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About The farmers' alliance. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1889-1892 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 1890)
i : U the PARLEEES' ALLIANCE PUBLISHED EVERY SATUDAY ' BT THB Alliance PuMshing Co. , COR. 11th AND M STS., NCOLn; -:r:F. - NEBRASKA. ByRRQWS. - - - - Editor. J. U. THOMPSON, PuiBM Mg r. 33C- - In the beauty of the UUIm " . , CJjrift "M oorn acrofs the sea, Witt a glory in hi boiOffl ' That transfigures you and me. Aa He strove to make men holy Let us strive to make men free, Since Oed is marching on." "-'Li, Jjjh? VVard Howe. Laurel crowns cleave to deserts And power to him who power exerU." 14 A ruddy drop of manly blood The surging Sea outweighs." Emerson. He who cannot reason is a fool, f He who will not reason is a coward, He who dare not reason is a slave." EDITORIAL. THE STATE ALLIANCE MEETING , AND THE PRESS. In a long life we have never known a more disgraceful exhibition of jour nalism than that shown by the Bee;, World-Herald and State Journal in the treatment of the State Alliance meet ing of last week. Every person who was in the convention knows how ut terly vile were the statements of these papers. Having no reliable informa tion, their reporters listened in hotel corriders and drew upon their imagina tion for the balance. But through all this vile lying there runs one ever .present and strenuous purpose to destroy Bur rows. Every misrepresentation seems to have this object iu view. The pres ent object of this is obvious. These papers have all the time given it out cold that Mr, Burrows was the instiga tor of the election contest. Of .course all the parties directly interested in the contest know this to be false, and that Mr. Burrows probably had less to do with it than any other prominent inde pendent. But it is likely that the general public believe them; and they now hope to prejudice this general public against the contest by throwing discred it upon Mr. Burrows. -It is for this reason, and to protect the Alliance from the effect of these slanderous tongues, that we allude to this matter. s First, in the Bee of the 18th is an arti cle headed " Burrows' Prohibition Plot." in which the editor alludes to the reception of the two ladies of the , W. C. T. TJ., and says that he had dis covered a " cunningly devised plan to secure statutory prohibition," and that the business of the ladies was " to urge the Alliance to commh ' itself to an at tempt to saddle prohibition on this state after the people have rejected it by a majority of 50,000 votes." "The arti- ,cle goes on in half a column of the same kind of stuff, saying that "Burrows is a better prohibitionist than Alliance man," and accusing him of " bringing the la dies into the meeting." Now. see how plaua a tale will put this lying villain down. 1st. Mr. Bur rows knew nothing of the intention of the ladies to visit the meeting until he met them in the" ante-room. 2d. The whole time they spent in the conven tion did not exceed live minutes, and they said no word about prohibition or any other subject, but simply bore greetings from their society and con gratulated the Alliance upon the good work it was doing. 3d. In this pa per of last week, issued on W ednesday, the day before the Bee came out with the above named article, there was an editorial written by Mr. Burrows in op position to statutory prohibition, and giving good reasons why the 22d legis- . lature should not attempt it. ' r;t In all other matters about the meet in e the papers named run the whole gamut of vile lying. One paper says Burrows has been " vindicated." Hard ly! No charge has been brought against him. The Bee of the 20th says Burrows proposed tfyree per cent as a legal rate of interest. Burrows' proposition was six per cent. , The Bee speaks of , Kern's conservative influence. Mr. Kem was not a delegate, but was on the floor by courtesy. Another paper speaks of "King Burrows." The Journal speaks of "Bur rows and his gang," and of course classes them all as hogs. Now the fact remains that all this has little or no influence on the Alii-, ance. Its members know what they 1 want and intend to have it, though all the Rosewaters outside of hades oppose and deride them. They know an hon est man from a traitor, when treachery is so plainly shown as it was lately. They know when a man is among them for' a "good purpose,' and when he is there to divide and destroy them. The Alliance is and always has been a conservative body. It has not chaw ged in that respect. But its con servatism is of that kind that will .pre serve and build up free institutions, and not the kind that clings to a rotten in stitution because it is ancient. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY GOV. POWERS. Bro: Powers has requested us to ' re turn his thanks to Alliance No. 705 for a beautiful shield, with devices repre senting the various industries ingenious ly displayed upon it. Mr. Powers did not receive this shield until after the state meeting had adionmpfl nthprwioo it. would havebeen displayed in the hall. It will adorn the executive office after the inauguration. - ; - BT" J ay Gould is a microbe on the body politic of this land; kill the mi crobe ! ' The Alliance lymph is the thing to do it with. THE THE MORTGAGE PROBLEM. A correspondent sends us a plan by which the farmers of this state, or such part of them as will adopt it, may find relief from the incubus rof their mort gages. ; fit is a good plan, and a practi cable plan if ifif they will only join together' and adopt it. We give the plan in our correspondent's own words:-' -' -.