Nebraska Newspapers

    THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE: LINCOLN, NEB., SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1890.
THE ALLIANCE.
?OJS3 EVERY SATUJBAY
T THB
LLIADCE PUBLISniHG GO.
Lincoln, - Nebraska.
4..DURR0WS, : : V Editor.
VL THOMPSON, Business Manager.
In the beauty mt the lillies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his besom
That transfigures you and me.
as He strove to make men holy
Let us strive to make men tree,
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.
He who cannot reason is a fool,
He who will not reason is a coward,
He who dare not reason is a slave."
EDITORIAL.
Independent State Ticket.
Governor,
JOHN H. POWERS, of Hitchoock
"Lieutenant Governor,
WM. H. DECH, of Saunders.
Secretary of State,
C. N. MAYBERRY, of Pawnee.
8tate Treasurer,
J. V. WOLFE, of Lancaster.
Attorney General,
J. W. EDGERTON, of Douglas.
Auditor,
JOHN BATIE, of Wheeler.
Commissioner of Public Lands and Buildings,
W. F. WRIGHT, of Nemaha.
Superintendent of Public Instruction,
PROF. A. D'ALLEMAND.of Furnas.
Independent Congressional Ticket.
"For Cong-re 88 First Congressional District.
HON. C H. VAN WYCK, f Otoe.
For Congress Second Congressional District.
W. A. McKEIGHAN, of Webster.
Tor Congress Third Congressional District
CAPT. O. M. KEM. of Custer.
Lancaster County Independent Ticket.
State Senators.
J.M.THOMPSON.
J A 8. G.TAYLOR.
Representatives,
ELI AS BAKER.
W. S. DEMAREE.
I. F, DALE.
J. F. EGGER.
ROBT. MCALLISTER.
Commissioners.
L. S. GILLICK.
AUGUST ANDERSON.
D. A. STOCKING.
County Attorney.
. N.Z. SNELL.
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
Publishbd Weekly by the
AlliancePnlsliiDiCo.
J. BURROWS, Editor.
J. M. THOMPSON, Bus. Mg'r.
SUBSCRIPTION $1.00 PER YEAR.
INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. OB FIVE
SUBSCRIPTIONS, IN ONE ORDER
ONE YEAR FOR $4.00.
The Alliance is the official organ of
the State Alliance. It is conducted
solely in the interest of the farmers and
laboring men of the state. It is abso
lutely fearless and untrammeled in the
discussion of all questions. IT AC
CEPTS NO CORPORATION PAT
RONAGE. ITS EDITORS HAVE NO
TREE PASSES, AND ITS OPINIONS
ARE NOT FOR SALE AT ANY
PRICE, In the abbve particulars it is
a new departure in Nebraska journal
ism. We confidently appeal for support to
all who can appreciate the value of
such a paper.
SPECIAL XOTICE.
The most important political cam
paign ever made in Nebraska is about
to open. On the one side will be ar
rayed the farmers and laborers of the
state; on. the other the corporations and
their henchmen, and the newspapers
which for years have prostituted their
columns to the uses of corporations.
The Alliance will be the special or
gan of the farmers and their society in
the contest. Not only should every
Alliance man take the paper himself.
but he should aid in extending it to
those who are not yet members. To
enable our members to so extend it, we
offer it,
IN CLUBS OF TEN, TILL JANUARY
1st, 18 1, FOR 30cts.
PREMIUMS.
The Alliance one year, and Look-
,un Backward, postpaid $1.30
Ditto and Labor and Capital by
Kellogg .'..1.10
Ditto and Caesar's Column 1,25
Ditto and Our Republican Mon
archy by Venier Voldo 1.10
The above books for sale at this of
fice, or sent postpaid as follows:
Looking Backward. 50 cts.
Caesar's Column . . . 50 cts,
Labor and Capital... 20 cts.
Our Republican Monarchy 25 cts
Address, t
Alliance Pub. Co., Lincoln, Neb.
Still the Bee goes on day after day
and utters no word for the Benton-Rich-ards
railroad ticket. Perhaps it is wait
ing to ride to victory in a final charge.
