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FARMERS’ ALLIANCE NOTES.
NEWS OF THE ORDER AND
ITS MEMBERS.
WHAT IS BEING DONE IN THE VARIOUS
SECTIONS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION.—LEGISLA¬
TION, NOTES, ETC.
The Alliance is growing rapidly in the
Indian Territory. Oyer one hundred or¬
ganizations are in working order now-.
*
Fifty Alliances have b.en formed in
Sedwick county, Kansas, the past six
months, with a membership of over 2,000.
*
A golden sign of progress is seen in the
calm, intelligent, earnest manner in which
reforms aie being pushed by all organized
toilers.
*
Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia and North
Carolina lead all other States in Alliance
membership. Missouri is in the lead with
2,000 unions.
* *
The Alliance in Putnam county, Fla.,
tell the county commissioners that they
must be more economical in the disposi¬
tion of the county funds.
*
* *
The Farmere’Allianceof Lincoln county,
South Dakota, raised $10,000 to start an
Alliance newspaper with. They see the
importance of poisoned supplying by the passing news through with¬
out its being
the monopoly press.
*
Hon. L. F. Livingston, president of
the Georgia Farmers’ Alliance, has been
invited by General S. D. Lee, Starkvillc, president
of the agricultural college near
Miss., to deliver the annual address on
the 18th of June. The invitation was ac¬
cepted.
* *
Cherokee is the banner Alliance county
in Kansas, having a membership of 3,-
000. One hundred and twenty-seven
delegates, representing thirty-eight meeting Sub-
Alliances, attended the of the
county Alliance at Columbus, April 3d.—
Nebraska Opinion.
* *
There is just one way congressmen
should regain standing with the people
and that is to secure at this session the
passage of measures of relief. If they
don’t do it, then they should not object
to their constituents trying some one else.
— Atlanta, Oa ., Southern Alliance
Farmer.
* *
A letter from Secretary Turner at
Washington says the petitions on the
sub-treasury bill are rolling in like a
western snow storm. That’s right, bank
congress in with them till their only es¬
cape is to pass it. Let every Alliance and
Nationalist club that has not already done
so forward at once their petitions.— Da¬
kota Ruralist.
* *
The Alliance Is only a few weeks old
in Michigan, but already ten counties
are on the march. There in something
magic about the touch of the Alliance,
when you get into this army, now three
million strong, you feel that you are
shoulder to shoulder with the the “patriotic
liberty loving people” of partisanship country.
A people who live above and
love their country better than any politi-
<-al party, and who would not haggle
about the methods or names so long as
the people are freed from the grasp of
monopoly. —Alliance Sentinel.
*
*
A delegation representing the Farmers’
Alliance appeared before Washington the ways Tuesday and
means committee at
morning to advocate the passage of the
bill to create sub-treasuries iu different
parts of the country for the reception of
staple crops produced by farmers. chair¬ The
spokesman was Dr. C. W. Macune,
man of the legislative committee of the
Alliance, and editor of the National
Economist, a paper devoted to the objects
of the organization. Wardell, The others Dakota, present
were Alonzo of South
Benjamin Terrell, of Texas, national lec¬
turer; L. F. Livingston, president Geor¬
gia State Alliance; R. M. Humphrey,
general superintendent the colored Virginia Alliance, State
and J. J. Rogers, of
Alliance. In addition there was present,
a number of members of Congress, prin¬
cipally from the Southern States.
*
* *
Dr. Macune began his address by de¬
scribing the depressed state prime of agriculture
which, he said, was the cause of
the trouble in other pursuits. If the ex¬
isting conditions continued, he warned
the committee that labor would become
desperate and a great revolution would
ensue. History showed that wealth had
always lacked intelligence to meet in time
the necessities of labor, and on its part
labor had never adopted the proper means
to remedy the faults it complained of.
The objects of the Farmers’ Alliance was
mental, social and financial improvement.
At the St. I/mis convention 2,000.000
farmers had been represented, .and they
had proposed the remedy set out in the
bill as the first step in the right direction.