-- "Suppose the male members of the Alliance form a joint stock , company and each member takes fourshares at $25 per share, paying the full amount in at organization. Now if there are sixty thousand stockholders in the state that W9Wld give a fund of si million dollars aS a permanent fund. Then loan this money to stockholders, say one thousand dollars to one person, at 4 per cent.; to pay off present mortgage, giving amort gage to the company. This would fur nish six thousand stockholders with ttionev to nav mortgages ' t ft'' reduced X" ml -r v. rate of interest, and the six million loaned at 4 per cent would give an an nual income of two hundred and forty thousand to loan the second year to stockholders whose mortgages are com ing due. The duration of the company to be 25 years, thus giving five different sets of mortgages." Our correspondent asks us what we think of the scheme. We think it is a grand scheme. It is not only a grand scheme, but with honest and unselfish officers to manage it, , it is a practicable and safe scheme. And it would not be necessary to wait for 60,000 subscribers. Twenty thousand would furnish $2,000, 000. Ten thousand w6uld furnish $1, 000,000. Some of the most successful loan companies of "this country began business on less than one-tenth of that sum. We not only consider the scheme practicable, but it is the only direction in which we see any hope of immediate relief, A year ago last June the writer of this . : article visited the eastern money cen ters as the . accredited agent of several State Alliances authorized to make ar rangements for money to renew the mortgages of our members. We made at that time a thorough study of this whole mortgage loin business, the methods of conducting it and the sources of money supply. Our mission as" far as obtaining relief was concerned was a failure; and its result was the full conviction that any immediate succor from the mortgage incubus must come through co-operative effort and with our own money. But a very large "if intervenes. Would it be possible to raise even $100,- 000 in the way our correspondent names, to say nothing of $6,000,000? We fear not, at the present time. The next great struggle of mankind, already in its first stages, will be to de throne money as a power to oppress. It will be the most memorable struggle of history, and - its success will mark the brightest era of the world's progress. If that success can be achieved without the misery,, devastation and bloodshed that are ,the milestones 01 the world's advance, we may be sure we have reached the age of reason. ' ' ' ,. . The future doe not look bright. The usury and mortgage problem, a verita ble riddle of the Sphinx which to solve not is to die, confronts ,us, tiring our brain and deadening our hope. The earth shudders at its unwonted burden, in sympathy with the weary worker who leans over it, and together they bring forth a harvest of sorrow and tears. The roots of the mortgage, like the tentacles of the devil-fish, clutch and penetrate every fair hill- top and fertile valley, absorbing the best fruits of the soil, and the dew from its spreading branches distils blood on the lintels of thousands of home's. These things are making cowards of half the men of Ne braska to-day. Knowing into their vitals, bringing their families to the verge of starvation, still they dare not move to destroy it for fear the little life left in them will eo out in the strife. Who will solvethe riddle? There is only one solution to it Money, which is created by law, must be issued in sufficient " quantity to make debt, the basis of the mortgage, unnec essary. - RELIEF FOR OUR WESTERN BROTHERS There is much aid going forward for the relief of the victims in the drouth stricken country. The organization effected by Gov. Thayer is very effec tive, and the roads are acting liberally in' the matter of transpertation. Free transportation is being furnished for all genuine donations, . providing the pre scribed conditions as to receipts and consignments are complied with. While the conditions" way seem onerous to some, they are not unreasonable. It could not be expected that the roads would furnish free transportation to all comers without any safeguards against me auuse 01 me privilege. Ihe same state ot facts may be true as to distribution. The commissioners thought best to put this distribution in the hands of county clerks, commission ers and justices of the peace. Consid erable red tape will intervene in this bufiness, and in consequence of it per haps many ; cases of actual suffering which demand speedy relief may occur. We desire now to ask that where cases of suffering or unrelieved destitution of our brothers in the Alliance are known to exist information of them may be sent at once to the chairman of the State - Alliance Executive Committee. This information should be full and ex plicit, with names and address of par tics plainly written. This is done with the view of giving prompt relief in such cases without the delay incident to bf- ficial machinery. tST The farmers in the legislature will no, doubt watch that warehouse and grain and provision exchanger busi ness as provided for by the good peo ple of Omaha, and vte against it on general principles. FABMERS' ALLIANCE, LINCOLN, NEB., ROStfWATER AND THE COUNTRY 'EDITORS ESPECIALLY THE ' COUNTRY EDITORS. Mr. Rosewater has returned home from Washington. He has testified be fore the contest committee. As an as sistant to Father Time in bringing around his revenges Mr. Rose water is a decided success. As an evener in the matter of inequalities between, himself and other individuals Mr. Rosewater is not by any means to be sneezed at. The country editors and some of the city ones have been hounding. Mr. Rosewater. He grasps them all in a lump, and with one single resounding blow mashes the whole lousy outfit. As we said before, Mr. Rosewater has testi fied Her! is Bor&e of his