THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE. 109 



When the question of electing delegates from the Texas State Alli- 

 ance, to meet with delegates from the Louisiana Union, for the purpose 

 of organizing a national order, was pending, I presented to the body 

 all the information in regard to the National Farmers' Alliance that I 

 had received from the columns of the Western Rural and the correspon- 

 dence with Presidents Streeter and Burrows ; a careful consideration of 

 which showed that there were, at that time, at least three reasons why the 

 Texas State Alliance was not willing to join itself to that order. The 

 first was, the National Farmers' Alliance was a non-secret and very 

 loose organization, with neither fees nor dues, and charters seemed to 

 be sent out by the national secretary, Mr. George, to anybody who 

 would request them, on very little evidence as to the qualifications of 

 those applying. Second, the published rulings as to the qualifications 

 of membership made colored persons eligible ; and third, the national 

 secretary published a ruling that any person raised on a farm was con- 

 sidered a practical farmer, and was therefore eligible, regardless of his 

 present occupation. 



The membership of the Texas State Alliance and the Louisiana Union 

 were at that time unanimously opposed to each of these three methods, 

 and therefore thought it useless to delay organizing a national body that 

 would conform to the genius of the institution they had so grandly com- 

 menced to build. They did not propose to enter the territory of the 

 National Farmers' Alliance, nor to oppose it in any way, but they 

 thought it would be presumption, and perhaps a needless waste of time, 

 to lose a year in order to ask the National Farmers' Alliance to modify 

 its methods that they might join it ; and therefore they organized their 

 own national in their own territory. 



From the date of the organization of the national, the order grew very 

 rapidly, as the reports from the different State organizations at this 

 meeting show. This rapid growth was largely due to the zeal of a 

 membership, united in an effort thoroughly understood and indorsed by 

 all, exerted at a time when the masses were ripe for the movement. 

 The lines of argument that induced people to join the order are impor- 

 tant and should be carefully considered, because they indicate in some 

 degree what they expect the order to accomplish in their behalf and by 

 their assistance. 



After a very careful survey of the work, I find myself unable to avoid 

 the conclusion that the leading and principal arguments used, and 

 especially those that have been to any extent effective, have all had for 

 their object, either directly or indirectly, conditions that would render 

 farming more profitable from a financial standpoint. The methods 



