THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE. 177 



9. Expenses accruing on account of the joint committee on con- 

 federation shall be defrayed by their respective organizations as they 

 may be incurred by each. 



10. The joint committee on confederation shall have power to 

 adopt such by-laws for the government of the joint committee as they 

 deem best. 



35. The indebtedness of the various organizations which consolidated 

 on the first day of October, 1889, to form the National Farmers' Alliance 

 and Industrial Union, shall in no case be a debt of the consolidated 

 order, unless by special act of the Supreme Council. 



ORDER OF BUSINESS. 



1. Calling the roll. 



2. Reading the minutes. 



3. Application for membership. 



4. Report of investigating committees. 



5. Balloting. 



6. Initiations. 



7. Is there any member sick or in distress? 



8. Reports of standing committees. 



9. Report of special committees. 



10. Unfinished business. 



11. New members. 



12. Business with the County Alliance. 



13. Business with the State Alliance. 



14. Lecturing. 



This was doubtless one of the most important gatherings, in 

 many respects, that was ever held on American soil. Repre- 

 sentatives from thirty-one State and Territorial Alliances were 

 present, besides a large number of both friends and enemies 

 of the order. Following, as it did, immediately after the close 

 of a political campaign of remarkable surprises, it was compelled 

 to bear a burden of pressure from both the old parties one 

 being driven by disaster to the verge of despair, and the other 

 elated by success to the point of dictatorial assumption. The 

 Republican party hoped that the meeting would result in certain 

 indiscretions which would break the power of the Alliance, and 

 permit that party to regain its waning strength. The Demo- 

 cratic party was anxious to have the Alliance recede from its 