If it was rudely framed and the idea in¬
distinctly expressed, they relied upon the
wisdom of the committee to give it the
proper form, but they believed they had
found a remedy for their ills. The farm¬
ers asked no favors and no class legisla¬
tion. They were now suffering from the
latter. They did not ask the enactment
of any unconstitutional measure, but as a
great debtor class, as men who had g one
out in the West after the war and laid the
soil under contribution with borrowed
money, they protested against the con¬
traction of the currency at a time when
their debts become due, and asked that
the conditions be restored to what they
were when the money was borrowed.
They asked justice, pure and simple.
Dr. Macune was questioned by mem-
tSliVttS&tTSiJZZ. bill. Mr. Bayne wished know ii
urv to
one effect would not be to encourage over¬
production. Dr. Macune replied that it
would not, for just as soon as the farm
ers’ calling became more profitable influx of than
others, there would be au men
into that business, which would result in
a reaction and finally the restoration of
an equilibrium. To his mind, no fixed
volume of currency—no matter how great
—would ' meet the needs of agriculture.
It wanted an elastic medium. The farmer
sold his crops in the fall when prices
were the lowest and bought his supplies
before harvest when prices were highest.
Crops were marketed in two or three
mouths of the year, and this marketing
annually caused a great stringency in
money. feared that the plan would
Mr. Flower
lead to bankiug on live shoats, iron, lead
and silver ore. They were getting along
now in the latter direction at the other
end of the capitol. In time we would
have everything “in hock.” In the
course of ten years, the government would
be nursing children and women remedy working for
in the field. The true the
farmers’ ills was the manufacturers’ plan.
They should regulate production. meet the people’* Raise
only enough produce to
wants, and thereby get fair prices. explain ths
Dr. Macune proposed proceeded to regulate the
process to
issue of produce certificates. He said
that the necessity for excluding
imports of agricultural products certificates was
obvious if the preserved. quality of the certificates
was to be The
would constitute the soundest and best
currency in the world. Probably not one-
half asked of for the to put $50,000,000 the machinery appropriation in
new ac¬
tion would be required, but the sum
should not be absolutely at the minimum,
as in time it would be necessary to extend
the system to include all of the products In
of labor not covered by patents. con¬
clusion Dr. Macune said that the National
Alliance had not sent out a single printed
petition, and that these petitions and de¬
mands now pouring in upon congress
were the spontaneous offerings of farmers
of the United States, w ho were convinced
that they knew what they wanted and
were going to have it.
Mr. Flower said, in commenting upon
the argument, that the farmer would do
well to manage his domestic affairs with¬
out government interference.
Among the Alliancemen present was
Ben Terrell, the lecturer. He said: “We
do not trade with any party. We are
tired more patriots than partisans. We are
of sacrificing the interest of the peo¬
ple with for party. We have got nothing to
do the democratic party. We are
in favor of Alliance measures. Where a
state is democratic, we want to elect such
democrats as will work in the interest of
convention. measures promulgated by the Alliance in
The republican members of
this order will make the same effort to
send men here who are friends of a party.
Again, a candidate nominated by the Al¬
liance would be s. class candidate, and
therefore would be opposed”
* *
The hearing of the Farmers’ Alliance
representative* was continued before the
ways and means committee Thursday
morning, Mr. Livingston, national lec¬
turer of /he organization, taking up the
argument. He said that he had found
much misapprehension in Washington
respecting the objects of the Alliance.
They had not beset congress, but, as Mr.
Flower had suggested, they had been at¬
tending strictly to their own business.
A wrong impression—one without a word
of truth—was that the Alliance was clan¬
destinely seeking to displace the ruling
parties. The farmers had been told that
a proper adjustment of the tariff and of
the silver question was all that was
necessary for the farmers’ relief.
The tariff had nothing to do with the
measure recommended by the Alliance.
The tariff fixed the price of the far¬
mers' purchases; the sub-treasury bill fixed
the price at which he sold his goods.
