Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-04-21
FARMERS ORGANIZING.
Jefferson County Yeomen Form a Farmers
Alliance.


CnAEIEsTowN, w. VA, April 2O.-Col
C.. T. Barbee. of Harrisburg, Va, pres
ident Of the Virginia State Farmers
Alliance, made an address to-day i'm the
Court House. TO the farmers of this
lJefTerson) county. A large gathering
greeted the lecturer. and his discourse
consisted i'm an interesting explanation
of the organization. growth and advan-
tagc Of the Alliance TO protect the
farmers from trusts, mOnOpOlieS and
combinations of wealth. In the course
of his lecture hc1Said that the Alliance
had its origin i'm Texas, when handful
of farmers and cattle graziers-sevcn in
numher-met ON one OF their ranches
for the purpose of forming some sort of
organization for their own protection.
This meeting was the embryo of the
now great and compact Farmers ALI
ance Beginning with seven members,
it membership now exceeds three mil
lions. and Alliances have been estab-
llshed i'm every State OF the Union.
Their influence and effect have
been felt in many Instances
where trusts and monopolios have en-
dcayored To dictate eXorbitant prices
and demand unjust profits from the
farmers One notable instance was the
crushing of the iute trust, when the
cotton growers in the South refused 10
buy jute at the eXtortionate price of l3
cents a pound. The trust had cornered
the market by buying up all the raw
material and getting control OF all the
factories, thus hoping to compel the
cotton growers TO accedc to their de-
mands. bat the Alliance held Cotton
Convention" and sOlemnly resolved TO
buy no iutc from the trust conSpiratorS
LAT any price. This aroused them and
they sent cOmmittc 10 meet the ALI
.ancc and effect "a compromise, but the
Alliance was unyielding and although
the committee offered the jutc al
the old price, cents pound.
vet the Alliance refused To buy "a
pound. and thus one of the great
est trusts was completely OverthrOwn
and destroyed. Many other instances
where the Alliance has protected the
farmers from the rapacity of corporate
greed. might DE mentioned. IL vii
not be long until the farmers will die
tptc. and pot enquire, the price of wheat,
corn and other cereals. The farmers of
Jefferson county. farming being the
principal industry in the county, are
becoming thoroughly aroused to the
wrongs that have been committed
against agricultural interests, and are
determined 10 assist the Alliance i'm the
suppression of these evils.
The order is not a political one, and
has no secrets. The lecturer ingenious
ly stated that the only secret the Al
lance has. is. that its members vote for
their friends and against their enemies.
Already several branch Alliances have
been formed IN different parts of the
county. and one of the objects of the
meeting to-day was TO organize County
Alliance. After the lecture. this was
done. and the following officers were
chosen: \. II. Willis, President; Eu-
gene Baker. Nicc-President; K W. Nor
row. Secretary; =. ID. Engle, Treasurer:
George Knott. Chaplain; w. y. Morgan,
Lecturer: Daniel llchebOwer, Assistant
Lecturer: George W. Engle, Doorkeep-
er: c. A. Davis, Assistant DOorkecpcr;
4. p. Thompson, Scrgeant-at-ArmS.