THE FAKMERS' ALLIANCE: LINOOLNNEB. , SATURDAY, MAK. 15, 1890.
THE ALLIANCE.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY M0RHIN3.
BY TUB
ALLIAKGE PUBLISHING GO.
BOHANNAN BLOCK,
Lincoln, - - - Nebraska.
J. BURROWS, : : : Editor.
J. M. THOMPSON, Business Manager.
" In the beauty of the Hllies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom
That transfigures you and me.
As He strove to make men holy
. Let us strive to make men free,
Since God is marching on."
Julia Ward Howe.
" Laurel crowns cleave to deserts,
And power to him who power exerts."
A ruddy drop of manly blood
The surging sea outweighs."
Emerson.
EDITORIAL.
A NEW PREMIUM.
A Souvenir for Old Soldiers.
This is a Cabinet Photograph of Gen
erals Sheridan, Merritt, Torbert, Davies
and Gregg, taken in the field in the
Shenandoah valley. Gen. Sheridan is
standing in front of his tent, the other
Generals on either side. This picture
was reproduced by Noble, of Lincoln,
in the highest style of the art, from the
original now in the possession of Mr.
Burrows. As a staff officer of the 2d
Brig., Cav. Corps, Mr. Burrows fre
quently met these Generals, and he pro
nounces the likenesses perfect, the best
he has ever seen. This is a historical
picture, the only one of the kind obtain
able, and will be furnished only as a
premium to The Alliance.
The Fakmebs' Alliance one year and
the above splendid photograph, $1.50.
The picture alone is worth twice the
money.
Sheridan's Photograph.
We are greatly surprised at the result
of our offer of the photograph of Sheri
dan and his Generals. By ordering
these pictures in large quantities as we
are now enabled to do, we can reduce
the price to our customers. We now
furnish the picture and The Alliance
one year for $1.25
WHAT THE PEOPLE DEMAND.
Shall the Mortgages be Foreclosed?
The people of Kansas and Nebraska
tributary to the U. P. railroad are pay
ing rates on a capitalization of $105,000
to the mile. The high rates of this
road are made a pretext by the other
roads for maintaining their rates at the
same figure. The result of this is that
local rates in Nebraska are three or
four times as high as in Iowa, where
the rates are fixed by the commission.
The people know all these things.
"They also know within a fraction of
how much it will cost to reproduce this
road. They also know the fearful tax
ation that will be imposed upon them,
their children and their children's chil
dren if this. system is extended fifty
years, as Senator .Frye's bill proposes.
They see, as a business proposition,
that it is betier for the government to
lose every dollar of its debt than to
.continue this exaction, and so they
come up by thousands and demand that
the mortgage on these roads be fore
closed, and the roads operated in the
interest of the people instead of the
bond-holders. This Voice of the Peo
ple, rumbling through the halls of con
gress, has some significance for mem
bers who owe their places to the votes
of western men, though it may not for
the thieves and scoundrels who prompt
them, and who lobby their villainous
schemes into the statute book. It also
has some significance for the press of
the country. The Chicago Tribune, re
ferring to Senator Frye's report, says:
"The report of the Senate Special Commit
tee on the Pacific Railroads and the bill for
the refunding of their debts which accompa
nies it, printed in yesterday's Tribune, bear
evidence to the affectionate regard of the
committee for these roads rather than to its
zeal for the interests of the government. It
has never been the case that all the claims
made on behalf of any railroad have been
Justified by the facts. It is therefore some
what surprising that Senators Frye and Davis
should be able to convince the full committee
so easily that all the charges made against
the management of the Pacific roads were
untrue, and that it was the duty of the gov
rnment to hasten to the relief of the virtu'
ous, much maligned individuals who control
them."
"This Is the time for the Nebraska senators
to come to the front. The farmers of their
state are subject to the tyranny of the Union
Pacific road, whose rates are extortionate and
' which refuses to lower them, and says it is
not within the jurisdiction of state author!
ties. This proposed bill is silent on the ques
tion of freight rates. It leaves it in the un
checked power of the Union Pacific to charge
300 per cent more than the Iowa lines. ' Is it
to be allowed to fleece the farmers and the
merchants under the shelter of the United
States? The senators and representatives
from Nebraska have now an opportunity to
make an honorable record. They know and
can point out the fallacies and omissions in
this remarkable report and bill on which they
will soon have to act.'