The alliance representatives had not been
insolent; at least there was no intention of
being insolent. They had talked plainly,
straight ‘Y'un the shoulder. They asked,
demantU —he was not sure about the
terms—that cougress do what it could to
pass the sub-treasury bill. Fifty-eight
homes—farmers’—had been sold at auc¬
tion in Connecticut in one day this week.
The farmers wanted relief, and they knew
how to get it. They had about made up
their minds to let partisan politics alqjie, Cle¬
for awhile at least. Representative sought have
ments, of Georgia, had to
the farmers’ lands taken as security in
national banks. Somehow congress had
refused to do it. The national bank sys¬
tem must be broken up. The farmers had
to secure loans at excessive rates of inter¬
est. There was no justification for that
under God's broad heavens.
Mr. Fowler asked if a manufacturer
did not have to pay some interest.
Mr. Livingston replied that he did not.
There was difference between watered
stock concerns and the farmer’s real es
tate, yet the latter was made the worst
security in this country. Continuing he
quoted President Lincoln’s peophesy that
corporations would be enthroned; that
the property of the country would be
concentrated, and that the republic itself
would be overthrown, Thank God, the
last prediction had not been fulfilled.
But the others had been. One-twentieth
of the people of this country owned
three-fifths of the property. He also
quoted Garfield, Jefferson and Calhoun,
and said that what they had recommended
was what the Alliance asked. If con¬
gress refused to approve the sub-treasury
bill plan, then let it remove the restric¬
tions hedging in the national banking
system. The farmers would care nothing and the
about trusts and combinations,
concentration of money, if they could
hold their crops in the sub-treasury, and
were not compelled, as at present, to sell
them at stated times. He could thus
escape the speculators. It would be a
God send to this country to pass the sub-
treasury bill, for the reason, if for no
other, that there would not be a bucket-
shop left in the United States. The day
of speculation in crops would be done
away with, and the producer and con-
sumer would be brought together. It had
been charged that the farmers would form
a trust. It was against the farmer’s nature.
He had to rush his crop to market. If
cotton went up an eighth hitching of a cent every his
farmer would be seen up
team the next morning. He would be
afraid that one-eighth of a cent would
get away from him. Then the farmers
would have but a year's privilege, while
banks lftd twenty years. This plan was
not held out as a perfect measure, All
legislation was the result of a compro¬
mise. The gentleman from New York
(Mr. Flower) had predicted that chil¬
dren would be put to work in ware¬
houses and women in the fields. The in¬
terference was that men under the pa¬
rental government would be too lazy to
work. Mr. Livingston denied that such
a result would follow. Could there be
a government more parental than ours did
—parental to banks, he meant, lie
not favor parental government. If the
highways were opened would to enterprise satisfied.
and energy, the farmer be
But the farmer had stood around waiting
long enough. He had to have relief; it
was a ground-hog case. Sixteen millions
would build all tue ware-houses the al¬
liance wanted. What good were river
and harbor improvements to the debt-
ridden, oppressed farmer? Never more
than a third of the cotton crop would be
ware-housed. When the certificates issued
on that crop came in they would meet
the needs of the wheat crop, and then the
tobacco crop, and so on. There would
not be excessive changes in the volume of
currency.
Mr. Flower asked why the ware-houses
were to be used for oats, wheat, corn, to¬
bacco, and cotton ? Why not put in the
pot wool, and rice, and cheese, and pork,
etc?
Mr. Livingston protected replied the that high these tariff— other
staples were by
seventy-five per cent for wool alone.
Mr. Flower read a table to show that
staple crops had fluctuated more than
fifty per cent within thirty years, and
asked if that did not demonstrate the in¬
stability of the proposed currency. May
heaven have mercy upon this country
when a thousand millions of currency was
suddenly called in, as it might be under
such fluctuations.
