THE ALLIANCE IN TEXAS. 29 



B. Shults and G. M. Plumlee, absent. Plumlee's excuse rendered and 

 received. Shults fined 50 cents. Jasper Creek, No. 3, R. Lyons and M. F. 

 Gray. Gray absent; excuse rendered and received. Boon's Creek, No. 4, 

 suspended; Shiloh, No. 7, blank; Goshen, No. 8, R. E. Tackett and J. R. 

 Montgomery. Montgomery absent, and fined 50 cents. Wright's School 

 House, No. 12, R. A. Wright and J. S. Erwin; East Grindstone, No. 19, 

 blank; fined 50 cents; Springtown, No. 10, suspended. 



" Minutes of last meeting read, amended, and adopted. On motion of J. W. 

 Potts and F. M. Brown, G. W. Bond was fined 50 cents for negligence of 

 duty in leaving J. N. Montgomery's excuse out, and leaving out the name of 

 J. S. Welch, and not charging him with a fine, etc. Next the president 

 appointed a finance committee to examine the books of secretary and treas- 

 urer of Grand State Alliance, consisting of L. G. Oxford, R. E. Tackett, and 

 W. L. Garvin. On motion of L. G. Oxford and R. Lyons, that the Grand 

 State Alliance adopt some form of burying the dead ; carried. The president 

 appointed R. Lyons, Andy Dunlap, and Dr. O. G. Peterson to get up the 

 work and report at the next meeting of the Grand State Alliance, November 

 13, 1880. The committee appointed at Friendship, on secret work, made 

 their report, which was received, and the committee discharged. With the 

 twining around stricken out; first, Peace; second, Social; third, Love. The 

 Finance Committee reported that they found the secretary's and treasurer's 

 books in good condition. On motion of R. E. Tackett and L. G. Oxford, 

 each Subordinate Alliance was taxed $1.25 to pay for the printing of the con- 

 stitution, etc. ; the same to be paid by the first of October, 1880. W. L. 

 Garvin, A. J. Caston, and W. J. Womack were authorized to organize 

 Farmers' Alliances till February, 1881. There being no other business, the 

 Alliance was closed with usual ceremonies, to have a called meeting at Garrett's 

 Creek, Wise County, Saturday, November 13, A.D, 1880, at ten o'clock A.M. 

 Said meeting was called for the purpose of receiving the report of the com- 

 mittee appointed to get up the work on burying the dead, and any other 

 business that may come before the Grand State Alliance. 



(Signed) " By J. M. MONTGOMERY, President, 



" J. H. DOVER, Secretary." 



Brothers Dawes and Garvin, in their history further say : 



" It will be seen that the Farmers' Alliance, when first organized, was not 

 a chartered institution ; but it was soon learned, meeting with so many 

 obstacles arising from deep prejudices which existed in the minds of so many 

 people against a farmers' organization, that they could not perpetuate and 

 carry out successfully the great and grand objects of the order with open 

 doors to politicians and demagogues ; hence an application was filed with the 

 Secretary of State, asking for a new charter, that the Farmers' Alliance might 

 become a chartered institution, and receive that protection and enjoy the 

 benefits accorded to all other chartered institutions. A charter was granted, 

 and the Farmers' Alliance took its place in the world's history as the first 



