The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-12-04

oIOA tHe ClCy expresses IL DuG mlluly.
The prepared caricatures cost money,
however, and were too valuable to be
thrown away, SO they were used with
something like the following inscription
under them: "This. is how some people
seem to think the Farmers Alliance
.ooks' See genuine article elsewhere" :"
ELSEWHERE" were handsomely executed
photos of large number of representa-
tive Alliance men, whose faces were as
intelligent looking as those of the dele
gates to any convention ever assembled.
The press humbly acknowledged that
the delegates were not the men who were
expected, and then eulogized the men
whom it was intended to ridicule. Such
an occurrence as this ought to serve to
awake the general city press to the fact
that city people do not yet know the
caliber and intelligence Of the men who
are. demanding reformatory measures
for the good of the country. The city
people cannot be fairly blamed for this,
inasmuch as city papers have systemat-
ically and persistently misrepresented
the Alliance, its members and it's pur-
poses, and the views of city people ara
largely derived from the papers they
read.
1t required some time for the body to
settle itself to work, and first among the
important business was the election of
officers. This was disposed of without
trouble. L. L. Polk was reelected presi-
dent by acclamation amid boundless en-
thusiasm. H. L. Loucks, of South Da-
kota, was elected vice president; ]. H.
Turner, secretary and treasurer, and j.
F. Willitts, of Kansas, national lecturer.
R.W. Beck, of Georgia, and M. D. Davie,
of Kentucky, were elected as members
of the Judiciary committee, and A.
Wardall was reelected member of the
national executive committee.
Il
The Ocala platform was unanimously
indorsed, with one or two verbal
changes. These changes are in the SUBJ
treasury plank, which has heretofore
read that the government shall "loan'
money at 9 per cent. interest. The
word tissue" was substituted for ''loan," "
and the word "tax" was substituted for
"interest." With these exceptions the
old platform and demands are intact.
The most vigorous and aggressive ac-
ton taken by the council during its en-
tire session was the adoption of the fol-
lowing resolution:
Realizing that the action of members
of the Fifty-second congress, who were
elected by aid of the Alliance constitu-
encies, will have an important influence
upon the welfare of our beloved order,
we. respectfully request all representa-
tives in said congress so stated to decline
to enter into any party caucus called to
designate the candidate for the Office of
speaker, unless adherence to the prin-
ciples of the Ocala platform is made the
test of admission to said caucus"
Three changes were made in the con-
stitution and bylaws:
''The first change relates to business
agents who have heretofore been mem
bers Of the council. By the new ar
rangements agents are disqualified from
voting as members of the council. The
reason of this is that it may become nee.
essary for the council to sit in judg.
ment on its agents and that it is not con.
sidered proper that agents should be
members of the body.
The second change permits farmers
wives to pay the per capita tax and thus
become basis for representation the
same as the males.
"The third change refers to the mat.
ter of eligibility to membership. Hith.
erto persons of mixed occupations could
join the Alliance. This clause was re.
pealed and in its place was adopted a
provision that membership shall be re.
stricted to farmers and farm laborers.''
II
An interesting action by the council
was the Endorsement of a boycott insti'
tuted by the Knights of Labor. This
action resulted from the presentation of
some starting facts by Mr.. j. A. Wright,
of the Knights of Labor. He stated that
in the city of Rochester there was formed
last March combine Of clothing com.
panies including twenty-three firms.
When the combine was formed it threw
out of employment over $4,000 garment
makers These unemployed people in.
stituted boycott against the consolida.
tion of clothing firms, then organized a
cooperative clothing establishment; bul
this had not succeeded because the com
bination was strong enough to compel
the fabric manufacturers to refuse te
sell cloth to the cooperative establish
4 ment.