If so it may wait top long. The people's
ticket seems to be composed of fighting
material, and is forcing the fight all along
the line. The Bee must hurry up or there
will be no people left to recruit from. -
23f Mr. Kose water descends from his
dignified perch just long enough to asso
ciate the names of Powers, Butler and
Burrows in his editorial columns. We
admit we have not wasted any politeness
on the Bee, but we have not done any
thing to justify such a gratuitous insult.
As for Mr. Powers, no worse stab could
be given ; him than to intimate that he
is friendly to or supported by Butler.
The New York Central Strike.
The great strike which originated on
the New York Central road, seems . to
be spreading and becoming more inten
sified. The strike was brought about
by the managers of the road. They be
gan to systematically discharge leading
Knights of Labor, and substitute in
their places men who did not belong to
the order. They repudiated all rights of
seniority in length of service, and often
times substituted men of inferior abili
ty and skill for the Knights whom they
displaced. In short the N. Y. Central
railroad inaugurated a warfare upon
the K. of L. as an organization, and
that society had the alternative pre
sented of either going to the wall or re
taliating by a strike, the strike being
for the maintenance of its existence.
It is unfortunate that the issue of the
strike seems at present uncertain. This
is owing to the needless defects of th
labor organizations. The K. of L. is
made up of members of all trades. The
trades unions, the Brotherhood of Loco
motive engineers, the Firemen's union,
etc.etc.,are made up of members of spe
cial callings. There is not necessarily
any harmony of action among them.
Either all should be K, of L., and so
amenable to one head and able to act
as a unit, or each should belong to his
own union, and the unions should be
united in a representative body under
a smaller executive committee. Under
either of these plans harmony would be
secured, and when a strike became
necessary it would be a strike of all,
and would be successful. As at pres
ent constituted the K. of L. seems to be
weak in lacking the united support of
the other organizations.
In this case the right of labor to or
ganize is attacked by the best organized
capitalistic force of the country. While
we fully realize that a strike is unfortu
nate at any time, it is justifiable and in
fact necessary under such circumstances
as these. Until public opinion reaches
the point when labor and its interests
form the first care and duty of the gov
ernment, as it properly should and
some day will, labor must fight its own
battles, and fight them with the only
weapon it has at hand. The incon
venience this inflicts upon the public is
an important agency in bringing pub
lic sentiment to a healthy condition on
this subject,
Consider for a moment the monstrous
inequality between capital and labor
as illustrated by the relations between
the N. Y. Central railroad and its
striking employes. On one hand a cor
poration worth hundreds of millions,
sharing the sovereignty of the state in
its right of eminent domain, granted
the franchise of a public highway in
perpetuity, organized industrially in
the most' perfect manner organized
also to control legislatures and enact or
repeal laws, and to advise and aid the
courts in the execution of them, we see
the most complete, the most tyrannical
and the most powerful force known to
modern society. On the other hand we
find a multitude of atoms mere indi-
dividual men, necessary to the corpo
ration certainly, but with no rights the
corporation is bound to respect, or if
bound nominally to respect their rights
having power enough to practically ig
nore them. We find these atoms handi
capped with wives and babies and
mothers whom a month of idleness will
bring to starvation, and thus rendered
almost helpless in the hands of their
masters. And yet the atoms are the
ones who produce the wealth who
have created the eapital which the con
trollers of the N. Y. Central are turn
ing into an engine of oppression who
have made possible the power which is
saying to these men, " you must not
join labor societies you must only as
sociate as we say you must be mere
dogs amenable to our beck and will."
And society looks on and says that
some measure must be adopted that
will protect the public from the incon
veniences of these strikes.
Society must open its eyes. Society
must say that men who create wealth
must share the wealth society must
reserve the right to its own public
highways society must destroy the un
bounded power ;of the corporation or
that power will destroy society.
Industrial Represntation. -Special
interests are constantly ap
pealing for recognition. The charge of
injustice is being made by the weaker
element of our social fabric against the
stronger; and the specification under
this charge is that the voice of those
i i . -
weaker elements is not 'heard in our
legislative halls that those interests
which have money at command not
only secure the election of their own
representatives to congress and all pub
lic positions, but ignore, or worse, vic
timize the weaker and poorer classes.
