St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-06
farmer POLITICIANS.
The Annual State Alliance
Convention in Session at
Harmonic Hall.
Donnelly, the Philosopher
Novelist. Has His Hands
on the Reins.
Distinguished Speeehmakers
Cause the Changers to Be-
come Enthusiastic.
Love Turns Another Woman's
Bpain--Dwyer's Roar
Explained.


Farmers Alliance was begun yesterday
in Harmonic hall. It will, perhaps
continue today and tomorrow. So far,
the Nininger sage, novelist, philosopher
and politician, lgnatius DOnnelly, has
ruled the roOSt. and it is likely when the
election of officers occurs this morning
that he will be reelected president, this.
too, in spite of the ''open enmity" on the
part of the man whom he once called
friend and counsellOr-DOc Fish, ruler
and royal faster of the kingdom OF
Pisces. The farmers came into the city
by the WagOnlOadS yesterday morning,
and the street in the vicinity of Har-
monia hail resembled the outskirts OF
grubbing party, with the grubbers
dressed up in their Sunday-go-to-meetln'
clothes. The morning session was
called to order shortly before IL O'Clock
by President Donnelly, who started the
ball rolling with short speech OF well
come. Mayor Eustis was present and
delivered a short but happy address,
which caused all the delegates to vote
the new executive a good fellow. The
mayor welcomed the farmers to the city
and informed them the keys of the city
were at their disposal and might be
used if they so listed. President Don
nelly responded, and then the business
of the convention was taken up. The
committee OH credentials reported 242
delegates who had credentials that war
ranted their remaining in the hall
and participating in the dellbera-
tons. This number was increased to
257 before the afternoon session was
concluded. Altogether there were 800
farmers with authority to occupy seats
in the convention, fOrty-three being
alternates. with tile privilege of talk
ing but not voting. 1t was at first
decided that newspaper reporters should
be excluded from the hall and the
scrIbes had to hang around on the out
side The vigilance of the SeTgeants-at-
arms, however, soon relaxed and
allowed the reporters to find their way
into the sacred and secret chamber
through side door. The farmers do
not like newspaper reporters and they
have mortal terror of being miSrepre
scented before their constituents"
through the press. Hence the exclusive
ness eYinced at the beginning Of the
session.
Speeches and Papers.
The horny-handed statesmen went to
dinner about II o'clock and reappeared
again at the hall ready Tor business at
1870. Quite number of distinguished
visitors occupied seats on the stage,
among them Gen. Weaver and II. L.
Loucks, president of the Farmers ALI
ance and Industrial Union of the United
States. He was called upon for speech
and delivered it, being followed by Gen.
Weaver, who spoke i'll hopeful manner
of the great cause the farmers repre-
scented. He was hopeful of ultimate
success and cOnjured his hearers to re-
main Steadfast and true to the great
principles they advocated. The recent
campaign in this state, he said. was
the precursor of great events. 1t be-
spoke a brilliant future, and was a bet
ter beginning than he had ever hoped
for. The new movement was sure to
march ahead, for it was national
movement, without a tinge of section
aliSm. At the conclusion of his speech
the recent candidate for president of
the United States was cheered enthusi-
astically. At this point a delegation
from the tax reform convention, which
has been holding forth i'll the New
York Life building, put in an appear
ance. and the members were accorded
the privilege of reading a number of
papers on the subject under discussion
by the convention before the Alliance.
A. Y. Merrill, the attorney, read the
first paper. The subject of it was, The
Taxation OF Railroad Lands"
The idea OF a contract between the
state and railroad corporations was the
oh Of nj hN- In
He dealt with the objections, which are
sometimes heard to the
Taxation of Railroad Lands.
especially the assertion that the matter
is without the power of state govern
ment. Both the st. Paul d Duluth and
the St Paul. Minneapolis IL Manitoba
companies had acquired their proper
ties from the first grants to other COM
panies and had to acquire the eXemp-
ton from taxation through special acts
OF the legislature. The Northern Paci-
tic was in a somewhat different position,
as t acquired its lands from direct
grant from the government, but this
was subject to approval by the terrific
rleS traVerSed. ana the state legislature,
in a special act. had reserved the right
to tax the railroad property at its own
right to do so was inherent in the state
government. regardless of the national
grant.
Mr.. Merrill referred to the fact that
in this state, mostly in the northern
portions, there are 5,0O0,O00 acres of I'M
taxed land, worth at the lowest estimate
100000 AitKin county alone has an
area OF 1.4O0.OOO acres. OF which only
200. 900 acres were OH the tax lists, zoo, 900
acres railroad lands exempt under pres
ent laws. The idea that the rallroa DIS
were willing to have the direct tax, if the
ross-earningS tax were repealed, was
ridlculed. He showed that in the state
were j,G15 miles of railXoad, which had
cost an average of $4,000 a mile, on
which amount the tax at the present
rate, exclusive of special assessments
for local improvements in the cities,
would be approximately So, 999, 900, while
the amount to be received from the
earnings tax for the coming year
was only $780, 900.