The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-01-03

Wheel had each national organization
before their union, which was prac
tically completed at Meridian, Miss,
Dec 5 to 8, 1888, under the name Of
the Farmers and Laboreys' Union Of
America" The terms of unien were
submitted to the local subdivisions o:
the orders interested, with the recon-
mendation that they be ratified. When
all have agreed, proclamation will be
made announcing the consolidation and
the name.
In the mean time an effort is made
to effect union with an association Of
farmers in the north.w western States
known as the National Farmers Al
lance" similar organization operat.
ing in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Iowa, Dakota, Nebraska, Kauras, and
Missouri. The National Farmers AL
lance came from local effort 10 Cook
County, Illinois, in the spring of 1877,
under the leadership Of Milton George,
editor Of the Hestern Rural, an agri
cultural paper published at Chicago.
10 Oct, 1880, about 500 Farmers Al
lance delegates, and others interested
assembled in Farwell Hall, Chicago,
and the National Farmers Alliance
was organized. The following States
were represented: Massachusetts,,
Rhode Island, New York, Ohio, In-
diana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky
and Texas. Mr.. George was so much
interested in the movement that he
bore the expenses OF the convention
himself. The object was declared to be:
"To unite the farmers of the United
States for their protection against class
legislation, the encroachments of con-
centrated capital, and the tyranny Of
monopoly; to provide against being i'm
posed upon by swindlers, and swindlins
advertisements in the public prints; to
oppose. in our respective political
parties, the election of any candidate to
office, State or national, who is no.
thoroulh ly in sympathy with the farm
ers' interests to demand that the ex-
isting political parties shall nominate
farmers, or those who are in sympathy
with them, for all Offices within the
gift of the people; and to do anything
in legitimate manner, that may serve
to benefit the producer"
1t was intended. in the beginning, to
have this organization operate openly,
for it seemed wise, in the opinion OF
the oliginators, that all bodies which
discuss public measures should be open
to the people. That was afterward
changed; and now this, like all the
other branches of the farmers move
ment, has its ritual and secret work.
The membership of the National Farm
ers' Alliance is now littlo if at all short
of 400, 900, and is spreading.
The "Farmers' Mutual Benefit AS
ISOLATION" originated in southern Hi.
| nois, in 1887. Its membership in.
creased rapidly, SO that in the spring Of
1888 it was able to establish or control
separate business agencies. 1t is rep
resented in Kentucky, Missouri, and
Kansas. 1t is included in the general
call for meeting Of delegates from all
the farmers associations in the country,
to be held at st. Louis, No., Dec. 4,
1889, for the purpose ofbringing them
into one great body under a national
head.
The object of all these separate as
sociations Of farmers, though stated
differently, is substantially the same !;
and that is true of their methods and
movement in general, three are partic-
ularly worthy of notice: l, the reasons
assigned for the movement 2, the
national loyalty of the membership; 8,
the moral tone of its official literature.
Among the things already done by
the farmers through the agency Of their
union, is the establishment of local and
State exchanges for the transaction of
business without the use of the middle
men. 1t is proposed, as soon as the
final national union shall be perfected,
to establish national business ex-
change. The great object of bringing
the producer and the consumer close
together will then have been accom-.
plished fully and nally.-7He Forum.
A Sound Legal Opinion.
E Bainbridge, Munday Esq County
Attv Clav 10 'Tov cows. .H,ra mead