There is much more than a grain of
truth in these complaints. Our present
representative system is a jumble. Let
us glance at the first congressional dis
trict of Nebraska. Here more perhaps
than elsewhere the interests of each are
the interests of alL Here there is less
diversity of occupation, a smaller range
of pursuits than in most congressional
districts of nearly its magnitude. But
here we have great agricultural inter
ests great railroad interests great
mercantile interests quite extensive
manufacturing interests great banking
interests. It will be seen that even in a
district in which agriculture forms the
chief occupation there is a great variety
of interests and occupations. All these
have rights and ambitions which should
fairly be considered in a commonwealth
based upon the principles of equality
and justice. Have we ever considered
the rarge of qualifications that would
be necessary in a4 congressman who
would 1 airly represent such a constitu
ency? In the first place his attainments
would Wed to be colossal. He should
be an adept in every business of any
magnitude that is carried on in his dis
trict. He should be able to enter into
and understand the daily lives -and the
daily needs of all the various occupa
tions of his people. His attainments
should not only be unlimited, but his
sympathies should be as broad as the
geography of his district should em
brace all classes of his people and all
their industries.
The mere statement of this necessity
is sufficient proof of the impossibility of
complying with it. A generation pro
duces very few such men.
What are the usual facts as to the se
lection of a congressman? Why, some
ambitious young man, who has proba
bly achieved some money, inhales the
intoxicating nectar of Ambition. He
may have as little real knowledge of
the qualities required or the services
demanded as a boy of ten. But he has
a very practical idea as to how to get
there. He truckles to the leading inter
estshe fixes a few leading committee
men, and is nominated. The party cry
is raised, and the party lash is applied,
and he is elected. The dominant inter
ests, the money power and the railroad
power, use him to secure what they
want or prevent what they don't want,
and the people, the weaker part of so-"
ciety, the men who labor and produce
and pay taxes, are unrepresented. In
justice grows where justice should pre
vail. Murmurings of discontent are
heard free institutions are impeached,
and men begin to look at unusual meth
ods for relief from evils which should
be, but alas are not, also unusual.
The lobby is an acknowledged and es
tablished institution. To what does it
owe its origin and continued existence?
To the natural desire, in fact the need
of special interests being represented
in the halls of Congress and the legisla
tures. These interests, seeing that the
regular members are not their friends,
or may be are their actual enemies, pay
special agents to go to legislative halls
to secure measures they want, or pre
vent the passage of those they don't
want. These agents are irresponsible,
often greedy, unscrupulous and corrupt.
They exist by virtue of the fact that our
representative system does not repre
rent.
Is there a remedy? There certainly
must be, and it will probably be found
in the result of the spontaneous and
natural effort to get away from the evils
of this faulty system, or in other words,
in adopting the remedy the people have
adopted, viz.: the lobby. Let us adopt
a system of industrial representation.
Let our representation be based upon
organized industries, instead of geogra
phy and population alone. Let a state
send a certain number of representa
tives, according to population, but let
those be apportioned among the orga
nized industries of that state. Let the
bankers have a member, let the farmers
have a member, let the different trades
and industries have members, let the
railroads- have a member. Let every
organized industry with sufficient num
bers to entitle it to representation have
its member of Congress. Let these or
ganized industries pay their own mem
bers, and retain them in their service as
long or as short a time as they please.
This is an outline of the proposition
for industrial representation. We ask
our readen to think about it,' and we
will recur to it again.
We Want Harmony.
It is plainly apparent to every news
paper reader that the partisan press of
Nebraska is making a mighty effort to
create discord in the independent farm
ers' and laborers' ranks. Every issue
of the Omaha Bee and other papers of
its ilk contains sarcastic squibs about
the disaffection of some set of farmers,
Knights of Labor, or other supposedly
i ndependent sympathizers. Every can
didate is misquoted and misrepresented.
Alliance and independent meetings are
ridiculed, and a liberal supply of "hisses
and groans " are inserted in their re
ports where it is supposed they will do
the most good. This organization for
instance didn't get its share of the of
fices, or that county was snubbed
There are a thousand and one ways in
which they expect to work the sympa
thetic racket.
We have only to look into the motive
of these editors to be quickly undeceiv
ed. They would have you desert
ticket made up of farmers and laborers.
to vote for bankers, money loaners and
lawyers. Will we again allow ourselves
to be deceived into voting for men
whose only business in life is to get
rich at our expense? How often have
these same oily promises been breathed
in our ear, and this same magnificent
platform put up for us to read? What
matters if we did not all get our first
choice in the independent convention,
does the railroad ticket offer us better
than, we have? For once in our lives
let us bury spite and revenge and bick
erings and march to victory under our
own banners.
