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About The farmers' alliance. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1889-1892 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1890)
THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE: LINCOLN NEB., SATURDAY, NOV. 8, 1890. the" i CARMERS' ALLIANCE PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BT THB ' . " ALLIAITCE PUBLISHintr CO COS. 11th AND M ST8., J. BURROWS, -J. M. THOMPSON, - Editor. Busine "I the beauty ef the lillies .... Christ was born across the sea, : With a glory in his bosom That transfigures you and me. Am 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. M He who cannot reason is a fool, . fte who will not reason is a coward, , He who dare not reason is a slave." EDITORIAL. We have met the Enemy oTifl nVinrr nun Anro UUU 111UJ U1U UUlUa THE REPUBLICAN PARTY GONE : OUT OF POLITICS. POWERS PROBABLY ELECTED! McKEIGHAN GETS THERE BY TEN TO TWELVE THOUSAND. DORSEY BURIED UNDER HIS OWN BOODLE, AND HARLAN OVER WHELMED WITH McKEI GHAN'S RECORD. McKEIGHAN, REM AND BRYAN THE NEXT CONGRESSMEN. ROOT THE VICTIM OF VAN W YCK'S TREACHERY AND BUTLER'S BOODLE. THE ALLIANCE WINS IN KANSAS, ELECTING THE GOVERNOR AND FIVE CONGRESSMEN . ; The result on governor in Nebraska 4TB wm mm TB m - is still doubtful. As we go to press there are thirty -two counties to hear from, and these nearly all counties that will give independent majorities. So we feel confident that Mr. rowers is elected. DEMOCRATIC STATES. There seems to have been a land-slide all through the country Tuesday. The democrats claim Massachusetts, Con neticutt, Wisconsin and Colorado. The democratic gain of congressmen is eo great as to assure that party control of the , next house. Indications are that the democrats will elect the next U. S. Sen ator from New York. Delaware goes republican. The democrats gain four congressmen from Iowa. . , ' - ,.- Throughout the south the congress men endorsed by the Alliance are uni formly successful. The democrats have carried Pennsyl ania by nearly 5,000 plurality, electing Pattison governor, and seven or eight congressmen. THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE. .Published Weekly by the J. BURROWS, Editor. J. M. THOMPSON, Bus. Mg-'r. SUBSCRIPTION $1.00 PER YEAR. HTVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. OR FIVE SUBSCR-PTION3, IN ONE ORDER ONE TEAR 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 RON AGE. ITS EDITORS HAVE NO FREE PASSES, AND ITS OPINIONS ARE NOT FOR SALE AT ANY PRICE, In the above 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 NOTICE. The most important political cam paign ever made in , Nebraska is about to open. . , Oa the one . side will be ar raved 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, isot oniy snouia 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. IS CLUBS OF TEH. TILL JANUARY , 1st, 18 1, FOR 20cts. : PREMIUMS. The Axliance one year, and Look ing Backward, postpaid.... $1.30 Ditto and Labor and Capital by Kellogg ... . ....... . . .... ... Ditto and Caesar's , Column. ...... Ditto and Oar Republican Mon archy by Venier Vol do . . . . . . The above books for sale at this fice. or sent'postpaid as follows: 1.10 1.25 1.10 of- Lookincr Backward. .50 cts Caesar's Column. . ........... . . .50 jets, Labor and Capital . . .20 cts Our Republican Monarchy. . . . . .25 cts . Address, Alliance Pub. Co., Lincoln, Neb. To Subscribers Old and New. For One Dollar we - will send The Farmer's Alliance One year from this date till Jan. 1st, 1892. Send in your Mines. We ask every one of our old cabflcribers to send us one new name. Cpread the light USURY AND THE USURY LAWS. There is ,; no more rapid source of wealth, and , no abuse ; that results ,in greater injustice and oppression to the producing and laboring ' classes than usury. Add to this the fact that the ability to enforce usurious contracts is derived from one of the most grossly unjust principles that was ever estab lished by law and judicial "decisions in the interest of a small class, and we have the present condition in Nebraska and all the Western states. The princi ple that we allude to is that commercial paper, no matter by what fraud ob tained nor how gross the usury in volved, is good in the hands of an inno cent purchaser. This principle, which is established by law and bolstered up by judicial decisions, is the bulwark of usury. The usury law in this state forfeits all interest, both legal and usurious. So in usurious contracts usury is a sum- cient defence as between the original parties. If usurious interest has been paid on a note, and the defence of