Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-10
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
President Polk Makes His First Address IL
This City.
THE OPPRESSION AND DECEPTION PRAcrIcED ON
THE TnLERs OF THE COLLABORATION FOR
MoSoPoLIsrs-rHE SILVER QUESTION DISCUSSED
MANY STATESMEN ATTACKED.

THE OPPRESSION AND DECEPTION PRACTfCED ON
THE TnLERs OF THE COLLABORATION FOR
MoSoPoLIsrs-rHE SILVER QUESTION DISCUSSED
MANY STATESMEN ATTACKED.
President Polk Of the Farmers Alliance was
introduced to the Washington public last night
for the first time as public speaker. He was
the orator of the Citizens Alliance meeting at
Concordia Hall last night, and talked for an
hour and half to fair sized audience.
Mr.. Polk has been in Washington great deal
and his features are quite familiar. He looks
more like professional man than farmer. He
is college bred and city dressed, and has the
grace Of speech and manner of simple south
ern gentleman. He is rather a handsome man.
of clear complexion and regular features, dark
hair slightly tinged with gray and very gray
moustache and chin whiskers As q speaker he
is fowery and sentimental at times. but handles
cold facts and figures with peculiar facility.
He was in troducod to the assemblage by Ralph
Beaumont, and Senator PETER sat on the stage
and listened to the speech with a smile Of ap-
proval on his face, now and then bowling his
head for emphasis.
MIGHTY POLITICAL AND SOCIAL REVOLUTION.
Mr.. Polk said that the mightiest political and
social revolution that history had known was
in progress; he prayed to God that it might be
bloodless, but it would be complete. The
farmers had been long oppressed and repeat
edly deceived. Solemn promises had been
made and broken by the leaders Of both the
great parties. The farmers. who were the sup
port OF the nation, had seen themselves driven
by unjust class legislation from the place of
hrst Importance in the nation into condition
OF debt and want. He quoted statistics to
show how legislation in favor of corporations
and money had depressed farm values and in
creased the value of money, and said that since
1870 the value of q dollar had doubled or
quadrupled, while the various farm products
had sunk correspondingly. He ridiculed the
idea Of over-production Of farm products and
in cutting irony referred to the suggestion
made by the Wall street statesmen that a
dollar would buy twice as much as it used to.
1t would buy twice as much Of anything the
farmers had to SELL in some cases four times as
much, but was that true as to the things farm
ers had to buy?
SEVERAL STATESMEN ATTACKED.
He ridi,uled the explanations of the agricul-
tural depression furnished by Secretary Rusk.
to whom he referred as prominent official"
With deiicacy and good humor but in express
slons OF biting irony he referred to what Sena.
tors Hampton, HOar, Sherman and Edmunds
have said about the spirit of unrest that is
abroad IN the land. He read with marked en-
phasis from MIR. Edmunds' interview in The
STAR. Speaking Of the defeat of the free coin
age act by the last Congress he said that men
OF both parties had broken their pledges to the
farmers, and, in obedience to the commands of
Wall street and Lombard street (where Mr..
Cleveland now does business), the silver bill
had been defeated. He it was who urged that
the depressed condition of the farmers was
caused by over-productiOn. Denying this he
said that the law Of supply and demand was
memorable as to money; bu. that by legislation
Its effects were as to farm products. He sought
to sustain this proposition b. statistics show
ing that the value Of farm products was
greater at a time when the production was
greater In proportion to the population.
RAvAeEs OF THE MONEY POWER.
All over the face Of this broad land, he said.
the most princely heritage ever given to man,
may be read the same sad, sad story; and if you
would read the fearful record Of the frightful
ravages OF money power on the industrial
bureau in this city and you will find piled up
the abstracts of 5000, 900 mortgages on their
homes-a mortgage for every seve2 of our
population, or averaging about one mortgage
to every family in the whole Union.
But this law of supply and demar / is inexor-
able and unchanging in its effects and opera
ton as applied TO money. Scarcity Of money
means high-priced money; a plentiful supply
OF money means cheap money. The high-priced
dollar lessons the price of labor products the
cheap dollar raises the price of labor products
Look at our public debt. In 1886 it WAS 50 1884,
OOo.O0o. We have paid in principal. interest
and premiums on that debt the vast sum of
Abe, 93l ,36l, and yet it would take more OF
labor products today to pay the remainder than
II would have taken at the prices in 1886 to
have paid the original debt.
THE ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES.
The farmers, he said, paid 80 per cent Of the
taxes. He said that the farmers believed that
the alliance principles embody the very guint-
essence or Llncoin1an republicanism and Jeffer-
sonian democracy. But we are told by pre-
sumptious and arrogant artisans and self-con-
stituted leaders that farmers and other laboring
classes should not go into politics. that We
will ruin parties and ruin the country" Who
constitute parties in this country? 10 whom
do political parties belong; to the people or
to the few who arrogantly assume to control
them! Who has better right to go into poll
tics than the farmers Of this country? Do they
not elothe and feed the world: Do they not
pay from their hard earnings 50 cents OF cverv
dollar of the country? OF the 81 co. O00. 900
exl ended by the last Congress, did rot $780,
W W. OF 1t come from their pockets?
EXPENDITURES OF THE LAST CONGRESS-
The Ffty-first Congress. but recently ad-
tourned, was in session thirteen months Dur
ing that time it expended in round numbers
81 ,0OO, 100000 of the peoples money-a sum
equal to $1,000, 900 per month. $17, 500 900 per
week. ~, 500, 600 per day, Sl040O0 per hour
Sl,133 per minute and SzS per second! Let us
dollar OF this vast sum came from the agricult-
wrists Of this country. These suffering millions
besieged the doors Of the Capitol during that
time. pleading for relief. They were turned
away empty handed-their opportunities dis
regarded. their entreateJ ignored-and they
were insolently admonished to keep out OF
politics, to '.iye closerand work harder"
The great mass of the industrial classes, north
and south, democrats and republicans, without
regard to sectional or geographical lines, with
one purpose and with one heart. have locked
their hands and shields in a common cause
the cause OF common country.
lettering to Senator Shcrmans remark that
he was not going home TO look after his fences
but TO build house, he said that the political
weather bureau reported the storm center
about Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska aud that it
was moving eastward with increasing velocity
and that it was wise in the Ohio Senator to pre-
pare shelter. There were certain animals in
Ohio particularly, which would need protec-
ton from the storm.
The Citizens Alliance decided to circulate
LOO OOO copies Of this speech.
Lawn Tennis Officers Elected.
A called meeting of the Southern Lawn Ten