Independent Headquarters.
The Independent State Central Com
mittee has opened headquarters rooms
at No. 1034 P Street, where all friends
of the good cause are requested to call
when in the city. The able Secretary
of the Committee, Mr. C. H. Pirtle, a
young farmer of Saunders County, will
be found at the rooms at all times,
ready to do all he can in the good work,
and to him all correspondence should
be addressed.
The address of the Chairman of the
second district Congressional Central
Committee is Francis Phillips, Box 992,
Hastings, Nebraska.
Lying Reporteus. The . reporter for
the Bee stated that at the Lancaster Co.
prohibition convention held at Lincoln
on Saturday last a Mr. Wikoff said that
lie had consulted Mr. Burrows and other
independents, and they objected to the
endorsement of the independent ticket.
Now the fact is that Mr. Burrows' name
was not once mentioned in that conven
tion. Of what value to the public is a
paper that will permit its reporters to
publish such lying statements.
Jim Boyd'f Speech.
When the would-be democratic gov
ernor of Nebraska received the nomina
tion he made a speech, and in that
speech he gave voice to the old time
delusion of the moss-backed rock
rooted. He said:
"On account of the present political situa
tion, the distinction jou have shown me may
nor d, as heretofore, a Darren compuinent,
for I believe that by bard work and united
effort, our hopes will end in full fruition and
the entire democratic ticket can be elected.
Mr. Boyd may derive some consola
tion by hugging the above idea to his
withered breast. It is based on two
fundamental errors, the first of which
is the idea that the democratic party is
in any sense a party of reform, and the
second is that the present revolt from
party rule is confined to the republican
party. The first error is cherished by
the moss-back leaders who strive to
hold their followers together by the
pretensions that the democratic party
is the only organized reform farty.
Nothing is further from the truth. The
corporate influences of this country, as
far as parties are concernedjhave moved
forward side by side on converging
lines. In a democratic state they have
been democratic, in a republican state
they have been republican, but they
have been the same corporate influences
in all cases. Under those influences
the two parties long since practically
came together. There was no test of
membership and no political creed
which would debar any man from en
tering either party until Mr. Clevaland
had managed to stumble through near
ly the first three years of his ad minis
tration. Then, anxious for some kind
of a battle cry with which to go into
the next campaign, he took up tariff
reform as agaiast the high protective
idea, and managed in the next session
of congress to develop a claim for eight
per cent less robbery by the tariff. But
he failed to carry a solid party with
him, and the day never yet has dawned
on congress when there was not enough
democrats present from protection dis
tricts to make the high tariff cranks
sure of a majority for the plutocratic
manufacturers. The lapse of time only
more fully demonstrates that the tariff
is a local issue, as Gen. Hancock said it
was. It is a war of interests outside
of party lines, and a disorganizing ele
ment as far as party diciplineis con
cerned.
Mr. Cleveland demonstrated, by the
publication of his silver letter before
his inauguration, that the plutocratic
power represented by the gold bugs and
Wall street had its clutches on the dem
ocratic party the same as it had on the
republican, and was ready to assume
possession at any time it might become
necessary.
If Mr. Boyd thinks that the present
revolt from party rule is confined to the
republican party he is greatly mistaken.
The ranks of the independent move
ment are filled with democrats as well
as republicans, in fair proportion to
the relative strength of the parties
That these democrats will desert the
movement at the call of men like Boyd
on the mere promise of a victory which
would be barren of results for the farm
ers, is another gross delusion which the
fourth day of November will dissipate
No sane man or set of men will go to
the democratic party for relief from cor
porate domination. That party is quite
as much the party of the plutocrats as
is the republican. That party ignores
the most vital issues of the day ignores
them practically by assuming the tariff
to be the leading issue, when in fact it
is one of the most nuimportant.
If Mr Boyd hopes to ride into power
on a popular wave of discontent which
he has had no hand in encouraging, and
which he has made no attempt to re
lieve, he will be a sadly disappointed
man on the first Tuesday in November.
THREE GREAT CROPS.
