The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-10-09
THE ALLIANCE EXPOSED.
Secrets of the Order ReYcaEcd-A Mem
Der Tells How the iIac:;Me is Run.

ton, Ga, Star how he was initiated il
the Farmers Alliance as follows:
You see before you, explained Nc
kcever, ncwly-made, but only half
fedsed Farmers Alliance man. 70,
know that during my checkcred ca
reer I have been a regular jiner, anc
eagerly went into every secret organ
ization that came along. have rid
den the Masonic goat, climbed The
creased pole Of the Odd Fellows, been
thrown down the Knights Of Honor
stairsteps and fell sprawling over the
fences built in my path by the Gran
gers, and actually took a drink Of wa
ter when I joined the Good Templars;
but these initiating programmes were
as downy beds Of ease compared with
the trying ordeal through which I
passed yesterday at the hands of the
Farmers Alliance. I had formed an
idea that as soon as l joined the ALI
ance the mortgage against my farm,
stock, and crop would moulder into
ashes, while That loag-standing store
account would disappear from the
face Of the books: that would have
the privilege OF fixing my own prices
on goods, and force the merchant to
pay me twenty cents a pound for cot
ton So [ made up my mind to JOIN
the Alliance, and yesterday, donning
my Sunday-go-to-meetins clothes, re-
paired to the school house, where the
order met, and sent in my application
by neighbor who WAS a charter
member. Ii due season the glad It'd
iags were conveyed to me that l had
been balloted for and accepted, and
boiling over with eager qualification,
followed my conductor into the wood
room adjoining the main building.
Here my guard made our presence
known by picking up section OF
fence rail and rapping three times On
the door. This gentle signal was an
swered by three raps from within and
the query:
"Who comes there ?"
"A horny handed son Of toll, CROP
ing in darkness, and anxious to have
the light Of the Alliance shed upon
him, replied my guide.
'sBreak down the barricade that
stands between a Brother Farmer
and light, and admit the applicant .
spoke a sonorous voice from within.
Just at this instant the old door,
which had been removed from its
hinges, was kicked over, and striking
me on the top of the head, raised this
lump you see here. I thought it was
an accident at that time, and so made
up my mind to grin and bear the
pain.
Two stout men stepped forth and
violently Selling me by the ann: | was
carried into the middle Of the room.
I saw that the house WAS pretty well
filed with spectators. Sitting on the
top of cotton bale was the Grand
Mogul of the order, as I afterwards
learned. On his right q section Of
rail fence had been built and astride
of this was another officer: On his
left sat third official with pile Of
guauo sacks under him, which | be-
licve was tie Grand Secretary. Ino
ticed that all the officers and their as
sistants were in their shirt-slecves,
and wore jeans pants held up by one
suspender each. These parties, J. II
terwards discovered, represented the
present poverty-stricken condition OF
the farmers. In one corner stood SIX
men, arrayed in their best store
clothes and plug hats, and each had a
feather pillow rammed into his pants
to represent high living, who were to
act as merchants. l had scarcely time
to take hasty glance around the
room when a fellow stepped up and
dashed about pint of guano into my
face. and before I had time to wipe
my eyes OF spit out the stuff, mysight
was obscured by an old guano sack
that didn't smell by any means like
the last rose Of summer-being bound
over my orbs Of vision. I WAS then
led three times around the room and
bo]tn1 IN front of the Grand tycoon
on the cotton bale.
"Bcnightcd brother farmer, who
hath been gropins in darkness, the
light of organized agriculturists is
now about to break upon you
spake the Tycoon. ''Iou are now
within the sacred precincts of the
Farmers Alliance, and in order to IN
delibly fix upon your mind great
truths, we will proceed to carry You
through the ordeal Of initiation. That
handful of guano cast into yonr eyes
is intended to show You the folly Of
an undue use of this expensive com
modify. 4 limited use Of guano II
the right place is proper; but YOU vii
not, l hope, soon forget the lessor
taught you about its abuse. Now car,
ry the benightcd brother to- the
Grand Vice-Tycoon for. further IN
struction.'
I WIS then violently turned around
my guards released me, and | wa:
told to go straight forward at brisl
trot. This I did, but soon ran against
il ten rail fence that had been secretly
built in my path, and in the fail was
skinned from head to heels. | wa:
soon brought up standing again, th'
guano sack removed from over my
eyes, and I was carried before the
fellow sitting on the pile of sacks
With a look Of pitying contempt tni:
yicc-Tycoon spake to me thusly: