Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-22

farm. 1t required no reflection to show
him the line of his duty. He at once went
home and took charge of the farm, and to
help educate his brothers and sisters at
home, he soon accepted the principalship
of the neighborhood academy where he
prepared for college. 1t was while
he WAS engaged in this work in the spring
of 1888 that an organizer" appeared and
asked permission to organize an Alliance
lodge at the academy. Mr.. Butler. who,
though only q beaTdleSS boy, had watched
ard studied the Alliance movement from
its incipiency in Texas, at once not only
gave his consent, but his assistance. The
next evening a large and strong lodge
was organized. One week later the county
lodge was organized and Marion Butler
was elected president.
lie was at home on the farm when a
committee came 10 notify him of his cleo
ton. lie accepted and threw his whole
soul and energy into the work. He saw
the power of and necessity of newspapers,
so he rode to the county seat the next
DAY and bought the Clinton Caucasian. a
small country weekly, which was edited
by two lawyers. From that day the AL
lance movement has nowhere in the state
been stronger than in Sampson and the
adjoining counties.
In the State Senate.
In 1890 he was elected to the state senate,
after hard fight as the champion of the
railroad commission. Under his leadership
the present state railroad commission Law
was enacted and a movement put on foot
to force every corporation In the state to
list its property and pay just taxes on the
same. 1t was a hard and bitter fight, but
he won. In 1891 he was elected president
of the State Alliance Of North Carolina
to succeed Elias Carr, the present gov
ernor of the state. In 1892 he was re-
elected by acclamation. He was elected
president of the National Alliance at To-
peka, Kansas. February, 1888 He pre-
Al l,,,t. -,
vention of the peoples party, and would
have been nominated for governor If he
had been thirty years old, the constitution
al age.
He declined to accept any place on the
state ticket, but took the position of cleo
tor for the state at large. He canvassed
the state with practically no assistance,
and made one of the hardest fights against
tremendous odds ever seen in North Caro-
lima At the Memphis meeting of the Ma
tional Alliance he was elected first vice
president of the national organization on
the first ballot. He attended the first ma
tional meeting at Indianapolis, in 1891. and
was a delegate to the st. Louis confer
ence and Memphis meeting in 1892.
Favored Fusion.
Prior to the late election, which culmi-
mated in the tremendous majority of over
10000 for the populists and their allies.
the republicans, he suggested fusion" and
organization. He met the republican lead
ers at Raleigh and unfolded his plans for
carrying the state, which proved success
full. November 6 he had an agent at
every ballot box in the state and written
account of every vote cast was kept. He
was determined there should be no count
ing out" done.
About two years ago he married Flor
ence Livingston Faison, daughter of Col.
Edward Livingston Faison of Faisons,
n. c., one of the most charming and gifted
women in the state. Mrs. Buffers family
were wealthy Huguenots. She is a tall,
graceful blonde, has much suavity of
manner, and is brilliant conversational
ist Her family was much opposed to her
marriage with Mr.. Butler, and she Is es-
pecially proud that he has more than vim
dicated her judgment of him. She is de-
voted to him. She will be one Of the
youngest and most accomplished women
of the incoming senatorial circle.