11 T P . . t rr ?
weiearuie lrwune appeals in vain
to the members of congress from Ne
braska. None of these men belong to
the people. They are successful attor
neys, real estate speculators or bank
crs. Laws in his political career comes
nearer to the people than either of the
others; ; but he owes his position to the
most shameless case of the prostitution
of the delegates power and the unscru
pulous purchase of influence by a cor
poration that has ever taken place in
the state.. So, unless they are actually
overawed by the people, we have but
little to hope for from these men. But
the people demand the f oreclseure of the
mortgages. "
It costs two cents more per bushel to
ship grain from the Mississippi river, 200
miles, to Chicago, than it does to ship it
from Chicago to Liverpool, 4,000 miles.
' The Free Pass Villainy.
It is time that public attention was
again concentrated on the free pass
system. The free pass is a bribe. It is
intended as a bribe, and used as a
bribe. It is systematically used to de
bauch and control the press. It is used
to silence business men. It is used to
influence legislators and judges. The
railroads know full well the value of
this engine to suppress, centrol or in
fluence public sentiment. One would
think that they would hail as a bene
factor the legislator who introduced a
bill to prohibit free passes. But it is
not so. They fight anj such proposi
tion bitterly. They treat it like an at
tack upon their dearest rights.
There is not a public officer of any
importance in this state who does not
ride on free passes. There is not an
editor who accepts railroad advertising
whose pockets are not full of them.
They go the railroad men like whipped
spaniels and beg for them as a favor,
and sign contracts for advertising that
give the railroad agents almost entire
editorial control. The moral effect of
this is to degrade the editors of these
papers to muzzle the free expression
of opinion to render them whippers in
for railroad' corporations. The effect
on public officials is the same. Does
any man of honor take a valuable mon
ey consideration and feel no obligation?
Not by any means. A writer in the
Open Court, of Chicago, very forcibly
states the case as follows:
. "A railroad pass is not properly a 'courtesy.
It is money. What shoemaker having causes
In court would presume to grive the Judgre an
order for shoes? What grocer, plaintiff or
defendant In a suit, would venture to give
the judge a free pass for his yearly sugar and
tea? It is true that a railroad pass transfers
no corporeal thing, but it amounts to the
company's check for the price of a ticket to
any place on its road. If the fare from Chi
cago to San Francisco be one hundred dollars,
a pass from one city to the other is a check
for that amount."
Now while we of Nebraska are mend
ing railroad abuses let us mend this
one. Don't rail against the law-making
power; the people are the law-making
power, and if the laws, are not
right, the fact may be traced to the
apathy of the people or the corruption
of their representatives. Remember,
in theory the people are the law-making
power. Let us make it true in fact.
No official who rides on a free pass is
entitled to the confidence of the people.
"No Political or Religious Test of Mem
bership."
The recent letter of Bishop Frink, of
the Kansas diocese, advising members of
the Catholic church to sever their connec
tion with the Alliance, has brought the
question as to what constitutes a reli
gious test of membership to the front.
We are sure that Bishop Frink's letter
waswritten under a gross misapprehen
sion as to the character of the Alliance
in religious matters. We do not want
any such misapprehension to take place
in this state; and above all we do not
want our brother farmers who are mem
bers of the Catholic church to relinquish
their membership, nor to feel that they
connot become members "without vio
lating conscientious scruples, or disre
garding the advice of the leaders of
their church. There are a large num
ber of Catholics who are members of
the Alliance. We know Alliances in
which a majority of the members are
Catholics.
The Alliance is not in any sense a re
ligious institution. It was not modeled
on the Masonic order. Its form of in
vocation of the Divine blessing, and its
chaplain, were intended simply as a
means of imparting dignity and deco
rum to its meetings, and to conserve
good order, and not in any sense to
make the society religious or sectarian
in its character. A simple invocation
oi the Divine blessing by the president
on opening the meetings would have
answered these purposes equally well,
and the chaplain could have been, dis
pensed with.
It often happens that the forms of the
ritual in the conduct of meetings are
aispenseu witn anyway, by common
1 - m
consent.! Now. all these things con
sidered, if there are any members of an
Alliance who have conscientious scru
ples against these forms, and who
would sever tneir membership on ac
count of them, they amount to those
members to "a religious test of mem
bership." In such cases they should be
omitted, i We want all farmers, be they
Protestant or Catholic, as members of
the Alliance. And we respect all men's
consciences. We have no more de
ference for the Catholic .church than
any other church; and we would apply
the same principles to all alike.
We have taken pains to give Bishop
Bonacum, of the Nebraska diocese, ex
act information as to the character of
the Alliance. He is a liberal "minded
gentleman, fully in sympathy with the
objects and purposes of the Alliance;
and we ieei ( justined in assuring our
Catholic members that no objection to
their membership will be made by the
church authorities in this state. More
than this, we have hopes that when the
character of the Alliance in religious
matters is better understood Bishop
Frink's letter may be modified.