There are three great crops raised in
Nebraska. One is a crop of corn, one a
crop of freight rates, and one a crop of
interest. One is produced by farmers
who by sweat and toil farm the In nd. The
other two are produced for men who sit
in their offices and behind their bank
counters and farm the farmers. The corn
is less than half a crop. The freight rates
will produce a full average. The interest
crop, however, is the one that fully illus
trates the boundless resources and pros
perity of Nebraska. When corn fails the
interest yield is largely increased. When
cholera takes the hogs and murrain the
cattle when the hot simoon turns our
lovely prairies into a burning desert, a
compensation is found in the additional
yield of interest. The bread of the into
rest-farmers never falls butter side down.
The interest plant is a dry-weather plant,
a wet weather plant and a cold weather
plant. It never folds its petals. It thrives
best on the poorest soils. It grows at
night as well as in the day. It is bv nil
odds the safest, surest and most produc
tive crop raised in this state. We have
the best banking, system the world ever
saw. Nebraska is a great state. Long
live the g. o. p., and long wave the crop
of interest.
Before and After.
The following extracts are taken
from the Omaha Bee, aud illustrates
what a consistent jewel Rosey is:
BEFORE.
According to a Fre
montf paper. Richards,
the gentleman who
holds friendiv rela
tions with the Fremont
E 1 k horn & Missouri
AFTER.
It is the 6tronjre8t
ticket that could have
been put up, and will
draw all elements of
the party to its ever
lasting- and hearty
Valley railroad Co . ip support Omaha Bee,
the unanimous choiceiin effect, two days
of the anti-monopoly
winir of the ivtrtv.
after the convention.
Omaha Bee. in effect. a!
week before the con
vention.
RAILROAD COMBINE!
Lincoln. July& 1890
special. An infa
mous railroad combi
nation nas been dis
covered, and the ftnti-
inonopoims are in a
rasre. The corpora
tions are determined
to nominate Jack Mc
Coll for srovernor, Tom
bentoti for auditor,
and George Hastings
of Crete, a railroad at
torney, for attorney
general. It is outrage
ous. Omaha Bee. in
effect, one day before
convention.
Farm Mortgages in Nebraska and Kansas.
The Farmers'' Alliance of Kansas has
just made a report of the result of an
investigation instituted for the purpose
of ascertaining how many members of
the body have mortgaged their homes,
how many are renters, and how many
hold their property free from incum
brance. Out of 73,000 farms heard
from, they find that 45,000 are mort
gaged to the aggregate amount of $146,-
563,134, and that of the whole number
only 7,500 are unincumbered. Twenty-
one thousand and seven hundred are
occupied by renters, mostly men who
were originally owners of farms and
have lost them by the foreclosure of the
mortgages on them. The estimated
number of farms in Kansas is 270,000,
of nearly four times the number report
ed to the Alliance.
We are considerably surprised that
Gen. E. F. Test, who was appointed,
with a great blare of trumpets, to su
pervise the investigation of the mort
gages of Nebraska, does not make some
kind of a report. We have been
waiting anxiously for the details
of the mortgage statistics from
some representative counties. Some
enterprising gentlemen in Saline kind
ly furnished the official statistics of that
county; but neither Mr. Test nor the
press representatives of the money
power would condescend to take any
notice of these figures. The Alliance
is ready to match any figures these gen
tlemen may present with figures from
the official records, showing that tne
Alliance statements in regard to the
matter were far within the mark. The
Wahoo New Era says the farmers of
Saunders county are paying interest on
$3,695,000, and that the interest account
is $300,000 a year. Saunders is one of
the best counties in the state. With
the figures of Saline and Saunders coun
ties as a basis, our mortgage debt would
be nearer $200, 000, 000 than $150,000,000,
the amount claimed by the Alliance
memorial. Trot out your official sta
tistics, Mr. Test. '
The Lists are Made Up.
The lists of men from which the peo
ple must select their next state officers
are made up. No others need apply.
And no matter how greatly any num
ber of voters may have preferred to
vote for other men no matter '.ov
strongly large numbers of them may be
convinced that the wrong men have been
selected and wrong influences used in
their selection, they have no redress.
Tney are circumscribed in their choice
to the nominees of these three conven
tions. While there may possibly be a
difference as to which of the few select
ed ones may get there, some of them are
bound to be the winning men.