usury was set up, all such payments and all payments of interest on such note would have to be credited on the principal of the note. But in case the note has passed into the hands of an innocent holder this defence is of no avail. The least reflection will show what an easy escape this affords to the usurer. All he has to do is to have some conve nient party to whom usurious notes may be transferred, and he is safe. Two usurers can defend each other in this way. , ' . , : That this is class legislation of the worst kind may be seen by the fact that according to the census of 1880 there were only 15,180 bankers and brokers in the United States. There are prob ably now about 25,000 out of 60,000,000 people. When we reflect that the legal rates of interest exceed the rewards that can be obtained from any legitimate indus try, we may realize the'extent of the robberv by usury. It is robbery and nothing less. The protection of fraudulent or usu rious paper in the hands of an innocent holder is radically wrong, it is a prin ciple established solely in the interest of money-loaners, and applies to no other kind of property. The principle should be establised that the vender of commercial paper becomes the guaran tor of its legality in every particular, and that guarantee should follow the paper through every transfer, and be cumulative upon every vender of it. It will be seen at once that no penalty of forfeiture can be affixed to usury that will haveany force as long as this pro tection of paper in the hands of inno cent holders obtains. A forfeiture of principal and interest would be of no more force than the forfeiture of inter est alone. It is necessary to devise a law that will deter men from, taking usury, and action by the victims must not be necessarv to its , enforcement. The principle of personal honor which prevents men taking advantage of their own act against a usurer inheres, m human nature, thank God, and we have no disposition to break it down. The risks of usury should be made so great that no lender will assume them. And the preliminary step is to make every vender of commercial, paper the guar antor of its full legality. The next and perhaps a necessary step may be to make usury a criminal offence punisha ble by fine and imprisonment. A PERSON NAMED FRANK T. HEL VEY AND C. H. VAN WYCK. In the Bee of the 30th there is a screed of abuse of Hon. J. H. Powers and J. Burrows, written by C. H. Van Wyck, and signed by Frank T. Helvey, who appends to his name the title of State Master Workman of the K. of L. This screed contains as many falsehoods ; as it has sentences. It was written by Van Wyck not particularly, to abuse Powers and Burrows, but to ; draw votes away from the people's ticket. , As Van Wyck never had occasion to bring Mr. Helvey to the notice of the Nebraska public before, we will lift him out oi obscurity by statins who ne is. He is a republican small-bore politician who has been in the service of Van W at Nebraska City; and about a year ago the latter rewarded him by having Con nell appoint him post-master at that place. When , the people's movement was inaugurated last spring he opposed it, but was overruled by the Knights; and now in entering the conspiracy with Van W. to elect Connell he is misrepro senting ninety-nine per cent, of the Knights of the State. The artiele he permitted Van W. to put his name to is beneath criticism. As far as the men assailed are concerned it is simpjy a tissue ot lies, in tact,, id an active business life ot forty years we have never met a more unscrupulous and mendacious liar than Van Wyck. .He rehashes his stuff about the ap pointment of delegates to the people's convention, criticising it as he did in his former article on the basis of popu lation. That apportionment was made on the basis of the then existing organi zation in the different counties, and was perfectly fair and just. : , ;. , We will now state a fact about it which we have not before stated, and which 4s not generally known, viz: The first kick about it came from Dave But ler. " He organized the opposition to it, trying to have it changed so as to give Douglas Co. eighty delegates and Lan caster, seventy-five. These counties had very little Alliance organization, and no other that would entitle them to such representation. But Butler thougtht he could force a change, secure delega tions from those counties which he could control, nominate and elect his tool governor, and then secure the passage of a law giving him a large indemnity for the losses he claims in his most just impeachment. .'The tools he was using did not see through this scheme, but Mr. Burrows