testimony: After stating that there was a finance committee of the State Banker? aad Merchant's Association, he goes on; O. What waathn Autv of that committee? A.lt was to raise funds and distribute them; O. Did the executive committee require any report from the finance committee from time to time? A. No, only this:- We some times had plans that would involve us in a great deal of expense, and we would inquire wnetner we couici afford to go into tnem. we at one time bad an application for the sum of $20,000 by thirty editors. They had entered into a little combine and wanted (20,000, but we didn't give them twenty cents. (J via you know the political complexion of those editors? A. That particular group wa&democratic, but there was another group of republicans that were equally desirous to help us and they also marie trifling demands of from one thousand to two or three thous and dollars. .. Q. How many republican editors made ap plication? A. I could not tell you. I was in vited to a republican convention at uncom and tney were deugeted to Bee me down tnere. mere v as a large numDer or editors tnere. from the country, and they took me into their confidence sufficiently to know if there was anytningm it. (June a number seemed to be anxious to assist us; the trouble was we had no money, but they would not believe me, and tn y insisted that I bad f 100,000 or $ 200,000 at uxy disposal. - u. mow many republican editors were present? A. I think some thirty or forty, but only ten or twelve were especiallay anxious. Q What did they want this money for? A To assist in def eating prohibition. u. xney were ail editors or country pa pers? A. Yes. . ' . u.-At wnat time did that occurl A. At must have occurred in September. . Q. At what time did the democratic edi tors mane tnis ram upon you? a. mat was berore tney nad tnelr state convention ; they had tied up in the sprinv and decided they wtUld say nothing on prohibition: I was told by Mr. Mcanane that we would encounter difficulties; that there was a meeting of north Nebraska editors, and tbev decided to keep absolutely mum on prohibition until some thing was done; well, they came down here in a large flock, aud they waited upon Mr Uoggen and myself and Dr. Miller, and told us that we were a bad lot. and that we were working for Richards and would not help Boyd, and that they would work for prohibi tion, because this business association was a scheme only to elect Mr. Richards, and we had lots of calls from democrats then pro testing airainst the scheme Q. is it not true that those thirty demo cratic editors, or some of them, stated that they were oppesed to the editors of two citiy papers getting all the boodle? -A. Yes they understood that there was $30,000 er 40.000 to be divided. -1 have a list or slip that said 1 was paid $100,01 0. but he has since admitted that he didu't believe it was quite that much. Q. But they did state that they ought to haveadivy? A. They thought so, and In sisted upon it o. wnat was the attitude of those papers after they failed to get a divy of this boodle? A. They were going for Rosewater as a bad man; he must get out. and they insisted up on me retireing from the committee. . JJo you mean to be understood as say ing that these thirty democratic and the tnirty or rorty republican editors were actuated entirely by.a desire 'for gain? a. xe. i. mean to say tnat every one or tnosti fellows who came clamoring for boodle were boodiers. and they wanted to get pay for ad vocating principles which were , their own convictions, as the democratic party had pro claimed itself against prohibition-from time ataTd thly werealaf immemorial m ibis city, and these oe paid ror saying so That's enough isn't it? 'Mr. Rose- water has a great reputation for abus- iner peop.e. etc.. etc.. but he isn't notea for Ivine when under bath. . In fact, he tells too much truth on "such oc casions. lnat's what's the matter, it is really difficult to treat this subject with levitv. What a contemptible, dis graceful, humiliating spectacle it. is Sixty of the men who set themselves up as exemplars for the community turn ed boodiers in a fight where a great principle is involved, and where . if ever the instincts of manhood would be appealed to. Bah! Our gorge rises at it Mr. Bosewater would earn the grati tudeof the community .by publishing the whole list. The Alliance will copy it with due credit as soon as re ceived. Meanwhile, rive la Rosewater flgAnything legitimate to discover or frustrate the misdoings of a corpora tion ought to be hailed with joy by pub lic omciais. cut this is not the case with Attorney General Miller, the chie law officer of the land. He has just is sued an order preventing Mr. Lambert son of this city to act any further as at torney for the inter-state railroad com mission in the rebate matters as against the C. B. & Q. R. R. Co., and why Because he asserts that to serve the inter state railroad commission any longer in that capacity would enable said attorney to win a certain suit against that same corporation. Too bad indeed! And this very same Miller is spoken of as a possible "judge of the supreme court, on which bench 00 many such corporation cappers as he have already found their way. . If there is a court in Christendom that needs a thorough shaking up it is the snpreme court of the United States It is to be hoped that the inter-state railroad commission will take issue with Attorney General Miller on this point, and thus enable it to punish the C. B. & Q.i as it so very justly deserves. If a private citizen of poor means was guilty of the one thousandth part of crimes of this corporation, there would be no interference with Mr. Lambert- son. " THE ALLIANCE RELIEF FUND. The following amounts have been con tributed for the relief of the drouth stricken region of the state: Amount previously reported . . . .