An Entering Wedge.
In the Senate Mr. Stanford offered a
preamble and resolution instructing the
committee on finance to inquire what
relief for the existing agricultural de
pression may be furnished by the United
States, and particularly whether loans
may not be made by the government on
mortgages on real estate independent o
improvements.
It will be seen that this resolution ac
knowledges "an existing agricultura
depression." From the proprosition to
loan money on real estate the transition
to "issuing money on land security in
stead of bond security" will be easy
Honest inquiry in that direction will re
suit in its approval.
Elr Ihk Farmers' Alliance is the
best advertising medium in the west.
The Banker's Way to Expand the Currency.
"A Banker," writingHo the editor of
the Taylor Republican, setting an exam
ple of f randness that might be imitated
by other bankers, says: ,
"You seem to think that the bankers are
trying to oppress the farmers in some way. I
think you do not fully understand the princi
ples that govern the great problem of finance.
We who make that subject our study have
clearer views of the subject than those who
never have any finance to think of. Permit
me to give you a few of the great objects and
alms of the banks. In the first place we are
in favor of the fullest possible circulation,and
opposed to the contraction of currency. In
this you will agree withus.but you may differ
with us in the method. I will give you ours;
Most all the farmers are our patrons. That is,
we hold their notes.secured with chattel mort
gages of course, and when we find a debtor
that is a little stagnant, and thereby contract
ing the currency, we make a court blister and
have the sherifl make the application. This
immediately restores the circulation, and the
money and the costs of the suit are again in
the channels of trade.
The above gives about the best idea
possible of the political economy, as well
as the heartlessness of the average bank
er. If monev is so scarce and prices so
ow that men cannot pay their notes
'we hold" secured with chattel mort
gages of course," they are "contracting
the currency," and must be attacked
by a "court-blister."
The f olio wing will show "Banker's"
method of increasing the circulation.
He refers to the proposition of the bank
ers' convention to repeal the exemption
aws: ,
In regard to our resolution to repeal the ex
emption laws, of which you complain, we be-.
lieve this to be wholly m the farirers'interest.
There is at present more than one hundred
million dollars worth of property in this state
exempt under the present law. We cannot
rely on this property as security for money
loaned. We have to do our business partly
out side of this property, but if this , law was
repealed it would give the banks this addi
tional amount of security upon which we
could and probably would loan to the farmers
the sum of $100,000,000. Do you not see that
this would increase the circulation and leave
the property still in the hands of the farmer?
The idea that loaning money on the
security of chattels which are now ex
empt would expand the currency is so
entirely new and original that no
one but a Nebraska Shylock could
possibly originate it. Presumably if the
armers should borrow money on these
chattels it would be to pay debts which
are already owing. That is, they
would create one debt to pay another,
the last one probably bearing a higher
rate of interest than the first. And this
process could begin and go on until ev
ery dollars' worth of chattels were cov
ered with interest-bearing mortgages
without increasing the circulation a dol-
ar. . But the annual interest burden of
the farmer would be increased twelve
or fifteen million dollars by the process,
and they would lose most of their chat
tels in the end.
The object of the bankers' demand
or the repeal of the exemption laws is
here unveiled with refreshing frankness.
".Yost all the farmers are our patrons. That
is we hold their notes, secured by chattel
mortgages of course. But there is some pro
perty we can't touch, and ice want a chance
to get at it. We want to lend money on it
at 3 per cent per month, and then we want
to put a court-blister on it. That realty
expands debts and mortgages; but it's
our way of expanding the currency."
A Banker" evidently opened his
mouth and put his foot in it.
Perhaps the next legislature will not
repeal the exemption laws. Perhaps it
will extend them. Perhaps it will enact
a stay la"w. Perhaps it will repeal all
laws for the collection of debt. What
would "A Banker" think of that?
A New Paper.
We have received No. 1 of the Lin
coln Herald, published by Calhoun &
Coryell, presumably edited by J. D.
Calhoun. It is a neat looking sheet,
and bright its ideas. By its salutatory
we learn that "it is democratic a3 its
editor understands democracy." "It
will assail with all its power the malev
olent and blighting evil of protection to
a favored few at the expense of the
many," and "support the doctrine of
state regulation of railroads and tele
graphs." It believes all our economic
evils are traceable to protection. "It
will try to be all that a paper ought to
be, remembering that the people of this
age demand honesty, cleanliness, ac
tivity, vivacity; and ability in all candi
dates for public favor." On the tern
perance problem it will "support the
line of policy best calculated to aid in
the betterment of the social condition."
