COLORED FARMERS' ALLIANCE. 289 



J. J. Shuffer was elected President, and H. J. Spencer, Secretary. 

 Suitable committees were appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws, 

 a ritual, and a form of charter. After receiving the reports of these 

 committees, it was agreed that the Colored Farmers' Alliance should be 

 a secret association. 



R. M. Humphrey of Lovelady was elected General Superintendent, 

 and to him was committed the work of organization. The new order 

 had no money, no credit, few friends, and was expected to reform and 

 regenerate a race which, from long endurance of oppression and chattel 

 slavery, had become exceedingly besotted and ignorant. 



On the 28th of February, 1887, a charter was obtained under the laws 

 of Texas, and the organization assumed definite shape as The Alliance 

 of Colored Farmers. The work now spread with great rapidity over 

 the State of Texas, and was soon introduced into several of the neigh- 

 boring States. The colored people everywhere welcomed the organizers 

 with great delight, and received the Alliance as a sort of second eman- 

 cipation. 



On the 1 4th of March, 1888, a meeting of the States convened at 

 Lovelady, Texas, and after some discussion, agreed to charter as a 

 trades-union, in accordance with the laws of the United States. The 

 new association adopted the Texas State work, with only such changes as 

 were necessary to give it national character. The new charter was duly 

 filed in the office of the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Colum- 

 bia, in compliance with the laws of Congress, and will be found recorded 

 in Book IV., at page 354, Acts of Incorporation, United States of America. 

 Under this new arrangement, the Alliance continued to thrive. 



About this time, leading minds among the colored people in the 

 South began to realize the importance of a better system of co-operation. 

 They were desirous, too, of utilizing and, as far as possible, extending 

 the benefits of their organization. The national trustees addressed the 

 following communication to the general superintendent : 



" LOVELADY, TEXAS, July 20, 1888. 

 " To the General Superintendent of the Colored Farmers' National Alliance. 



" SIR : Upon receipt of this order you will at your earliest convenience proceed 

 to establish such trading post, or posts, or exchanges, for the use and benefit of our 

 order in the several States, as in your judgment will be most conducive to the interests 

 of the people. We leave you to adopt such plans as in your opinion will be most 

 effective. 



" With much respect yours, 



" J. J. SHUFFER, President. 

 " H. J. SPENCER, 



" Secretary Colored Farmers'. National Alliance 

 and Co-operative Union" 



