Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-07-30
A PLEA FOR HARMONY.

CoNNELL RoGERs,
Assistant Secretary.

A PLEA FOR HARMONY.
To the members of the Farmers
aud Laborers' uunion of Missouri:
For fear that there will be trouble |
and division in the State Union
when it meets at Fertile Springs, in
August, | am prompted to write
this article in full hope that if | do
no good | will at least do no harm,
Il is said and justly SO. that soft
words turneth away WRATH" and
fully believe that the adoption Of
the principles first promulgated at
McKinzie, Tennessee by the Ma
tional Agricultural Wheel, and
then adopted at the consolidation
Of the State Alliance and State
Wheel at Springfield, Missouri, in
August 1889, and adopted by the
National Union which met in St.
Louis in December, 1899, is the
only salvation for this country
against the power of money to
oppress. As to money, we want
more.
| believe, so far as the first de-
mands are concerned, the Spring
/ field demands, there is perfect
/ harmony; practically no division
/ in the order in Missouri We agree
+ that the National bank is curse
/ to the country and that Congress
should pass law repeating the
act creating the same, and that
none other should be chartered
/ TO this we all or nearly all agree.
we agree that the law creating the
+ National bank is class legislation;
we agree that the government
should give away 30 more land TO
corporations, and ! believe congress
i has ceased to do this The agita-
ton Of the people has brought a
check to this extravaganza. We
also almost unanimously agree that
the government should coin silver
as free as gold We have no
division with but few exceptions)
to this demand We believe that the
National government and State
legislatures, should pass such laws
as will force the railroads to haul
the products Of the farm at such
prices as would be Just to producer
as well as the carrier. There are
several other demands to which
NE all agree. Also we all agree,
virtually, that the tariff is wrong
and should be repealed and that it
is class legislation in the interest
ot few manufacturers and that it
Is wrong. All class legislation is
wrong IN this government and
should not be tolerated by the
people
Now it the law creating National
banks and the Tariff law was re-
pealcd, taking from the banks the
power to contract or expand the
/ currency at will, and the govern.
mcnt issue fifty dollars per capita
to circulate among the people, un-
controlled by the National banks,
is ii not reasonable that times
would change and that the money
would again flow TO the farmer to
get his wheat. corn, pork and beef,
/ as in the DAYS of Yore, and that
the farmers would again be men
( OF money
Before the present money system
was inaugurated, the producers
had the money II a man wanted
to borrow money, he went to the
farmer to get it, He did not have
/ to go to the money shark for it but
could find it with the farmer,
We went "a return to the old
path. How oan we do this? BY
creating other class legislation? |
think not. But by repeating all
+ class legislation and creating no
more.
But there is one question ia
Missouri on WMCh the order II
diYiied and | see bitter feeling
between the two forces, one for,
the other against; it is known as
the sub treasury plan Is this the
way for business men to act2 Is it
not better to let this one idea pass
for the present than to see QUE
noble order damaged by division.
/ | for one say, ietth matter rest un-
/ al the plan can be tried on a small
scale, and if it works well, adopt
1T, and if bad reject it, by keeping
harmony in our order.
| make this plea for harmony
and for right. In this ! make no
war on eiihes side on those who
support 1t nor those who fight the
plan. but alone for peace and har-
mony and for the right
Very Truly,
II. w HIcHWkN.
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