The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-25
TILLERs OF THE SOIL.
National Farmers Alliance and AtnIla'es
Claim Voting Strength OF Nearly
Two and a Half Millions.
New York Herald

New York Herald
While the recent Convention at Gin
einnati, Ohio, which provided for the
peoples party" was not POLITICALLY"
meeting of National Farmers ALI
anee and Industrial Uaion, that organ
ization was practically in control there
"unohicialIy," and there is little ques-
ton in the minds Of the leaders Of the
order that the joint meeting Of the Ma
tional Farmers Alliance and Indus
trial Union, the National Colored Far
mers' Alliance, the Northwestern ALI
ance, the Farmers Mutual Benefit As
sociation, the Citizens Alliance and
the knights f Labor, which is to be
held in Washington, February %,
1892, will finish the work begun at
Cincinnati and formally launch the
new parry.
With the practical certainty that
Presidential nominations will be made
by this body in 1892, it becomes mat
ter of legitimate public interest to find
out lust what force the movement will
have behind it and the trend of
sentiment among the rank and file OF
She Alliance throughout the country.
With this end in view I requested
the State presidents and secretaries OF
the National Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union to answer for the
Herald questions covering these
points,
First. The present strength Of the
Alliance.
Second. The growth of the order
since the meeting in- -Ocala last Decem-
ber.
IfSird. The general trend of senti-
ment in the organization in regard TO
the nomination of independent can
didates for the Presidency and Vice
Presidency in 1892.
Fourth. The probable proportion of
the members vino would support sucn
nominations should they be made.
To these questions more or less COM
prehensive answers were received from
nineteen States.
SUSPICIOUS OF THE PRESS.
There is a vel! defined suspicion in
the minds of many good Alliance men
that the "eapitalistic press" is against
them and is the champion of the ''gold
bug,n and hence some of them de-
clined to give any information about
the matter.
From official sources, however, I am
able to supply this deficiency. In Col
orado the strength of the order is now
about three thousand members, nearly
all of them having come in since the
Oeala Convention. In California there
are 10000 Alliance men, of whom 5000
are new members. Georgia has about
$4,000 OF the rolls. This State is thor
oughly organized, and the GROWTH
issaisah+s4EeeF#Taa. IS has aSs5s
10000 members to the 5000 who were
in the order in December last. Kansas
pays dues on 10000 men and women.
Kentucky has nearly 100000, Missou-
ri about 10000, Maryland from 5000 to
5000 (mostly in the eastern shore coun-
tiesl, Mississippi 1000, Virginia 10000,
and there are about $4,000 in the Terri
tories.
WORKING IN NEW FIELDS.
These are all the States which have
perfected State organizations. Work
is being vigorously pushed in Oregon,
which now has 100 sub-alliance with
about 1000 members; New Jersey,
with 50 sub-alliances and $500 mem
bers; Wyoming, Idaho, Minnesota,
Washington and Wisconsin. The ma
tional officials say that in the Febru-
ary Convention every State except
those in New England will be repre-
sented.- Work has not begun fairly in
these latter States, but they will be at
tended to before long.
The total strength of the Alliance,
then, is about l,270,000, but from this
number must be taken about twenty
per cent, representing the women and
minors. This would leave the voting
strength of nc order at about 1,0lS,-
600.
In addition to the National Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Union there
are, according to Col. R. NJ. Hum
phrey, 100000 voters in the Colored
Farmers Alliance almost wholly in
the Southern States. Then there is
the Northwestern Alliance, with its
strength in Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa
wa and Wisconsin, with about $4,000
members; the Farmers Mutual Bene-
fit Association, Strong in Illinois, In
diana and Ohio, with $50, 900 members;
the Patrons of Husbandry, with about
100000 members; the Knights of La
Dor, with 100000 members, and the
Citizens Alliance, the membership of
which is problematical
VOTERS BY THE MILLION.
Making a reduction of twenty per
cent. in these organizations for non
voters and to the strength Of the ALI
ance must be added 100000 voters,
making the total voting strength Of the
combination 2,476,00O throughout the
country.
1t is questionable, however, if this
strength can be held. The 100000 ne
groes are unreliable and the Changers
or Patrons of Husbandry are not in
sctined to the third party idea strongly.
In the West the feeling for indepen-
Sept action determined az all hazards