State

The Rise of Populis It occ*urr<4i approximately half a eentary ago and presents an interesting chapter in the political history of North Carolina. Closely lied up with it was the Farmers Alliance. THE Populist party came into existence as the result of wide¬ spread agricultural depression; because the farmers felt that grave abuses needed correction; because they believed the agricultural in¬ terests were not getting a “square deal”; because there was a wide¬ spread feeling that the Democratic party was in the hands of the "gold bugs" and the "trusts." It hud its genesis in the Farmers Alliance. The Alliance spread over the State like wildfire. It began in 1887 with but 132 sub-alliances, confined to eight counties; but by 1891 its organization had been per¬ fected in every county, with more than 2,200 sub-alliances and with a membership of over 100,000. Its first president was Captain Sydne- ham B. Alexander of Mecklenburg, Congressman, father of the good roads movement in the State, a man of outstanding ability and a devoted friend of the agricultural interests. He was succeeded by Elias Carr of Edgecombe, who be- cume Governor at a later date. Carr was followed by the able, crafty, resourceful Marion Butler, editor of the Caucasian, then published at Clinton, who afterwards became National President of the Farmers Alliance and United States Sena¬ tor from Carolina. Other Outstanding Leaders Butler was followed by the bril¬ liant physician. Dr. Cyrus Thomp¬ son of Onslow, one of the ablest men our State has ever produced, and the most powerful debater I have ever known upon the politi¬ cal hustings. Then, looming even above and beyond all these men, towered the imposing figure of Leonidas L. Polk, native of Anson and editor of the Progressive Farmer. He was a Colonel in the Confederate service, and became the first Commissioner of Agricul¬ ture of our State; a man of intense devotion to his ideals; with the steadfast courage of his convic¬ tions; utterly incorruptible, and possessing a bold fearlessness which brooked no opposition. He By II. C. LAWKEXCE became president not only of the State but of the National Alliance as well, dominated its policy; and it is a most significant fact that during the comparatively short life of the Alliance, two of its National Presidents came from Carolina. The state had yet other great in¬ fluence in that powerful organiza¬ tion, as will be seen later on. The Alliance had certain definite objectives — all aimed at the correc¬ tion of what would be admitted as undoubted abuses. It advocated the regulation of rates of public service corporations, and the estab¬ lishment of a Railroad Commis¬ sion; a larger per capita circula¬ tion of currency; the checking and suppression of the "trusts." To enable agricultural products to be held for higher prices, the famous sub-treasury plan was devised by the fertile brain of the brilliant Carolina lawyer, Harry Skinner of Pitt County. As first constituted, the Alliance consisted of farmers only, all other trades, occupations and professions being excluded. But at a later date they were not only admitted to membership, but largely took charge of the organi¬ zation. Around 1900 the Alliance was not merely an organization, it amounted to a religion — so devoted were its partisans to its princi¬ ples. Demanded Relief for Farmers From its inception the Alliance cried unto high heaven for relief for the farmer; and in every meet¬ ing. in its every platform, existing ills and abuses were denounced and reform demanded. Col. Polk declared that the Alliance existed because "the great mass of the American people, blinded by party spirit, are bowing to the mandate of self-constituted partisan bosses, and have surrendered their man¬ hood." There were large numbers who agreed in this sentiment. There was no thought of the organization of a third party when the Alliance was originated, and its leaders worked for reform entirely within the Democratic party. None the less, the demands of the Al¬ liance were so insistent that as early as 1889. the legislature contained a larger proportion of farmers than any other since the Civil War. In the House, they were strong enough to elect Augustus Leazer as Speaker. He introduced the bill which established State College, but back of I»azcr was the hand of Polk, most powerful of all the men who rose to power through the Alliance. At this session a bill establishing a Railroad Commis¬ sion passed the House but died in the Senate. In 1889 Col. Polk became Presi¬ dent of the National Alliance, and thenceforth largely dominated and dictated its policies. He too, at first, had no thought of a third party, but sought to rid the Democratic party from the influence of the "bosses" and the "trusts." Soon the Alliance was strong enough to elect certain candidates; and out of nine Congressmen four were members of that body, and only two were opposed to it. When the State Democratic Convention met, a majority of the delegates be¬ longed to the Alliance, and the plat¬ form adopted was but a re-state¬ ment of the Alliance demands. Attack on Vance The great Vance was in the United States Senate and became the target for attack by Polk, be¬ cause of his failure to support the “sub- treasury" plan in which Polk believed with all his heart. Al¬ though the Democrats were suc¬ cessful in the November election, unrest was such that Vance an¬ nounced that if the legislature in¬ structed him to support the sub- treasury he would do so or resign. The trend of the times was such that the Alliance controlled the legislature of 1891. along with eight out of nine Congressmen. Vance was reelected to the Senate, but was forced to say that lie would (Continued on page 28) 5