Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-09-04
u. THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.

der this name formed at nearly the
same time, one in the North and the
other in the South But will deal
only with the Northern organization.
About the year 1875 Milton George,
prosperous and successful farmer of
Pennington, Fulton Co., ILL.,, purchas-
ed The Western Rural of Chicago
from a man named Lewis whom Mr..
George had loaned large sums of
money. David Ward Wood, an able
and vigorous writer was employed as
Editor. The Western Rural under Mr..
Georges management became the
most pronounced anti-monopoly agri-
cultural paper in this country. Its cir
culation grew by leaps and bounds.
Bogus butter and railway abuses were
mercilessly scored in it's editorial COL
umns, At that time all newspapers
had free passes for their editors and
travelling representatives. A big rail-
road, think it was The Chicago and
Northwestern, took exception to some
editorial criticisms in the columns of
Editor Challenged by Railroad.
The Rural, and intimated that unless
attacks upon the railroads ceased that
the passes would be cut off. Mr..
George accepted the implied challenge,
and refused all railroad advertising
unless for cash.
In 1880, after urging the movement
for long time, he took the initiative
and organized the First Farmers ALI
ance among his farmer neighbors, in
the suburbs of Chicago, where Mr..
George then owned farm upon which
he resided or at least operated. While
other agricultural editors were dispOs-
ed to throw cold water upon the move
ment yet it grew rapidly and soon
had local Alliances in fifteen or more
states. Mr.. George was elected Ma
tional President
Farmers Organize.
Unlike the Grange it's objects were
professedly political The Alliance
asked for laws to regulate the sale
of oleomargarine, to prevent railway
discrimination, and extOrtion and to
regulate the management of the stock
yards. 1t encouraged cooperation
among farmers along all lines especial
ly in the matter of insurance. 1t must
be remembered that there were at that
time very few cooperative or farmer
owned business concerns of any de-
scriptiOn. Il was at this time though
only farm hand, sort of general
travelling agent for The Rural in Iowa
and contributed numerous articles un-
der my pen name Julius"
The Alliance in Iowa.
Along in 1882 l called meeting on
the State Fair grounds to start the
movement in that state. Only five
persons took part in that gathering
and l was permitted to both draft the
rules and suggest the officers! Jesse
Kennedy of Ida county was selected
for President, w. N. Oaks of Warren
vice president and August Post of
MoultOn, Appanoose county was chos-
en- secretary, position he held for
twelve years or as long as the ALI
ance existed
l was given the job of organizer or
state lecturer and subsequently that
Of treasurer. The. annual fees or dues
were fixed at rs cents per year, of
which amount the organizer got 10
cents of the fee paid by charter mem
bers only. The Alliance grew slowly
at first directing it's affairs mainly to-
ward securing insurance and railway
legislation. Railroad attorneys had a
habit of organizing the legislature,
naming the speaker of the House and
majority of the members of the i'm
portant committees who would do
their bidding. In 1886 the Alliance be-
came strong enough to change this
but hostile senate blocked all propos-
ed farmer legislation.
Gov. Larrabee's Fiqht.
At this juncture the Alliance was
fortunate in securing the powerful
support of Governor VIM. Larrabee,
who had taken a fall out with the
Chicago Burlington and Quincy rail-
road otherwise known as the %" over
a coal shipment. The railroad in
sisted upon charging the state more
for a 100 mile haul than for $50 mile
from the same point and over the same
line and threatened the Governor with
political humiliation because he de-
INJURED The Alliance took up the
fight for the Governor and in little
more than year organized more
than thousand locals with a mem
bership approximating 100000. Alliance
members swarmed at party caucuses,
and dominated more than 80 per cent
of the nominating convention. 1t is
safe to say that the legislature that
met at the State House in Des Moines
that first week in January 1888, was
the most active and pronounced anti
monopoly legislature that up to that
time had ever convened in America
and it was the direct product of the
Alliance
Made a Clean Sweep.
About eighty of 100 members of the
House and majority of the fifty sena-
tors owed their election as well as
the governor to the direct influence of
that organization. The Regency"
the name by which the newspapers
controlled by corporation interests,
was known, were endorsed and for the
first time the common people
came into their own. The writer who
had given nearly five years of his
time to aid in bringing about this
result can scarcely be blamed for in
dulging in some feelings of exulta-
ton.
In spite of the presence of most
able, INSCRIPTIONS and determined.
lobby, and state senate that "wob-
bled" more or less, this legislature
wrote upon the statute books of Iowa
a system of just laws affecting rail-
roads. Insurance companies and other
quasi public corporations that has
served as a model for other states.
The primary law, the election of sena-
tors by direct vote of the people, the
graduated income tax amendment,
parcels post, free rural delivery we're
all favored and supported by the AL
lance Iowa from that good house has |
been in the front rank as a progress
sive state, although the Alliance as
an organization, ceased to exist more
than 20 years. ago.
In nv next article will sketch the |