Mr. Livingston replied that the fluctu¬
ations had been caused by the fact that
tin farmers had been caused by the fact
that the farmers had been compelled
to sell crops at adverse times—something
the bill proposed to remedy. In conclusion,
he said, that if the committee thought
that a landed basis was best, if they could
not accept the crop basis, let them put it
in. Do something to relieve the farmers.
Report the bill to the house iu some
shape, so that it could be acted upon.
Don’t make it a question of tariff, or ol
9 ilitics, but let the bill stand on its merits.
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION-
THIRTY-FOUR PERSONS KILLED AND OYEB
A HUNDRED WOUNDED.
A Havana dispatch says: At 11 o'clock
Sunday night, lire broke out in Ysasi’s
hardware store. In a short time the
flames reached a barrel of explosion powder follow¬ in the
building, and a terrific
ed. The whole structure was blown to
pieces and thirty-four persons killed.
Among the dead are four fire chiefs,
Senors Musset Zenicoviech, Osc ir Conill,
Francesco, Ordenz and the Venezuelan
consul, Senor Francesco Silva, who hap¬
pened to be in front of the building at
the time of explosion. In addition to
the killed, over a hundred persons were
injured. The explosion caused the wild¬
est excitement throughout the city, and
thousands flocked to the scene of the
disaster.
STILL AT LARGE.
THE MAYOR OF CEDAR KEYS SUCCESSFULLY
ELUDES HIS PURSUERS.
A dispatch of Monday from Cedai
Keys, Fla., says: Lieutenant Carden and
sixteen seamen, who are searching foi
Mayor Cottrell, are meeting great hard¬
ships, as the people are succeeded opposing them.
So lar the mayor has in elud¬
ing his pursuers. The town is virtually
under martial law r . The United States
revenue cutter MeLane is guarding the
place. Cottrell is alleged be a mighty
bad man, who, as mayor of Cedar Keys,
inaugurated a reign of terror.
VOTE OF PRESBYTERIES.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE FOR
AND SIXTY-NINE AGAINST REVISION.
The New York Independent , publishes
returns from all but five of the presby¬
teries of the Presbyterian church, show-
iug that 133 voted for revision, 60 against
revision, and 6 have declined to vote.
Most of the presbyteries ministers not and heard elders from have
arc foreign. 2,332 revision, and minis¬
voted against have voted 3,334 for revision.
ters and elders
Twenty-seven of the presbyteries cast a
unanimous vote—UvcUe against and fif-
teen for revisioi
A NEW ROAD
PROJECTED TO RUN FROM KANSAS CITY TO
CHARLESTON.
A Chattanooga. Tenn., dispatch says:
filed Wednesday for morning an application was
a charter for the incorporation of
the Kansas City, Chattanooga, Augusta
& Charleston Railroad company. The
railroad is projected to run from Kansas
City to Charleston, S. C., and through a
country rich in mineral, agricultural and
lumber.
~ BUDGET OF FUN.
HUMOROUS SKETCHES FROM
VARIOUS SOURCES.
\ Tiff—A Point ot Superiority—Fem¬
inine Amenities—Foresight—
Earning His Fee—A
Theory, Etc., Etc.
They had a quarrel and she sent
His letters back next day;
His ring und all his presents went
To him without delay.
“Pray, send my kisses back to me!’’
He wrote; “could you forget them?”
She answered speedily that he
Must come himself and get them.
— Judge.
FEMININE AMENITIES.
Mrs. Bjones—“How wonderfully Mrs.
Robbins carries her age?”
Mrs. Bsmith (sweetly)—“Yes, consid¬
ering how much there is of it .”—Detroit
Free Press.
HIS RICHES MAY TAKE WINGS.
Mrs. Snaggs—“The King of Siam has
something laid up fora rainy day*”
Snaggs—“What is it?”
4 i An umbrella worth $2000.”— Pitts¬
burg Chronicle-Telegraph.
A THEORY.
“What is it, do you suppose, that
keeps the moon in place and prevents it
from falling?” asked Aramiuta.
“I think it must be the beams,' 7 said
Charley, softly .—New York Sun.
