Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-24
PRESIDENT MACUNE'S ADDRESS
TO THE
National Farmers Alliance at ShrIeve-
port, La, October IL. 1887.

i
| TO THE
National Farmers Alliance at ShrIeve
| port, La, October | z, 1887.
Brethren of the Farmers National Al
| tidnce and Cooperative Union O
| AMericd:
| This is indeed an auspicious occasion
1t is the first session of this body; ant
this body is the first organization of tn
real cotton raisers ever inaugurated Oi
a plan calculated TO assist the poo
mau. IT is a time in the history of cot
ton raising when the price of that sta
| pie is not equal 10 the cost of producin.
1t. This is a gathering of representa-
| tive men from ten states; men wht
represent the greatest of all industries
the agricultural. assembled here, no
merely for the pleasures or emolument
to be gained by their attendance, but
trust imbued with proper conception;
| Of the great responsibility resting upoI
| them, thoroughly alive to the condi
| tions of the times, and firmly resolved
| TO work out the proper and true solu
ton of how to relieve the depresse'i
| condition of agriculture in our beaut utifu
southland, and when found, to stand
shoulder TO shoulder in one solid phal-
anX, till the effort is crowned with vic
tory. AS the first leg gislative body ever
convened in the order, you will have
great work to perform, and the future
prosperity of this great movement is
therefore, largely in your hands. Your
attention is called to the causes that
com bined, created the necessity for this
organization. The plan on which or
ganiZation has been effected compris-
ing the Organic law of the order, both
written and unwritten, also the objects
aud conditions it is expected to achieve,
in the event that success attends the
effort. The laws to be made by this
body will be statutory and will be bas-
ed upon and explanatory of the Organic
law; they should be prompted by the
necessities that gave rise to the exist
ence OF the order, and executed with a
spirit of devotion to the objects we seek
to achieve, bounded only by the limit
of possibility.
Mr.. Garvin, in his history of the Alli-
anca in Texas. says, that it was started
somewhere between 1870 and 1875, in
Lampasas county, by number of
farmers, who associated themsel yes to-
gether in defensive league, to resist the
entertainments of land sharks, who pro-
history of the move from it's inception
up to 1856, was not attended with much
interest. / had grown by August, 1885,
to the number of a bout 700 subordinate
Alliances. and had changed it's objects
and workings, until they resemble
very closely those of the present. From
August 1885 to August 1886, most
prodigious growth was recorded; the
increase was about 1000 Alliances.
Among the reasons for this rapid
growth, and probably one of the most
potent, was the fact that all other oc-
cupations were either organized, or
were rapidly organizing, and the farm
ing interest was unable to cope with
them, unorganized; therefore the neces-
sity for organization for self defense.
Again, the results of combination had
reduced the price of all products the
farmer had to sell to such an extent,
that in many cases they would rot pay
hireling's wages to the one who pro,
duced them, and were really grown at
a loss. The rule was, that year spent
in the most vigorous labor and rigid
economy, would with good manage
ment yield bare substances, and in
many cases yielded less: and would
finally result in a surrender Of the farm
addition of one more family to the
army of renters. 1t seemed to be an
fact, that organiza ton was
was the only hope of the farmer, and
as the Alliance was presented as strict
ly farmers organizatio, n, It's ranks
were rapidly filled with all those who
felt disposed to unite and resist the en-.
croachments of other rorganizations,a ,ar d
who realized that it required organiza-
ton to meet organize. power. Such
large numbers joining secret organiz-
alton in so short time rendered prop
er instructions as to the principles and
objects of the order impossible; couse-
quentlv many joined who were lot as
well post as they should haye been
and vast differences were entertained
as to the policy to be pursued i'm order
to accomplish with speed and certainty
the object of the order.
Some contended that the only hope
was in the ballot box, and that united
political action was the only way for
the Alliance ever to accomplish any
thing; others realizing the danger to
American institutions, by theintrodue-
ton of secret political party, contend
ed that we must eschew politics alto
gether, and that the Alliance was a |
social and benevolent organization,
to make man better farmer
and a better neighbor. Others had
different conceptions some that it'll
would make all farmers boys orators;
some that it would stop horse stealing;
some that it would make all It's mem
bers truthful and honest; and the con-
teution between the different factions
was beginning to assume alarming
as a family quarrel, " hen
the called session CT the Farmers State |
A lIance of Texas was held i'm the city |
of Waco, in January last. One object
of that called meeting was, to devise |
some plan of extending the work into
other states. The Louisiana State I'm
ion which had met just prior to that
time, had elected and sent to that |
delegate. to cooperate with |
the State Alliance of Texas in the ex- |
tension of the work. 1t was there |
shown that there was already in exist |
pnce an or ganiZation in the northwest |
ern states calling itself the National
Farmers Alliance but that it was a |
very loose organization, and was nom
secret, that the door to membership I
was too wide for it to meet the wants |
Of the times in the south. It was the
sentiment, that none but
hose most interested in farming should
ever be admitted. It Was, after full
investigation, decided that the organ
cation as it existed in Texas, and the
1ther states of the south to which it
had spread from and by the authority
IF The Texas Alliance, could accomplish
1othing by joining the National Farm
,rs Alliance of the Northwest, aud in
view of the fact that the cotton belt of
A merica was circumseribed country,
here was q necessity for a National
,rua MIA tinn of fhI Sc residing in the