Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-11

nineha.n. Leon county; Eleventh district,
VIII l. Sargent. Stonewal county. State
at iarge-C. Easterling of Freestone
county A F Landers, Hopkins county.
4 motion 10 hold an evening session at
30. and after that an executive session OF
such as have been passed upon by the com
miutee on credentials, was carried.
After the committee on resolutions had
been appointed and had retired TO draft
resolutions. y <. Hall. president of the
Missouri Farmers Alliance. was intro
duced to the convention. Mr. Halls APP
pearauCe was the signal for shouts and
cheers that only gave way 10 the eagerness
of the convention to hear what one of
the foremost men of the national
Alliance movement might have to say TO
the delectation of the convention. Mr..
Hall said: ''it is not Iay intention to make
any lengthy remarks this afternoon, nor my
purpose to detain you in the permanent or
ganization of this body. l shall only con-
sumo the fewest of minutes possible in
paving my respects 10 this honorable body
and making such remarks as
deem lit on this occasion. y
peculiar ambition fired me to enlist under
the ensign Of the Farmers Al.iance-an
ambition the height of which was To see the
farmer raised IL the position which he
should occupy. This ambition came 10 me
at Il peculiarly sad tine il my life. My
farm during his whole life, and likewise
have l been reared. | knew nothing but
farming.
My honored parent was man who be
lieved and knew that the farmers Of the
country We're outrageOusly oppressed by
class legislation and a corrupt system of
favoritism, and Furthermore it provoked
and grieVed him to see that they were
willing OppressorS. rs it seemed, Of them
selves. ana on every vital question vera
divided against themselves. On his death
bed he summoned me TO him and
with his last breath breathed 4 request
that should join the Farmers Alliance
movement and do what l could in an
honorable and transformations way to Ill
duce the farmers of the country to band
themselves together for mutual protection
and benefit I promised, and how well |
have Kept this sacred and willing obliga-
ton, you know. My connection with
the Alliance is blessed with a
fathers dying breath, and my
commission against the cohorts OF bribery,
the crime of class legislation, and of fealtY
TO the cause of the farmer is as sacred and
unalteraDle the oath OF Hannibal against
the city at the mouth of the Tibcr. For
awhile after my connection with the order
all passed smoothly enough, the platform of
equal rights 10 all and special priv
leges 10 none seemed 10 be the
tOIl lildlLlS IbtA Nllu NDlNH our
organization was lmtried. The first cloud
that passed over our hitherto unclouded
horizon made its appearance IN the ST.
Louis convention. and | am grieved TO
say originated with and was fostered by a
Texan. 1t WAS an instrument, couched in
equiVocal and uncertain terms,
which asked the farmers 10 pledge them
selves to the same class legisla-
ton to oppose which the farmers
Alliance was conceived Here this insid-
ious political movement of q third party
first showed its head, seeking 10 pervert
the pure principles upon which we rest, and
SubvCrt the order to their own agSrandiZe-
lnent. The clouds have been gathering
thicker and heavier as time moves on. The
Alliance first lived, moved and had its
being upon your own broad plains,
and | am pleased 70 state
that the first ray Of light, the first hope of
redemption, emanated from Texas. | was
accordingly more than glad that from the
same state which gave the Alliance birth
the first organized movement that looked
TO remedying the evils that had crept into
the body should come. an effort TO return
10 the pure and indebted, the righteous and
unbesmirched principles upon which we pin
our faith. Let Us show the world one thing.
and that is that our advocacy of the prin-
ciple laid down in our constitution of equal
rights to all and special privileges to none,
does not arise from our inability to be of
the robbers. In conclusion, let ME add:
IN reading a life of George Washington
lately l came across i statement
which he made TO the effect
that Adam Smith struck the
key note TO a protean prosperity when he
said: In every well regulated government
labor is the source of all good government"
The laboring classes of TINS country labor
two and One-third hours day more than
any other class of men, yet we see 30 per
cent of their lands mortgaged and the
rest i'll jeopardy. Does this show
that our government is run on this infalli-
bic principle laid down by this eminent
political economist? Assuredly not. Some
thing is dstraught; something is wrong.
This two and oRe-third hours will tell the
tale. long to arrive at Z period when the
principles of the great economist will be
indicated. and the farmer receives rights
commensurate with this two and one-third
hours he works when others are idle
After Mr. Hall had concluded W. 5. Nc
Alester of the Mississippi Alliance was
introduced He said: 81 have no
speech TO make this afternoon,
but will only offer few
rambling thoughts. Tomorrow l hope to
present some crystalized thoughts which |
trust will be OF good TO the organi-
cation. Our order is in critical condi-
ton and needs a remedy. and we
in convention assembled are seeking to de-
wise this remedy. and when found 1t must
be administered in no broken dose if we
wish to lave again in the waters which flow
from the pure fount in which our order
was conceived. When l received the
invitation to attend this convention and
determined that I would lend my voice and
do what | might to bring the Farm
ers' Alliance, the greatest fac
tor for good in our country, back
To its pristine principles and rescue it from
the hands of those who seek to obscure the
original purposes and backen its fair name
seek and have in view the restoration of
the Farmers Alliance, as Il body,
TO its original purity and chastity;
to place il again on that pedestal which
mas truth for its foundation, and upon
which pedestal q monument more
lasting than brass will stand
TO proclaim to the world that the farmers of
this country turned their backs on and
stamped out every attempt to corrupt the
principles of their order. without so
much as looking askance ii the glittering
game which hypocrisy ana deception held
out 10 them The Farmers Alliance to
day is largely controlled by men who
are prompted by motives of seitishness
and chicanery. Our mission, brethren, is 10
rescue the Alliance from the domination
OF these mercenary impoStors, to aver. the
deep damnation that must GER
talnly come upon an ORDER
that permits such licentious perverSions Of
sacred principles as We have witnessed for
months past. In our St Louis convention.
IS has been said we announced to
u waiting ana expectant country
our sacred principle of equal rights TO all.
special privileges TO none. Right on top Of
these declarations we lind certain clique
striving with ayaI.-in,,rfl3 sing I-ic-nr. lud