and all
the meetings are opened and closed with
PRAYER. It's intention is-'On earth peace
and goodwill toward men, And while
the first of its seven declarations of pur'
poses is to labor for the education of the
agricultural classes in the science of eco
nomical government in strictly non
partisan spirit which means that nj
partisan discussions are permitted in tk
councils Of the order-still the allian86.
intensely political. 1t could not bSoht
erwise and attain the objects in the
Proposing to educate its memn ent II
science Of economical goXino to I'D.
must discuss all matters PTS second dec.
ministration of the lawsfor equal rights
laration asserts a demaeges to none.
to all and special ned originally, nor is
1t was not inkance should become a
it now, that thor that it should form
political paIwhich party should col.
nucleus abs expected that all the re,
lect. Handed by the alliance could be
formald be wrought out by the machi-
anM existing parties, or that a new
MY would be born.
p''Appeals were made to leaders of the
parties in power, but no attention was
paid to them, and the alliance members
set about seriously to build up party of
he people, to be composed of voters who
we're agreed upon policy to bring about
The changes needed, these voters coming
from other bodies of organized labor
md from all existing political parties.
The result in Kansas was the peoples
party. In other states different methods
# proceeding were adopted; in none of
hem, however, was separate and dis
met party formed, though the principles
Idvocated and the objects sought by
farmers in all the states are the
ame
"The alliance membership are agreed
lpon few fundamental propositions re-
ating to land, labor, transportation and
money, and they want legislation upon
hose subjects. They want more money
n circulation; they want the government
20 issue all the money directly, and get it
o the people without the intervention of
nterest-charging agencies; they want
money made plenty and put out at low
'ates of interest; they want the govern
nent to take charge Of the money of the
so that its benefits may be en-
joyed by the people upon fair terms and
On equal terms-the same rate of interest
On the same amount of money for the
same length of time; they want trans
portation controlled by the government
in the public interest, so it may be cheap,
safe and equal in its burdens and bene-
fits; they want readjustment of our land
system, that all the public lands may be
gathered in speedily and disposed of to
settlers under the homestead law; they
want alien ownership of lands abolished
in some equitable way; they want to
secure for the people the largest possible
measure of benefit from the unused lands
Of the country; they want legislation
that will cause vacant lands to bear their
full share-acre for acre-of the public
burdens resulting from taxation; they
want homesteads protected in the interest
of citizens and their families; in short, rs
to these great matters first, and as to all
related matters afterward, the Alliance
wants such legislation as will equalize
burdens and benefits of government, af-
fording equal protection to all the citi-
zens, destroying the influence of the
money power, suppressing combinations
'g;.inst freedom of trade, and placing the
lebtor on terms equal with his creditor.
"This uprising of the people comes
rom belief that the universal depression
n agriculture is directly traceable to
Iicious legislation that our financial
policy is ruinous to the masses: that as
is legitimate fruit the rich are becoming
icher and the poor poorer, while the
wealth of the country is fast passing into
he hands of a comparatively small num-
'er of persons. One-half the titled
ands of the civilized world are
nortgaged to less than / per cent
I the adult male population; eighty
er cent of German farms are pledged for
at; one-third of American farms are
nder mortgage to nonresident and for
ign capitalists; half the city real estate
encountered in the same way and to the
anne extent; half the municipalities
ounries, cities, townships-in all the
'est and south are under mortgage to
ond-holders. The country is mortgaged
death, and $4,000, GOO people are com
elled to get along with money circula-
on Of $40 per capita. tits believed that
ur national banking law intrusts dan
erous power to banking corporations. 1t
known that, while the act was passed to
'rovide national currency, the banks
e retiring that currency at the rate of
%, 500. 600 year, and that no provision
Is been made or proposed by our law
akers to restore that amount, any part |
it, to the circulation of the country.
addition to all this, our railroad COM
mics are in debt to stock and bonds five
mes as much as they are worth, and the
ople are compell d to pay. in exorbl-
1t traffic charges, the interest ON this
cessiye indebtedness besides dividends
the stockholders. Briefly, rich men and
'at corporations are gambling on the
)stance of the people.