The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-08-08
What 4 the, Di4srenoe1

What 4 the DiAsrenoe7
A correspondent asks us the differ
ence between the Farmers Alliance
(North) and the Farmers Alliance
and Industrial Union"
We all know more or less about the
Farmers Alliance in Minnesota and
Iowa. 1t has a national organize
ton, and 81. L. Loucks, Esq, is the
President.
All through the Southern States
and some of the Northern, there were
scattered three or four farmers Or
CARNATIONS. Prominent among
these were the Farmers Alliance, :"
and the Agricultural Wheel" Last
year a definite attempt was made
throughout the nation, to unite all
these into one federatiOn-nOt fusion.
To this union was also invited the
Knights of Labor. At that grand
convention at St. Louis, there were
some persons who evidently had po-
litical axes to grind. Burroughs, of
Nebraska, was by nature a. kicker.
He is doubtless a good man, but was
not awake to the advantages of I'm
ion. The Iowa alliance men repre-
sented by the Homestead" opposed
union of forces.
From this state, by some legerde-
main never fully explained, Geo. W.
Sprague, Jos. Keenan, "a machine
agent) and we believe, Mr.. Furlong,
were in some way sent as delegates.
Of course the Union OF all these forces
meant certain strength OF national
organization, and the corresponding
loss of political power over the al
liances by what was then called the
"Scheffer ring" in our alliances
there being but the skeleton of a
dead organization in the state.
1t is a story too long to state, but
Mr.. Sprague got into a hot quarrel
with the Dakota Alliance people, and
his men refused to join in the union
project. Dakota decided to unite
and Nebraska put off the matter for
state action. Iowa followed the
Sprague "idea" practically. Kansas
went in with nearly 100000 men,
bers. All the other active alliance
states combined, and with the
Knights of Labor, formed Fedora
tion''-about three million strong,
known as the Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union" They have over
200 journals; six or seven distinct
branches, or orders; a legislative
committee with headquarters at
Washington-"The National Econo-
MIST" a journal OF great power-a
National Life or Aid Association, and
a National Fire Insurance Co., which
operates in various states in cOnnec-
ton with powerful companies al
ready chartered. in this state this
company is gradually but surely get
ting into business, in connection with
the German-American Company, St..
Paul, and with Fish & Frain as
Genl Agents for Minnesota for Ma
tional Alliance Insurance work.
The Union is growing rapidly. Al
liances are forming in Iowa, Nebras-
ka, and even in Minnesota. Illinois
has united, and so has Wisconsin.
We wish that the Alliances OF Mime
sofa mis- ht also organize under the
Union banner.
What is the difference?
Well, there is considerable. The I.
U. is much stronger and larger, and
has national policy. The business
meetings are all secret. 1t has a
very simple ritual-such as all secret
bodies must have. At first this ritual
had chaplain service which many
religious bodies objected to, especial
ly the Catholic. But that part has
been modified so that no religious Or
ders now interfere.
The Secretary of President Polk
writes us:
"Do not all your recent troubles
arise from your being non-secret
body, and admitting men who are
not really farmers? We admit no
one, even though he has farm and
farns-if he merchandise, or is a
banker, etc. Was not the defeat of
Bro. Donnellv due to the influence of
boodlers who could not join our or
der?
eff so, would it not be better to be-
gin again and keep out your bad ele-