It will be seen by the above that the
Herald's democracy is what its editor
chooses to think; that on the railroad
question it is a long ways behind the
people, who demand national instead
of state control; that it ignores the
money question as a 'factor in our eco
nomic troubles; and that it discreetly
reserves itself on the temperance ques
tion. There are great possibilities for
it in these last two questions.
Mr. Calhoun is an able editor. He
knows by experience that the people
demand honesty, etc., etc., in the con
duct of a paper, and he can supply a
very fair article of that commodity and
the et ceteras, if he really sets out to do
it. We wish him the most abundant
success on all right lines.
"The Lillies."
We have received from Hon. N. K
Griggs, of Beatrice, a neat volume of
Sunday School Hymns with music ar
ranged by himself. Many of the hymns
and songs are all the production of Mr
Griggs. - This gentleman is a musical
composer and a poet of a high order of
talent. He is also a practicing lawyer
of great industry and ability. These
avocations are seldom joined in one
man, but in Mr. Griggs they seem to
be very happily blended. While he
may not reach the highest judicial
ermine, his name will be linked forever
with some sweet hymns and melodies.
, Change of Address.
Persons wishing the address of their
paper changed must inform us to what
office it is now sent. Unless this is
done we cannot make the change.
Cancelled Farm Mortgages.
These exist in the imagination of the
money-sharks who were so indignant at
the Alliance Memorial, and in that of
some editors who have been and still
are in sympathy with these fellows.
When a mortgage is paid a release is
made and acknowledged before a no
tary, and its record is just as necessary
to remove the mortgage lien from the
record as the recording of the mort
gage "is necessary for the security of
the mortgagee. Does the Bee imagine
men who mortgage lands do not know
this, and that when they pay their
mortgages they will throw away these
releases or put them in their pockets to
be lost? There seems to be great anxi
ety to draw upon tie imagination for a
large amount of cancelled mortgages
not shown on the records. We say to
the Bee and to the other anxious ones
that these don't exist. Very few men
are fools enough to pay a mortgage and
leave it on the record.
We are prepared for every effort on
the part of the real estate agents and
money-lenders to cover up this mort
gage business. The appointment of E.
F. Test to attend t the matter in Ne
braska is a pointer. He is a real estate
agent and money-lender, and one of
the first to cry out against the Alliance
Memorial and deny its statements. He
has been put where he is for a specific
purpose. But we notify him right here
and now that any attempts to cover up
the facts will be promptly exposed. "
Rough on Br o. Jenkins.
A report of a Sugar Beet meeting at
Chadron rather broadly hints that our
statistical-real-estate-mortgage friend
J enkins well, that he favored beet su
gar because alcohol could be made out
of the pulp. This is too cruel. Jenkins
is very often quite full of the beet su
gar subject; but to intimate that he is
ever full in any other sense is simply
well, to say the least, not in good taste.
The same report says that Brother
Jenkins "branched off" from sugar
beets to a discussion of individuals, and
that "Mr. J. Burrows, Chairman of the
Farmers' Alliance, was vigorously
scored." Well, well, that's too bad. We
don't suppose Mr. B. will be able to
stand it. We "sejested" some time ago
that Mr. Jenkins should take up the
problem "was Hamlet a woman?"
merely as a relief to his massive intel
lect in lucid intervals. He doesn't seem
to have taken this suggestion kindly.
In fact it riled him, and we are inclined
now to apologise, and recall the sug
gestion. It was too much to ask of the
statistic commissioner. Sugar beets
and farm mortgages, with a little inci
dental practice at the bar, about size
up the capacity of Gov. Thayer's pets.
The Interstate Commerce Commission at
Lincoln. ,
As we go to press the interstate com
merce commission is holding a session
at Lincoln, having had a special agent
here for some days past investigating
the question of rates. Att'y Gen. Leese
and Secretaries Gilchrist, Gilkeson and
Garber have compiled a complaint for
submission to the board. This com
plaint embraces all the points in dis
pute as to rates. It asserts that the
rates are exorbitant; that .they were
advanced alter tne interstate law was
passed; that a 12 cent rate to Chicago
would be sufficient; that shipments
troni Uhicago nave increased 100 per
cent in five years; that the differentials
between St. Louis and Chicago largely
deprive our people of the benefits of
water transportation; that the cost of
constructing our roads is less than one
half that of roads east of Chicago; that
the stock of our roads is fictitious, and
rates made to pay on them; that the
rates on coal are unjust and extortion
ate.
