St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-13
Discuss the Recent Attempt
to Surround the "No-
Combine" Men.
President Polk Clears Himself
Of Completely in the Bold
Scheme.
Senator PETER Talks OF Oily
Philanthropists and Seek
ePs for Revenue.
McCune Was in the Nefarious
Deal, but Simpson Was
"Agin' 1t.

CHICAGO, FEB. 12.-An Inter Ocean
Washington special says: President
POLK, when shown the exposure of the
eCrdage trust, was at first inclined to be
reticenu on the subject. MY habit"
he said, 'as president of the Alliance,
has been, when doubt exists in INV
mind. to give the Alliance the best of it.
The truth Is that in February last Os-
valid Wilson came to me and unfoded
the scheme of the Alliance entering
into business relations with the Ma
tIonal Union company. l refused to
recommend it at that time, or on any
occasion subsequent to it. 1t was a
matter in which [ had no Jurisdiction.
anyway, and L did not care to be led
into any jobs.
Later on. when tie campaign was
on in Iowa and Kansas, and I was on
stumping tour in those states, l was
asked by Kansas friend about the Ma
tional Union company. / replied that L
knew nothing about it. Why said he,
you are named as chairman of the COM
mittee of three on the part of the ALI
ance in circular / have it in my pos
session, but not with me-.
Had Not IndorsedIt.
Il asked him to send me that circular
and informed him that at no time had
indorsed the National Union, and pre-
Sumed that the names of the other gen
tlemen found in the circular had been
placed there without their knowledge.
The circular was received by me, and
wrote to the president of the COM
pany calling his attention to the fact
that my name was being used with
out my personal consent and received
a reply that the matter would be
inquired into and rectifed, but it has
not BEEN"
Senator PETER very deliberately OBJ
served that he did not know as he cared
to talk on the subject matter. He re-
Tented, however. as he pondered and re-
read certain paragraphs and said:
whether the article is founded on fact
or not, am not inclined to discredit it
IN advance of facts received; it is quite
possible that some of the Alliance peo-
pie have been oYerreached 1t would
be strange if they had not been, The
truth of the matter is. the Alliance is
beset on every hand by alleged business
phlianthropists, who are rich with
schemes to aid the farmer. enlarge his
bank account and make his life one con-
tinual
Round of Pleasure.
II am frequently approached by
manufacturers of articles used by farm
erS to use my influence with them to
get them to purchase their goods. Per
sons who do not suspect their Interior
motives are liable to be taken in. Then,
again. men have crept into the Alliance
who are there for revenue only. The
lamb will persist in laying down with
the lion in spite of ali that can be done,
and with the usual result [ do not
think that the Alliance will authorize
an investigation of the charges, and |
do not think, either. that the Alliance is
going to be captured by the national
cordage trust.
IF the trust can furnish its goods
cheaper than any other firm, [ see no
objection to the Alliance dealing with
them. L do not understand 1t to be
proved that any conspiracy was contem-
plated at any time between the Alliance
on the one hand and the National Cord
age company on the other. The farmer
is in great distress. He sees combines
made on every article that he needs.
He perhaps naturally suppOses that
the way to help himself and improve his
condition is to combine also. This is
probably one of the reasons why some
Alliance men have Joined hands with
the National Union''
TcCune Favored 1t.
DIR. c. w. McCune said: Il admit
that | was at the meeting at Ceredo's
hotel. and l went TO that meeting de-
Iermined to probe the scheme Of the
National Union to the bottom | am
frank enough to say that after hearing
the plan OF the company, and investi-
eating the company itself, | saw no bar
in the way of the Alliance accepting its
terms. The plan proposed was a de-
cided Improvement on the Rochdals
plan, in that no money vas required on
the part of the Alliance. and in addition
to that the stores secured a rebate on
all goods purchased. To my mind the
Alliance would lose nothing. The
agreement further made was that the
company was to meet all competition
and then sell their goods at lower
price. What the farmer wants is to
buy what he needs at the lowest posi-
bic market price. and sell what be has
to sell at the highest market price.
That IS all have to say on the subject.
L think the National Union is all right"
Simpsons Views.
Hon. Jerry Simpson said: Eyes, the
Alliance mauG narrow ESCAPE from
getting into the clutches of a gigantic
tIuSt. but the scheme was happily dis
covered i'll time, and when the Alliance
people met in convention last November
at Indianapol is the National Union
company went under. In my opinion
there were men in the Al lance anxious
to sell the order out FOR consideration
in this matter, and, because | ferreted
out their schemes and exposed them,
they have followed me with sdeadly
ennity ever since The Indiauapo-
lis convention discussed for one
whole day the proposition as to
whether the Alliance should indorse the
combine With the National Union COM
pany. and at the conclusion of the ses-
sion sat down on it so hard that it has
not shown any vitality since that period.
Had this cunningly-devised scheme
gone through as some persons had con-
spired that it should what a spectacle
the Alliance, with its motto. death TO
Combines would have presented to the
people of the world. The National
Union cOmpany's name is Dennis to
use common expression. as far as the
Alliance is concerned. and no one need
vex their souls because they fear that
the order has fallen into the hands Of
knaVes and fools"