$433 05 E.. S. Davison, Emerald, from farmers of Emerald 3 50 Frank Rath, Tekamah, Golden Springs Alliance, No. 1301 14 00 II. A Lockwood, Waterloo, Neb. AllianceNo. 1420. ...,.lv..... 54 40 Martin Schnetzer, Fremont,Neb. ' " .Estema AllianceNo. 1041.... 10 00 Ole Nelson. Nysted, Nb., Nys- ' . ted Alliance No, 548. ........ . 9 25 John Laird,- Fullerton, Neb.. Council Creek Alliance No .413 10 00 P. C Boasen, Kearney, Neb., Alliagce No. 1708. ....' 9 60 Geo. Fiak, Olive. Neb., Olive. Alliance No. 181. 10 00 State Alliance Ming. A GRAND GATHERING OF RASKA FARMERS. NEB- Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, Held .at Lincoln, Dec. 16, 17, and 18, i89o. A List of the Nwly Elected Officers. First day. Morning Session. Meeting was called to order by President Powers. Prayer by Chaplain. fl ; .There were about nine hundred dele gates present, representing that number of Alliances, the .representation beiag one delegate for each Alliance. The president's address occupied the time until the noon recess, and is as follows: (We republish, this address this week, as our edition containing it was ex hausted before the demand was "sup plied, and as our new subscribers of last week did not receive any of that edition.) ANNUAL APDRESS OF PRESIDENT POWERS TO THE STATE ' ALLIANCE. Brothers and Sisters of the State Alliance, I rejoice to greet you TO-PAT JN QUR ANNUA MEETING; When we last met. the citv of Grand sland was astonished to see 600 deter mined men appear in their midst as del egates from the Alliance in Nebraska. Since that time politicians throughout the state have been astonished still more to see the determination, manifested by our members in sustaining our prin ciples by political action. " To-day, with about one-third the rep resentation we were entitled to then, in spite of the famine which prevails over nearly one-half of our state, which renders many of our brother delegates unable to attend our meeting; we arc here to show to the world that the far mers ot the state of Nebraska are awake to their interests, their rights, and their duties. During the past year there have been dded to our number of Alliances 1236, while in most cases the membership of those then existing has largely increas ed; so that in the aggregate we number probably six times as many as we did at that time.. ' ' V Notwithstanding the fact that we are so great a multitude, .that, we are scat tered over so large a state, that there were local prejudices to overcome, that there is to some extent, a diversity of business interests, that we are composed of persons Of all shades of religious be- ief.and all kiuds of political afliliatio us, and in spite of the opposition arising from the jealousies of other industries aud occupations, we have proved that industrial o-operatiou in ihis stateis a success. . , - And although the tremendous influ ence 01 the money power nas oeeu brought to bear to crush our financial ability, and to make us entirely depen dent on it for our very existence, the tiitherto irresistible power of the cor porations, trusts and. monopolies, has beeu exerted . in a combiued effort to overwhelm us; and the experienced shrewdness and cuuuing of politicians have been exerted to their utmost to di vide us and array us against each other; we have demonstrated that the farmers of this state can "hang together." That they can successfully co-operate in business, lhat they can unite, success- ully, with all those who believe in equal rights for all before the law, in indepen dent political action, and that it is yet possible4 that the people shall rule. Many Alliance business associations have been established, and have in most cases proved a success. At the. same time merchants and manufacturers have been disabused of the idea that the Alli ance was established to injure their true interests, or to break. up their business if honestly conducted. , The educational feature of the Alli ance in the jine of political information has crouffht forth -fruit in one 01 the hardest contested campaigns that was ever witnessed in the state,: and in achieving a victory decided and gratify ing in its results, and with good pros pect of being complete and permanent In the preceding year several of the counties which were best organized nominated, and in most instances elect ed independent or peoples' tickets. These countit-s early in the spring of this year, began to express their deter mination to repeat the action on a lar ger scale. lhey united with some others in usging a combined- effort throughout the state, to exert their po litical power and influence in some man ner Outside of all existing political par ties. But here a difficulty rose, which for a time created grave apprehension in the minds of many, and put the loy alty and sine-, nty our members to a se vere test. Grave differences of opinion arose as to how political action could most safely and successfully be taken. borne were in favor 01 forming a new political party, having the same charac teristics of the old parties, as to perpet uating itself and controlling the politi cal action of its members, and in which the Alliances should elect the delegates to the first conventions. Others were in favor of selecting from among those that shou d be nominated by the existing po litical parties, but of no longer affiliat ing with them, while others advocated capturing the primaries wherever pos sible, and thus gradually chauging them in principle and reiorming tnem in practice. These differences of opinion were mannestea ana comparea at a conference of the presidents . of county alliances and the county organizers, to gether with the officers of the State Al liance, held at Lincoln on the 22d of