It is to be hoped that this session of
the interstate board niay result in suffi
cient information to secure a reduction
of through as well as local rates.
Gratuitous Advice Worth What it Cost.
The Knox County News prints a' colj
umn editorial, advising members of
the Alliance not to engage in co-opera
tive enterprises. It says: "The chief
object of the Alliance, so near as we
can learn, is to influence legislation
It then advises the Alliance to "stick to
its text." : .
We would say to the News that it is
not very good at learning. To influ
ence legislation may be one of the ob
jects of the Alliance, but it is not by
means its chief one. In fact, that
would be only one of the many meth
ods of attaining the chief object of the
Alliance, which is, to develope a better
state, socially, morally, mentally and
financially. Co-operative business en
terprises afford another and very effi
cient means for accomplishing these ob
jects, and members of the Alliance will
engage in them, notwithstanding the
cheap advice of the News, whose friend
ship for the Alliance is of an extremely
doubtful character.
That Division Scheme.
It is hinted now that our Geo. W. E
D. inspired the scheme to divide Ne
braska. These politicians get so accus
tomed to dividing public offices, and
the plunder supplies so small a propor
tion of the demand, that the creation of
more capitals and more offices comes
as a natural sequence. If Uncle Sam
should give George the additional ten
per cent of monev his bill calls for
would he divide that? This division
business ought to work in all direc
tions. There is likely to'be some em
barrassment in diyiding the offices next
fall; so perhaps George had not better
create any more until he is sure his own
friends would get the benefit of them.
By the way, we have forgotten by
what name the new state was to be
christened. Was it Dorsey? Of course,
if he makes a new state it ought to be
named for him. , There isn't a politi-v
cian in the west who wouldn't cut up
his county or his state to make offices
and patronage.
The Money Petitions.
The response to our money petition
surpasses even our most sanguine ex
pectations. Sent out only a short time
ago, those petitions are returning us by
the hundreds, and contain thousands of
names. It seemed a gigantic work to
count the names, and record the num
ber; but we regret now not having done
it. However, the aggregate is enor
mous, and they have just begun to
come.
Push the good world Send to us for
blanks, if more are wanted. This is a
good way to let congress know the
drift of public sentiment on such sub
jects.
The petition against the U. P. debt
extension is also coming in with thous
ands of names. It cannot fail of having
a salutary influence. It is a grand
thing to inform our members of con
gress what we want from time to time.
But it is a much better thing to elect
members who know what you want be
forehand, and who will strive to supply
it without waiting for permission from
Wall street or U. P. headquarters.
A New Accession.
John M. Thurston, general railroad
attorney, orator, statesman, presided
over a national convention of republi
can clubs the other day, which declared
that it approved of the general princi
ples of the interstate law, and demand
ed "the regulation of all railway and
transportation lines in a manner to in
sure tair and reasonable rates to all
producers and consumers." What does
John want, anyway? It must be some
thing that needs the votes of the. dear
people, or he couldn't be dipping the
tips of his fingers in holy water in this
way. How he must have shivered when
he declared that resolution adopted.
An application for membership in the
Alliance is next in order. There is no
overproduction of patriots, if there is
of corn; and fresh blood may do the
breed good. But John ought to be
transplanted at once. Corporation at
mosphere must be getting very disa
greeable to him. Perhaps he would
take a situation as Alliance organizer
for a while. '-.
. Fractional Currency.
The proposition now before congress,
in a bill presented by Mr. Mansur, of
Missouri, to issue paper fractional cur
rency, should by all means be adopted.
It would be a great convenience to the
people. It woidd release $25,000,000 of
coin, held in the U. S. treasury under
our enlightened specie redemption sys
tem to redeem a currency that does not
exist. We issued bonds to buy that
specie, and have been taxing ourselves
to pay interest on them lo! these many
years. at would relieve the people of
the irritation of buying express orders
and postal notes for small remittances,
and of the expense of paying for them.
If our George favors this measure, as
some of the dispatches say he does, he
can go into any place on Pennsylvania
avenue and get a glass of beer and
have i charged to our account.
Sound Clear Through.
The Omaha Republican stands man
fully by its guns on the money ques
tion, notwithstanding the objections of
certain Omaha bankers. We can for
give many errors to the paper that
prints the following as its sentiments:
"How foolish for European states to
bow at the feet of the English Roths
childs, and beg for the loan of money.
Sometime they will learn that money,
based on the credit of the government,
with all the property within the state
as security, is just as good as a bond
based on the same credit and property.
