The morning times., 1896-07-19
SILVER THEIR sH|BBOLETH
Disciples of the Metal to Meet
in St. Louis.
OF SIMILAR PRINCIPLE
Convention of the Populists and Sill
verites VIII BE Watched With In
terest-Much May BE DOne-Pos-
sibie Enforcement OF the Chicago
Ticket ana Its Effect.
1Spe cial to The Times }

.cai conventions will be held in this city
next week. One will be held in the CON
vention auditorium where Nick incy was
nominated last month, the other in the
Exposition Building. 1t is expected CON
IIuentiy ny the Populists that their friends
the Siiveritcs will come over into their
yard and play before the first days session
is over. Whatever is done i'm the direction
of fusion, there is little doubt the two
gatherings will indorse the same man for
me Presidency.
viii they indorse the nominee of the
Democratic convention? That is the i'm
portnnt question on which may depend
the result of the election in November.
on il may hang the possibility that his
rountry will go to Il policy which means
The free and unlimited coinage of silver in
dependent of the other nations of the
world.
The gathering of the Popu:sts and silver
men at the Chicago convention last week
and the missionary work they did there
are evidence of the Importance they attach
TO the determination of this question. Their
dearest wish is the resumption OF free
silver coinage. To bring this about they
were anxious that the Democrats should
nominate Mr.. Teller, because they could
indorse him without giving up their party
organization. Mr.. Teller belongs to no
PRINCIPLES OF THE PEOPLES PARTY
The anxiety of the Populists I" have Il
candidate not identified with the Demo
cratic party was due to the fact that tie
Peoples party supports some prin nciplos
which ire not ecoGnized by the Democracy.
and. while these are less important than
silver coinage in the eyes OF the majority
of the Populists. they are important enough
10 keep the Peoples party together even
+ the coinage question We're disposed Of.
To indorse a Democrat for the Presidency.
a great many Populists think. would be Ia
ibanGon these principles, to give up their
hopes of electinG State tickets in the South
and West. and to disorpanize Thoroughly a
party which has become a controlling ele-
ment in some States and in Il great many
Congressional districts. After combining
Inc interests of all the smaller organiza-
lions of farmers and laborers into one
united political party and polling for the
Presidential candidate of that party .o25.-
1877 votes. the POpulists are afraid of sac
rifIcing the results of their hard work.
falling into the hands of the Democratic
party and losing their identity If they in
dorse Democratic candidate for the
Presidency.
The Peoples party was organized II
Cincinnati. May 10, 1891, at a national
inion conference of all political organiZa-
iUnS representing the farmer. the lIborer
md the mechanic. From these-cliiefly
The Farmers \ Iliances the new party WAS
lormed.
FORMA TION OF FARMERS ALLIANCE.
The Farmers Alliances go back to the
formation of Il little protective organiZa-
Eon in Lampasas county, Tex. This Lam
pasas County Alliance was formed for the
protection of the farmers against land and
cattle thieves. 1t agitated the no fence
In tItnr md bn 4,
4 hoe" found that collectively his people
conld WELL political power. This encour-
iged the formation OF other local Alliances
IN Texas, ana these in 1886 were organized
into Il State A lliance. This Alliance met
and announced a platform which included
a declaration for ''the education of the
agricultural classes in the science OF eco
homical government in strictly nou-
partisan spirit"
Before the organization of the State ALI
ance OF Texas farmers the National Grange
of Patrons of Husbandry had begun to
take an active interest in legislative mat
tiers at Washington. 1t was the first Sc
cret order to admit men and women on
terms of equality. In 1870 ii had 80
oranges. In 1876 there Were $4,000.
These maintained the headquarters of their
national association at Washington, and its
Officers exercised some Influence on legis-
la,ion through Granger members OF Con-
rress. The National Grange never tried to
influence elections, and its career as "a
political factor was short. 1t is now al
host solely Il social and beneficial organ
ization. But its memIers are almost all
members OF the Peoples Party, and their
association in the Grange made it easier
for them TO gte together and organize for
political purposes when the occasion arose.
MET IN A sCHOOLHOUSE.
Following the organization of the Lam.
pasas county Alliance in Texas, and no
doubt influenced by it, the farmers OF
ARKANSAS got together i'll a scboolhouse
In western Arkansas and organized the
National Agricultural Wheel, and the
farmers of louisiana met and formed the
Farmers Union
After the organization of the Texas
State lliance the farmers of Louisiana
and Texas consulted and called q meeting
u Waco, where they formed in 1887 the
National Farmers Alliance and Co-opcra-
tive Union. A year later tie Alliance and
the Wheel sent delegates TO a convention
at Meridian, Miss, where the two organ
iZatioDs We're united as the Farmers and
Laborefs' Union OF America. In Dcccm-
Der, 1889, a national convention was callc
at st. Louis. and there the name of the or
gaDization was changed again. II became
the National Farmers Alliance and Indus
tnal L MON.
In all this time the members of tie
farmers organizations had been nominat-
Ing local tickets and taking part in State
elections and they had shown constant
iy increasing strength. But they had at
tractcd comparatively little attention out
side a few Southern States until a-national
convention of the new party was held at
OCala. Fla, in 1880. At this convention
was adopted n platform which attracted
the attention OF the whole country and
\, hp, ba pf
versy. The farmers themselves were not 4
unit in supporting it, and the dispute over
1t went on in their own ranks us well as
elsewhere.
TO ABOLISH NATIONAL BANKS.
The Ocala platform demanded the aboli-
lion of national banks, the establishment
Of subtreasuries to lend money Oh farm |
products and land at per cent or less, the |
increa sc of the national circulating medium |
10 500 per capita. laws against trading in |
futures in agricultural products, the
Tree and unlimited coinage OF silver, laws |
against the alien ownership OF land, the |
Resumption by Congress OF all lands grant
sd to railroads except those used by the
roads, the reduction OF the tariff, an in |
rome tax, the national control OF railroads
and telegraphs. or government ownership
Of them and tile election of United States
Senators by direct vote Of the people.
The first fruit of these resolutions was
the Introduction in Congress OF the famous
warehouse scheme. Vance OF North Caro-
ana introduced 1t in the Senate and Pick
Ter OF South Dakota in the House. The
bill provided for the appropriation Of $780,
300 900 to build warehouses for tile stor-
age of cotton, wheat. corn, oats and tobac-
70 and for the issue of Treasury notes TO so |
per cent of the value of such products, |
bearing interest at i per cent.
Tho late Sanaf0r Stamford also intro |