April. The result was that a circular was sent to the Alliances in the state advising them to make preparation for political action, but that action should be determined by the strength of the Alliances in the different counties Using the old party primaries, the bal ance of power, or separate nominations as mignt seem best But during all this time the organiza tion 01 Alliances was going lorward so rapidly that county after county felt that they had arrived to a strength of. memoersuip tnat would warrant inde pendent political action. In reponse to earnest requests from different parts of the state blank: petitions headed by the St. Louis Declaration of Principles and a request for a call for a state conven tion; were sent out to every Alliance and Assembly of the Knights of Labor in the state. These petitions were signed by many thousands of members and were sent back to Alliance headquarters arid in compliance with them a convention was called to meet in Lincoln, July 29th. The apportionment of the delegates to the dmerent counties being . based on the best judgment of the secretaries of the State Alliance and the State Assem bly of the Knights of Labor, or such persons as they chose. The primaries were to be composed of those legal vo- ters who pledged themselves to sustain by their influence and votes the princi pies contained in the petition in response to which the convention was called; A part of the counties, impatient of delav had called their county and district con- ventions through the action of the Alii ances and Knights of Labor, and dele- speak in detail of the editors in diner crates were sent from them, but on the ent oarts of the state, who. in their dif issue of the call it was received with general approbation and promising the most permanent success, xne conven . ; SATUKPAY DEO. 27, ti'ons were held, the nominations made, and the result so far has astonished the politicians, and electrified the workers of the country with the hope that in connection with the victories obtained for the same principles in other states; it presages a peaceful but complete rev olution, to be accomplished in the year 1892 by which the government shall pro tect the laborer as well as the capitalist, an t the poor as well as the rich. That true nobility, measured by intelligent and honest industry, rather than arro gant wealth, shall - be honored with t he confidence, and trusted with the affairs of the nation; and that truth and moral ity shall supplant error and corruption throughout our whole land. " I trust that you will during .your present session, formulate and "adopt some definite plan by which indepen dent political action may be taken each year, on living principles and not , in obedience to the dictation 0i9.permfl.nent political party. 1 . Experience has taught us that our state constitution needs amending in several particulars. I think that the article defining qualifications for mem bership should be so amended -as to in clude county school teachers, and that some definite rule ought to, be laid down by which the eligibility of those persons engaged in several kinds of business might be determined, . A tarns -that some definite statement ought to be made of what offences should justify expulsion from the Alii-, ance. Under the present indefinite wording of the constitution, while en; gaging m some laudable branch of busi J ness which renders the eligibility of the ! member doubtful is promptly followed by dismissal, the most flagrant violation of the obligations of the order are some times passed unnoticed. . A clear de claration on the subject would secure uniformity of action in such cases, and conduce to the permanence and strength of our organization. A discrepancy in the length of term of the delegates to the ' county alliance and the officers of the same shonld be corrected, as it has led to no little per plexity and inconvenience. Ihe duties of the lecturers of the County Alliances and the State Alliance ought '.o be extended, and clearly denned. I think the county Jecturers ought to be directed to visit and instruct all the Al liances in their respective counties at least once in each year; and that the lecturer of the state . Alliance 6hou!d visit each county Alliance in the state at least once each year, delivering lectures to the same, and assisting and instruct ing them in their duties, and should re-. port to the state Alliance at each regu lar meeting. , Fernnt me to call your attention again to the fact that a different baisis of representation to the state Alliance must of necessity be adopted. No body of men consisting of more than 500 can properly, deliberate' upon and discuss such questions as must be considered by our state Alliance, and had it not been for the famine and hard' times which exist at the present at least 1,700 dele gates would have . been present at this meeting. 1 trust that such change will be made that, while all parts of the state shall be represented, the Alliance will not be so unwieldy as to cripple its efficiency or embarrass its deliberations. " And now let me remind you of the ne cessity of continuing the work of organ ization. JNo county is as completely or- gauized as it should be, and in some the work is just begun, lhere are few neighborhoods but what contain some persons who ought to. be brought into the Alliance. The young are coming of aere. Ladies perhaps are not encour aged Jo join or do not attend your meet ings, ferhaps your meetings are losing their interest in some places, or are be ing turned into places of trifling diver sion or amusement. 