THE SUB-TREASURY PLAN. 735 



ing at St. Louis, in December. The country seemed prepared 

 for it, as a similar proposition had been made in California and 

 one or two other localities. It was presented and argued before 

 the meeting, and adopted with but a few dissenting votes. 



The propaganda began in earnest, and in less than ninety 

 days from its presentation at St. Louis, petitions began to come 

 in, asking Congress to enact it into law. The next thing in 

 order was to draft a bill that would meet the requirements. 

 This was no small task. Finally recourse was had to Secretary 

 Windom's silver bill, that he had prepared with great care, and 

 which was then before Congress. That bill was made the basis 

 upon which the sub-treasury bill was drawn. If any one will 

 take it and read in the place of silver, corn, and in the place of 

 market value, eighty per cent, and add the warehouse and help, 

 the sub-treasury plan can easily be discerned. The same prin- 

 ciple was involved, and about the same provisions required for 

 the enforcement of one that became necessary in the other. 



After the bill was drafted, a consultation was held with Presi- 

 dent Polk, and it was introduced in the House by Brother J. A. 

 Pickler, and, with slight modifications, introduced in the Senate 

 by Senator Vance. Since this time it has become the one eco- 

 nomic question, and may truly be said to be the most potent 

 factor at the present time in national politics. It was reaffirmed 

 at the national meeting at Ocala, with but seven dissenting 

 votes, out of a representation of twenty-nine States and Terri- 

 tories. It may be justly considered the leading demand of the 

 Alliance, and the one on which the success or failure of the 

 order depends. It has been thoroughly discussed in another 

 part of this book. 



