The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-11-13
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
Sketch Of the New and Powerful
Factor in Politics,
SUDDEN AND GREAT GRowrH

SUDDEN AND GREAT GROWTH.
Philadelphia Press
AS our Farmers's Alliance has project
ed itself into the kaleidoscope of Ameri-
can politics with enough intensity to be-
come a factor in the next Congress and
the dictator in several States 9a review of
the growth of the order NAV be of especs
ial interest to Press readers.
The various organizations classcd un-
der the heads of Farmers Alliance that
have become so important a feature of
the body polite are about as follows:
l. The National Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union was organized a year
ago at st. Louis by a coalition of the
National Farmers Allan ce and Co op-
erative Union of America and the Ma
tional Agricultural Wheel A member
ship of 100000 is claimed for this body
g. The National Grange of the Patrons
of Husbandry, which claims near thirty
thousand subordinate Oranges scattered
all over the country.
8 The Northwestern Alliance, which
operates in the Dakotas and Kansas and
other States.
4. The National Farmers League,
which is of recent origin and asserts that
it has membership, in the State of New
York alone, of 10000
5. The Patrons of Husbandry They
claim to have 10000 members in Michi-
gan alone and another 10000 in other
States.
6. The National Colored Farmers, AL
lance and Cooperative Union with it's
officers assert, 1000, 900 names enrolled
Z. The Farmers Mutual Benefit Asso-
ISOLATION, pretending to a membership
of 100000.
These orders are particularly strong in
: the South, Southwest, and Northwest,
but as yet have little following in Penn
sylvania or in the New England or Mid
iSdIe States. A careful Investigation made
by the ssPress" some time ago in regard
to the Alliance movement in Pennsylva-
MIA showed that it was practically in it's
infancy in this State.
THE ALLIANCE POWER.
But. as regards the other portions of
the country, the figures are startling and
indicate All extraordinary state of affairs.
The figures mean that between three
and four millions of farmers and persons
engaged in agricultural pursuits of one
kind or another are banded together, to
effect certain great social and political
reforms in which they, as class, are
particularly interested. They have, like
other secret and semi secret associations,
their own ritural and work their own
signs and passwords, and grips by which
one member is known to another.
much secrecy as those Of the Masons, the
Knights of Labor. or the Federation of
Labor They have their own newspa-
pers some of them with afcirculation as
high as 100000 copies annually. They
have State and national treasures from
which their expenses are paid insurance
funds, cooperative stores and factories,
where they purchase their own supplies
for the household and the farm.
In the beginning these associations
sedisclaimed partizanship in politics
Their influence was not to be cast in IA
vor of any man or any party. They were
benevolent social, and cooperative ''al
lIances, y "granges." and wheels" hav
ing nothing to do with politics or politi
clans.
But in the process of their evolution,
the original ideas upon which they were
founded seemed to have vanished and
in their stead are substituted the most
advanced and radical theories of the
functions of government that, backed by
a large and respectable support have
ever been presented to the consideration
of the American people.
THE UNIONS ORIGIN.
The origin IF the National Farmers
Alliance dates back to 1875. In that year
some of the first settlers of Texas had
serious troubles about land. The wealthy
cattlemen, who are day called cattle
kings" were in the habit, like all ancient
and nearly all modern kings, of taking
what did not belong to them. These po-
tentates looted the cattle of the farmers
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