114 THE AGRARIAN CRUSADE 



While its business ventures were still promising, 

 the Texas Alliance came near being wrecked once 

 more on the shoals of politics. The state meeting 

 in August, 1886, adopted an elaborate set of "De- 

 mands," which included higher taxation of lands 

 held for speculative purposes, prohibition of alien 

 land ownership, laws to "prevent the dealing in 

 futures of all agricultural products, " full taxation 

 of railroad property, " the rapid extinguishment of 

 the public debt of the United States, by operating 

 the mints to their fullest capacity in coining silver 

 and gold, and the tendering of the same without 

 discrimination to the public creditors," the issue of 

 legal tender notes on a per capita basis and their 

 substitution for bank notes, a national bureau of 

 labor statistics, an interstate commerce law, and 

 the abolition of the contract system of employing 

 convicts. Provision was made for a committee of 

 three to press these demands upon Congress and 

 the State Legislature. At the close of the meeting, 

 some of the members, fearing that the adoption of 

 this report would lead to an attempt to establish 

 a new political party, held another meeting and 

 organized a rival State Alliance. 



Considerable confusion prevailed for a few 

 months; the president and vice-president of the 