Such shallow-brained ideas as now
govern the question of money in Eu
rope are akin to the idea that a bank
can issue good money while the gov
ernment of the United States can not.
What has become of the reasoning pow
ers of a people who cannot see the
many fallacies that govern in the mat
ter of coining money?"
Sharp Questions to Uncle Jerry Rusk,
Wilson Winslow, President of an Al
liance at Bertrand, Neb., has written
an open letter to the Secretary of Agri
culture, in which he asks some ques
tions which are very much to the point.
Uncle Jerry will find them stunners,
and sharper men than he' is will find
their logic cannot be evaded. We ex
tract: " .
"The Lord knows we have done our
part to produce the wealth of this na
tion, but any simpleton knows we
haven't got our share. Corn is worth
twelve (12) cents per bushel at this town,
and money commands two (2) per cent
a month at the same time and place.
This interest compounded is about thir
ty (30) per cent per annum. Now if it
is an overproduction of corn that makes
it so cheap, is it not an underproduction
of money that males it so high? It money
is a creation of law, is not the amount
thus created subject to regulation by
the same power? If this government
can issue good money to a corporation
of five, with our bonds for securitv,
can it not irsue good monev to an indi
vidual, and take his land for security?
If this should depreciate the value of
money, would it be detrimental to he
who has money or he who owes it? If
the intrinsic value of a silver dollar is
76 cents, are not the remaining 24 cents
specific? Is not one of the latter equal
to one of the former? If the govern
ment can create 24 specific cents that
are equal to gold, can it not create 100
cents of equal value? If one railroad
company makes two millions of dollars
in thirty days hauling our produce, and
Ave lack two millions of making the ex
pense of raising, can we afford to pay
30 per cent for money and loan it to a
railroad company at 3 per cent per an
num? ' If this government can afford to
loan money to a railroad company that
produces nothing at 3 per cent, at
what rate could it afford to loan to the
farmers, who produce the food for the
nation? Should this government dis
criminate between individuals and cor
porations?" , Mortgage Sales. -
The Non-Conformist, of Winfield, Kan
sas; says that one law firm in that state
have now in their hands for foreclosure
eighteen hundred cases. . It refers to
one county in which there are 160 cases
ou the docket for forecloseure.
Silver Coinage.
Bur well, Neb., March 10, 18GO.
Ed. Alliance: Please reply through
Alliance: -
1. Would not the unlimited coinage
of silver have a tendency to affect the
market value of the metal, and render
it possible for unscrupulous shylocks to
control its price in market?
2. Would there be any error or dis
advantage in having congress provide
for the issuing ot some certain amount
of money (say bringing the amount in
circulation to $35 per capita) in green
backs. Then retire those greenbacks
as speedily as practical by .the coinage
of silver, so long as silver can be had
by government for some certain price?
Kespectiully,
Samuel Deaver.
The free and. unlimited coinage of
silver would make all silver which
might be coined potentially money, as
all gold which may be coined is now
potentially money. It would be im
possible then for any combination to
control its price, as that would be fixed
by the government, the number of
grains of silver contained in the dollar
being worth exactly a dollar, less the
cost of minting.If its coinage was sim
ply free that is, the government coined
all that was offered and no more there
would be no motive in cornering it, un
less it had a value for some other use
greater than its value for money. In
that case its coinage would cease.
2. There would certainly be no dis
advantage in issuing greenbacks to the
amount of $35, or even $50 per capita;
but there would be a fearful disadvan
tage in retire. The idea that the free
and unlimited coinage of silyer, the
same as gold, would make too much
money, is a Wall street bug-bear, and
nothing else.
Theft.
The Tecumseh Republican steals quite
a portion of Judge McKeighan's article
in a late issue of The Alliance, pub
lishing it as original matter without
credit. This is certainly not in good
taste, and its morality even is doubtful.
It also makes copious extracts from an
original article by C. M. Clark in the
same manner. If we detect a paper at
this sort of thing the second time we
cut it off from our exchange list.
A Tramp's Prayer.
We have seen a very fine poem, said
to have been written by a tramp. We
have heard of a tramp who carried
a Greek testiment to beguile his mom
ents of rest. We have heard of tramps
who were brave.and of others who were
chivalrous. We have known that tramps
needed prayer; but the following is the
first actual sample of a tramp's prayer
we have seen. When we remember how
tramps are made, and that all of us may
be overtaken by misfortune, we need
not be surprised to find in their, ranks
all degrees of education, temperament
and talent. But we will let this prayer
speak for itself:
O God! Thou that canst perform mir
acles, have mercy on me. I know that
I have sinned,but forgive me; I am will
ing to serve Thee and do Thy will. My
family is in great want. O! give us help.
