The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-09-16
Why HE JOINED THE ALLIANCE.

rarity
Ben Matchett, of Osborne county,
was elected repres entative by the peo-
pies party during his absence from
home and was still further honored by
being elected speaker pro TEN of the
house of representatives lie served
all his constituents well in that posi-
ton, but persistently refused to attend
the caucuses of a party that denounced
the caucus as an invention of wiley pol
iticians He also had the manhood to
stand by the veterans when his col
leagues cried them down, and in op-
position TO his party declared by his
vote his belief in the right of petition.
When petitions were messaged from
the senate to the house, he alone of the
% alliance members asked To have them
respectfully received and considered.
Mr.. Matchett recently gave, in public
speech, his reasons for returning to the
republican party, preceded by the
reasons that led him into the new
party. The following extracts are
made from that speech:
Il believe that every citizen should
be conscientious in his belief / be-
lieve that Il the democratic party sub
nit to you better principles than any
other party, You are under obligations
as loyal citizens to accept them. If
those ideas are not sound you should
reject them. The same may be said of
all parties asking our support and fran
chise. And upon these principles Ipro-
pose to discuss the question: Why l
joined the alliance and why left it
Two years ago joined the alliance
believing that the principles upon
which it was founded var right and
Just l was made to understand that
as an organization it was non-partisan,
non-sectarian, and no matter what ones
previous opinions We're, nothing in the
Farmers Alliance should or would con-
Nict with them. Now, my alliance
brothers and sisters, don't You know
that such was the fact? We're you not
50 informed? OF course You were. The
following was submitted preparatory
TO my initiation: We assure You that
there is nothing in the order that viii
conflict with your previous religious
and political convictions; knowing this,
are you ready to go On?'
81 believed that when went in, but
have the facts been verified? In less
than four weeks my sub-alliance began
discussing the merits of n candidate
proposed by another surveillance for
county representative. l entered no
protest, Did you my brother alliance
man? No, like me, you were blind.
No one realized that in Il year there
would arise power that would control
it as il is controlled to-day
I'm this Sixth district n convention
met at Hill City to nominate a candi-
date for congress. How did it meet?
With closed doors. Those not in the
secret work were requested to leave be-
fore the business of the convention be-
gun. Mr.. Baker was nominated for
congress. Thus new element is in
troduccd into our free American system
of politics, that of secret conventions
and organiZation-an element that
cannot and never has and never will
live upon American soil. Everywhere
alliance speakers spoke of the two old
parties with contempt, trying to per-
suade themselves into believing that
there is no difference between caucus
and Il secret session of the Farmers
Alliance.
Il am brought to the conclusion that
the peoples party of 1892 is the defunct
dcformity of the Farmers Alliance of
1890. 1t was necessary to make
change. They said we will meet in Sc
cret as Farmers Alliance and adjourn to
open doors as the peoples party. And
they did. Does this not prove that the
peoples party came from the Farmers
Alliance?
AT the close of the legislature and
upon my arrival at home, l was called
into account by my peoples party
friends for my course upon several occa-
sions. l was requested to talk before
4 sub-union with open doors. L gave
my consent; but before the time of the
meeting l was informed that it was
contrary to regulations, and therefore
1 must content myself by speaking be-
hind closed doors. This l positive
" refused to. / will never consent
to defend my public acts in secret, and
did not
THE question of finance, of the sub
treasury and land loan, etc, were sub
mitted. When | began discussing these
in open sessions ! was informed that it
was against the rules of the order to
speak upon these topics in open session
You know how it was. my brother ALI
ancemen. You know how we discussed
these questions in our secret sessions.
Il was called into question upon my
record in your state legislature, espe-
cially upon the petitions sent to us by
thousands of old soldiers respecting the
election of Il United States senator. l
know that every man will indOrse my
course in this respect. The law of Kan
sas denies no man the right to petition.
Our body. when asked to spread one of
the petitions upon the pages of the |
house journal, refused. | was the only |
allianceman who dared to speak in de- !
Tense of the measure; only eleven voted !
for it. 1t was turned over to commit |
tee of three old soldiers and finally be- |
came part of the house record:
Then there was the bill granting a
bounty TO our infant sugar industry, in |
which il was the intent to repudiate by |
refusing to pay the stipulated cents /
per pound. l would not and did not |
become party to this Reputation.
Next came the state printer bill. Upon
investigation we found that the state
printer is not paid too much, but that .
there IS no limit to the extent that |
printing may be carried on. There was
no limit as to quantity. A
bill rpuulatinU this matter was pro-
posed by the lower house. for which
Rice of Bourbon. a republican member,
offered substitute which was much