Is this system as it should be? Is
this all the latitude that a state com
posed of freemen should be allowed in
the selection of its chief officers? We
believe not; and we are happy in the be
lief that the Australian ballot law to be
passed next wjnter will change it all.
When that law is passed) if it is left as
it should be, a comparatively small
number of citizens can name a candi
date for governor, or any other office,
and have his name placed on the official
ballot. That this provision, if properly
enacted, will destroy the domination of
the convention system there can be no
doubt. It is the corruption and demor
alization of the convention system that
has corrupted and demoralized the poli
tics of the country . If the leaders of a
party knew that a small minority of a
state convention could legally put a
candidate for governor before the peo
ple, it would be more careful how it
tried to hoodoo the voters with a boodler
or a corporation capper. It is import
ant that the Australian ballot law
should be thoroughly studied by our
people before next winter, so that they
will know exactly what they want.
An organized effort is to be made to
make it applicable only to cities of a cer
tain class. This must be obstinately
met. We want it for every precinct in
the state. If a pure ballot and freedom
in making nominations is good for the
city it is good for the country also.
Hon. J. V. Wolfe's Legislative Record.
Quietly and insidiously stories are
being circulated to the effect that Hon.
J. V. Wolfe was a copperhead during
the war, and when a member of the In
diana legislature. The vileness to
which republican politicians will resort
is well illustrated in this case. At the
time Mr. Wolfe was a member of the
lower house of the Indiana legislature,
one Simeon K. Wolfe, of Harrison
county, in the extreme southern part
of the state, was a member of the sen
ate. This Simeon K. Wolfe wasr to
draw it mild, quite a radical in re
gard to the war, and a bitter opponent
of Gov. Morton. Now, the political op
ponents of our Mr. Wolfe have taken
the Journal of the senate, and exhibited
the record of S. K. Wolfe, for that of J.
,V. Wolfe, representative, thus trying to
prove that the latter was a worthless
man and a rebel sympathiser.
We have before us the Journal of the
house of representatives of Indiana for
18G2, the year in which Mr. J. V.Wolfe
was a member. We have examined the
record of his votes, and of the bills in
troduced by .him'f; and we assert that
this record sIiqws conclusively that he
was a loyal and patriotic union man.
If this vile attempt to o back nearly
thirty years and blacken the reputation
of one of our best citizens is persisted
in, of course we shall copy from this
record sufficient proof to successfully
controvert it. But we do not consider
this necessary now.
We have hoped that the campaign
would be one of principle, not one of
mud-slinging. But if the railroad tools
want to engage in the latter pastime
thev can be accommodated.
2?-" Richards must be elected at any
cost." Kearney Enterprise.
That's about the size of it. The barrel
is tipped up and editor Smith is holding
his hat under the bung and praying that
"any cost" may mean half a million.
NEBRASKA STATE ALLIANCE.
The condition, success and prospects
of the Farmers' Alliance of this state are
matters for sincere congratulation among
its members. Hardly any adjoining state
has escaped a wrangle on some important
matter. There has been no wrangle of
any kind in Nebraska. Hardly any other
state has attempted business operations
on a large scale without some difficulty
occurring in its business matters. There
has been no hitch, no irregularity and no
trouble of any kind in the business affairs
of the Nebraska Alliance. Hardly any
other state has escaped trouble in its own
financial management, or difficulty in
the collection of its dues. From the for
mation of the Alliance in Nebraska to
the present time there has not been an
irregularity to the extent of a penny in
its financial affairs. It has had an abun
dance of money in its treasury to meet
all proper demands, and instead of call
ing upon its members for assessments the
management has been able to remit dues
for hah a year, thus leaving a large sum
in the local treasuries to bo expended in
any way the subordinate Alliances please.
The books of the Secretary-Treasurer are
open to inspection any day the disposi
tion of every dollar received can be pro
perly shown, and every dollar that should
be on hand will be found safely invested
with interest accruing to the Alliance
treasury.
The Chairman of the Executive Com
mittee, who has had an important share
in the control of the finances, and the
Treasurer who has had charge of the
funds, are justly proud of this showing.
At the same time they fully realize that
the situation is no 'different from what
every member has a right to expect.
