The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-11
AN ALLIANCE LEADER TALKS.
President Marion Butler Of the National
Farmers Alliance Thinks a New Party
is Necessary-The South and West
Must Unite.

Farmers Alliance Thinks New Party
is Necessary-The South and West
Must Unite.
Especial to News and Courier.7
COLUMBIA, July 6-President Ma
rion Butler, of the National Farmers
Alliance, was in the city to day. He
had just come from Indian Springs
where be delivered an Alliance address
and was on his way to Florence, where
he will deliver an address tomorrow
President Butler is man Of about 3:
years. He dresses neatly, has bright
black eye, and wears his beard in 8
Ia Francais. He talks slowly but with
force, and seems to be very much in
live with his Alliance work. When be
was seen this morning at the Hote
Jerome he was busy writing editorials
for the caucasian" which is the or
gan Of the National Alliance, but die
not hesitate to give out an interview
which, however, was quite frequently
interrupted.
1.-The Alliance" he said, twas doing
very satisfactory work at this time
Perhaps there is not AS much hurrah
now as there was at the beginning, for
the surplus enthusiasm which gen.
orally accompanies such an organization
1T the outset has spent itself. 1t is now
devoting good deal Of attention to its
business department., asthat machinery
has gotten in good order.
"At the last meeting of the National
Executive Committee it was decided to
establish National Exchange, which
will very probably be located at Balti'
more. The intention of such an ex.
change is to have ore general agent
make contracts for the various State
exchanges, and by buying goods in
bulk get them at more advantageous
prices for the Alliance members. The
various State organizations, most OF
which have capital behind them, would
virtually be responsible for the contract
of the National Alliance, which would
place its orders after receiving commits
sions to DO so from the various State
exchanges. The Government of Cbili,'
he went on to say, Thought 80 much
of the undertaking thatit sent special
commissioner TO make arrangements
for the purchase of nitrate of soda by
the National Alliance. An office has
already been secured in Baltimore and
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad has
offered a desirable site for the depots OF
the National Exchange and promises
to build them. There can be no ques.
tion," he said, "about the success OF
such an enterprise. In North Carolina
alone the State Exchange did a busi.
ness of over a half million dollars
and by proper management as large
business can be done by any other
State.
New charters are being issued every
day for Alliances in the Northwest
The Allan e is really stronger in the
West than it is in the South. This ap-
plies to the members who have paid up
their fees, although I believe that our
machinery in the South is as good as
that in the West. You do not hear
nearsomuch now about the Alliance
in South Carolina as in previous years,
but its Influence is perhaps stronge,
than it has ever been."
Just at this time Col. Duncan, the
National Secretary, came in and, in re.
sponse to an inquiry from President
Butler, said that the membership in
THE State by the last report, which
was in July, 1898, was $4,000.
EXPLAINING THE DECLINE OF The
ALLIANCE.
President Butler then went on to say,
by way of explanation for this small
membership, THE membership that is
paid up is smaller than it has ever been
since it amounted to anything, but that
il nothing. Take my State, for il.
stance, where the membership at one
time was over 100000, and yet by the
last report it was only 26,000."
He was then asked whether those
member who had not retained active
membership were entitled to the bene-
fits of the Alliance Exchange. They
do and they do not,' be replied. For
instance, We do large business in
North Carolina with 26, 900 active mem
bers than we did with 100000. While
business is generally done under the seal
of the Sub-A lliance, that rule is not
iroDcIad. My lodge has only six active
members, just enough to retain Its
charter, and yet we do the buying fol
at least forty farmers. all of whom are
good Alliance men. The Sub-Alliances
can and do purchase for those who
they think are responsible.
"rhe hard times brought about the
Alliance and yet the hard times now
prevent Alliance men from paying
their dues. Yet five were to cut of
these men most of them would join."
About this time the question OF
strikes was brought up and Mr.. Butler
said that be could not see where at any
time a strike could do any good, as il
was not proper remedy for any evil
HOW THE FARMERS WERE FOOLED By
THE ORGANIZERS.
"The Alliance would have nothing tc
do with politics if the politics Of the
country were in such shape that the
members of the Alliance could live
under it," was his statement with re-
gard to the Alliance in politics. Then
be went on to say: "As proof of that
when the Alliance was organized it was
purely for social and business purposes,
as the files and records of all the first
meetings will show. The argument oi
the speakers IN organizing me lodges
was that men living separate on farms
at some distance from each other could
not develop or rise to as high state es
when they were thrown in frequent
contact. One phrase generally used by
these organizers was. The only way
you can guarantee intelligence was by
the friction of intellect against intel
lect.' 1t is the law of the development
among our people. Acting on that
broad principle that men meeting fire.
quently would benefit by each others
experience in every department of busi'
ness; that all would avoid the mistakes
one had made and that all would bene
fit by ones successful experiment, this
was bound to result in greater pro
duction at less cost, and following this
up, they would distribute their pro-
ducts to greater advantage. This inter
course 10 the lodge room soon devel.
oped the belief among farmers that
there Was something radically wrong
with ,he two great instruments of COM
meIce-money and transportation. AT.
fer 6iscussinp these questions in the