112 HISTORY OF THE WHEEL AND ALLIANCE. 



The remarkable growth of the Order is best shown 

 by the following statistics furnished by the Secretary: 

 "In January, 1887, the Order was totally unknown 

 to the general public. When incorporated, February, 



1887, there were 500 members; at the August conven- 

 tion, 1887, there were represented 200 primary Alli- 

 ances and 1,500 members; by December 31, 1887, 279 

 lodges and 4,000 members; by August convention, 1888, 

 823 Alliances, and 17,000 members; by December 31, 



1888, 1,289 Alliances and 35,000 members; by August 

 convention, 1889, 1,555 Alliances and 50,000 members; at 

 present (October 24, '89) , 1,600 Alliances and 64,000 mem- 

 bers And this army of men, banded together in a com- 

 mon cause, is increased by members of the "Wheel" in 

 north Alabama, to 80,000. There are now sixty-two of 

 sixty-six counties in the State fully organized, and there 

 is partial organization in all of the other four counties. 



The third annual meeting of the State Alliance was 

 held at Camp Branch, in Shelby county, August 7th, 

 1888. Here a number of resolutions were passed de- 

 manding needed legislation. As a result of this action, 

 Mr. Oliver, the present State Secretary, says: " Now, 

 the multiplicity and variety of these resolutions (most of 

 them made public for the first time) may cause a renewal 

 of the charge that the farmers do more ' ' resoluting ' ' 

 than anything else, and that they frequently meddle with 

 matters which do not concern them. L,et us examine: 

 One of the above resolutions appears to have been worth 

 $100,000, for that amount was appropriated to common 

 schools at the first session of the General Assembly after it 

 was offered. Representatives in Congress have begun ex- 

 ertions to have the national banking laws amended, so it 

 seems that the resolution on that line was loaded with 

 buck shot and didn't hang fire." 



One of the resolutions was that the organizations in the 



