THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE 113 



From this new center the movement spread more 

 rapidly; a second Grand State Alliance was organ- 

 ized; and the order grew with such rapidity that 

 by 1886 there were nearly three thousand local 

 lodges in the State. The social aspect was prom- 

 inent in the Alliance movement in Texas fpom the 

 beginning. Women were admitted to full mem- 

 bership, and negroes were excluded. In 1882 the 

 three degrees of the ritual were combined into one 

 so that all members might be on the same footing. 

 The early minutes of the State Alliance indicate 

 that the rounding up of estrays was the most im- 

 portant practical feature of the order at that time, 

 but in a few years this was overshadowed by co- 

 operation. Trade agreements were made with 

 dealers, joint stock stores and Alliance cotton- 

 yards were established, and finally a state exchange 

 was organized with a nominal capital of half a mil- 

 lion dollars to handle the business of the members. 

 All the difficulties which the Grange had encoun- 

 tered in its attempts at cooperation beset the Alli- 

 ance ventures : dissension was spread by merchants 

 and commission men fighting for their livelihood; 

 mistakes were made by agents and directors; too 

 much was attempted at once; and in a few years 

 the house of cards tumbled to the ground. 