did, and fortunately had influence enough to prevent the change. Besides, be was fully aware oi uutierg occupation as a . dispenser of B. & M. m r"n- - . " boodle, and was determined ne snouia not have any controlling influence in the convention. As for : men like this Helvey who occupy 'prominent positions in labor societies allowing themselves to be used by old garty politicians like Van Wyck and Connell,-we have a word, to say. It is labor against labor. It paralyzes the friends of labor. Itdestroys all hope of labor ever becoming freed from he bondage of poverty and ignorance. As long as labor leaders go into organiza tions for the money there is in it, and take free transportation, and trade with politicians, and sell out their own friends, so long will capitalists array one class against another, and rule by virtue of their disjunction. As long as old line politicians and real estate and mortgage ghouls like Van W. and Con nell can use men like this Helveyat work too contemptible for any low down scoundrel, so long labor will be the sport and tool of capital. As we will probably refer to Van W. more at lensrth hereafter we shall not say much about him on this occasion . Up to the day of the state convention he was all honey to Mr. Burrows. There is no doubt that he attributed his defeat for governor to him. But it is not for a moment , credible that he would turn upon the whole movement as he has done simply for spite against one man It is to be remembered that he made the first attack, not we. He turned like a tiger upon a man who had unflinching ly stood by him for years. He was tied up with Connell and Harlan ' before the people's convention, and if he had un fortunately been nominated for gov ernor he would have sold the balance of the ticket to promote the ends of Van Wyck. Selfishness is his pominent characteristic, his ruling passion, in fact. He violated his word of 'honor when he failed to promptly.' accept the nomination for Congress. He perform ed the most treacherous of acts when he held that nomination in abeyance knowing as he did that every hour of delay was a deadly injury to the party he pretended to espouse. He is incapa ble of feeling the sentiment of gratitude except where dollars and cents are con cerned. Earth yields to day no better tribute to hell than the ungrateful man. As Satan swings the crate to let him in he will shrink back in fear of defilement. THE AGONY OVER. The election is a thing of the past, for which we are devoutly thankful. Rarely has a more bitter campaign been fought anywhere At this writing we do not know, the issue of it, so we write with out exultation or teaas. The dominant power in this state saw its ascendancy threatened as'it never had been threat ened before; and it put forth its most strenuous effort to save itself. Unscru pulous and mercinary, it resorted to the most unscrupulous means to secure sue cess. . The independent ticket being ex ceptionally clean and able, and some one being needed upon whom the attacks could be concentrated, the editor of this paper seems to have been selected by common consent for that purpose. Up on his devoted head has been poured the wrath of his enemies, as well as of trai tors and beats who have been exposed through his agency. Mr. Burrows has been among the few who have stood by the Alliance from the start, Allen Root is another :who. has never -dispaired. Occupying an important position in the society, and being editor of its organ, it is perhaps well that Mr. B. should have borne the brunt of the enemy's abuse as any other man. With an hon est purpose he went into the fight. He has pursued it with honest means only, and will come out of it with his integrity and honor unscathed. The attempt to weaken the indepen dent ticket by assailing the business management of the Alliance and reck lessly attacking Mr. Burrows' private character was teo vile to originate with any one except '. a corporation. It has done and is doing this paper great dam agein fact may make its ; suspension necessary. There is no point upon which farmers are so sensitive as upon this one of the finances of their societies We need the confidence of our subscri bers. We need a continuance of their financial support. Without its prompt continuance this paper must soon be suspended. We ask it now with the assurance that time will fully demon strate that everything connected with the finances of the Alliance is and al ways has been as straight as a string. The failure of crops in the state makes' the times particularly hard on a paper depending upon the farmers for sup port., . , . We have incurred a large liability