Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-09-26
THEtFARMERS' ALLIANCE.
what This Mutual Protective Association
Is Accomplishing.

Is Accomplishing.
Correspondence Of the Gazette.
DECATUR, Tx, Sept. 28.--To-day was
cotton sale day by the Farmers alliance
people, and, taken in all, was not up To
the expectations of those concerned. Al
though the season Is somewhat advanced.
and there has been but little cotton sold
here mp TO this time, yet there were only
about forty bales on the market to-day,
of which fifteen were not sold, but were
stored in the Alliance yard.
This effort on the part Of the farmers
TO bulk their cotton and sell i'm large
quantities Is q new thing, and lsupsetting
the calculations of the cotton buyers in
this place, and in the course OF time,
should the movement grow, IL will upset
the calculations of the buyers Of other
places, too. The farmers seem
10 think that by this means they can con-
troll the cotton markets and secure better
prices for their products, but whether
they will accomplish their purpose re-
mains to be seen, At any rate they seem
TO be masters OF the situation, so far as
they 20, and so far as the sale Of their
cotton Is concerned, selling or holding,
as they see tit.
The inquiry naturally arises as to what
this movement means, and, In order to
answer it briefly, your correspondent has
cndeaVorcd TO learn some Of its workings,
objects and purposes. An Intelligent
member says that 1t is a secret
association, organized on a basis
similar to the Knights of
Labor, for mutual counsel, protection,
and the special advancement OF the farm
ing classes. They argue that merchants,
lawyers, doctors, and, in fact, all classes
OF business and professional men form
combinations for mutual protection and
Tor the purpose Of enhancing values In
which they as Il class may have an inter
est and that farmers certainly have the
same right. They deny that their organi-
hation has either a political or sectional
aspect, but that it is intended to apply 10
social and business relations only.
The organization Is now some six years
old and numbers about 10000 members,
mostly confined to Northern Texas. The
basis OF its organization differs materially
from that Of the Grange, which took such
boom few ycnrs ago. In fact IL is said
that when farmers become acquainted
with its principles, II readily takes the
place of the Grange The power it
already wicldS can be seen when one re-
members that on one occasion, last year,
when the cottOn-buycrS of Denton bid
more on cotton than Decatur merchants
would, three thousand bales were carried
away In one lump from this place and sold
at Denton.
What it will accomplish when all the
farmers in the state and in the South Join
1t (for they claim that this will follow
and become active members, will UNI
doubtedly furnish ample work for the
man who is willing to examine the ques-
ton thoroughly.
This seems TO he a day of Organization
and combination, and there Is apparently
no reason why the same fever should not
take hold Of the farmers, too. 1t is per-
icctly natural for men to combine to pro-
tect themselves from real or even
imaginary wrongs, and this day
OF cheap newspapers, railroads and
telegraph lines, which have left their
mark on all classes Of men, has not been
without effect upon the farmers, They
certainly read and think more intelli-
gently upon the great problems of life
than ever before in the history of the
race.
The farmers have now in operation at
this point good cotton yard and have
set apart the second and fourth Wednes-
days in each month as days for the sale of
cotton, to which they invite the at
tendance of buyers from abroad,