The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-07-11

NOW Speaking In THIS State Gives an I O.
teessttng Iota.v:.w-rhe Alliance in
P"llc;cs.
COLUMBIA $. c., July 6.-Mr. Marion
Butler, President of the National Ear
mers Alliance, while on visit to this
CITY yesterday was interviewed "Che
Alliance" he said, lis doing very satis-
factory work at this time. Perhaps
there is not as much hurrah now as
there was at the begianing, for the sur
plus enthusiasm which generally &C.
companies such al orgaiZation at the
outset has spent itself. 1t is no,g 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 q 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 Vlr-
tually be responsible fo the contract
of the national Alliance, which would
place its orders after receiving com mis-
sions to do SO from the various State
exchanges. The government Of Chill"
he went on to say, Thought 50 mnch
of the undertaking that 1t 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 Sc
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. 10 North Carolina alone, the
State exchange does a business of over
S5O0,0OC, and by proper management as
large business can be done by any
other State. New charters are bang
issued every day for Alliances in the
Northwest. The Alliance is really
stronger in the West than it IS in the
Sonth. This applies to the members
who have paid up their fees, although
I believe that our machinery in the
South is as good s.s that in the West.
You do not hear 80 much now about
the Alliance ID South Carolina ss In
previous years, but its influence is, per-
haps, stronger than it has ever been"
Just st this time, Col. Duncan, the
nationaI secretary, came in. and in re-
sponse to an inquiry from President
Butler said that the membership in
this State, which was in July, 1893, was
5000. President Butler then went on
to say by way CT explanation tor this
small membership that is paid up Is
smaller than it has ever Dsen 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 -26lQQ.nns He was then asked whe-
! ther those members who had not re-
tained active members were 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 suc-alliances, that rule
| is not ironciad. Ay lodge has only six
active members; Just enough to retain
it9 charter, and yet Wedo the buying
for at least forty farmers, ali 81 -TGaaIIsa TTGGaaIa
are good Alliancemen. 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
| ier said that he could not see where at
any time strike could do any good, as
| it was not 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 ur-
der it," was his statement IN regard to
the Alliance in politics. Then he
! went on to say: LAS a proof of that
when the Alliance was organized it Yas
purely for social and business purposes
as the files and records Of all of the
first meetings will show. The argu-
nents 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 oy
the friction Of inteliec5 against intel
lect. Its the law Of the development
among our people. Acting on that
broad principle that men meeting fre-
quentlY would benefit by each others
experiences in every department. of
business; that al would avoid the mis-
takes one had made and that all would
benefit by ones successful experiment.
This was bound to result in greater
production at less labor and less labor
and less cost, and following this up
they would distribute their products To
greater advantage. This intercourse
10 the lodge room soon developed the
belief among farmers that there was
SCuCtuiuS idIiC6iJ TlOIS "ioI tGC
two great instruments OF commerce
money and transportation. After dis
cussng these question in the sub, coun-
ty and State alliances, it was resolved
at the meeting Of the Alliance in 1889
that the Alliance ought to exert its in
huence to correct evils through legisla
tion, believing that they had been
brought about by unjust legislation.
This resulted in what's known as the
political demands of the Alliance,
which IRE practically the same now as
adopted II 1889. This is the reason
why the Alliance is in politics today
and 1t will continue in politics until
the reforms ithns 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 Tlllmah TO-
wards the sub-treasury scheme. The
reason the Alliance supports Ben Till
man." he said, sis because they know