The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-18
A DRAWN BATTLE,
Farmers Struggling With the
Third Party Question.
Conflict Of Opinion Among Members Of The
Alliance Organizations.
questions for Discussion at the Meetings in
indianapolis = Grievances and Demands.
Appeal to Public Opinion.



OF the Indiana Alliance, with nearly all the
129 delegates and 800 spectators in attend
ance. Mayor Thomas L. Sullivan was in
troduced and was received with enthusi-
asm. In short address he welcomed the
delegates to Indianapolis.
MISSION OF THE ALLIANCE.
j. F. TIllman, Secretary of the Alliance
Executive Committee, responded. After
thanking the people of indianapolis for
their warm welcome and paying q tribute to
President Harrison, he said 1T is farm
ing and laooriug people who feed the world,
who fought the battles of this country, and
to whose energy and patriotism this great
and glorious land of ours is indebted for its
richest blessings of liberty and peace. 1t
Is not our mission to tear down nor disinte-
CRATE our honestly conducted indus tries, but
to oppose all illegitmate combinations and
monop0lists that tend to destroy the very
spirit and intent of the Constitution. We
are not here as politicians, seeking to dis
rupt partisan political parties, or to promote
the fortunes of any political aspirant. Nor
are we here in the interest OF any third
party, for, by our very organic teachings.
we have the right to vote with whatever
political party we may think best will ad-
vance good government"
CONGRESS CRITICIZED.
He called attention to the last Billion
dollar Congress" and criticized its eXpend-
itures, which, he said were more than those
spent by all the Congresses in the first sew
enty years of the history OF this Govern
ment. This, he said, was more than SS
for every man, woman and child in the
United States TO support the National Gov
ernment, not including other taxes levied"
He then said: How long would they en-
dure 1t If collected directly from them, in
stead OF indirectly, as it is now collected
Now, about our tariff. Say what you please
about the tariff but 1t must and shall come
down to reasonable basis of taxation, and
these reckless expenditures by Congress
must be stopped, or we will continue to
change the personnel of every Congress.
Yet, this is not all; nor is il at the bottom
Of that which brought about the uprising of
the people in all parts of this great country.
l can best Illustrate it by the use of three
words, TRANSPORTATION, Tariff and Trust.
Here is the trouble, and there are three C's,
which are the first letters of the three words,
crush, change and control. There is the
unwrtten and iron-bound oath our friendly
political newspapers abuse US so much
about. | will now tell you what this oath
aud control transportation"
MORE CURRENCY.
He thanked God for the Farme1s' Alliance
and all kindred organizations, and then pro-
ceeded: I'VE are going to succeed in our
efforts TO obtain large circulating medium.
We must have more currency and we will
have it. The farmers North Who wore the
blue have reached the South and have taken
the Southern farmer who wore the gray by
the hand and said to him, We have never
asked you to surrender to king monopoly
and partial legislation, but only TO preserve
the Union alike good for all; and no brave
Southern farmer ever surrendered TO such
circumstances. Though defeated, it was but
to save the Union, and the chivalry of the
entire South to-day is determined to pre-
serve the Union and the Constitution at all
hazards, and the result is that sectional
strife and party prejudice are buried
face downward. The Farmers ALI
ance means the greatest coed for the
greatest number, aud it is determined
10 have exact justice for all and especial
favors to none. 1t numbers in cOri oiaton
near 100000, and it has come to stay and
Will be held intact as non-partsan organ
izatlon. The members of all political par
ties may join the organization, and 1t will
never become third political party. There
Is big political significance in 1t, but not
party or political significance, because that
would mean hopeless ruin"
OPINIONS DIVIDED.
Tillman's reference to tie non-partisan
nature Of the alliance caused something of a
sensation. and was received with about
equal evidence of approval and dlsap-
proval.
General j. Is. Weaver of Iowa was called
for and made speech on the general stu-
alton, which was received with enthusiasm
He was followed by Congressman Jerry
Simpson of Kansas in the same strain.
President WiletS of the Kansas Alliance
smoke briefly. and the mpatipp a0iournpd
At2 o'clock the Alliance went into eXecu-
tive session at the Board of Trade, and the
National +. M. y. A. at the Courthouse.
Both discussed the third party movement.
LEADERS DISAPPOINTED.
The open meetings to-day were q disap-
puinlment to the Alliance leaders, and par
ticularly the third-party men. The attend
ance was not as large as was expected. nor
the enthusiasm so great. Conflicts in
opinion have arisen on important subjects
which have created serious Interference
with the work of the convention. While
the attendance was small, the fight for and
against the hird-party movement was none
the less bitter.
The sessions of the F. NJ. 3. A. and the
Alliance this afternoon were secret, but it
Is understood the issue was squarely joined
IN each, aid the result in each case was
drawn battle. Nothing but the final vote
can determ ne the relative strength of the
factions.
At the open meetings tonight the attend
ance was less than 1000. President Polk
delivered the annual address.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
Mr.. Polk, in his address, reminded the
representatives that upon no body had
greater responsibilities rested than on this
since the Continental Congress. The de-
nands OF the latter for equal rights were no
more just than theirs to-day against the in-
equalities which threatened to undermine
the liberties of the ueOplp What ara the al
legged grievances of the farmer? From 1850
TO 1860 1arm values increased 10i per cent; !;
from 1870 to 1880. only 9 per cent The ag-
gregate wealth of the country increased from
1870 to 1880 over 45 per cent. The crops of
1886 brought less than per cent more than
the crop In 1866. The crops Of 1867,
though less than half as large as those
OF 1887, brought the farmers seventy-nine
and half millions more. Two-thirds of
the country's wealth is not assessed for tax
alton, yet the farmer, possessing only % per
cent of it, pays SO per cent of the taxes.
With modem facilities for transportation
and improved machinery, the farmer finds
himself compelled to sell his produce at
prices barely covering the cost Farm mort
cages are frlghtfully large. In Iowa the
mortgage Indebtedness is S104 per capita,
in Kansas $165. in Illinois Sl00, and every
where the farmer is overburdened with
debt. Therefore the farmer is now appeal
ing to the supreme tribunal of public 0pin-
lon and asks a Just decision through the
bRllOt-bOX.
DEMANDS OF THE FARMERS.
Mr.. Polk then took up the demands Of the
farmers, on which he spoke at great length.
The sub Treasury idea, he said, has grown
until it is the sentiment of the order in
thirty-four States. The Constitution de-
clares that Congress shall have power to
regulate commerce among the States.
Money, transportation and the transmits
sion OF intelligence are essential elements in
commerce. Does Congress regulate these ?
Organized capital has demanded of Con-
gress and obtained control ofsths~Volupe of
currency. This has resulted in a fearful
augmentation of centralized money power
| to the impoverishment and robbery OF
honest industry. In 1865 tue amount of cur
rency was $4,000. 0Oo, ,0OO with 81, 600, 600 pop
! ulation. To-day, with 63,o0o, 600 people, the