1 Let there be a waking up all along the line. v Do not be deceived. We have proba bly passed through the last triangular political fight which this state will ever witness. Already the corrupt leaders of the two old political parties are com bined against us, while the rank and hie of those parties, those who are in favor of morality and justice, are only wait mg 10 ue invueu 10 join us. W e must hold out to them the hand of welcome. , We will need them all Money is an "engine of 'tremendoi power .in our state, and every, misfor tune or calamity which visits our peo pie but increases its strength. While the penevolent and charitable in the eastern part of the state and in adjoining states are coutributing to re lieve, the necessities of the famine stricken inhabitants of the west, the railroad corporations are offering lim ited concessions in freight charges for delivering those contributions, on the condition that the new legislature shall promise them immunity, by Jaw, from future interference with their extortion ate charges, and the bankers are warn ing them that if they interfere by law with the present ruinous rates of inter est that they will leave them entirely without money for the transaction of business. Trusts, corporations and syndicates are growing more and more grasping, and showing less and less consideration for the rights of labor. lhey obtain control of every enter prise that is calculated to benefit our people and change them into a boon for themselves and a burden for us, and turn a deaf ear to every demand for jus tice and every cry for mercy until the laborer is reduced to a pauper or driven to crime, and then that money is doled out in grudging charity or unwilling taxation which should have been paid as fair wages for honest industry. Uur enemies say that the Alliances will now go to sleep and will soon melt away. Let us show them that we are just awaking as a strong man out of sleep, and that we feel that our day's work is just begun. Let us use every honest means and every fair appliance and plan for building up our organization and-increasing its influence for good and its strength for action. Let. me earnestly call jour attention to the necessity of putting the newspa per organ of the state Alliance into every family of the members of the Alli- ance throughout the state; and also 01 .a 1 establishing and supporting, too, in every county at .least one good newspaper - which can be relied on to espouse our interests and plead our cause; and then banish from our homes and firesides the venal partisan papers which have done so much during the past year to mislead our people, and to strengthen the hauds of our oppressors. I take pleasure in commending to you The Alliance newspaper, pub lished in this city by Brothers Burrows and Thompson, for the able and fear less manner in which it has battled for the right during the year, and especi ally in the late political conflict. I be speak for them your hearty support and earnest efforts to extend the circulation of their paper, so that its efficiency and - 1 size may be . increased, and that they mav be saved from the pecuniary em harassment which so large an outlay must entail, and from the failure which so often overtakes such enterprises. - I would like, if time would permit, to ferent localities have ably battled for the right 1 trust that you will reward - tnem py your earnest suppuii. 1890. lt seems to me that a systematic line of subjects for discussion, carefully con sidered and arranged by some com petent committee jof designated officers, and distributed by cirpular each quar ter of the year, as a help ' and 'guide to the AllUnces in making the programs for their meetings would be productive of much good. t r V ' Our relations to the National Alli ance are" not satisfactory to me, and I think many others will agree with me in that respect. While I would not recommend or favor such arbitrary power as is assumed by the National Alliance and Industrial Union of the south, I think a closer relation between the State Alliance and the National Al liance should be provided for. I would suggest that our delegates to the Na tional Alliance be instructed to recom mend and urge the adoption of a uni form secret work and ritual for the Na tional Alliance, and also the adoption of a system of reports by State secre taries to the National secretaries, and also a report to be made by him at the annual meeting giving concise and defi nite information of the condition and progress of the Alliance throughout the country. I am also in favor of urging the hold ing a conference of all the Industrial organizations in the United States some time next vear for the purpose of form ulating a platform of principles for the basis of National Independent political action throughout the country during the year 1891 and 1893. The question of organic union witn the other Industrial organizations in the country , is agitating the minds of some of our members. But I think a careful examination of the difficulties in the way will convince every one that me scneme is not omy linpiacuuauie, but that if consumated it would be pro ductive of actual injury to our cause. The terrible disaster which has vis ited the western counties in. our state calls for our deepest sympathy and moit strenuous efforts to relieve the destitution of our brothers and sisters in the famine stricken districts. "Earnest efforts have been made by the governor of the state through a committee to afford temporary relief, which is well timed and commendable. A small sum was appropriated by our executive committee early in the fall for the immediate relief of the most des titute, and if more can be spared for the purpose I think it should be promptly given. ! But there is one featm-e of the case which should not be lost sight of. For every dollar that is being contributed by the benevolent and charitable in the east for the relief of the west, the peo ple there are , robbed of five dollars by the foreclosure of chattel mortgages, by which the property of the sutterers is sacrificed and their permanent finan cial aud business ruin is rendered inevi table. On the account of the accumulation of funds in the State Alliance treasury an order was made by the executive committee in the spring that the state dues for the third quarter of the year be ... 