90 THE AGRARIAN CRUSADE 



prison labor, and suppression of Chinese immigra- 

 tion. It is clear that in this platform the interests 

 of labor received full consideration. Just before 

 the conference adjourned it adopted two additional 

 resolutions. One of these, adopted in response to 

 a telegram from General B. F. Butler, denounced 

 the silver bill just passed by Congress because it 

 had been so modified as to limit the amount 01 

 silver to be coined. The other, which was offered 

 by "Brick" Pomeroy, declared: "We will not 

 affiliate in any degree with any of the old parties, 

 but in all cases and localities will organize anew 

 . . . and . . . vote only for men who entirely 

 abandon old party lines and organizations." This 

 attempt to forestall fusion was to be of no avail, 

 as the sequel will show, but Pomeroy and his folr 

 lowers in the Greenback clubs adhered throughout 

 to their declaration. 



In the elections of 1878, the high- water mark of 

 the movement, about a million votes were cast for 

 Greenback candidates. Approximately two-thirds 

 of the strength of the party was in the Middle West 

 and one-third in the East. That the movement, 

 even in the East, was largely agrarian, is indicated 

 by the famous argument of Solon Chase, chairman 

 of the party convention in Maine. "Inflate the 



