Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-08-10

EVERETT W. FISH.
It took a man who has, single-handed,
fought the syndicates of the northwest
and their organized three hundred mil
lions of wealth, on the wheat robberies,
to put a campaign on its feet like the
present effort in Minnesota. To start
with there was not one cent of money.
Out of over fourteen hundred alliances
not over seven hundred were holding
meetings. This was due to the utter
failure of the lecture bureau in 1891,
and a sad factional warfare for and
against the fusion or anti-platform ele-
ment-like the u. S. Hall wing
in Missouri. 1t was essentially
warfare for the land-lOan
and sub-treasury as against demo
cratic fusion. The state meeting of
January, 1892, came up almost unit
for the middle of the road" DR.. Fish
was made state lecturer. He then
called for funds-$2, ,000-agreeing to
schedule two thousand meetings in
seven months. The executive commit
tee regretfully stated that there was
no money in sight Then" said the
state lecturer, 81 will raise the $4,000
for you.'' And he did-at least the
fund is nearly half paid in and he has
raised several hundred dollars on cur
rent expense account besides, at this
writing, early in June. He immediate
ly brought out a scheme which aston
ished the old parties, and the alliances
themselves hardly knew what to think
of the gigantic undertaking. In former
years the state of Minnesota had do
mated $4,000 a year to carry on
farmers institute" or travelling
school of improved agriculture. 1t was
looked upon as a job put up to draw
the farmers attention from politics.
But as the Institutes were profitable
and interesting, they received no oppo-
sition. DIR. Fish conceived the idea of
organizing an institute" solely for
politics. The only thing lacking was
the almost $4,000 required. The out
look for collections of from 500 to $3.50
per week was not brilhant-outside the
regular ordinary expenses. But as it is
not characteristic of this general after
| putting his hand to the plow to look
backward, he plowed ahead. Four
lecturers were appointed, and two sing
ers selected. Afterwards one of the
regular" singers having dropped out,
two of the lecturers developed into
singers and a trio did the musical The
state lecturer, DR.. Fish, advanced the
funds for 275, ZOO bills and posters, and
800 for cartoons, flags and banners, all
| of which expense the rallying alliances
| soon covered.
| The institute force" started out the
| 18th day of last April, in one of the hos
tile section of the state. sending out oc-
casionally man to get halls, and with
three weeks of steady rain and impassa-
BILE roads. There was daily expense al
first of about $40 without salaries. Ruin
| would seem imminent But the work
| went forward and the institutes sue
ceeded. In the first seven weeks il
missed but six sessions, and there were
but six sessions to each institute. Bet
ter still, although at first the expense:
were greater than the receipts. the
finances soon recovered and met all de
mands. 1t is now paying its way.
The plan of the institute is as fol
lows:
Morning of the first day the halls
were decorated before $50. Then comes
the following programme, filed in will
music:
First day-Morning- of Cit
and Country Labor-Three short ad
dresses.
Afternoon-Land and Its Monopoly
Three short addresses. taking differen
phases of the question. Silver analyst
by DIR. Fish, under distinctive heads
Discussion
Evening-Generala address to towns
people by state lecturer.
Second day-Morning- Use
and Abuses-Three short addresses
Development of Plutocracy-Two shor
addresses
Afternoon-National Banks-Thre
short addresses, led by assistant stat
lecturer. Fiat Money and Land Loans
By state lecturer. Sub-Treasury-Sho
addresses by the full force.
Evening-Why New Party-Assist
: ant state lecturer. The Grain Markets
State lecturer.
The Institutes hold Mondays, Tue:
days, Thursdays and Fridays Wedne.
days and Saturdays are used for travt
and for ''outrider meetings"
These ''outrider'' meetings are hel
in school houses or halls by the sep;
rating of the force on unoccupied day
Sometimes seven or eight cutride
meetings per week are held,
The day meetings are not so ver
: largely attended, varying from fifty I
, 800, and the evening meetings a,
: usually crowded. Both are vote makes
! and arc the cause of intense discussio
in the towns for days after. Public d
! bates have occurred in which the doct,
has demonstrated a wonderful know
j edge of tactics continually pressin
his enemy into the defensive, neve
, wasting a moment upon his opponent
s 'topinions. at the last one held befoI
!: this writing the state organizer of r.
!, publican clubs, who is also editor {
], the Minneapolis Tribune, weekly ed
tom was the challenger. Itwas befol
n town audience hall full, and Taste
all one afternoon and evening Whe
the chairman put the question to vot'
the entire audience arose for DR.. Els
and the peoples party; for Organizt
. Smith and the republican party. not
|. solitary votei
=; That the institute is success. wit