The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-10
rurrRSDAY JUNE 10. 1897.
VANCE AND THE ALLIANCE.

Allusion has been made in these col
umns to the chapter in Major DoWd
7 ;fe of Vance on his attitude toward the
Farmers Alliance" Public feeling ran SO
high during the year 1891, and thereafter,
that it was almost impossible to get the
people to understand the real slgnh-
canoe of the action of the Legislature OF
1891 and Senator yance's acceptance OF
the instructions passed by that BODY.
Major Dowd has ayailed himself OF all
rho information that could be had and
has made it clear that in all that he dld
with reference to these instructions Sen
ator Vance rather added to his reputation
and his right to the confidence of the
people than otherwise. We regret that
we have not room to publish in these col
umns the full chapter, which we hope
will be widely read by the people of the
State. From this chapter we quote:
.yance's course in reference to the
Farmers Alliance has been the subject
of much criticism even among his warm
est friends and supporters. Many hard
things were said about him in the news
papers of his own party, giving him very
great pain and annoyance. He was
charged with knuckling to the Alliance,
in order to keep them in line for him that
he might retain his place in the Senate.
He was accused of playing fast and loose
with the Sub-Treasury scheme and of be-
ing inconsistent and insincere, introduc-
ing bill in it's behalf, and then failing to
push or support it. And some of his critics
went so far as to say he had gone back
on the professions and principles Of life
time in his efforts to retain the friendship
and support of the Alliance-in the par
lance of the day, that he ate dirt copious-
b' before the Alliance Legislature of
1891, in promising to support the ALI
ance doctrines and demands in order to
get their support nearly the entire Dem
ocratic membership of that body being
members of the Alliance.
st is strange that, in the light of the
actual facts, such erroneous impressions
should prevail, and t. at the position of
public man who had been so thoroughly
open and candid as Vance always was,
could be so misunderstood and misrep-
resented.
''He was not only not inconsistent in his
course towards the Alliance, but he never
wayered or changed his opinion nor III
any sense deviated from direct course
of conduct from beginning. to end. He
not only never got down on his knees and
ate dirt to please the Alliance, but. they
sought to gag him with demands which
he had from the start told them he could
not support, he defied them, and refused
to accept the nomination at their hands,
and they were constrained and obliged to
modify their instructions SO as to con-
form fully to his oft-expressed views.
These facts will be fully established by
what follows.
''It must be borne in mind that he was
always in sympathy with the masses,
the laboring and farming classes, and
this was in a great measure the secret
of his power and popularity with them.
Seeing the drift and tendency Of econom-
ic conditions and firmly believing that
the protective t riff was enriching the
few and impoverishing the many, he had
been for years advising the farmers to or
ganize in order to defend themselves
against the organizations of various
kinds among the non-producers adverse
in their objects and tendencies to the in.
terests of the farmers; still he warned
them again and again of the danger OF
such organization becoming political; and
with prophetic wisdom he predicted the
ruinous consequences of any attempt on
their part to set up new political party
He firmly believed after early and care
full investigation that the sub-treasury
scheme as contended for by the AL
lance was unconstitutional as well as
impracticable, and he said SO repeatedly
and emphatically. Nor did he favor the
purchase by the Government of the rail
roads and telegraph lines, nor the aboli
ton of national banks till suitable sub
stitute could be provided, and he ex
pressed his views as to these features OF
the demands equally without reserve
lie agreed with the Alliance, or rather il
agreed with him, in favor of the free
coinage of silver, an increase of the vol
ume of the currency, and in opposing 6
monopoly on part of the National Banks
OF the privilege Of issuing paper money