Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-19
WANT THE CITIES NEXT.
FARMERS ALLIANCE PLANS FOR
CAPTURING THEM.
A Globe-Democrat Telegram from
Abilene Tells of the Scheme on
Foot for the Farmers to Rule the
Towns -Shrewd Figuring.

! Special Dispatch to the Globe Democrat.
ABILENE. Kas., February 15.-The
limit to the desires of the farmers ALI
ance has evidently notyet been reached
as the capturing of the country dis
tricts hasfailed entirely to satisfy the
avariciOus leaders. The cities of the
second and third class are next in line,
and the spring elections which take
place the first week in April will see a
repetition of last falls contest. The
farmers alliance proper not being
authorized to take in as members resi-
dents of towns, there has been organ
lied branch affair called the citizens
alliance in all the counties of central
Kansas. This citizens alliance has
usually the same officers and Tegula-
lions as the older body and allows law
yers, merchants, ETC., to become mem
bers.
In all the smaller cities those of the
second and third classes) this order is
being pushed for all it is worth. Lee
tureTs have been put in tie field in all
the counties, and even the state officers
of the farmers alliance come out fire.
quently from Topeka to urge on the
work. Many of the smaller towns
already have a number Of farmers ALI
ance men in them, those who farm
just outside. Those form the nucleus
for the citizens alliance and with the
knights of Labor to help there is little
difficulty in pushing the work on. The
places of from 500 to 1000 are being
worked first and the county seats will
ne reached next month. Then, by the
time the spring campaign opens, the
bodies will be in position to dictate
who shall be mayors, councilmen and
school board members.
The object, as stated by one of the
congressional district lecturers to the
Globe-DemOcrat, is that it will buoy
up the waning interest in the alliance
ranks. "We realize" said he, ''that
the same thing will not furnish excite
ment forever. We must do something
20 keep up the energy of our workers.
The pushing of the work in the towns
will serve to do this, and the country
members will be quick to see that they
are being materially REINFORCED. More
than that, they will see that there will
he in the towns a large additional
strength for the next general election.
The remainder of the county officers,
some district judges and a congress
man-aJ-large Will be chosen next No
vember. We were successful last fall
and expect to be again, but to do so we
want better support, for we will not be
able to hold all our members. This
lime we won without the aid o. the
Towns. They went almost solidly
against US; but next fall we hope to
have them too with US and then we
shall be lmpregnaOle."
There is no question as to the excel
lence of this logic, and the result will
be red-hot municipal politics during
the next two months. The influence
of the citizens alliance is already being
felt in the smaller places by their die
tation as to municipal appointments.
The towns of Kansas have not always
been run to suit the farmers, much to
the latter's annoyance, and many of
the cities have passed obnoxious ordi-
nances as to how farmers shall or shall
not conduct themselves inside the CITY
limits. The selling of produce from
house to house, the hitching of teams,
Etc., have been regulated, much to the
iarmers' disgust, and they propose to
nave a word to say without taking
part in the tax paying.
The more substantial class of towns
people know as little how to combat
the new order of things as did the re-
publican farmers last fall. The secret
meetings will, if successful, override
the caucuses and not only nominations
but elections will be dictated by the
officers of the county alliance. The
fact that women can vote in the munic-
ipal election is offset by the fact that
they can also join in the alliance coun-
ellis. There will be in the citizens
alliance ranks as many women as men
and they will make the bodies more
compact and substantial.