The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-11-01
THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE.

LETTER FROM PRIEST BURROWS.
The following letter from Pres't
Burrows, of the National Farmers
Alliance, will explain itself. The
great question to consider is wheth-
er the Southern Alliance, including
the agricultural Wheel" will unite
with all other alliances in nepower-
full national organization. Sec'y
Haigh, of the Minnesota State ALI
ance wishes the matter discussed in
local alliances. Send in your views
to us:
PRESIDENTS OFFICE.
F1LLEY, NEB., Sep. %, 1889.
To all Officers of State and
Territorial Alliances in North
and South Dakota, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Kan
sas, Nebraska, Colorado and
W. Territory, and to all Sub
ordinate Alliances in New York,
.. Pennsylvania, Indiana, Cali
fornia, Oregon, Greeting.
BROTHERS: In Feb, 1883, a
meeting of the Executive Com
mittee of the National Alliance
was held at Des Moines, Iowa.
An invitation had been sent to
the Southern Alliance and Co.
operative Union to send repre-
sentatiyes to this meeting, for
the purpose of considering the
question of a union of the North
ern and Southern Alliances; and
in response to this invitation
Bro. Evan Jones, President of
the Texas State Alliance, attend
ed the meeting as such represen-
tative. At this meeting action
was taken in favor of a Union Of
the two Alliances, and a Commit
tee of the National Alliance was
appointed to attend the meeting
of the Southern Alliance at Meri-
dian, Miss, in the following De-
cember. Unfortunately no men,
bers of the Committee attended
the Meridian meeting, therefore
the National Alliance was not
represented. But action looking
to the union of the two bodies,
and the Agricultural Wheel, was
taken, and a declaration OF pur-
poses and constitution we're
adopted. The matter was then
referred to the different State AL
liances and Wheels of the South
for their action, and a meeting
of delegates was appointed to be
held at St. Louis, Mo-, Dec. 5,
1889.
! At the last Annual Meeting OF
the National Alliance, held at
! Des Moines in January, 1889,
representatives from the South
ern Alliance were present, and
4 laid before the meeting the &C
ton taken at Meridian. Our
meeting received this report fav-
y orably, and referred the question
of union to the different State Al
liances, their final action to be
reported by their delegates to
the next Annual Meeting of the
National Alliance, which was ap-
pointed to be held at St. Louis,
Dec. 5, 1889.
1t has thus come about that
the final decision of the question
of Union between the Northern
and Southern Alliances will rest
with your delegates in the next
Annual meeting, and that you
can approach that question en-
tirely free and unpledged. Youl
President has favored the union
was the first, in fact, as far as
he knows, to take any active Of
fetal step to promote it. My
opinion on that subject remains
unchanged, but it is not my pur
pose now to advance arguments
in favor of it.
1t is my duty now to lay this
{ matter before you, and to ask
that you will in your annua
meetings, carefully consider thu
whole subject, and instruct YOU
delegates as to their action al
! St. Louis, if you should deem il
wise to do so. 1t may be wise
| however, to leave them some dis
: cretionary powers. The Consti
: tuition adopted at Meridian has
3 been furnished you. You neet
not, however, confine your &C
Z ton to the adoption or rejec
: ton of that document, but rath
! er instruct your delegates upol
, the broad principle of union, up
!, on whatever terms may be agreed