Stamp out the lions of this nation, and
bring the wicked sinners to justice, but
save the Republican Party. O! Lord
save us in our sins. O! save us in our ini
quities. O Lord, save us and our party.
O, save our political prejudices, and
help us to keep all our old party affilia
tions, all of which we ask for the sake
of Abe. Lincoln, and a lot of other dead
men, as well as a lot of dead issues that
died long before the men died. And
we ask Thee for grace to vote for
every railroad capper, banker, law
yer, and all the .general shysters
that can come up in our old party' lines;
and we ask for grace to be good Xlliance
men for 364 days in a year, and hoist
the pld party flag on the other day, and
vote for everything that will give us
low prices on all our farm produce, and
to so vote as to protect every body but
.ourselves. O, give us strength to pay
interest, for the sake of John our great
law giver. O Lord, help my wife to be
content with her lot in poverty, for
what would it profit her to be rich? She
might become worldly and loose her
souL O, prepare our children for what
is before them. Make them content to
be tramps, rather than to vote for any
thing'but the old party. We know that
our party has let pools and trusts com
bine to rob us, and foreign syndicates
take our land;but forgive and "bring the
sinners to justice. Amen.
A Tramp.
Mr. Bellamy Answers Gen. Walker.
Edward Bellamy in North American Review
for March.
I shall now take up the severest charge
which General Walker makes against
nationalism, ne says mat wnat ne just
ly calls " the fundamental proposition
ot .Nationalism," namely, that all work
ers shall share alike in the national pro
duct, is "dishonest." That there may be
no doubt as to his position, he adds that
" to say that one who produces twice as
mucn as another shall yet have no more
is palpable robbery, it is to make that
man for half his time a slave working
lor otners without a reward." Here we
have a very explicit statement that the
producer should have what he produces,
and, as a necessary consequence, that
the non-producer should have nothing,
for evidently, if the producer has all he
produces, there will be nothing left for
the non-producer. Moreover, if it be
"dishonest" for the weak worker to
share equally with the strong, it would
obviously be still more so for the idler
to get anything at all. Now, under the
present industrial system it is tolerably
notorious that the hardest workers and
chiefest producers are the poorest paid
and worst treated, while not only do
idlers share their products with them,
but get the lion's share of it. Is Gen
eral Walker willing that the present in
dustrial system shall be remodeled on
the plan he lays down as being the only
honest one of giving the whole product
to the producer? If so the Anarchists
are to be congratulated upon the ardor
of their new disciple. If not he certain
ly owes an explanation to the friends
of the present industrial system for giv
ing away their case so completely. Let
me suggest that this explanation may be
very simple. Instead of the word "pro
duces," he should have used the phrazc
"can get hold of." This simple change
makes all the difference in the world.
To say a man isentitled to what he pro
duces, is to inyite instant revolution ;but
to say that a man is entitled to what he
"can get hold of is to state the funda
mental principle of the present order.
To Track Buyers.
The Alliance Elevator Company, Chicago,
will pay 80 per cent of the market value ou
receipt of bill of lading oncorn,oats and wheat.
H.L. Loucks,
Manager.
The Minnesota State Alliance.
The Minnesota Alliance met at St. Paul
last week. Two hundred and eighty
six delegates wero present. Mr. II. J.
Hall, of Stevens county, was elected
President. The following named gen
tlemen were elected Vice-Presidents: it
dist.. J. J. Furlong. 'Austin; 2d dUi . l.
B. Lester, Lac qui Parle; 3d dist., 11. V.
Poore, Renville; 4th dist., Andrew Rich
mond, Washington; 5th dist., J. B.
Hompe, Otter Tail.
John Lathrop.of Lac qui Parle county,
was elected treasurer.
Mr. Geo. W. Spague declined a re
election as President, having served
three years, and he and the other retir
ing officers received a vote of thanks
for their faithful service.
The following declaration of princi
ples was adopted.omitting some matters
of purely local application, lt will Ui
seen that the Minnesota Alliance is fully
abreastiwitli that or .Nebraska in its de
mand for legislation upon all importaut
questions:
The Farmers' Alliance of the State of
Minnesota, in convention assembled,
hereby ordain and establish the follow
ing declaration of principles: That wo
maintain the free shipment of grain
from side tracks, and the right to con
struct warehouses without regard to ca
pacity, contiguous to the railway tracks
at all stations, must not be abridged.
This is essential to an open market, and
any attempt to limit their number or
control them by either stale or railway
regulations.limits the number of dealers
and therefore destroys a free market.
