The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-01-18
Half the Counties OF the State Repre-
scented BY Earnest
Hen.
SPEECHES AID. UNITY OF FEELING
Old Officers Reelected And Plans Out
lined For Future
Guida nce.

counties of the state. The attendance was
gratifying to the leaders, and was the
subject of congratulatory remarks from
the chair. il. Vermilya presided. Exon
gresham Haldor f. Boon of Fergus Falls,
! the leading Populist free silver farmer of
! Minnesota, was prominent member OF
| the gathering. Ignatius Donnelly was an
| other familiar figure. In his opening ad-
dress Pres. dent yermlya attributed much
of the reform work accomplished FOR the
! farmers of Minnesota to the Alliance, in
Guiding in his list of agricultural aids the
cooperative creamer.es, Alliance eleva-
I, tors, Saltwater prison Irvine plant. Mr..
Boen was appointed chairman of the COM
| mittee of credentials. and T. J. Meighen
secretary, the membership to be made OF
one from each county represented in the
convention. During the absence of the
credentials committee. Mr.. Donnelly was
called upon for a speech, which was
granted somewhat reluctantly and briefly.
| One of his propositions was that the ALI
ance should erect terminal elevator in
Duluth or Superior, to which all Alliance
elevators could ship their wheat.
In the afternoon session Frank HOskins
| offered a resolution to indorse the move
| to organize an alliance of Independent
wheat buyers and shippers, and that a
committee of five be appointed to coop
crate and aid such a movement. The res
olution was adopted.
Speeches were made by w. 8. Weather
stone, of Steele county; J. T. Ames, of
Mortified; l.. S. Long, OF Mobiles county.
/ Mr. Donnelly also made speech at some
length. The committee asked by Mr..
Hoskins was named as follows: Frank
Hoskins, Otter Tail county; l.. c. Long,
Mobiles; J. Askew, Wadena; J. 3. Oppe-
gard, Polk; w. J. Bodkin, Clay.
After the resolutions had been adopted,
G. r. Aldrich, of Benson, moved that
Mrs Mary e. Lease, who had just en-
| tered the hall, he requested to make a
short address. Mrs. Lease was introduc-
ed by President Vermilya as the "fore-
most woman in the United States" Mrs.
Lease responded promptly, and spoke as
follows:
"Mr. Chairman and Brothers of the
Farmers Alliance am greatly pleased
to have an opportunity to meet you again.
I love Minnesota; love it's bracing at
mosphere and the wind that sweeps over
it's free prairies. I like to talk to far
mers, because 1, a woman, fettered by a
false theology and false customs, know
how to sympathize with the farmer. But
I claim the right to be myself, and as
long as live 1 will not put on the coat
made for another.
"The men who threw off the. yoke OF
Great Britain in the Revolution were not
from the palace and office, but 80 per
cent of them came from the farm; so 30
per cent of the soldiers of the war of 1872,
Of the Mexican war and of the Rebellion
came from the farms of the land
She then traced the progress OF the
worker from chattel slavery to his pres
eut position when he is demanding full
recognition of all his rights. She pre-
dicted a great European war in which
the people would be arrayed against one
another. not because they had any quar-
rel. but because the kings feared popu-
lar uprising and demand for freer in
situations.
AS a remedy, she recommended, not
party action, because all parties were
more or less bad, but the Initiative ana
referendum, and finally the imperative
command.
The committee on constitution reported
that it had decided that no constitutional
changes were necessary. This was &C
cepted. The committee on resolutions,
by it's chairman, DIR. Christian Johnson,
Willmar, presented the following, which
were adopted
The Farmers Alliance of the state of
Minnesota in annual convention assem-
bled hereby resolve. that,
Whereas There is at present pract1ced
GREAT Injustice on the farmers of the
state by the elevator and transportation
companies, both in regard to grades and
grain. Transportation rates, dockage and
nrice manipulation both at primary and
central markets;
That this alliance now take active
measures to handle grain both at pr1m-
ary and central markets, and that steps
be taken through the state alliance Of
fcers to unite the whole grain growing
interest of. the state in this move; ~
That. whereas private abstracting as
generally conducted at present is attend
cd with serious menace to title and IN
terest in real property and great abuses.
Resolved, That We demand that the
state assume charge Of the real estate an
stracting business, and every county seat
and through the county officers Ill charge
be made responsible for the correctness
of such abstracts.
And. whereas, the rural schoois OF the
state are today suffering from lack OF
state aid and support at the expense OF
the higher institutions of learning,
THAT we demand this policy be revised
and that the common schools be accord
ded the state attention and support to
which they are justly entitled
The matter of election of officers came
next. but it was soon disposed OF. On
motion of DR.. Johnson, of Wilmar, the
old officers were elected as follows:
7. I. Vermilya, of Dover, president; A.
II. Hendrickson of Sank Center, secre-
tary: R. M. Probstfeld, of Moorhead.
treasurer; l.. C. Long, Of Mongolia, state
lecturer. The vice presidents one from
each congressional district. were chosen
as follows:
First district. Thomas J. Meighen, For
estville.
Second district, w. G. DAILY, Mapleton.
Third district, II. v. Poor, Bird Island.
Fifth district, Timothy Ryan. Parker
Lake.
Sixth district, Joseph Askew, Menagha.
Seventh district, NJ. G. Peterson, Val
ley.
Mr.. Donnelly again took the platform
and outlined a scheme for the upbuilding
Of his paper, the Representative. He
saws the present circulation, under the
stimulation Of a reduction in price, hal.
sprung from 5000 to $4,000. He wanted
10 buy a press Of his own, and he sug
sested that the Representative shouh
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