1 l 1 7 M. I. 1 remiiieu, or snouia not oe. requireu 01 the Alliances, which was afterwards for the same reason made to apply to the fourth quarter. . The State Alliance Business Agency which was established early in the year has been a success in furnishing in creased facilities for purchases by our members at reasonable prices, aud by acting as a check on the unwarranted extortions which the law and a seared concience sometimes tolerated on the Salt of the merchants and dealers. Bro. lartley and his assistants deserve our warm praise for the efficient manner in which the business has been conducted, I would recommend that Bro. Hartley be continued iu the position, and that he receive the confidence and remunera tion that his faithfulness and efficiency deserves. I cannot forbear to express to you my appreciation of the ability and fideli ty with which our worthy Secretary and Treasurer, Bro. Thompson, has dis charged his arduous and responsible duties, and als of the Executive com mittee, and especially Bro. Burrow's its worthy chairman, for the patience with which he ha, endured the vials of wrath which have been so .liberally broken over his devoted head.. The subject of fire insurance has en- gaged the attention of the Alliance eretofore. but the obstacles thrown in the way by ouT statutes have prevented any feasible plan for mutual insurance in connection with tne Alliance irom being adopted. I think a memorial should be adopted and laid before the legislature by a competent committee, urging the amendment of the insurance law, and also tne passage or a more tr active and stringent usury law, and some effective enactment by which the railroads will be compelled to reduce their freight rates m a reasonable de gree, so that those wnose industry rur nishes their business may realize some return for their labor. And now brothers, let us not weary in our work or remit our efforts. Our success has just begun. Every v ictory on our part will arouse our wily and determined foes to some new and un expected attack. Let us be watchful Let us work always, ihe night is fad incr awav. the day is breaking. Let our watch-words be, " Liberty for the op- nressed " "In Union there is Strength." " Justice to the Toilers." Equality of all before the Law." Let me tender to you all, and through you to the Alliances you represent, my crrateful thanks for the unitorm cour tesy and kind consideration with which you have treated me as your president during the past two years. Aitnougn my life has been one of toil and almost unceasing labor, my work in this cause, during this period has been as ardent as anv in mv life. But the conciousness of the necessity for continuous and en ergetic action, if we would achieve sue cess, the rapid encroachment; of our op pressors on our liberties, the claims of the rising generation for some better lot than that which our carelessness and neglect had permitted to be laid up in store for them, aud the conciousness hat an ever increasing host of friends and brothers were rallying to the sup port of the cause, and ever ready to fol low the standard wherever duty called me to bear it has borne me up and has led me to rejoice when weary, and when discouraged to look up. ' May the blessings of Almighty God rest upon you. May His spirit guide you ever to the light, to truth and to liberty. May the Lord of Hosts, the Captain of our salvation lead you on to victory over every ioe in mis wonu, and to iov and happiness in the world to come. Afternoon session, Tuesday, Dec. 16, called to order at 2 p. m. President announced the following committee on resolutions: Stevens of Lincoln Co. ' Burrows of Lancaster. Beaver of Richardson. McReynolds of Clay. Stewart of Sioux. On amendment to the constitution: Pres. Powers of Hitchcock, Chm. Lee of Hall. , Root of Douglas. Bradley of Phelps. . pimiT of Fillmore. On conference with secretary of the state board of agriculture in relation to bill providing for farmers' institutes: Ferguson of Nemaha. Chambers of Lancaster. Jenkins of Madison. Committee on credentials made a par tial report which was accepted and the committee continued. Report of Sepretary-Trcasurer: Nunv ber of Alliances organized since Jan. 2, 1145. There are now over 2.000 sub ordinate Alliances in the state with a total membership of over 65,000. The month denoting greatest activity in work was February, when 200 charters were issued. All Alliances report an active Interest being taken by the mem bers in every department of the work before us, and prospects for the future growth of the order are flattering in the extreme. VinnfMl renorti Thft rpimrt nf re ceipts and expenditures was made in j-Am 1 .m k . 1 1 1 1 UCiau nuu. win uu uiiuitu uuu scia iu all Subordinate alliances. Money received from all sources, including amount on hand Jan. 2, $15,087.44. Amount ex pended for all purposes, $8,325.61. Bal- ance cash on hand, including interest on time deposits, $0941.82. Supplies on hand and unpaid accounts, $247.65; to tal $7. 