That option gambling on boards of
trade should be abolished, and we ask
the state and congress to pass such laws
as shall make such transactions a crimi
nal offense.
All forms of discrimination, including
passes, transit rates and discriminations
in terminal charges, must cease. The
smallest village must have the use of the
tracks at the same terms conceded to
to the largest city. These rights are ess
ential to the liberties of the people.
That in the adjustment of a schedule
of rates for this state we believe the rail
way commissioners should bo guided
mainly by the schedule of rates now in
force in Iowa. But if interstate rail
ways leading to Chicago shall make a
less rate than the Iowa rates, we demand
that the rates to Duluth shall be no
greater per ton per mile than the rate
per ton per mile to Chicago; reasonable
terminal and transfer charges being ad
ded to the mileage charges as provided
for by the freedom of traffic law now in
our statutes.
Railway property should bo taxed as
other property is taxed, and we demand
that it pay its just proportion of all state,
county and other local taxes.
We are opposed to the passage of tho
bill now pending in Congress for t he
relief of the Union and Central Pacitio
railroads, and urge Congress to insist
upon these roads complying with their
obligations. The propositions to extend
the time of payment to the Union Paci
fic fifty years and reduce the interest on
its bonds from G to 3 per cent; Central
Pacific bonds now due, bonds bearing
H per cent to be paid in 123 vears, we
denounce as an outrage upon the peoplo
of this country.
That we protest against any impair
ment of the force and vigor of the inter
state commerce law, and that we espe
cially protest against the repeal of that
part ot the law which prohibits pooling,
discrimination ami the charging mora
for a short than for a long haul.
That we demand that the next legis
lature shall pass a law fixing the ratc
of transportation upon the railroads of
this state that will be sufficient to pay
interest on the actual cost of said rail
roads and their expenses and repairs,
but not one cent of interest ou watered
stock.
That we hold that mortgage indebt
edness should be deducted from the tax
upon realty, whether such mortgage is
held at home orabroad:and we ask such
laws as will make the hidden property
pay equal taxes with the visibue pro
perty. That we favor a material reduction of
the interest on money, and demand that
severe penalties be attachced to the
practice of usury.
That we favor an increase in the vol
ume of money equal to the requirements
of an ever increasing trade and business,
without the intervention of banks.which
shall be made full legal tender, and that
we demand the free coinage of silver.
That we respectively insist that our
members in congress shall support such
legislation as will positively suppress
the beef combination which has practi
cally destroyed the cattle culture in the
whole country and robbed both the farm
mer and the consumer to create million
aires at their expenso.
That the exchange system adopted by
the millers, whereby they take one
fourth instead of one-eighth as allowed
by law, is unjust tax upon the fanners,
and we urge such legislation as will pre
vent the wrong.
That we look with alarm upon the in
vasion of our country by English capi
talists, who are seizing upon great local
industries, giving alien control of theso
interests which are purely domestic and
American, and increasing the strength
of home monopolies by the power of for
eign mouey.
That we deprecate the use of money
by candidates for office, as it debauches
the public conscience ami leads to the
decay of the body politic.
That Ave urgently ask of congress the
immediate passage of Senator Davis'
bill, for the enlargement ami improve
ment of the Sault Ste. Marie canal.
That we ask the next legislature to es
tablish the Australian system of voting
for the whole state.
That all public offices which directlv
affect the interests of the lwople should
be made elective, and lor this reason wo
hold that the United States senators and
railroad commissioners should be made
elective by popular vote.
1 hat we demand that the "war tanll."
which has too long survived the object of
its creation, shall bo radically revised,
giving very material reductions on the
necessaries of life, and placing raw ma
terial upon the free list, to the end that
we may compete with the world for a
market;and that such luxuries as whisky
and tobacco shall in no manner bo re
lieved from internal taxation, till tho
high protection tariff has leeu wholly
divested of its extortions.
That we are not satisfied with the ac
tions of the board of control of the state's
prison in not introducing the- mauufac-
ture of binding twine. We believe that
the project was and still Is iraetical,and
that the farmers of this state have not
been fairly treated in the summary dis
position which has been made of tho
matter.
That wo favor co-operative union of
all agricultural and laboring classes of
the nation to protect themselves from
the robberies of non-producers.
lhat tho Alliance ueerns.it unwise
and injudicious to establish an organ.
but regards with favor and will encour
age with its support all papers which
will espouse its cause and defend its
principles.
lhat we demand that the lecrislatur
at its next session shall submit to a vnt
of the people an amendment to tho con
stitution of thestate forever prohibiting
tho saloon and liquor traffic. .