58 AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



"WACO, January 12, 1887. 

 " To the Farmers' State Union of Louisiana ; Greeting: 



** Brothers and co-laborers with us in our common cause : ^ It is with pro- 

 found pleasure that we acknowledge and receive your duly accredited delegate, 

 Brother J. A. Tetts, from your grand body to this grand body, now in session 

 in the city of Waco, Texas. We are profoundly impressed with his earnest- 

 ness, zeal, and ability to represent both your grand body and the noble cause 

 which he represents, and through him we desire to return fraternal greetings 

 to your great body, and trust this friendship thus begun may ever continue. 



" Respectfully, 



" D. J. EDDLEMAN, Committee" 



Brother Macune recognized, at this early date, the necessity 

 of a unity of action among reform organizations. At the even- 

 ing session of the same day, the matter of delegates to the 

 National Farmers' Alliance was taken up. The different con- 

 gressional districts reported their lists as follows : 



i, J. J. Fairchild, W. K. Deason ; 2, W. B. Briggs, B. F. 

 Rogers ; 3, J. M. Perdue, John O'Byrne ; 4, D. B. Hale, Nat 

 Draughan ; 5, A. Dunlap, Geo. B. Pickett ; 6, J. B. Barry, R. 



F. Butler ; 7, Joseph Carter, A. C. Russell ; 8, Ben Terrell, 

 E. B. Warren; 9, W. M. Reed, C. W. Macune; 10, J. W. 

 Goodwin, W. D. Branum ; 11, S. P. Burns, D. M. Rumph. 



The delegates thus selected were confirmed, and these breth- 

 ren, with Brother J. A. Tetts, constituted the members of the 

 first meeting that formed the National Alliance. 



The first meeting of these delegates was held the succeeding 

 day, January 21, 1887, and the following officers were elected: 

 C. W. Macune, President ; J. A. Tetts, First Vice-President ; 



G. B. Pickett, Second Vice-President ; J. M. Perdue, Third Vice- 

 President ; E. B. Warren, Secretary ; R. F. Butler, Treasurer. 



These were the first officers of the National Alliance. 

 Work was at 'once begun on the formation of a National 

 constitution. The declaration of purposes of the Texas State 

 Alliance was selected, and the following constitution was pre- 

 pared : 



CONSTITUTION. 

 DECLARATION OF PURPOSES. 



Profoundly impressed that we, the farmers of America, who are united by 

 the strong and faithful ties of financial and home interests, should, when 



