St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-18
WHAT WILL THEY DO ?
a Monster Meeting Of Het-
erogeneous Elements at
Cincinnati.
Finance, transportation, La
Dor and Land Big Cues
tions OF the Hour.
Several Hundred Of the Dele
gates Already on the
Ground.
Independent Party Action
HAY or May Not Be Taken
at This Time.

CINCINNATI, o., May 1.-THE COM
ing week will bring to this city pollt-
lcal gathering of unique form, in whose
action there is wide interest. 1t is not
convention in the usual sense of that
term, Tor it has 10 party basis. 1t is
perhaps best described as a national
union conference. Originally it was
called not by the Farmers Alliance
convention at Ocala, Fla. last year, but
by members of that convention, and the
time was set for Feb. %, in this city.
That call was addressed 10 all who have
stood up for independent political
action on the questions of finance,
transportation, labor and land, and
asked for delegates to a ma
tional conference from the follow
ing organizations: The Independent
party by its representatives; the PeO-
pies party by its representatives; the
late federal and confederate soldiers by
their representatives.; the Farmers AL
lance. North and South; the Farmers
Mutual Benefit association the Citizens
Alliance: the Knights of Labor; the
Colored Farmers Alliance; and all
Dther industrial organizations that sup
port the principles of the ST. Louis
agreement of December, 1889. The ratio
of representation was one delegate from
each congressional district by state or
ganization, and two at large from the
state; not less than three delegates to
each district organization, and not less
than one to each county organization.
In addition to this the
Editor Of Each Newspaper
supporting candidates nominated on the
ST. Louis agreement was made dele
gate. The call was signed by about sew
enty persons from seventeen states. 1t
met with objection from various
sources. partly because its purpose was
announced TO form national union
party, based on the fundamental ideas
of finance, transportation, labor and
land. This opposition had the effect of
necesSltatlng delay, and the date of
the conference was changed to May 10.
The state executive committee of the
peoples party of Indiana, composed of
some of the original signerS of the call,
enlarged the representation SO as to in
clude the American Federation of La
Dor, trades unions and trades assem-
blieS. the Federation of railway en-
ployeS and the Nationalists by
their representatives. The Citizens
Alliance, of Kansas, at con-
vention at Topeka, Feb. Z, re-
issued the call. stating the OBJ
ject TO be 10 adopt a platform and make
such arrangements for the conflict of
1892 as the conference may deem fitting.
From this outline of its call it is plain
that difficulty will arise in settling
questions, if any arise, upon creden-
tialS, and also that the real purpose of
the conference is not clearly defined.
Already two views are being urged in
various quarters upon the question of
forming a third party, and 1t has gone
so far In some places as to cause Organi-
cations opposed to the third party to re-
fuse to send delegates, while others are
electing delegates for the avowed pur-
pose OF defeating the formation Of
A Third Party.
The conference promises to be one
without a difficult task before it, but
likely to call for the best wisdom of its
delegates. The advance guard of the
delegates has been struggling in through
the day, and about 200 of the 5000 or
more that it is expected will participate
in the deliberations of the gathering
are on the ground tonight. MANY of
them are men whose rough attire,
bTonZed faces and horny hands betoken
long cQuaintanceShlp with the plOw and
harrow. Others bear names that are
prominently identified with economic
and radical movements. Among these
are eX-CongressmaD Weller, of Iowa:
more familiarly known as "Calamity
Weller" General Secretary Hayes, of
the Knights of Labor; w. G. Crum, of
New York, editor of the Wall Street
Farmer and president of the recently
formed National Union league; G. |.
WaShburn, of Boston, president of the
Northeastern Industrial alliance;
lstic club; Col. Norton, of Chicago: W.
I. Wakefield, of the Lynn, Mass,
Nationalistic club: John H. Crouch. of
Fort Scott, Kan. brother of the deceased
Oklahoma boomer. and G. G. Post, of
Georgia, the Alliance leader of that
state. The temporary lion of the hour
Is Farmer II. l.. Brian, of VIM county,
Louisiana, whose acceptance of dele
gates mission necesSitated his riding
htty miles on plantation pony to the
nearest railroad station. His creden-
tlals bear the signatures of
Twelve Hundred Granoers
out of total voting strength of all par
ties Of 1,700 in the county. StraggIers
are also here from Maine, Kentucky.
Texas, Tennessee. Minnesota and other
states, but full delegation will not be-
gin 10 arrive until tomorrow. The
Kansas contingent, which is ell route on
a special train of ten cars, will be met
in the morning by the reception COM
mittee, all the delegates in town and a
cOuDle of brass bands and escorted to
headquarters in triumph. Despite the
fact that it is styled convention, how
ever, it is apparent thus early that the
Forthcoming gathering will be nothing
more than big mass meeting. There
has been no conforming to basis of
representation. While it is anticipated
that two-thirdS of the states will be rep
resented, yet two of them, Kansas with
her 500 and Ohio with nearly as
many more. will control at least
third of the total vote that will
be cast on every proposition. Hamilton
alone furnishes Credentials for neary
1OO participants, representing such
heterogeneous elements as the Knights
OF Labor. city Alliance, railway en-
ployes' association, municipal congress,
the United Labor party, composed of
adherents OF Henry George, and the
tNationaIists Or Eelianlyites.
A good many of the Southern gran
gers are kicking over this condition OF
affairs, contending that it is unjust that
after having travelled long distances in
order TO represent the views of their re-
spective organizations their votes and
consequent Influence in shaping the
ENDS OF tie gathering should be