The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1890-11-22

sibly as many as 100000, tillers of the
soil. banded together at first mainly for
social. educational and economic objects,
but now determined upon working pollt-
ico-social revolution in the United States.
The proceedings of several of these sepa-
rate organizations are guarded with as
much secrecy as those of the Masons, the
Knights of Labor, or the Federation OF
Labor. They have their own newspapers;
some of them with circulation as high as
100000 annually They have State and
national treasures from which their ex-
penses are paid; insurance funds, cooper
alive stores and factories, where they pur-
chase their own supplies for the household
and farm.
THE SOUTHERN WINGS BIRTH.
The original Farmers Alliance was born
in Texas in 1875, just after it had become
painfully evident that the cattle kings OF
Texas had shown disposition to take
everything in sight, whether it belonged to
them or not. The Order, seeking the ad-
vancement of Southern farm interests
spread throughout the South and became a
gigantic industrial and political factor, and
held its first national convention at Shreve-
port, La, in October, 1887, with delegates
| from ten Southern States in attendance.
Since then it has so spread and absorbed
| kindred organizations that in the present
Congress it induced Senator Vance to
present to the Senate, and Congressman
Picker. of South Dakota, to the House
bill now known as the Sub-Treasury bill,
which provides that the Government shall
90 into the business of advancing money
to the farmers, taking as security for the
loans mortgages upon lands or upon grow
ing or gathered crops. Senator Vance, in
introducing it, declared that he could not
vote for such measure because he be-
lieved it to be not only unconstitutional,
but wildly chimerical.
The National Grange Of the Patrons of
Husbandry is, in point of age at least, the
chief farmers association in the West. 1t
was organized in Washington % years ago.
Very little progress was made until 1865,
when about 200 oranges had been organ
lied in various parts of the country, By
1872 it had developed into formidable
power, and two years later it proclaimed
that it had nearly 10000 sub-granges.
These figures were soon nearly doubled
with an average membership Of forty each.
Smaller in membership now than it was
some years ago, it is far more effective in
every way and yields greater influence
on current politics and State and National
legislation. 1t has its representatives at
Washington, and its position on the tariff
is that If anybody is to be protected the
farmer shall be.
THE EASTERN LEAGUE.
The National Farmers League is COM
paratively new organization, which was
born in Massachusetts less than year ago
The farmers of that State had been vainly
: petitioning the legislature of that State fol
years to pass an Anti Oleomargarine bill
They speedily organized for that sole pur.
pose-more than 10000 strong all
members of the Legislature at once agreed
in uniting to push their bill. The bill
materialized, and because similar one was
subsequently vetoed by Gov. Buckley in
Connecticut as unconstitutional, that func-
tionary was defeated in the late election
The League is strong in New Hampshire
Vermont and a score of other Eastern
Middle and Western Commonwealth. Its
object is the farmers political welfare.
The work of the League is directed toward
securing just representation and treat
ment of the agricultural interests ,iPJ Con
gress and in the Legislature, and due recog
milton of farmers in all public affairs with
out conflicting with the best interests Of
the entire people. The payment of 81
cents constitute life membership in the
Farmers League-State and National
? 1t will be seen that the farmers through
out this country are organized as they have
never before been, and the results in many
sections on Tuesday of last week indicate
that they are also united as they never
could be hefofe,
HOW THE SENATE MAY BE TIED.
1t now looks us if New York, New
Hampshire, Illinois, Kansas, South Dakota
and Wisconsin would send Democratic
Senators in place of Republicans to the
Fifty-second Congress. Even the majority
of two in the upper House thus left to the
Republicans is a most uncertain quantity
/ for there is information from Colorado
which casts at least a shade of doubt on
Senator leller's chances Of return. If that
doubt should materialize the Senate would
be tied