The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-11-04
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1874-1901
No. T-Condition of the Farmers Movement
Thomas Seay, Governor
DOUGLAS wINGO

thereupon the banks charged the pro-
ducers a high rate of interest for the use
of the band notes.
The farmers objected to discriminating
legislation of Congress against silver az
a money metal. This discrimination was
held by them to be akin to the act that
committed the millions of greenback cur
rency to the fiery furnace. 1t was direct
legislation, intended to vest in corpora
| tons control of the currency, control oil
| the labor of the land and to lodge in the
| the corporate wealth an ultimate contro
| of the government.
| The farmers movement organized under
more than one head. There was the Ma
tional Grange of Patrons of Husbandry
the oldest, formed in 1866 the year after
the war; largely under the influence OF
President Johnson, who hoped to use it as
a political machine to promote his own
purpose. There was the National Farm
ers' Alliance and Industrial union, and
lastly the Farmers National congress.
The farmers and the organizations of
the wage earners, as early as the presi-
Dental election year of 1884, watched with
suspicion the two great political parties
especially their declarations of purpose on
the money question. Distrust of them led
to the nomination of Peter Cooper, and
later of General Weaver. as greenbaci
candidates for the presidency.
In 1894 both of the gerat political par
ties took notice in their respective ma
tional conventions of the farms and wage
earners' position on the money question
The republican party in national con-
vention at Chicago, June 2, 1884, incor-
porated in it's platform, reported by Will
liam Mckinley this plank:
1--WE have always recommended the
best money known to the civilized
world, and we urge that an effort be
made to unite all nations in the es-
tablishment of an international stand
ard which shall fix for all the relative
value of gold and silver coinage"
/ "Gold and silver coinage" for all, II
| according to this plank, made sound
money. A certain convenience suggested
an international ratio be established
| but that expedient must contemplate a
ratio" between the two money metals
both to be retained and neither dis
eliminated against.
On the stn day of the same month,
in the same year, at the same great
city, the national democratic conven-
| lion met. The corresponding money
plank in its platform read:
I'VE believe in honest money, the gold
and silver coinage of the constitution
and circulating medium convertible
into such money without loss"
June 5, 1888, the quadrennial national
Mr.. Cleveland was President. 1t was
esteemed to be desirable to renominate
him. He was opposed to bimetalism.
The platform pretermftted the subject.
On June 10, the quadrennial national
republican convention assembled at
Chicago. 1t nominated Gen. Benjamin
Harrison for President. and he was
elected over Cleveland. The platform
adopted was extremely pronounced on
| the money question as to coinage. 1t
declared:
THE republican party is in favor OF
! the use of both gold and silver as
| money, and condemns the policy of the
democratic administration in It's eff
forts to demonitize silver
Language could not be called upon
for more explicit declaration of policy
than this.
Several other notional conventions of
| factions on parties met in the year
1888, put out their respective tickets
| for President and vice president and
| published their platforms. The por-
hibftionists were silent on the money
question and all else. save prohibition
of the liquor trade.
The union labor party was very much
earnest. 1t put full ticket in the
'ield and published virile platform
he platform declared:
The establishment of q national
monetary system in the Interest of the
producer, instead of the Spectator and
1suer by which the circulating medium
In necessary quantities shall be issued
directly to the people, without the in
tervention of banks, and loaned to citi-
'ens on land security at a low rate OF
interest, so as to relieve them of the
extortion of usury, and enable them tc
'ontrol the money supply. Postal saw
ngs banks shall be established, anc
while we have free coinage of gold We
hould have free coinage of silver"
This party drw it's strength from the
armers and the greenback party.
The united labor party was another
'indred orgapization. Its platform de-
Jared:
We would do away with the presen
MUST and wasteful system of finance
which piles up hundreds of millions O.
dollars in treasury vaults while we arr