Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-03-03
LABOR IN COUNCIL.
Action Of the Great st. Louis
Conference.
A Second Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
SectiOnalism and the Bloody
Shirt Buried i'm a COM
mon Grave.
A Platform with Money, Land
and Transportation as
the Issues.
Prohibition and WOman's Suf-
frage Rejected.
a New Party Convention Called
at Omaha July 4th.
Polk, POwderly, Macune, Dom
nelly and Others in the
Prohibition and WOman's Suf-
frage Rejected.
A New Party Convention Called
at Omaha July 4th.
Polk, POwderly, Macune, Don
nelly and Others in the
Movement.

movement.
The great National conference oil
labor organizations which convened
in st. Louis on Feb. %, was a notable
event in the political history of this
country and full of significance as af-
feeting the future destiny of existing
political parties. The National
Farmers Alliance, the National Farm
ers Alliance and Industrial Union, the
Farmers Mutual Benefit Association
the Patrons of Husbandry, the Ma
tional Citizens Alliance, the Colored
Alliance, the National Citizens Inde-
pendent Alliance, the knights of La
Dor, and number of lesser Organiza-
tions, were represented in the meeting
by their most trusted leaders. And,
strange and Ominous as it may seem
to the leaders of the old parties who
have been felicitating themselves on
the Oft-repeated assertion that the
Sub Treasury is a dead issue, this
great gathering of labor representa-
tives fully. harmonized on all the Sc
sential features of the Ocala platform.
When the meeting opened probably
as many as 1900 persons were present.
Suitable notices were seen in every
quarter, and the national flag was
hung in profusion throughout the
building. Among the most prominent
men ON the platform were l.. L. Polk
of North Carolina ; Terrence V. Pow
derly, A. j. Streeter, of Illinois; Ham
lin Garland, II. Taubeneck, Robert
Schilling, w. A. Carsey, Ignatius
Donnelly, j. w. Hayes, of the Knights
of Labor; Congressman Davis, Judge
Snyder, of Kansas; o. F. Washburn,
of Massachusetts John B. Weaver,
of Iowa; Congressman Livingston, of
Georgia; c. A. Rankin. Among the
ladies was Miss Francis E. Willard.
The convention was formally open
ed by the introduction to the meeting
of Ben Terrell, of Texas, by Judge IL.
c. Snyder, of kingsdown, Kan, upon
whom the management of arrange
ments. rested. Mr.. Terrell stated
that the purpose of the conference to
be agreement upon, a platform. "The
eyes of the toiling masses are upon
you," said he, "and they are expect
ing a second declaration of independ-
ence." He asked the Convention to
be conservative, in view of tie pres
ent depressed condition of labor.
"You can unite many ON few things,
and but few on many" he said. 81
would advise that you confine your
demands to land, transportation, taxa
tion and money. Those who own our
lands own our people, and if we
would be free we should continue to
own our lands. The power of corpor-
ations is too great for lines of trans
/ DOt duu w w
trusted to them, and the Government
should control such corporations, so
as to prevent abuse. Government
ownership is more just than such con-
troll as depreeiates values. The in
Justice done through the inequality of
the laws controlling taxation is a
shame to any Government. All indi-
rect taxation should be avoided as
much as possible"
President Polk was called upon for
a speech and said:
"This meeting represents those who
feed the world, who clothe and house
it, who delve in the earth and bring
forward the coal to warm the world;
it represents the uncrowned kings OF
the earth. 1t represents those men
who swell the happy song of indus
trial progress. This meeting repre-
sents those men who are loyal to duty
and loyal to their country. / want to
announce from this platform" he con-
tinued with increasing warmth, "that
the South and the great Northwest
and the West shall exercise their
power and bring back the Govern
ment to the principles upon which il
was run by our forefathers. We want
relief; we demand relief; we viii have
relief, aud we intend to have that re-
lief if we have to wipe out the TIVE
old parties. In the dignity of Ameri-
can manhood we stand before the
world and demand justice, and by the
help of God we will have it. Do moi
send petitions to the corrupt, dishon-
est aud demagogical partisans. Put
your petitions in the ballot-box, and