Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-27
MR.. PETER ON THE ALLIANCE.
How 1t Came Into Politics-what the Orxsn
nation Wants.

How 1t Came Into Politics-what the Orx>n-
| ixafion Wants.
Senator-elect PETER of Kansas in an article in
Frank Lesise's Illustrated Newspaper on .'whas
the Farmers Alliance Wants" says:
The Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union
is made up Of farmers and rural working peo-
pie, with country preachers school teachers,
physicians and editors Of agricultural papers.
Primarily social, women and Young persons Of
both sexes over the age of sixteen years are
eligible to membership. 1t is also semi-reli-
gious, for every member must be believer
IN the existence Of Supreme Being and all
the meetings are opened and closed with prayer.
Its intention is, On earth peace and good will
toward men, And while the first of its seven
declarations of purposes is TO labor for the
education of the agricultural classes in the
science Of economical government in a strictly
non partisan spirit. which means that no par
usan discussions are permitted in the councils
OF the order still the alliance is intensely poll
ucal. 1t could not be otherwise and attain the
objects sought. Proposing to educate its men,
bers In the science of economical government
II must discuss all matters pertaining to admin
istration of the laws. Its second declaration
asserts demand for equal rights to all and
special privileges to none
| 1T was not intended originally. nor is it now.
, that the alliance should become a political
party, nor that it should form nucleus about
| Which, ptTtN snOuiu cOilcct. II Was eApcCttu
that all the reforms demanded by the alliance
| could be and would be wrought ont by the ma
chinery OF existing parties Oh that new patty
| would be born.
| IGNORED BY PARTIES IN POWER.
appeals were made" Mr. PETER continues,
''to leaders of the parties in power, but no A.
tent;on was paid to them and the alliance MEM
hers set about seriously to build mp party of
the people. to be composed of voters who were
I NO road Iu,.x II.
changes needed, these voters coming from
other bodies of organized labor and from all
existing political parties. The result in Kansas
was the peoples party. In other states differ
ent methods OF proceeding were adopted; in
| none OF them, however. was "a separate and dis
tinct party formed. though the principles adj
vocated and the objects sought by organized
farmers III all the states are the same.
FUNDAMENTAL PROPOSITIONS
THE alliance membership are agreed upon
few fundamental propositions relating to land.
labor. transportation and money and they want
legislation upon those subjects. They want
more money i'll circulation: they want the gov
eminent to issue all the money directly and get
u To the people without the Intervention of in
terpst-charging agencies; they want money
made plenty and put out at low rates of inter-
est; they want the government to take charge
OF the money OF the country, SO that its benefits
may be enjoyed by all the people upon fair
terest on the same amount of money for the
same length of time: they want trans
portatlon controlled by the government III the
public interest, so it may be cheap. safe and
equal In Its burdens and benefits: they want q
readjustment of our land system. that all the
Pubhc lands may be gathered i'll speedily and
disposed of to settlers under the homestea 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
pubic burdens resulting from taxation; they
want homesteads protected in the interest of
citizens and their families; in short, to these
great matters first, and us to all related matters
aIterward, the alliance wants such legislation as
will equalize burdens and benefits of govern
ment, affording equal protection to all the citi-
power. suppressing combinations against free
dom OF trade and placing the debtor on terms
equal with his creditor.
FINANCIAL LEGIsLArIoN
This uprising of the people comes from
belief that the universal depression in agri-
culture is directly traceable to vicious legisla-
ton; that our financial policy is ruinous to the
masses; that as its legitimate fruit the rich are
becoming richer and the poor poorer while the
wealth OF the country is fast passing into the
hands of comparatively small number of
persons. One-half the titled lands Of the civil
med world are mortgased to less than per
cent OF the adult male population; so per cent
OF German farms are pledged for debt; one
third OF American farms are under mortgage
TO nonresident and foreign capitalists: half the
city real estate is encountered in the same way
and to the same extent. half the municipalities
counties. cities. townships-in all the west
and south are under mortgage to bondholders.
The country is mortgaged to death. and s., Co.,
0oO people are compelled to get along with
money circulation OF so per capita. 1t il be-
lleved that our national banking law
i mt dangerous power to bank
ing corporations 1t is known that
while the act was passed to provide national
currency, the banks are retiring that currency
at the rate Of about S32. jO0. 900 q year. and that
no provision has been made or proposed by our
law makers 10 restore that amount. or any part
OF 1t, to the circulation of the country. In adj
dition TO all this, our railroad companies are in
debt to stock and bonds five times as much as
they are worth. ard the people are compelled
to pay. in exorbitant trafhc charges, the inter-
est on this excessive indebtedness besides ,liyi-
dends to the stockholders. Briefly. rich men
and great corporations are gambling on the
substance of the people.
THE PEOPLE MUST MANAGE
what, then, is to be done? The answer is
pregnant, butt is plain and imperative. The
people must take charge of their own business
All public functions must be exercised by
agencies appointed by the government The
Issuance OF money and the transportation of
property are both public functions. Then let
the governmentissue all the people money and
supply all their public transportation Abolish
banks Of issue, let money 90 from the govern
ment to the people directly, and let the charges
for its use be no more than what 1t actualIy
costs to handle the money. That is the rule in
postal matters and in all other func tons of the
government. That would bring interest rates
down to what the people can afford to paw the
rates would be uniform in all parts of the conn
try, and it would be to the interest of every
! owner of money to keep it in circulation pro-
noting productive industries. Instead of in
vestinS IN mortgages and draining out the sub
| stance of the people, owners would put their
money at work to make it pay its way, Just as
men do with their farms and their ships.
transportation is part Of the productive
force of the people and for that reason it must
be made cheap and uniform. "A it is now We
pay from five to ten times as much for our
transportation it would cost if the people
owned their own means of conveyance. In that
case the cost Of the plant would not figure
in the estimate Of cost of transportation any
more than the cost of public road OF 4 court
house is charged up to the people every time
they these things, which were made for
their convenience.
''The Farmers Alliance is striking for that
equal liberty and exact justice to which the
people are entitled. They want burdens and
benefits justly distributed; they want to DESTROY
the influence OF the money power in legislation;
they aim TO get rid permanently of every sort
or gambling In the products of labor: they will
y