The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-28
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1374-1901
No. 81-Period of the Farmers, November
Thomas Seay, Governor
Continued


| Negroes were debarred on account
of race from membership in any one
of these orders. Nevertheless, the ne
gro race was enfranchised by the fed
eral authority and the dominating po-
litical party in the federal government
guarded with Jealous care the political
rights of the southern negro.
All the membership in each of the
farmers organizations in the state was
of the white race and all the members
were also members of the democratic
and conservative party.
The press of the state, outside of Mo-
bile, was openly and industriously en-
ployed in the promotion of the farm
ers organizations. This attitude of the
newspapers was specially pronounced
IN the examples of the two leading
democratic organs, the Montgomery
Daily Advertiser, w. w. Screws editor,
and the Selma Southern Argus a week
ly of which Robert Mckee was edi-
tor The different farmers organiza-
tions in Alabama in 1889 We're () the
Grange, of which Col. Hiram Haw-
kins. cotton planter of Barbour, was
president, in succession to Hon. w. III.
Chambers of Russell. Hawkins was
Kentuckian, the young commander Of
| a Kentucky regiment in the Confeder-
ate army. (2) The alliance of which
Samuel NJ. Adams of Bibb county was
1
the Farmers National congress. The
state commissioner of agriculture. r.
It. Kolb, was president of this organ
ization. (D The Alabama division of
the Interstate Farmers association : L.
VI. Polk of North Carolina was presi-
dent of this body.
The State Agricultural society was
a nonpartisan association with l. j.
Culver of Bullock as president.
| In addition to the several conventional
formations of farmers, there was estab-
lshed at Montgomery by the Alabama
alliance commercial agency, known as
| the alliance Exchange" A physician
John S. Bird, was put in charge. The al
lance exchange was stock company
under the laws of the state None could
| hold stock except members of the alliance
in good standing in the order Purchasing
| agents were sent out to lay in farm sup
plies. These were sold at cost to alliance
| men for cash or for secured promissory
notes. The general plan contemplated the
erection of manufactures of farm imple-
| ments, tools, vehicles, etc. The policy
of the enterprise was published to be 'the
protection of the farmers of this state
from grasping monopolies, blood sucking
trusts heartless usurers and extortion-
ers'
The summer of 1889 was distinguished by
the enthusiasm Of the farming population
in support of the several organizations of
farmers.
The state grange was in session three
days. July II, IS, 10, at Clayton. There
was fun attendance and the president,
Col. Hiram Hawkins, delivered an ami
mating address, claiming that the phe-
nomenal agricultural progress made IN
the wire grass region owed its incentive
to the order.
The Alabama Agricultural society met
at Union Springs the week following
July "a and %. The president of the
National alliance, r. j. Sledge of Texas
spoke. Prof. N T. Lupton of the Ala
bama Agricultural and Mechanical coll
lege read a paper. Mr. George T. Me-
Eldewy of Talladega read a paper on '"rhe
| Education of Farmers Hon. ]. j. Car
isle of Pike read a paper. T. F. Culver,
the president of the associat ton, read a
hattering report of the work of the So
ciety Maj. ]. H. Hawitz, a clerk in the
state department of agriculture, read the
| official report of Commissioner Kolb
and said: 1T shows the work done by
the department is of incalculable benefit
TO the farmers of the state" The legs-
lature had enacted law establishing
farmers Institutes meetings, which 1t
was required the commissioner of agri-
culture should attend and address in
sympathetic tone. The commissioners s
ha bit was to carry to his appointments of
this kind lecturers of known ability.
TIL last of the meetings for the summer
was the alliance state convention, at Au-
burn, August s. and succeeding days
This meeting, with its accessory infiu-
ences, committed the alliance in Alabama
TO political character. Perhaps the end
reached was inevitable because unavoid-
able in the nature of things.
The outbreak of politics found incentive
In the following circumstances: While
!, there was a general apprehension abroad
that the alliance would endeavor to get
control of the democratic and conserva-
tive party organization by capturing the
next party state convention to assemble
at Montgomery the next year. 1890, up to
the meeting at Auburn August-5, 1899. no
overt act of the order had committed It
to such a purpose.
i We will remember that lawyers were
ruled out of membership of the alliance.
and the alliance exchange was a bold and
poastful defiance of merchants and banks
and railroads Lawyers and merchants
ana bankers, as such, could not partici-
pate in the political aspirations of the al
/, lance. A large proportion of the farmers.
especially the planters of the black belt,
would not for moment of time under
any consideration put in jeopardy the
mastery of the democratic and conserva-
tive party In this state
1t was developed, even, prior to the
meeting of August 5, at Auburn that
vention would be a movement to commit
the alliance and its members to discard
the use of jute bagging as covering for
cotton bales. The movement was predi-
Gated on the alleged extortionate price of
the commodity fixed by ''the jute baseing
| trust. A substitute for the jute ba eeinc
was sought in coarse cotton thread ma
teral, then being sent out from the Tai
lassee mills Mills at Florence were also
about to manufacture the same substitute.
In the lower part of South Carolina n
company had come in control of many
thousands of acres of unmproved pine
} land. The company was preparing to
manufacture a wrapping for cotton bales
from the needles of the pine forest
Earnest was the belief of the alliance
that the LIVERPOOL brokers, In their de-
mand for jute hageing. were PLAYING into
the hands OF the English manufacturers
in India. Already ] c. Cheny of Mont.
gomerv had been sent to New York TO
arrange for rule of tare, where other
than jute bagging was used
The central organ of the democratic
and conservative party. the MONTGOMERY
Advertiser. had from the beginning az
we have seen. WARMLY espoused the cause
or the farmers. On the second dav of tba
| Auburn convention the Advarti,ar ,.,,L