Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-11-14

country a general inquiry has arisen,
"What is this great alliance, and
how came it to be so powerful
The answer can be traced in III &,
quite recent history of several farm
ers' organizations-the National
farmers alliance and industrial
union, organized year ago at St
Louis, and now having 9,OUO,OCC
members; the National grange OF
the patrons of husbandry, with 80,
900 subordinate oranges; the North
western alliance, confined mainly TO
the Dakotas and Kansas; the Pa.
irons of husbandry, with $4,000
members in Michigan and $4,000
more in other states; the National
colored farmers alliance and CO.
operative union, claiming 100000
members and the Farmers mutual
benefit association, claiming 500, QUO
Taken at their most modest and
probable showing of strength, it is
certain that these various bodies OF
agriculturists comprise not less than
5000, 900 and possibly as many as
1000, 900 tillers of the soil, banded
together at first mainly for social
educational and economic objects
but now determined upon working q
politico- social revolution in the
United States. The proceedings of
several of these separate organize.
tions 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 a
circulation as high As 100000 annu.
ally. They have state and national
treasures from which their expenses
are paid; insurance funds, cooper
alive stores and factories, where
they purchase their own supplies
for the household and farm.
The original farmers alliance was
born in Texas in 1875, just after it
had become plainly evident that the
cattle kings of Texas had shown q
disposition to take everything in
sight, whether it belonged. to them
or not. The order seeking the ad-
vanccmenL of the southern farm
interests, spread throughout the
south and became a gigantic in.
dustrial and political factor, and
held its first national convention at
Shreveport, La, October, 's7, with
delegates from 10 southern states in
attendance. Since then i, has so
spread and absorbed kindred orr
CARNATIONS that in the present con.
gress it induced SenatorVaHce to pre-.
sent TO the senate, and Congressman
Picker of South Dakota to the
house a bill now known as the sub.
treasury bill, which provides that
the government shall 60 into
the business of advancing money to
the farmers, taking as security for
the loans mortgages upon lands or
upon growing or gathered crops.
Senator Vance, in introducing it,
declared that he could not vote for
such a measure because he believed
1t to be not only unconstitutional,
but wildly chimerical.
The National grange of the "a.
irons of busbandry is, in point of
age at least, the chief farmers ASSOC
citation of the west. 1t was organ.
lied at Washington % years ago.
Very little progress was made until
1868, when about 200 oranges had
been organized in various parts Of
the country. by 1879 it had de.
veloped into a formidable power.
and two years later it proclaimed
that it had $4,000 sub-granges.
These figures were soon nearly
doubled, with an average member
ship of 40 each. Smaller in mem
bership now than it was some years
ago, it is far more efft ctive in every
way and yields a greater influence
on current politics and state legis-
lation. 1t has its representatives, at
Washington, and its position on the
taaiff is that if anybody is to be
protected the farmer shall be.
The National farmers league is a |
comparatively new organization.
which was born in Massachusetts
less than year ago. The farmers
of that state had been vainly pc
litioning the legislature OF that
state to pass an ELECTROMAGNETIC |
bill. The bill materialized, AMI
because a similar one was snbse-
quently vetoed by Gov. Buckley in
Connecticut as being unconstitu. |
Iional, that functionary was defeat
ed in the late election. The league
is strong in New Hampshire, Yer
mont and score of other eastern,
middle and western common wealths.
lts objects are the farmers political
Welfare. The work of the league is
directed towards securing a inc,