Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-25
ALLIANCE LEADERS
Ard Texas Farmer-.A Good Granger
Defends What Alliance Lead
ers Do Not.
The Notes OF the Alliance Exchange
Gone 60 Protess-The Original
Waning OF Texas Farmers
It's Wisdom Veri fied-Ths 81 stem of the Ex
change an Acknowledged Failure.
Ths Note System-uontrect Sys
tam and Mortgage System.
Special to the Gazette.

DALLAS, Tex, May 24.-The Texas
Farmer Of May &c, printed to-day, con-
talns the following, hesdlines and all,
concerning the Allisnce Exchange.
Texas Farmer has received the follow
ing, which explains Itself:
VALLEY MILLS, BosQUE COUNTY, TEX, May
l4-You car please discontinue my paper, as
such remarks and insinuations as has been
made In the Farmer In regard 70 the Alliance
and Elk hange and It's management, do not by
Il Il it emanated from the Alliance In regard to
the Grange or any other organization of which
1 might be q member. There is one thing
will not In any way tolerate-for one labor or
ganization to torn emit or antagonize another.
Neither will patronize any paper that is guilty
of the act or SO doing. You will please discon,
tinus and oblige. Yours fta is
Secretary Rock Church Grange, No. ls2.
Our good brother eirs in some Of his
allegations.
l. Texas Farmer does not adversely
crlticise the Alliance. II is an oder pre-
dic,ted upon grand and enduring princi-
pies, which Texas Farmer wishes God
speed, by whomsoever advocated.
2. Texas Farmer never "torments" nor
"antagoniZss" sny other labor organize
tions-believing as it does that the only
hope of the perpetuity of this government
inheres in organic alton among laborers
and sgriculturists.
But - Texas Farmer has naugh. to
conceal as to itself, the Grange, the
Texas Co operative Association, or
any officer Of any of these.
And Texas Farmer caunot see why it
should forbesr criticising any institution
If its methods of procedure appear to be
against the interests of agriculture.
Texas Farmer thus far has had no cause
to adversely criticise the Alliance as 8
body. But it has not hesitated from the
first to express the opinion that many
Alliance leaders are over-enthusisstic,
visionary, and therefore dangerous sd-
visers Of our people both in business and
politics. In all it says, Texas Fsrmer is
guided not by any personal opposition TO
said lesders, but duty 1t owes to the
farmers of Texas. The gentlemen whose
acts we criticise may for aught We know
to the contrary be prompted by the purest
of motives. We criticise measures"
not "men."
As to the Alliance (?) Exchange, the
Farmer from the first considered its sys-
tenn of business extremely hazardous to
farmers, and was in duty bound to say so.
In addition, this paper and its CORE
spondents have said that there are posi-.
BILE grounds for many of the unfavorable
opinions existing-for instance, an
opinion that 1t is based upon credit; that
its management are making speculation
upon the patriotism of the order; that
its joint-no.e system makes solvent men
pay the debts Of the insolvent, end thus
transfers all risk from the middleman to
the producer; that this system is bound
to bankrupt hundreds Of farmers; that
the business is on the dark
lantern order, semi-cl7rdestine and
secret, which is OF itself suffi-
Gent ground to cast susp'cion upon its
every method and profession; that the
Joint notes Of farmers are being indis.
criminstely traded on desperate discounts
to raise money to hold up sn alresdY sink
ing system, and one which we do not be-
lieve can In any event be permanent; that
too few men own the Exchange for it to
be considered even an Alliance enterprise,
and is only so named to get the benefit OF
the Alliance boom; that the donations OF
property by Dallas ana other places has
been to these few owners and not to the
Alliance; that little effort has been made
to f Dat Exchange STOCK" and thus hiss
been kept down multiplica-
ton of the number who will
share in the big divide which is expected
to be realized from donations BY towns
where branches are to be locsted; that
members of the Alliance who have paid
their assessments to construct the ex-
change buildings really have no title in
them, but are merely making presents to
the stockholders Of the exchange; that
the per cents. and rebates given to those
who purchase goods for patrons of the
exchange do not 60 to said patrons, etc.
Now all of these statements have been
made directly or limited at in this paper
as at least possibilities. Many far more
discreditable and adverse are matters of
public comment, rumor or belief. The
columns of this paper have been offered
to those Interested to refute them, or to
fully explain the system of business and
clear away the numerous doubts current.
The columns Of the Mercury, organ of
the Alliance, are of course open for the
same purpose. Yet no effort in this d.
rection has been made. Now, let Brother
Brooks ask the proper parties to deliver
themselves upon these matters. II they
do not, will Brother Brooks still insist
that the Farmer has done wrong in at
tempting only to put farmers on their
guard against what appears st the least
only visionary schemes OF over enthusiast
tic and inexperienced leaders.
SOME MORE DATA.
1t will be remembered that when DIR.
Macune first published his new system of
cooperation, which was to result in grid
ling the world with trade exchanges, and
in complete revolution Of business
principles, Texas Farmer caricatured the
scheme as but the visions of only an
imaginary political economist. But DR..
Macune secured the Endorsement of his
order, and the cooperation of q sufficient
number to embark in the enterprise. Our
readers are familiar with 1t as presented
in these columns. The predictions os
Texas Farmer have been verified.
NOTES OF THE EXCHANGE HAVE ALREADY
GONE TO PROTEST.
The Exchange has made heavy debts,
given its notes for them, and the notes
have not been paid as they metured, and
SO their system must be changed or they
must close business.
The managers of the Exchange are 60
ing to attempt to lay the blame for this
failure upon others-upon giant combina.
AZ