in the purchase of a press, relying on the support of the members of the Alli ance. . : The time for the expiration of a large number of subscribers is at hand. Their prompt renewal is the expression of ap probation that will be most valuable to us, and that is, in fact, indispensable. We are offering the paper at the very lowest price at which we can sell it and live, and at that that price we should have at least 25,000 names. W e appeal now to those who have helped us in the past, promising to be just as faithful to them and to the truth as we have here tofore been. ' , THE LOSS OF LANCASTER CO. i After dinner on Tuesday it was ap parent that Lancaster county was lost to the independents. While a victory in the county would have been astonish ing, it was quite possible. At 2 p. m. Tuesday the returns from 19 country precincts Lwere ' in',, and gave Powers 1886 votes, and Richardsonly 1129, leav ing Powers 757 ahead. ; The country vote stood manfully by its guns." The democratic Alliance men stood with their brothers. But the city working man's vote upon which we had largely counted failed us. Boodle and whiskey in the city did their fatal work. CO-OPERATION, THB STATE ALLI ANCE AND ITS STATE AGENCY. That the state' Alliance has been able, without the investment of a dollar of capital, to establish a central house which is able to furnish all members with goods, machinery, etc., at whole sale : prices, is a fact upon which all members may be congratulated. Other states have only been able to do this by the investment of a large amount of money, procured by issuing stock to those who were able to take it and which stock has always become a charge upon the patrons of the institution, as the stockholders properly claim a return upon their capital, as well as a control of the business. Such institutions near ly always sooner or later are absorbed by private individuals or become to some extent monopolies, or lau irom the greed or inexperience of managers The Alliance State Agency has no stock liability,' and consequently pays nodivi dends to stockholders, and has no ex pensive board of directors to absorb its profits. It is conducted solely on the agency plan. It buys goods for cash on orders, direct from wholesalers and manufacturers, and adds a commission sufficient to pay current expenses, there being no attempt made to accumulate capital, It engages in no speculations, and takes no risks. During the past season it was consid erably emberrassed in the handling of implements and machinery on this plan. There are several reasons for this which will be apparent to those who are familiar with the implement trade as at present carried on. Either job bers or manufacturers give to local agents the exclusive sale of certain ma chines. In the case of complicated ma chinery it is often necessary to have an expert near where they are sold. It is also necessary to have depots of repairs accessible to their patrons. Having es tablished these local agencies the manu f acturers think it right to protect them irom outsiae competition on tne same machine. This seems right under the present system. There is only one way to meet this difficulty, and that is to make our state agency so strong that it can furnish a market for the entire output of the machines it wants, or at least so large a part of it that the heavy dealers could not afford to ignore it This can be done by establishing at least one Alliance co-operative store for each county, which should be a local distri buting agency for the State Agency. The priociple of the co-operation in volves a division of profits among the members on the basis of purchases, each member receiving the profits on his own trade. In these stores stock is issued in very small shares, not over $5.00, the object of the issue of stock being more to secure the interest of the share holder and his trade than to ret his capital. Where the business is hon estly conducted and on a strictly cash basis, these stores are uniformly sue cessful. This plan of country stores which will become distributing points for the State Agency will be more especially useful in the . implement trade, which differs from any other. To be successful in this the State agency must have large de pots to draw from. One of two things are indispensable to this, either a large trade to supply or a large capital to in vest. Not having the latter, the acrencv must have the former. We. will soon publish some detailed statements of the business of the State agency since it was established. Written forTHK Alliance Lincoln, Ktb. NO TAX. " me iarmers complain oi the mon ey power, ' complains that the