Our State Agency, as it continues to
gain the confidence of our members, is
extending its operations, and bids fair to
become in time one of the largest institu
tions in the state. The prominent feature
of it is, that it is an agency for the bene
fit of Alliance members. It is not run to
make money for anybody but its patrons
The larger its business the smaller will
be the per cent of expense, and conse
quently the smaller the commissions to be
charged for work. Not a dollar of Alii
ance money is invested in the business,
the agency plan being strictly adhered to
We have given the above brief outline
to meet the inuendoes and flings that are
sure to be made by the enemies of the
Alliance at such a time as the present.
We wish it to be distinctly understood
that the State Farmers' Alliance is one
institution, and the people's independent
movement is another and entirely differ
ent institution, and that their political
and business affairs are not blended in
any manner.
INDEPENDENT CLUB.
We give the following form for an
agreement for an Independent Club. In
localities where there is no other organi
zation these clubs should be formed. As
fast as they are formed send the names
and P. O. address to this office, so that
they can be made the medium for distri
buting missionary matter in the cause of
the people:
W e the undersigned do hereby organ
ize ourselves into a society to be called
the... Independent Club. Our
objects are:
1. To investigate and discuss political
and economic subjects.
2. To work for political reforms, such
as the free and unlimited coinage of sil
ver, the Australian ballot system, tariff
reduction, land reform, and government
control of railroads.
3. To break down partisan prejudices,
and give support to principles rather than
party.
4. To support the Independent Move
ment in so far as its principles are sound,
its policy wise, and its candidates pure
and honorable men.
Our officers shall be a President, Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer and Ex
eoutive Committee.
Name. P. O. Address.
Blanks of the above form, neatly print
ed on writing paper, ready for signatures
will be sent from this office on receipt of
ten cents.
The Democratic State Convention.
The convention that nominated Jim
Boyd for governor was a hoodlum con
vention. A gathering that would not
permit such a gentleman and democrat
as Hon. C. H. Brown to read a set of
resolutions was composed of something
beside the usual democratic filling,
which is always in favor of fair play.
The wheel-horses of democracy which
have so many times led the great un
washed to glorious defeat, like Morton,
Poppleton, Savage, Miller, and a .host
of other leaders, were conspicuous by
their absence. The whisker-crowd of
Omaha ran the concern. Ou the prohi
bition question its actio"n?while the on
ly thing to be expected from a crowd
made that way, was a great mistake.
On the question of prohibition the inde
pendents are satisfied to let every man
vote his own conviction uninfluenced
by any party declarations. Of the in
dependents many are for it and many
against it. The independent conven
tion realized that it was a subject upon
which no agreement could be made.
Independeuts can vote on prohibition
as they please, and so can republicans.
But no democrat can vote the amend
ment without going counter to a plain
declaration of the democratic platform.
The Omaha hoodlum convention made
opposition to the amendment a cardinal
principle of democracy. There are no
doubt many democrats who are prohi
bitionists. The only resource of these
men is to vote the independent ticket.
None other but a hoodlum convention
would so needlessly put its foot in it.
It has antagonized that portion of the
people who think that morality x and
progress are identical with temperance
reform and has not propitiated a vote
of any other element. Democracy,
good-bye, good-bye.
God's illimitable forces are not private
property; they belong to humanity.
A SPECIAL PRIVATE PREMIUM
FOR THE LARGEST CLUB
BY NOVEMBER 1st.
We have received the following offer
of a private premium from some well.
known breeders of thorough-bred hog
for the largest club of campaign subscri
bers sent to this office by Nov. 1st. Tho
letter was accompanied by a good list:
Kearney, Neb., Aug., 1890.
Editor Farmers' Alliance: I havo
taken a few subscriptions for The Alli
ance, and I find that every subscriber is
soon converted into an Alliance worker
after reading The Farmers' Allianck
a few times. Therefore I think tho moro
subscribers we have for the paper tho
better it will be in the Novemlier elec
tion. Therefore Ave will make the follow
ing proposition : To the largest club
raiser for The Farmers' Alliance to
January 1st, 1891, at 30 cts each, we will
give one Poland China Boar Pig, eligible,
to record, worth at least tl5,00,(farrowcd
in April.) The timein whice the club i
to be raised is from now to Nov. 1st, DO,
and we will leave it to Bro. Burrows to
decide who is entitled to the pig, and to
notify us and the lucky man.
