THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE. 105 



discharge of my arduous duties. To them I shall ever feel grateful for 

 their assistance, fidelity, and patriotism to the order during these trying 

 hours. 



Brethren, never before in the history of organized labor have we been 

 confronted with graver questions of business, of greater magnitude and 

 importance, than will be presented to this convention. You virtually 

 hold in your hands the destiny of our order, upon whose success or fail- 

 ure depends the weal or woe of the patient and long-suffering agricultu- 

 ral and laboring people of our nation. To-day all eyes are turned to 

 St. Louis, while millions of anxious, waiting hearts are trusting to your 

 patriotism and wise deliberation that shall pave the way for their relief. 



Feeling confident that you will meet bravely, calmly, and unselfishly 

 the great work which now lies before you, and realizing your responsi- 

 bility and the necessity of having justice done to all respecting the 

 humble as well as the highest members of the order, thereby strengthen- 

 ing the ties that now bind us together in one common brotherhood, I 

 assure you as your chairman, that my motto shall be, " Equal rights to 

 all, and special privileges to none." 



Let us, therefore, as brethren, true to our God, cause, and families, 

 enter upon the business of this meeting with full confidence in each 

 other and brotherly love to all mankind, and may He who doeth all 

 things well guide us in our deliberation to the perfecting and perpetu- 

 ating of our order, free our nation from corporative power, and break 

 the shackles that now bind our industries in iron chains. 



ST. Louis, MISSOURI, December 4, 1889. 

 The following resolution was adopted : 



Resolved, That the National Farmers' Alliance is hereby cordially 

 invited to visit us in a body, to listen to the address of Ex- President 

 C. W. Macune, on the aims and principles of the Farmers and Laborers' 

 Union of America. Adopted. 



After considerable detail business, Ex- President C. W. Macune, of the 

 Farmers' Alliance and Co-operative Union of America, delivered the 

 following address : 



Brethren of the Farmers and Laborers'* Union of America : 



It is the custom when legislative bodies of this character convene, for 

 the president to deliver an address, setting forth the exact condition of 

 the order, telling what has been accomplished during his administration, 

 and making such suggestions for consideration as he deems best. This 

 has already been done by our worthy president. But this organization, 