plough is bended to the safe,' that the results of the farm are added year by year to the possessions-. of a non-producing class And so the farmers have organized into an Alliance to try and remedy this con dition ot an airs. rut now is it going to be remedied? If the . Alliance com prises every farmer in the United States t-as it should what then? Not mere ly the election of good men to office will suffice. We must not only organize but we must clearly discern the central power, the citidal of the enemy, and capture it. The " money power" is that center, is that ci tidal, lhe money power is the source of the banditti: that , vermin like everywhere infest human ener gy. It is the money power" that co rupts courts, legislatures, elections which forms the vitality of this twin headed political serpent now in pos session of the government. It is the "money power" that spawns forth dis honest laws, low wages, low prices of tnat escapes taxation, swindles unpun ished, , breeds criminals, drunkards, and paupers, and which mortgage wrecks the homes of the toiling mil lions.. '.. .. vi"'. Try to win, and leave this serpent stinging the bosom of the nation, and you will try - in vain. ,. Organize your Alliance aud start Alliance papers, and this money po wer will so impoverish ye that ye cannot support them. And they will die, one by one--and without a press no movement of national refor mation can live. Organize and place men in the field for election to repre sent you, and their poverty and your poverty, if this power remains intact, will finally defeat you. For money 'is the scepter of power, and whoever holds that scepter is king.' ' " Farmers of America! You must grasp this scepter You must be the " money power " or you must be slaves! ; Which will you be? This scepter is within your grasp, within your power; will you take it? But how? . Listen! ; -The ' money power," is the "money; power" simply because you have given its class the special 'privi lege of coining' their special property imto money, i. e. "gold.". Extend' that privilege to yourselvesl Give yourselves the privilege of coining your property. i. e. land " into money, and lo! pres to. you become the " money poverS', Land all over this country pays tribute to a handful of gold. These broad acres forests and farms are the mere spoils of this yellow metal, and the ' cruel ne farious gang running it. Your crops and yourselves are its tools and things of sale, your children growing up to become, its serfs, and white though they be, yet are they owned, owned. OWNED, as firmly and as surely as ever were the black children of " king cotton." Farmers of America men of the Al liance!, You must seize this power of money and wrest it from the gold ring's fangs! You must free your lands, your crops and your children from the sub tler yet devilish bonds and piratical tribute of " king gold." You must coin your land! You must There is no other process appropos to the times. This republic is sinking. It's very soul cries, "HelpI" I tell you there are patriots wanting in this hour. Men with their country's honor shrined in their hearts men broad enough to lay their energies come what may upon its altar. O that the fires could Hash into these cold selfish millions, stand ing .moveless, and this God given land needing aid! Rise! Not with arms and riot but with thought and organization. There is no power opposing the people of a republic save their own unfaithful ness! Here the people are the source oi everything, and hence an that is needed is education. Then spread the light. Carry the news cif Land Cur rency and Ne Tax to the wretched men and weeping women of labor! Tell them that the people of this great re public should be the banker. That the people of this great republic should hold their mortgages and receive the interest. Tell them that Land Cur rency is the people's currency, issued to all land holders,reducing their inter est and paying their taxes. Tell them that Land Currency finally gives the people the possession of all the land through; holding all the mortgages and, receiving all the interest, thus benefiting the small land owners and relieving the no-land owners. For if the people hold all the mortgages and receive all the interest, then the larger the piece of land mortgaged the greater the revenue received by the whole peo pie, thus lessening and lessening the burden of taxation on the smaller hold- ers or farmers and also upon the land less and poor until the truly " No Tax" is reached. Yours fraternally. Stephen Maybell, 265 Clara St. San Francisco, Cal. THAT FREE PASS BUSINESS. The corrupting hand of the railroad is