Morris tribune., 1892-10-26
The Whole Session Was a Miserable,
Expensive Farce, Disgrace to
Our State.
The People Should Not Place the Same
Elements in Power a Second
Time.
Safety Of Our State Depends Upon
Electing the Straight Republican
Ticket This Fall.

Under its wise, conservative, econom-
icsl sway, the state had prospered be-
yond all expectation and precedent.
Taxes had been low, and yet the COM
monwealth had been fully developed.
Splendid state institutions had been
built up and maintained; the public
school system was universally diffused
and had magnificent endowment, pro-
vided and augmented under Republican
policy.
In 1890 the people of the state, moved
by sophistical arguments and base mis-
representations, elected an opposition
legislature.
This opposition was divided into two
antagonistic parties-the Democrats and
Farmers Alliance or peoples" party,
but tlley readily fused, under the 'cohe-
sive power of public plumber"
Thea. men We're elected on solemn
pledges or ''reform."
They promised to expose the alleged
rascalities of thirty years of Republican
rule.
They promised to curb the corpora
tions, improve the grain and warehouse
laws, reduce expenditures, abolish sine
cures, cut off barnacles, and lessen
taxes.
What did they do?
In organizing the house, the Alliance
members surredered to the Democrats,
who were dominated wholly by corpo-
rate interests. Under the terms Of the
surrender, the Alliance secured the
speakership and many petty Offices and
clerkships, but the Democrats dictated
the leading committees, especially those
on railroads, and on temperance, so that
during the whole session the hands of
the farmers were tied.
By this surrender the Alliance mem
bers effectually killed any possibility of
securing the relief they had been spe-
eially sent there to accomplish.
Of the railroad committee only eight
out of seventeen were farmers.
It was packed by the Democratic-Alli-
ance speaker in the in terest of the rail
roads.
Here is the proof:
The Courier railroad bill, accepted
by the farmers as the measure of the re-
lief they demanded, known as Fl. F. 6S,
was introduced Jan. 19,-1e91, and re-
ferred to this railroad committee.
1t was not reported back until March
10, and then only on compulsion.
The committee failed to agree!
Two whole months cogitation on a
bill that ought to have been decided on
in two weeks-and then no agreement!
1t was held in committee until the cor
porations could get in their deadly work
on the "cheap" members of the house.
And when this great relief measure for
the farmers came up in that body for
final passage, body having clear ma
jority of thirty-two votes for the Demo-
cratic-Alliance fusion, the bill was LOST
by vote of AZ ayes to 80 nays.
The ''fusion" speaker betrayed his
trust by interposing false parliamentary
rulings to prevent a reconsideration
thus the bill died, and with it all the
farmers hopes from that "reform" body.
Another railroad measure of import
ance to the farmers, the Hompe Elevator
site bill, which had passed the senate,
was killed in the house by about the
same methods, and at probably about
the same expense to the railroad COM
panies.
The whole "reform" programme thus
collapsed and failed, through the treach-
cry of the speaker and the Alliance mem
bers themselves.
One plank of the Alliance platform de-
nounced land grants to railroads.
But when Republican member, Mr..
Bell, broaght in bill to forfeit all land
grants to railroads, the Democratic-Alli-
ance speaker took the floor in opposition
toit.
The bill was defeated, ayes IS, nays "a
many Alliance men, including the
speaker, voting against it.
At least 500, 900 acres CT land were
thus left in the clutches of paper rail-
roads, which ought to have been re-
stored to the public domsin, according
to Alliance principles.
Again the Alliance party was com
mitsed strongly by its platform to sub
NIT prohibitory amendment to the
people.
But, by the terms of the ''fusion,"
the committee on Temperance" was also
packed against it, and the matter was
shelved and smothered
The most damnable act Of political
perfdy remains to be revealed.
The Alliance was strongly committed
to the Australian ballot law.
The Democrats opposed this, and
dragooned the weak Alliance brethren
into opposing the salient and saving
feature of the law, which requires a
cross mark opposite the name of each
candidate voted for
But for solid Republican support.
reinforced by few honest Alliance
men Of Republican antecedents, the bill
would have been defeated.
What was the financial record?
Pledged to retrenchment, they did
not retrench.
Pledged to lessen taxation, they enor-
mously increased it!