The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-28
Farmers National Alliance Convention.

OMAHA, Jan. Sl.-IQo eleventh annual
meeting of the Farmers National alliance
convened here this morning. A resolution
was adopted excluding all persons not mem
bers of the alliance from the session. About
a hundred and fifty delegates are present.
The morning session was consumed in rou-
tine business and the reading of President
Powers annual address.
Delegate Fullerton, of Missouri, offered
the following resolution, which was re-
ferred to the committee on resolutions:
That 1t is the sense of the National al
lance that the Independent political action
OF the past year as evidenced by the state
OF Nebraska is just and proper and ought
TO be encouraged"
President Powers, in his address advo-
Gated a general organization of trades
unions and the knights of Labor with the
Alliance No effective arrangements of a
national character for the conduct of the
business Industries of the country can be
made and prove of benefit without being in
effect the laws of the organization which
adopted them. To prevent general and
continual conflict with the laws the gov
eminent itself must be controlled by these
societies. For the attainment of this
object Powers opposed a new political
party as not practicable for industrial
organizations as the platform on which the
party might be formed would soon become
obsolete, as witness the two parties which
have divided the government for the last
thirty years. He favored independent po-
litical action and believed in men pledginq
themselves to vote for good men and good
measures but not because a majority of
any party or class may demand it. He out
lined plan for action as follows: Let the
Alliance discuss and agree upon such
measures as it deems eXpedient to form the
basis for political action for this year and
next. Place this by correspondence before
other great industrial organizations and
with their concurrence let convention be
called to compare views and ADOPT ma
tlonal platform by concise set of princi-
pies which can be cordially supported by
all: publish them to the world, disseminate
them and prepare for the great struggle in
| 1892.
| Powers thought the subjects on which
! those principles We're founded were in
Guided in the following list: Money reform,
| land reform, transportation reform, ballot
reform and suppression of any vice toler-
ated by the law to the peril of our national
| prosperity.
Powers dwelt at length on the money
question, and advocated loaning money by
| the government to working people without
interest. If money was thus furnished by
the government its boarding would SOON be
stopped and all the money soon be in circu-
lation.
| He urged that the government take the
railroads into it's own hands and furnish
the service for the people which the cor
poratious have failed to do. This could be
brought about either by purchase or con.
| tScatlon.
| Land reform was only lightly touched
upon Powers advocated taking the right
OF franchise from the ignorant and vicious
and giving it to women
! In conclusion, Powers said there was a
! time when corporations and moneyed
oligarchies looked upon us with contempt.
That condition is changed. The enemy is
already MAJ saaled for battle. We must
conquer or suffer ignominious defeat.
At the afternoon session a resolution by
a delegate from Illinois expressing the
''wish of the National alliance that the
! Legislature of Illinois select for United
States Senator man favorable to the wei
| fare and prospects of the alliance was
adopted and telegraphed to Springfield
| A resolution to send q telegram tc
Kansas urging PfefTer's election was los,
after delegate from Kansas had de
nounced him as no friend of the farmers,
although editor of a farm paper.
| National Legislator Ashby read report
showing the order was in Furnishing con
dition. Five new states were organized
during the year. He urged the organiza-
ton to keep out of politics.
I An effort will be made to form CO
| operative union and conference will BIT
held at Chicago February 9. with the
Farmers Mutual Benefit association.
A committee of five from the Farmers
Mutual Benefit association of Illinois
headed by w. E. Stillweil. were admitted
to the convention stating they had come fol
the purpose of securing union between
the Alliance aud Farmers Mutual Benefi
| association