WAS CARRIED BY TORNADOES.
Hostess—“So you lived for some time
in Breezy City, Kansas. Did you do
much traveling through that State?”
Guest—“Oh, yes, whenever the winds
were high .”—New York Weekly.
EARNING HIS FEE.
Cora—“Oh, doctor, mamma scolded
me for holding pins in my mouth. Is it
really dangerous?”
Sawbones—“No, my dear. It's only
dangerous if you swallow them.”—
Epoch.
FEATHER-WEIGHT THOUGHTS.
Dealer—“Now. here's a showcase that
will magnify the goods you put into it.”
Customer—“Great Scott! Then I
don't want it. I’m a shoe dealer, and I
want a case for displaying women’s
shoes.' ’— Chatter.
A POINT OF SUPERIORITY.
Miss Manhattan—“But certainly you
must admit that New Yorkers aie the
best dressed people in the world.”
Miss Lakely—“Well, anyhow, it is
acknowledged that Chicago produces the
best dressed beef.”— Puck.
COMMENDABLE GOODS.
Merchant—“Sir, I want you to under-
stand that my goods sell themselves.'*
Mark Downes—“Indeed? And I sup-
pose you have all these clerks hanging
round here just to keep you from feeling
lonely.”— Dry Goods Chronicle.
A SPECIAL DELIVERY.
“I delivered a lecture last night,” said
the messenger boy.
“How did you come to do that?”
4 i The feller that wrote it forgot to
take it along with him when he went to
the Academy am! sent me after it.”
IIE WAS BURE OF IT.
Lady Customer (angrily)—“I believe
there is water in you milk, sir.”
Honest Milkman—“Yes, madam,there
is. I have ou several occasions urged the
cows to be more careful, but they insist
that it is impossible to make milk with-
out water.”— Pack.
--
INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM.
Hip Lung (of Chinese newspaper at
Peking)—“Here's a report of a most aw¬
ful storm in the United States. Hun¬
dred were killed.”
Fin Wing (managing editor)—“Give
it five lines on an inside page; that's the
way they treat our disasters.”
mother knows.
Mrs. Fangle—“Lizzie, what time was
it when that young man left last night?”
Lizzie—“About eleven, mamma.”
Mrs. Fangle—“Now, Lizzie, it was
two hours later than that, for I distinctly
heard him say, as you both went to the
door: ‘Just one, Lizzie.’ You can't fool
your mother. ”—New York Sun.
FORESIGHT.
?, he -;;^. hor r,
f ' :i ls 1 •“ ,
! Sb0 "i
P 0Dr P'fV,
left , in the house alone, and we off for a
She’ll ,tarre.
He—“Oh, I remembered her. I left
a can of condensed milk ou the kitchen
table with a sardine opener beside it. ”—
Life.
SHE LED HIM UP TO IT.
Tramp—“Madam, have you anything
for me this mormng
Housewife—“We ve a little something
in the barrel: but I m afraid it s as heavy
as lead.
Tramp (smihng)-“I think I can
digest it, madam. Where is the barrel?
Housewife “Hitched to the gun. -
here’s CHIVALRY!
His Mother—“Willie. Willie, you are
forgetting to say your prayers!”
ain’t, Willie mamma, (crawling but into I’ve got bed)— engak “No, j
an
ment to fight with Bob Stapleford to;
morrow. He doesn’t know how to prJ
and I’m not going to take any unfair J
vantage of him, betcher life.”— Chica J
Tribune.
quits !
She kissed him as he gave her th
ring. I
“George, darling, have alwa?
longed for one of this pattern, and
are the first who loved me sufficiently” t,
study my tastes in this matter.”
“And yet,” replied he, leveli
things up, “it is no rarity, as in my en
gagements I have never used anvthiai
else .”—Philadelphia Times.
APPROPRIATE MUSIC.
Marguerite (seated beside her affiancJ
on sofa, to her sister in adjoiuing roooj
—“What is that you be just been pl a J
ing, Dora?”
