Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-19
REPUBLICAN HOPES IN MICHIGAN.
They Are BASED on the breaking Up Of the
Alliance and Peoples Party.
/ Correspondence. of The Evening star.


Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
GRAND RAPIDS. MrcH.. May II, 1892.
The state convention OF the peoples party
will be held in Lansing June Is to elect dele
gates to the national convention, which meets in
Omaha July 4. The peoples party is made mp
of Farmers' Alliance. Patrons of Industry,
Knights of Labor. relics of the old greenback
par;y-in fact, of all sorts Of ideas and
isms except the cold-vater doctrine. and the
convention will be for the spectators one of the
most interesting and lively of the year. The
chairman of the peoples party state central
committee is Eugene H. Belden of Jackson who
headed the state ticket two years ago and po1led
something like 3.0O0 votes. He is now mem
Der of the Michigan worlds fair commission,
by appointment of Gov. Winans. and has just
been given an all-summer job in Chicago
at Is day to supervise the construc-
ton of the Michigan building. 1t would
naturally be supposed that under such clrcum-
stances. enjoying the bounty of the present
democratic administration, he would en-
deavor to return value received by leading the
peoples party bodily into the democratic ranks.
Doubtless he will do his bes: to do so, and in
this will be seconded AID assisted by other lead
ers in the peoples party who have been per-
suaded to accept Office under democratic aus
pices, but ii is question if he can accomplish
the longed-for end. The rank and file of the
peoples party and those leaders who have not
been given office will protest against any fusion
or combination either with democrats or repub-
Ilcans. and even proposition to fuse with the
humble prohibitionists will be rejected with
scorn.
The peoples party demand the free coinage
of silver, and the recent democratic state con-
vention was silent on the silver question out of
Difference for Clevelands ideas on the subject.
and it Cleveland is the nominee the state plat
form, as well the nationGl. will in all prob
ability maintain an immense silence on the sub
1ect The people also demand the restoration
OF unearncd lands by the combinations. oppose
the ownership of lauds by foreign combinations
and syndicatcs. object to national banks and
banks of issne. favor the regulation of railroads
and the telegraph even TO government owner
ship, ask for an income tax and insist upon the
election of Senators by direct vote.
In all these reforms the democrats will cheer
fully agree except OF the money question, but
even if the democratic and the peoples party
platform should be identically the same, yet it
will be difficult to bring the peoples party into
the fold. The members of the party whole
are hard up financially. they have a prejudice
against both of the old parties, and if n state
and national ticket is nominated, as doubtless
will be the case. they will vote it,
STRENGTH OF THE THIRD PARTY.
As to the strength of the peoples party and
where the strength will come from is largely
matter of conjecture. Two years ago Belden
received $4,000 votes. and at that time only nine
counties were organized. 1t is claimed that
organization has now been perfected in fifty of
the counties in the state and that the work is
being steadily pushed. Some of the more hope
fui Of the brethren claim the vote this year will
run up to so O00 basing their calculations on the
results In the spring municipal elections. The
estimate is about 50 per cent higher than it
should be, but even then the strength is pretty
formidable, and will play an important part in
the result. The vote will come from the demo-
cratic and republican ranks alike but the demo-
Gratis Will be the heaviest losers by large ma
jority. In a national campaign the farmers
vote the republican ticket straight as they
know how, while in the cities, where the peoples
party is the strongest the democratic voters
who entertain crank ideas are easily led away,
The peoples party will figure in the campaign
this year and then will retire to the limbo
where many other similar organizations now
repose. But it will live long enough to bring
disaster to one or the other of the old parties
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
Two years ago the Farmers Alliance PLAYED a
conspicuous part and more than anv other sin
gle agency worked the downfall Of the republi-
cans. The Farmers Alliance. what there is of
1t. has combined with the peoples party and
VIII no longer be distinctive factor The al
lance III the fall of 1890 numbered go 900 mem
In many legislative districts and counties nomi-
mated alliance tickets combined with the
democrats against the republicans on reform
platform. With the assistance of the alliance
and through republican apathy the democrats
carried the state. and. with the alliance men,
beers, controlled both houses of the legislature
The members of the alliance were farmers and
the great majority of them republicans. The
democratic victory was more than they calcu-
lated on and they began to drop out Of the or
ganization with an alacrity equaled only by the
rush they made to get in. At the annual meet
ing OF the alliance in this city last winter the
report showed instead Of 10000 members the
members numbered less than $4,000 The dis
Indignation has been rapidly progressing since
then and the alliance is mainly a "reminiscences
The members have. as a rule. gone back to the
parties whence they came and will vote the old
ticket this fall. With the farmers against them
and the people party drawing votes from them
the prospects for democratic victory are not
brilliant especially if the silver question and
kindred issues are ignored,