The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-22
THE ALLIANCE TAX.
What the Farmers Pay for Political 1nstruc-
ton and Driving Away the Darkness
Do the Returns Justify tho
Outlay.
1Greenv.ile News. !

own as be likes, but we are moved to
wonder by the great sums Of money
paid by alliance members in the way Of
dues and fees. The initiation fee is
fifty cents and the dues are dollar q
year. This is not much. The dues are
equal to mill tax on thousand dol
lars worth of property. Yet many of
those who pay it cheerfully would pro-
test vigorously against an increase OF
their taxes by the same amount. Fur
thermore, the members of the Alliance
are usually men who COMPLAIN much
Of the army of office holders drawing
salaries, fees and expenses from the
people. Yet the first practical effect of
the alliance is to create multitude Of
new officials with salaries and fees. In
this State the State president receives
5000 year, the secretary $500, the treas
urer 5000. The State lecturer is paid So
day while on duty. The members Of
the executive and Judiciary committees
receive the same. All of these are like
wise paid their necessary travelling ex-
penses and the cost of postage and sta
tionery for official correspondence. Off
GERS and delegates of the State Alliance
are paid $50 day while going to and
returning from the State Alliance and
in attendance at its meetings, and mile
age.
Men who complain of the cost Of State
government and the numbers OF office
holders, who jealousy watch the use Of
every dollar of public money, create a
new State government of their own, a
new brigade of office holders and new
tax. In this State we suppose the AL
lance men pay from $4,000 to $4,000
year to support the order. What do
they get? What has the order done for
them?
AS we understand, the State and
county exchanges are separate from the
State Alliance and supported by sepa-
rate funds. We can see how they can
be of practical use to the farmer by saw
ing him money in the handling of his
goods. We can not see how or where
the regular machinery of the order
helps the members. Nor do we know
where all the money paid in goes to-.
t No doubt it is honestly passed from
hand to hand, from sub-Alliance to
county Alliance and so on to the State
and general organizations. It looks as
if there should by this tine be large
sum accumulated somewhere for some
purpose. Taking the offices, fees, sala-
ries and allowances as provided for by
the State constitution of the order, we
can not figure the expenses Of the State
Alliance at more than $4,000 or Sl2,-
900 a year. # there are $4,000 paying
members, which is, we suppose, very
low estimate, the Income ought to be
$4,000 a year at the least.
Now we would really be glad for such
information as the obligations of mem
bers allow item to give the public. We
would like rembees who feel that they
have received the value of their money
and time in practical results from the
order during the last year-aside from
the operation of the exchanges-to tell
US how they received it.
There is an army of lecturers abroad
being paid salaries and expenses to
teach farmers and others politics. Some
Of them are men who DO farmer would
nav twenty-five cents to for advice on
any subject. Some Of them, no doubt
have been failures as farmers, business
men and otherwise. Very few ofthem
have had the experience or study or are
equipped with the natural ability to
make them leaders Of men or masters
of thought or teachers of political ecoL-
omy yet their teachings, lectures ano
snaeches are all an outsider can see that
the Alliance rank and file get for thei!
money.
Nor can We see where anything more
practical Is offered. Alliance men pay
their tax and are instructed to work
and vote fo- the sub-treasury and othei
zzs,ueaA demands. In the first place,
,t,Asny Of them who pay DO moi
i demands Ip the second
and 6Vt