189.47. ; Report accepted and or dered printed for distribution to the Alliances throughout the state. ; Report of executive commit tee bv Mr. Burrows, its chairmatt: REPORT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Mr, Chairman and Oentlemen of tha Conven tion! v ' ' In accordance with the instructions of the last annual me'etng, your executive committee employed Mr. Hartley as a state agent at a salary of forty dollar per month, At the first meeting of the executive committee thereafter, which was May 30th, this salary was advanced to $50 per month. The experiment of this state agency has proved very suc cessful, aud has been of great benefit to the membership in all parts of the state. t was established solely as an agency business, no capital whatever being in vested, and has up to this date been con ducted upon that principle. Twine for the last season was furnished to mem bers of the Alliance in Nebraska at low er prices than in any of the neighlmr- mg states, and we have to thank Air. iartley's business ability lor the result. At the late meeting of the executive committee arrangements were mad with Mr. Hartleyno continue in charge of the business for another year and his salary was advanced to $10t per month. pruviuing mo commissions 01 tne agency leave a surplus over all debts and liabil ities of that amount. The commissions of the agency are reduced as the volume of business in- reases, there being no effort whatever made to accumulate a surplus fund from the profits, it b ing the object of the" committee and the agent to merely add commissions to sales sufiicient to pay the working expenses of the agency and the salary of the agent. I give here with the present condition of the agency: " The total volume of business to date was $39,480.08. The disbursement for expenses to date, exclusive of agent's salary, was $852. 10. The total liabilities at date of this report are $3,156,33 Cash in bank and stock on, hand at. date of this report $3,475.42. ' I ho live stock agent of the State Alli ance, Hon. Allen Root, has his office at Omaha. His operations luring the present year have beeu very successful. and have netted to the persons making sales through his agency a larger per centage than ever before. Mr. Root will make to you a separate report of the business of his department. Iu accordance with the instructions of the Graud Island meeting the question of insurance was considi-red at the meeting of the committee on May 30th. Your committee had been instructed to organize a mutual insurance company for the state of Nebraska. At the meet ing of May 30th a very thorough inves tigation of this wholes bject was made. The Grand Island Insurance Co. pro posed to your committee to turn over that company to the State Alliance on any terms that would be satisfactory to your committee. After a full investi gation of this subject it was deemed wise to reject this proposition, arid your committee determined that it was not practicable under the present law of this state, to organize a state mutual in the manner contemplated by the state meeting. t his matter was therefore postponed until the law couid be amend ed, so as to permit the organization of such a company on a satisfactory basis. After a more thorough investigation of the fcubject your chairman has come to the conclusion that if the vexatious legal hindrances which now exist In this s ate can be removed, good policy dictates that county mutuals should be organ ized, and-that perhaps some one de partment of insurance which might be impolitic for counties, such as cyclone or tornado, could be made a state de partment. There are some sixty county mutual societies in the state of Iowa, aud your chairman is convinced that they furnish to their members the cheap est and most reliable insurance furn ished in that state. In view of the almost total failure of crops in the western part of the state, and short crops in the other portions, and also from a desire that no exces sive fund should accumulate in the treasury of the State Alliance, your committee deemed it wise to remit the dues for the quarter ending Sept. 30th; and the chairiwan was authorized in his discretion to remit the dues for the succeeding quarter if it should be deemed desirable to do so. Accord ingly the due were remitted for both quarters. Your chairman would recom mend that this remission of dues in all the drouth stricken portion of the state be continued until another crop is raised. This remission of dues, it must be understood, does not apply to initia tion fees, and it is tho.-ght that the ini tiation fees, and the dues from the part of the state which raised a crop during the last year, will be sufiicient to de fray the current expenses of the Alli ance until another year. Appeals for relief from the western counties were being received by your cbairmau. These appeals were re-published in the organ of the State Alliance, but, probrbl3f through the excitemont of the pendiDg political oampaigu, re ceived no attention. After these ap peals had been repeatedly made with this result, your chairman appealed in a private letter directly to Gov. Thayer, asking that he should make an appeal ' for aid for the sufferers in the drouth stricken counties. This appeal was promptly responded to by Gov. Thayer in person. The Governor stated to your chairman that he did not feel disposed to make a public appeal for aid unless an official report of the condition of the western counties was made to him up on which he could bane such an appeal. This conclusion of the Governor was based upon experience; be having for merly made upon ids own responsibility such an appeal, and afterwards had contradictions made by the newspapers in the very locality, stating that no such state of affairs existed. Your chairman then proposed that a commit tee be appointed by the Governor who should immediately proceed to the western counties and make a report as to the facts they found to exist. This proposition resulted in the appoint ment by Gov. Thayer, of Rev.' Mr. Mar tin and J. W. Hartley as f such a com mittee. These gentlemen went west and made an investigation of the facts and reported in accordance to the Gov- jm f -v V J