EARLY HISTORY OF THE WHEEL. 63 



April, 1883, at the residence of W. T. McBee, about one- 

 quarter of a mile from the birth-place of the Wheel. From 

 this time forward the order spread rapidly and soon ex- 

 tended to all parts of the State. 



While many changes have been wrought, and the Con- 

 stitution enlarged to meet the requirements of the Order as 

 it extends its sphere of usefulness, it is a fact worth}- of 

 note, that the same words contained in the first paragraph 

 of the preamble adopted by the Wattensas Farmers' Club 

 in February, 1882, still retain their place at the head of the 

 preamble to the Constitution of the National Farmers' 

 Alliance and Industrial Union, adopted by the National 

 body at St. Louis in December, 1889. 



We give the reader the full text of the Preamble and 

 the objects of the order as adopted by Wheel No. i, in 

 March, 1882: 



* ' WHEREAS, the general condition of our country im- 

 peratively demands unity of action on the part of the 

 laboring classes, reformation in economy, and the dissemi- 

 nation of principles best calculated to encourage and foster 

 agricultural and mechanical pursuits, encouraging the toil- 

 ing masses, leading them in the road to prosperity, and 

 providing a just and -fair remuneration for labor, a just ex- 

 change of our commodities and best mode and means of se- 

 curing to the laboring classes the greatest amount of good. 



We hold to the principle that all fanners should save 

 their own meat and bread; raise more corn, wheat, oats 

 and the grasses, and less cotton, so as to increase the de- 

 mand far beyond the actual supply, securing better prices, 

 and holding the stock of provisions from the greedy paws 

 of merciless speculators. 



We hold to the priciple that all monopolies are danger- 

 ous to the best interests of our country, tending to enslave 

 a free people and subvert and finally overthrow the great 

 principles purchased by Washington and his glorious com- 

 patriots. 



