CHAPTER IX 

 AGRARIAN PARTIES AND THEIR POLICIES 



The agrarian movements that started in the sev- 

 enties were not primarily intended as political or- 

 ganizations. The Grange began as a conservative 

 farm movement whose principal purposes were to 

 promote the educational and social interests of its 

 members. When the Grange changed its objective 

 to economic and political reform, the organization 

 began to decline. The Farmers' Alliance had much 

 the same history. But the political influence of the 

 Alliance became much greater than that ever at- 

 tained by the Grange. However, the period of its 

 political influence was very short. The Alliance 

 exerted considerable influence in the election of 

 1890, but its decline was rapid after this date. The 

 Alliance was the forerunner of the "People's Party," 

 which became the first great farmers' political or- 

 ganization in this country. 



The People's Agrarian Party 



The People's Party was composed of the politi- 

 cally active farmers who had been identified with 

 the Farmers' Alliance, the Grange, and the Green- 



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