BISCHEL BROS.
Names will le received on the abovo
premium at any time; but persons in
tending to compete for it should notify
us with the first list sent in. Any reduc
tion on club rates hereafter made will ex
tend to all alike. Ed. Alliance.
PIC NIC AT PLATTE CENTER.
Tho Independents of Platte and ad
joining counties came out to tho numltcr
of three thousand five hundred to enjoy
a grand pic nic near Platte Center Aug.
12. Long processions came in from all
points of the compass with banners Hying.
Two bands were present ami good sing
ingfurnished. Mr. J. W. Edgerton, can
didate for Attorney General, spoke for
an hour before dinner. He impressed
his audience as a thinker and orator, and
honest man, and made many friends. Ho
will help the independent cause greatly
wherever he goes. The local candidate
came to the front after dinner, ami con
firmed the impression that the Indepen
dents had made the customary "blunder
of selecting substantial level-headed
farmers for the legislature. I predict
they will do no discredit to their constit
uents. Mr. Kern's address was the great
est and most highly applauded effort of
the day. He spoke for one hour and a
half, discussing the situation and the is
sues in a manner that astonished the ieo
ple who had come to hear a "elod-bop-her,"
and a "pauper " at that. His ad
dress was replete with logic ami common
sense, and was lightened by his peculiar
humor and pathos. His discussion of tho
money and tariff issues showed that thero
can be no doubt of his reform attitude.
Ho handled these- questions without
gloves, and by so doing made hundreds
of friends.
The situation in this part of the state is
very encouraging. The farmers are fol
lowing Mr. Kern's advice by raising les
corn and more politics. We intend to
force the fighting until the victory is won
in November. Hayseed.
tIt appears that Dorsey has spent
a moiety of his $10,000 campaign fund in
buying a democratic convention in tho
third district. The demo-assistant re
publicans have placed themselves at hi
service by nominating a fourth-rate law
yer of Grand Island for congress. Not
only a lawyer, but a chattel-mortgage,
fiend and money shark as well. He an
swers Richards' requirement also in not
being a pauper, having no farm to mort
gage, and preferring to receive instead of
give such documents. His name is said
to be Thompson. We presume he took
the nomination on the same priucip'o
that Toodles bought the door-plate at
auction. "You know, wife," said Ton
dies, "we might have a daughter, and
she might marry a man named Thomp
son, and then this door-plate would
so handy to have in the house."
The Alliance men of the third district
will tumble to this democratic-thorn psou
business in good shape, and will all votn
for Kern.
Lightning.
Editor Alliance: Lightning rod
agents are. working Cass county, teach
ing the farmers something for a big
price. If you see fit you may warn your
readers not to sign any contract that
they do not thoroughly understand, and
not to take a stranger's word for an at king.
It may save a good many dollars to
some of your readers.
Respectfully vours,
P. W. Nickel.
We vvill add to the above that the or
dinary house lightning rod is not worth
a cent, and we would not allow one put
on a building of ours if the rod man
would do it for nothing. The insur
ance men care nothing for lightning
rods.
tr?TThe Lincoln Herald says: "The
editor that can accept Richards and Allen
and Hastings and Humphry and then
kick at Benton draws the line at en
tirely too tine a point for the average
man to see."
Don't you, know Bro. Calhoun, that
the editors who were the loudest anti-
monops before the convention don't
even draw tho line at Benton. That
little Smith of the Kearney Fnterprise,
for instance. He took the whole nasty
mess at one gulp without a spasm. Well,
there's no accounting for tastes, and
some fellows like crow anyway, for a
regular diet.
tW The loon who edits the Kearney
Enterprise thinks Mr. Burrows is a cau-
lidate. He has his name standing in hi
editorial columns, with an ornamental
border around it. Some one ought to
show him the people's ticket. He has no
wit to waste on non-combatants.
JSS?" The Wahoo Wasp, alluding to
ongressman Connell, says it "speaks
'or his record and not for the man." All
right. Let's elect his record to Congress
ind keep the man at home. A man who
speaks for a measure and votes against it
s n't much of a man.
Subscribe fo.i the Farmers' Alli
ance.