The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-17
GOVERNMENTS FIRST DUTY
Is to Protect the Citizen From OPP
preston of the Corporations Says
Mann Page.


washington, Feb. 17.-President Mann
Page of the National Farmers Ali
ance read his annual report at yester-
days session
The report recited that the past year
had been one of intense political excite
ment which so preoccupied the people
that, though there were no political dis
sensions within the order, very little
consideration was given to the up
building of the Alliance and bringing
into this great fold of agriculture those
who by their labor produce all the in
trinsic worth of the country"
He congratulated the order that its
members who teach the principles of
economic government in strictly non
partisan spirit have not labored in
vain, and, he added, the governments
first duty should be the protection of
the citizens against the oppression of
corporations. Nor should the char
tered rights of corporations be subject
ed to the control of concentrated
money power dominated by foreign in
huences. The proposition to drop the
word alliance" on account of its pO-
Iitical bias, does not meet with much
approval so far as the national organ
ization is concerned. From the or
ganization of the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union until
now, none of my predecessors ever has
recognized the right of any state, cOun-
ty or surveillance to introduce parti-
san politics into the order. For any
one of them to foster the success of
any political party would be to violate
our declaration of principles
The report strongly Endorsed the
scheme of establishing cooperative
unions in various states to assist the
wealth producers in dispOsing of their
products and to overcome the Stagna-
ton in business caused by the present
system of a contracted currency" and
urged that the council further promote
these enterprises
The report concludes: But cannot
-
ganization should drop the name
alliance which has become the
shibboleth of the producing classes
in their struggle for economic
reforms, who, despite misrepresenta-
ton and prejudice engendered by hos
tile press, controlled by the combined
money power, have in the late election
received the Endorsement of nearly one
half of the citizens of this country. To
make the change might be construed
that the verdict rendered at the POLLS
last November in favor of an admin
istration controlled by foreign hnan-
cfal policy hostile and detrimental to
the rights and interests of the wealth
producers of America had been accept
ed by us as conclusive and a surrender
of the financial issue for which the AL
lance has so earnestly commended.
The report of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
r. A Southworth of Colorado, recon-
mended a number of technical changes
in keeping records, the bonding of each
secretary treasurer IN a SaIe Out reaS-
enable sum; amendments to the by
laws making the secretary treasurer
one of the executive committee by vir
tue of his office; directing that all pay
ments by members for all purposes
shall be direct to the local secretary;
that all payments of money by other
states or other parties shall be to the
secretary treasurer and shall not be
paid to others on orders, so as to avoid
confusion and neglect; and that no
state be allowed voice or vote in su-
preme council or place on official staff
that makes no report or fails to pay
any money into the treasury
ing feature should be started during
this year, to redeem every home in the
membership in twenty years, by simply
paying per cent interest for about SIX
teen Years. This, it is stated, will re-
imburse all expense and leave 25 per
cent more in the treasury than has been
drawn out.