The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-11-13

what they called an alliance. Within
three years the organization had spread
over the adjoining counties and become
so powerful that designing men dragged
it into politics and thereby DESTROYED it.
The order, however, spread all through
the South, and became a great}industrial
and political factor in few years.
1t is only three years since the Nation
alFarmers' Alliance held it's first Nation
al Convention. This was at Shreveport,
La, October 10, 1887 The States of Tex
as, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Mis-
souri,, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida Ken
lucky and North Carolina were repre-
sented This body" said the president
of the Alliance in his address, lis the
first organization of the real cotton rails
ers ever inaugurated on a plan calcula-
ted to assist the poor man. This is a
gathering of representative men from
States, men who represent the greatest of
allindustries, assem- bled here not merely
for the pleasures and emoluments to be
gained by their attendance, but, trust,
lmbued with proper conceptions of the
great responsibility resting upon them,
thoroughly alive to the conditions of the
times and firmly resolved to work out
the true and proper solution of how to
! relieve the depressed condition of agri-
culture in our beautiful Southland. and,
er in one solid phalanx till the effort is
crowned with victory"
GOING INTO POLITICS.
Little was thought of political action
then, but the order soon underwent a
revolution in ideas
1t has overleaped all political barriers
The members of the organization who
adhered to the principles of Adams or to
Federalism. which is modern Republi-
canism, have pitched those principles
overheard, while those who were proud
to call themselves followers of Jefferson,
have laid most of his theories aside as
inadequate to meet the political and So
cial emergencies which the farmers be-
lieye demand solution at the present
time. If, for instance, there was any one
thing which Mr.. Jefferson detested more
than another, twas Government bank.
Banks" he again and again declared,
were more dangerous to the liberties of
the people than standing armies"
But, at the request of the Farmers AL
lance, Senator Vance has introduced in
the Senate, and Representative Picker.
of South Dacota, in the House, bill
now known as the treasury bill.
which provides that the Government
shall go into the business Of advancing
money to the farmers, taking as security
for the loans mortgages upon lands or
upon growing or gathered crops. ..:5se
Senator Vance, in introducing it, de-
clared that he could not vote for such
measure because he believed it to be not
only unconstitutional but widely chime
fical. And yet this is the MEASURE upon
which the Southern farmers are more
solidly agreed than upon any other ques-
ton
The Western and Northwestern farm
ers made terrible onslaught on the two
old parties. The Republicans in this
section, however are the chief sufferers,
and the Democrats are congratulating
themselves on the chance it gives them.
The National Grange of the Patrons Of
Husbandry is, in point of age at least,
the chief farmers association of the
West Hitherto it has held aloof from
politics, combining itself to the working,
out of purely social, educational, and
economical problems. The tendency of
conservatism. and it may be said to be
as deeply in politics now as the Farmers
Alliance of the South, although in not
quite so aggressive a style.
It was organized in Washington city
twenty three years ago. Very little pro-
gress was made until 1868, when about
200 oranges had been organized in vari-
Gus parts of the country. By 1872, it had
developed into formidable power and
two years later it proclaimed that it had
nearly twelve thousand sub oranges
These figures were soon nearly doubled
with an average membership of forty
each, but owing to lack of efficient disci-
pline and thorough organization the
body toppled from it's own weight. The
superstructure was too big and too heavy