Dora (aged fifteen)—“Oh, you ai
Clarence ought to know!”
Clarence (bravely, but rashly)
“ ‘Whisperings of Love,’ isn’t it?”
Dora (crushingly)-*- 4 ‘No—‘The Lui
tic’s Waltz. 1
CORDIAL BUT ILLOGICAL.
.Tones of was quite struck at by evening the anpeaj
ance a guest an who] part
whose name he did not know, but
face was familiar.
“Beg pardon,” he said, going up
him. “I think we have met before.”
“That is my impression.”
“It wasn’t at New Orleans, was it?”
“No; I’ve never been there.”
“Nor I either,” replied Jones in
burst of illogical enthusiasm.— Judgt.
ROMANCE AND REALITY,
Romantic Miss—“Do you love mew»
enough to do battle for me?”
Ardent Suitor—“Ay, against a thoi
sand.”
“Well, Mr. Bigfish is paying me
good deal of attention. Would you figi
him for me?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Could you defeat him?”
4 4 N-o, he’d probably thrash the lil
out of me. ”
“Mercy! Well, never mind. I’lltak
you without any fighting; and. oh,4
please, remember, my darling, promis
me on your honor, that if you ever $e
Mr. Bigfish coming, you’ll run .”—St
York Weekly.
SHE SAVED HIS LIFE.
“Alonzo, darling, once at the seasho
you saved my life 1”
“Do not speak of it. I
“I think I said whether as a friend,
sister or in still dearer relation I wou
remember and recompense you.”
4 4 You did, dear, you did; b
what-
“One moment. Until the present
refused your entreaties to bake. To-d
I acceded to them. But remember i
vow. Before I put my w ork on the tal
I gave one of the cakes to Fido. Co
out and see him.”
He did so, and they buried the d
and the cook book in the same grave.
Philadelphia Times.
WHERE THE LEAK WAS.
Mr. Billus (looking over his expens
account)—“Maria, we spent exactly $
more thau our income this year. We
got to retrench.”
Mrs. Billus—“It wasn’t my faul
John. I didn’t $10 lose in club $75 dues, on the electioj sped
nor pay out nor
$65 for cigars, nor run through wil
$120 in three days at the races, nor
dorse a note for $200 for a mere aa
quaintance and lose it, nor-”
Mr. Billus (still looking through '3
expense account)—“Noneof these thing
account for that $50. By Jove! He 1
it is! ‘Subscription for pastor’s sahfl
$50?’ Maria, we can’t stand that! Tb
preacher will have to get along witho
anything from me this year .' 7 —Chics
Tribune.
An Electrical Supper.
At a supper given in Baltimore ever)
thing was done by electricity. The pres
sing of an electric button notified tb
* )and to play, the dancers to dance. 1
the supper-room was a track of small isd
0Q whlch was an electric car or basM
about a foot long and thirty inches w*
Thi9 car conveyed the viands bom t
, butlers apartment. I he butlei p
the courses in silver trays upon the c*
and sent them alon g tho electric rad"*
The car stopped long enough in front o
each plate for each guest to help hi® sei '
The car was also supplied SL* with elects
w*. i-nde,- ^ ««*
boxes operated bv electricity which pl« ((
during • the supper. Not a drop filled of «
, w , crcam was t
olocrioU waiter.-ifiur To,l ***
The Bottom Drops Out of a Latej toffjj
In Sheffield, Aia., the new iron
a curious phenomenon is puzzling immemoUj
local scientists. From time
a lake of considerable depth l aud coverul 4
sevcraI acreg ofground has existed ^
has been a famous fishing resort pH
sportsmen . A few WPeks siace the
p , fearful e in the noise vicinitj and were subterranean panic . str ickcn5>j ru® 1 ]
a
HlJ r as of aD earth £a ke . in the H
■ it was discove that the lake
literally entirely disappeared, dropped out, the the bottom water escap®| hatij
through a hole fifteen feet in diame te j
uothing There for is a nine girl in France who has eat<|
years.