The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-11-20
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
SPEECH BY HON. BEN TERRELL
Noble Objects of the Alliance Hurtful to None
but Spectators Help All Through
Helping Farmers Is
No Answer to Them Now.

Noble Objects of the Alliance-Hurtfu1 to None
but Spectators Help All Through
Helping Farmers is
No Answer to Them Now.
The principles of the Farmers Alliance
and Industrial Union of America were
clearly and ably set forth in Staunton
Monday by Hon. Ben Terrell, national
lecturer for the order. The meeting was
held in the courthouse, lasting from
1910 to las o'clock. The attendance
was not large, scarcely filling the main
floor of the room, but those present were
attentive and earnest, gathering from
the speaker store of practical thoughts
to carry all over Augusta county to its
25 sub alliances and their 1, 100 members.
The attendance would have been much
larger if the meeting had been more
widely advertised or if it had been held
on court Monday.
Mr.. Terrell is a man of medium size
and heavy build, about AZ years of age.
He has always lived in his native state,
Texas, and has devoted his life to the
occupation of farming and raising stock.
Through the war he served as a COnfed-
crate soldier, for a part of the time in
the state of Virginia. Though never
educated for public speaking or service,
his work during the last six years for the
organization and protection of farmers
has developed in him strong ability for
his present position in his order. He has
never held public Office in his life, and
says he never expects to hold one. His
position as national lecturer he has held
for two years. giving all his time to adj
dressing farmers. So far he has travelled
chiefly in the south and west. He arriv-
ed in Staunton Saturday from Lexing-
ton, and left Tuesday for Harrisonburg.
The speaker was introduced by Hon.
A. B. Lightner, president of the sub
alliance at West View. Col. H. j.
Williams, president of the county ALI
ance, was also present on the platform.
The matter that follows is a partial
synopsis of the address, supplemented in
several places with information obtained
afterwards from conversation with Mr..
Terrell.
The teaching of the Farmers Alliance
is that above all else, its members should
be patriots. 1t seeks to heal wounds, to
break down prejudice, to promote peace
and good will among all the people. In
Mr.. Terrell's opinion it has already done
more than any other organization to-
ward uniting the north and south.
The Alliance now has $500, 900 mem
bers. Several other farmers orders are
about to unite with it. When united
their total membership will be nearly
| 100000.
The obligation taken by members, the
principles and ritual of the order, any
person may know. The little secrecy
| involved in its passwords and recogni-
ton signs is necessary to maintain the
fraternal relation between all members.
They help one another when sick or in
need away from home, and to carry out
this feature effectively they must have
passwords. Mr.. Terrell, AN ex-rebel Dem
ocrat. spoke through Kansas in the late
campaign, with reception from Repub-
!
them. He could have secured no fair
| hearing in Kansas before the days of the
Alliance. Where it's principles prevail
there is no north or south, no favor for
the force bill or any other sectional
measure, but equal rights for all. The
fraternal feature overcomes prejudice.
1t is only by acting right that the ALI
ance hopes for success.
The Alliance addresses the general COY
eminent. 1t has no right in politics as a
secret order If person joins the ALI
ance to get office he violates his obliga-
ton. To use the order as a means OF
securing election is contrary to its OBJ
jects. 1t never dominates a candidate.
1t discusses measures, not men. The
man who can be depended upon to sup
port honestly the Alliance measures will
| get the Alliance vote, whether he be a
Democrat OF Republican. The Alliance
knows no party, no religion, no section,
no class. Its measures are not simply
for the good of farmers but for all honest
citizens. Building up agriculture helps
every honest producer as well as the
farmer All should seek to increase the
profits of the toiler. Alliance measures
are designed to help forward every hon
est class, and they can injure no class ex-
cept the shylocks and the spectators,
those who SO long have preyed upon the
necessities of farmers. The latter have
been getting poorer and poorer for %
years, while millionaires, trusts, monOpO-
lies, and all kinds of combinations of
money power have multiplied on every
side as never before in all history.
But how different is the effect of pro-
noting the interests of the money class
Such course is hurtful to all except the
bondholders and capitalists. The con-
traction of the currency brought about
1 by the bondholders' control of national
legislation has made the government
bonds now outstanding more valuable to
their holders than all the bonds were be-
fore being reduced by the $1.555, 00O, 900
paid on the national debt since the war.
But it would now require more wheat,
corn, ETC., to pay the remaining bonds
than would have been required to pay
all of them in 1865. The money power
has had legislation its own way for %
years, and has hurt every toiler of every
producing class. Why should not the
farmers have part in legislation when
by helping their own interests they also
help those Of every honest producer.
The lack of union among farmers has
enabled the money class to have their
own way. When the bankers met in
| Topeka they said nothing about the
politics Of each other. They discussed
their own interests, agreed by majority
vote on what course to pursue, and pro-
duced the silver bill that has since be-
come law. We farmers need not abuse
the bankers. All that keeps us from be-
ing bankers is the wherewithal. What
we need to do, and have set put to do as
the Alliance, is to initiate the bankers
example by agreeing harmoniously on
the legislation best for us, and by voting
all together for honest men pledged to
support that legislation. The whisKey
power, which is even worse than the