The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-02-15

vas meeting Of nearly dozen Farm.
RS Alliances at Gaffney City last Friday
The territory in Spartanburg ard Union
counties that does its trading there wa.
represented by many of the best farmers
# tho community. DR.. j. S. Hester
ddrss,ed the meeting. The principal
,usiuess on hand was the adoption OF
'ome plan by which they mi ght get
cheaper supplies and fertilizers Car
oil Il Carpenter offered terms which
we're considered reasonable and were &C
oepted.
The general opinion was expressed
that smaller quantity of fertilizers
would be used than was used last year
Other similar meetings will be held in
he county.
Your correspondent has been watch
ug the working of the Alliance in this
State since tie State organizer first came
here aud began his work. The move
mont has met with some opposition on
he part of tho merchants and middle
men. Some ridicule it, and say that the
farmers cannot stick together, and the
whole thing will soon fall through
There are some unreasonable, bull-head-
I'd farmers who believe that merchants,
lawyers, doctors and manufacturers
nave only one object in life, and that is
20 rob the farmer of his hard earned
lollars. They are Ishmaelites, and raise
heir hand aud voice against every man
with calling or profession differing from
their own. Such men as these honestly
believe that there is direct and con-
slant antagopism between them and all
men who make their living by buying
and selling. This class, however, is very
small. The most Of the members of the
Alliances are reasonable mon. They
understand that all professions are neces-
sary in State and they feel that their
several interests are iUter-dependent
They know that the spirit of the com-
biuation of classes prevails all over the
land. All trades and professions have
their organizations. These are gener-
ally for selEp:otection and improvement.
The farmers believe they havo the same
right to combine for these purposes that
any other class has.
Then it is evident that since the war
they have had hard time oft. This
has been an age Of wild speculation in
every marketable article. Such con-
dition is always unfavorablc ior the pro-
ducer. They have had to pay most ex-
orbitant prices for goods on time In
many instances 100 per cent has been
paid. The farmers have been driven
to organizing on account of what they
consider oppressive conditions. They
came together not to pull down others
but to build up themselves. They
know the process will De slow. They
do not expect the Alliance to create
money fer them. They hope BY COM
biuation to show that they are an impor-
tant factor in the business and work
ing world, and not mere isolated units,
or ciphers, as heretofore considered. OF
course, it is expected by all that the
lazy, shiftless farmer will not change
his ways. The Alliance does not pro-
pose to make men over. 1t furnishes
them with NEGATIVES to improvement.
| One of the Alliances represented at
Gaffney's from Wilkinsville, in Union
County, is going on the cash basis.
They have raised the money amongst
themselves to purchase their main sup
plies. They have ordered carload Of corn
and will buy their -four and bacon the
same way, or in such quantities as to
get it at a very small advance on first
cost and freight. One tendency of the
Alliance will be to work the farmers up
to cash basis. When a man has the
ready cash in his pocket he is a pretty
good Alliance within himself. But act
ing alone he cannot do as well as if a
dozen or fifty men, with the ready cash
should combine TO accomplish some pur-
pose.
Some of TIE professional class cs seem
to fear that the Alliaoce will become
political organization and seek to name
all our officers from Governor down to
trial justice, This is an unfounded fear
1t is expected that when an Alliance
man is a candidate his brethern will vote
for him, if he is good and worthy, just
as every bsnker or capitalist will now
vote for the candidate from their class.
Both these phases Of politics were illus-
trated in our election last fall. The AL
lance men, then not very Numerous, did
not vote for candidates who represented
money corporations, or who had much
money by selling goods to farmers at
lien prices. On the other hand, this
latter class gave no support to candidates
who belonged to the Alliance. That is
to be expected in the future and would
result in that way without any combina-
tioD. Taking it all in all, the Alliances
threaten no evil to any other class, but
they hope as the years 60 by to accom-
pllsh much good for the farmers. - Cor.
.NeDs and Courier.
QUITE Lively LITTLE FIGHT.-A bloody
fight occurred on Tuesday night 10 Litlle's
Magnolia Street barroom. john Kirby was