Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1891-01-02

any member or official, and shap-
ing its policy by the concesus OF
opinion as expressed III its nation
al conventions.
1t is, however, IN the measures
now advocated before congress
that the widest difference between
the Alliance appears. The north
ern Alliance is bringing its intiu-
ence tc bear on several measures,
prominent among which are the
silver bill, the Butterworth bill for
the control of gambling in COP
tions' and futures" the Conger
lard bill for the prevention of ad-
alteration of lard, and the anti
trust bill. The southern Alliance
is spending its main force Gu what
is known as the sub-treasury bill,
or a bill requiring the government
to build store-houses for agricul-
tural products in the counties that
produce the great staples and issue
treasury notes against receipts of
grain or cotton which are to pass
current as the money of the peo-
pie. 1t is not true. that all the
members of the southern Alliance
favor or endorse this scheme, but it
has been most earnestly pressed
by the leaders, and all, or nearly
all, Of, its support comes from
members of the organization. The
northern Alliance has never even
discussed this scheme in its gen.
eral meetings, nor in any other
way taken the views of its men,
bers. So far as we are able to
learn its leaders are distinctly and
earnestly opposed to it, believing
that it is impracticable to start
with, and that if practicable, it
would foster and encorage spec
ulative move which would, after a
brief and ftful fever leave the
West in state of boom stricken
collapse. Akin to this scheme is
that of loaning government money
on land at two per cent interest
which has perhaps lis most etfec-
tive support in the Kansas state
organization of the southern AL
lance. We hsve watched careful.
ly for an expression OF views on
this point from her leading men,
and can find nowhere an emphatic
endorsement of this policy by the
northern Alliance.
1t cannot have escaped the no
tice of close observers that there
is a marked tendency among the
southern Alliance organizations
to form third party movements,
or, rather, to put III nomination
men who are distinctly Alliance
candidates, thus foreshadow-
ing a possible organizs-
tlon of distinctively farmers
party. While in some northern
Alliance states, as for example
Nebraska, there is much unrest
and dissatisfaction with partisan
politics, and independent move
ments are threatened. 1t is entire
ly outside of Alliance lines, and
while it may be endorsed by many
members and officials, it is not Ell
dorsed nor entered into by the AL
} lance as an organization. The
northern Alliance and many men,
bsrs of the southern Alliance in
. norther.a states distinctly favor
the policy of making all contests
within party lines beginning their
reforms at the primaries and car
rying them through to the great
conventions of the parties. This
is the natural and logical develop
ment of the northern idea-a sort
of rare characteristic.
We have aimed in this analysis
of the origin, aims, spirit, govern
ment and policy of these two great
farmer organizations t, state the
facts as they appear to us, and
have ,efrained from any advocacy
or criticism of either. We have
done this because it is not just to
either Allianc, to be held respon-
sible in any way for the views of
the other which it does not dis
tinctly endorse. We. have to this
end aimed to state not points of
agreement, but the points of disa-
greement. Each of them has a
great field before it, and it must
stand or fall by the wisdom of lis
policies and the craftsmanship of
it's leaders. Whether they are to
be the creatures of the lour, mere
foam cast upon the sea o. public
opinion, or whether they are to
permeantly mould the policy of
the nation or the states, depends
on whether they are wise enough
to propose measures that will
commend themselves to the sound
judgment of the American people
Iowa Homestead.