The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-07-11
NEW PARTY NECESSARY.
MARiOE BUTLER SAYS THE SOUTH
AND WEST MUST UNITE.

| Tns preeiGcnt or ths Nstloual Alliar CO
&cw Spsaklrg in This State Gives al o.
ter.sttog Int"rvisw-Tha Alliance In
Pclluc,.
CoLUMsIA,S. 5. c., July G.-Mr. Marion
Butler, President of the National Far
mers' Alliance, while on visit to this
city yesterday was interviewed. "rhe
Alliance" he said, "is doing a very salts
factory work at this time. Perhaps
there is not as much hurrah now as
there was at the beginning, for the sur
plus enthusiasm which generally ac-
companies such an orgaiZation at the
outset has spent itself. It is nov de.
voting good deal Of its attention to
the business department, as that ma
chinery 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 one general agent
make contracts for the various State
exchanges and 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 vir.
tually be responsible 70 the contract
of the national Alliance, which would
place its orders after receiving com mis-
sions to do 80 from the various State
exchanges. The government of Chilli"
he went on to say, thought 50 mnch
of the undertaking that it sent spe-
cial commissioner to the meeting to
make arrangements for the purchase
of nitrate of soda by the national ALI
ance. An Office has already been &C.
cured in Baltimore and the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad has offered desir-
able site for the depots of the national
exchange and promised to build them.
There can be no question" be said,
about the success of such an enter
prise. In North Carolina alone, the
State exchange does business of over
S50O,0OC, and by proper management as
large a business can be done by any
other State. New charters are beng
issued every day for Alliances in the
Northwest. The Alliance is really
stronger in the West than it is in the
South. This applies to the members
who have paid up their fees, although
I believe hat our machinery in the
South is as good as that in the West.
You do not hear so much now about
the Alliance IN South Carolina as In
previous years, but its influence Is, per-
haps, stronger than it has ever been"
Just at this time, Col. Duncan, the
national secretary. came in, and in re-
spouse to an inquiry from President
Butler said that the membership in
this State, which was in July, 1893, was
1900. President Butler then went on
to say by way of explanation for this
small membership that is paid up Is
smaller than it has ever been since it
amounted to anything, but that
amounts to nothing. Take my State
for instance, where the membership at
one time Was over one hundred thouS-
and and yet, by the last report, it was
only 2600O." He was then asked whe-
ther those members who had not re-
tanned active members we're entitled to
the benefits of the Alliance exchanges.
"They are and they are not" he replied;
"for instance, We do larger business in
North Carolina with $4,000 active
members than we did with 100000.
While business is generally done under
the seal Of the suit alliances, that rule
IS not ironclad. My lodge has only six
active members; just enough to retain
it, charter, and yet we do the buying
for at least forty farmers, all of whom
are good Allisncemen. The sub-Alli-
ances can and do purchase for those
who they think are responsible. The
hard times brought about the Alliance
and yet it Is now acting in preventing
Alliancemen from paying their dues.
| Yet if we were to cut off these men
from the privileges of Alliancemen,
most Of them would join.
About this time the question of
strikes was brought up and Mr.. But
ler said that he could not see where at
any time strike could do any good, as
it was not a proper remedy for any evil.
THE Alliance would have nothing to
do with politics, if the politics OF the
country were in such shape that the
members of the Alliance could live uE-
der it, was his statement IN regard to
the Alliance in politics. Then he
went on to say:"As a proof Of that
when the Alliance was organized 1t was
purely for social and business purposes
as the files and records of all OF the
first meetings will show. The argu
ments Of the speakers in organizing
the lodges was that men living separ-
ate on farms at some distance from
each other could not develop or rise to
as high state as when they were
| thrown in frequent contact. One phrase
generally used by the organizers was
the only way you can generate was by
the friction of intellect against intel.
lect. It is the law of the development
among our people. Acting on that
broad principle that men meeting tre-
quently would benefit by each others
experiences in every department OF
business: that all would avoid the mis-
takes one had made and that all would
benefit by ones successful experiment.
This was bound to result in a greater
production at less labor and less laber
and less cost. and following this up
they would distribute their products to
greater advantage. This intercourse
IN the lodge room soon developed the
belief among farmers that there was
| "ASAh oAS
two great instruments of commerce.
money and transportation. After dis.
cussing these question in the sub, coun-
ty and State alliances, it was resolved
at the meeting Of the Alliance ia 1883
that the Alliance ought to exert its in
hueuce to correct eyils through legisla
ton, believing that they had been
brought about by unjust legislation.
This resulted in what is known as the
political demands of the Alliance,
which are practically the same now as
adopted IN 1889. This ls the reason
why the Alliance is in politics today,
and 1t will continue in politics until
the reforms ithas asked for are secured
and then it will return to the social
and business features"
Mr.. Butler was asked what he thought
Of the attitude of Governor Tilimah TO-
wards the treasury scheme. "The
reason the Alliance supports Ben Till
man." he said, sis because they know
and believe that he is working to &C
comDlish the same results as we are
through the sub treasury scheme. The