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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.