everywhere. It invades every place from which it is possible for any scintilla of political influence to emanate. - The pulpit is infested with it. " Judges meet it at every turn. County officers look for it; ' Political committeemen consider it one of their1 perquisites about the only one. Members of the legislature expect their annual , passes as soon as they are elected. This influence is so common that men justify themselves for accepting free passes, and many elaim that they are not influenced by them! . There may be such men, but they are very scarce. The man who will accept railroad transportation which may be worth-hundreds of dollars ; every year, and feel under no sort oi obligation for it is a very contemptible sort of a man, and as rare as he is con temptible. The favors are given be cause they put men . under' obligation, and because it is a leading characteristic of men to desire to requite obligations. If this was not true "the free passes would not be givenl They are not given from philanthropic and uRselfish mo tives. Quite the reverse. The men who give them understand human na ture, and expect to and do receive a quid pro quo. They get it in sermons every Sunday; they get it in judicial decisions leaning their way; they get it in legislative votes or legislative absen ces; they get it in trades before elections for their favorite men. It is a vile, de moralizing, corrupting influence, solely in the interests of the plutocrats, and subversive of moral government and free institutions. The law should deal with it and vigorously. By the way, why don't A. B. and C, public officers of the State of Nebraska, htive their postage free in the U. S. mail. j.ne. mans are mtcnea up and going their way, and they could have it just as well as not. Government courtesy would seem to require it. And yet if it was seriously proposed the idea would be ridiculed. But it would be just as sensible as the present system, and not half so corrupting. HON. M. K. LEWIS AND JUDGE McKEIGHAN. Hon. M? E. Lewis is one of the oldest, most prosperous and most respected citizens of Adams county. The repub lican congressional committee induced him to go to Webster county and inves tigate the record of Judge McKeighan. We received his printed report on elec tion day. We regret not having receiv ed it in time to print before election. It' exonerates Judge McKeighan en tirely as to all the vile charges that have been made against him. . It concludes with the following words; fI further state that upon a fair and impartial ex amination of the record and standing of W. A. McKeighan in his own home, I find nothing to . prevent any man of his political o faith voting for him." ; The committee refused to receive his report or fulfill its contract with him. After submitting his report Mr. Lewis explains his arrangment with the committee, which was fair and hon orable to him, and then adds: '"In conclusion ! must say the com- mitte did not want a fair statement of facts about McKeighan's . record and standing, but thought they could do in this county as they had done in otner counties; hire some one for a few pal try dollars to blacken the character of W. A. McKeighan." . ; ? No man in Nebraska who knows Hon. M. K. Lewis will for a moment doubt his statements. SUBSGR1PTION PREMIUMS. We offer the following beautiful articles which are needed in every household. i t the prices named. ' They will be sent the number of names stated at f 1 ;00 per ' w.y . -ij- y "V1- - , i.i . , ... 'I ' I 'I ..;. ! ii '( ' ' : f H : - : h! mm ! ! r . f U; 111 NO. 205. CENTER TABLE; 32 inches high; top 22x22. Solid Walnut, $4.00; Oil rub finish. Imitation Walnut, $2 50; Antique Oak, $3.25. Walnut sent for 14 names; Imitation, ditto 9 names; Oak, 12 names. ' t i( - Pi WMJhJiHmmm 'wuL ill sv " M NO. 67 MUSIC STAND, 38 inches high;' pockets 18x13. Walnut,' Cherry and Ebony, $2.50. Sent for 9 names. NO. 87. SIDE SHELF, 12x8 Wal nut' and Cherry, 55 cts. Sent for 2 names. "-! NO. 54. Wall Pocket, 81x18; Cherry, Walnut, Ash or Mahogany, 80 cts. Sent for 3 names. ; '' i: ii t 7 NO. 177. TOILET CASE, 22x13; Walnut, Oak, and Mahogany, rub fin-, ish, plate, 10x14 SI. 20. Given for 4 names m. ejsr 'IIP 1 I 4( 1 by Lxpress at cnarge oi purchaser fer year. 7 No. 46-Clock Shelf with Stag, 16x13. Walnut or Oak. 75c. Sent for ft nainei. NO. 69. SIDE SHELF, 26x12, Wal nut or Ash, 75cts.. Sent for 3 names. NO. 66. COMB CASE, 19x13. Wal nut, 70cts. Sent for 3 names. "NO. 53 SIDE SHELF, 29x13; Wal nut, 80 cts. Sent for 3 names. NO. 33. TOILET CASE. 22x18; Wal nut Ash, solid Cherry and Mahogany, 75cts. Sent fo r 3 names. J AT yrMrrr''r 1111 r' M Pc
