320 HISTORY 01? THE WHEEL AND ALLIANCE. 



public men, the courage of his contempt. He hates 

 hypocrisy, despises duplicity, scorns baseness and does not 

 fear to show it. His manly courage, independent man- 

 hood and unswerving devotion to the interests of the 

 people, have won their esteem and admiration, and placed 

 him in the front rank among the reform leaders in the 

 State. If it was necessary to say anything more, it could 

 all be summed up in a few words: <( He is the highest 

 type of American manhood. " 



J. P. BUCHANAN. 



John P. Buchanan, President of the Tennessee State 

 Farmers' and Laborers' Union, was born in Williamson 

 county, Tennessee, October 24, 1847. Farming has been 

 his occupation all his life. At the age of 16 he entered 

 the Confederate army and served to the close of the war. 



In 1878 he moved to Rutherford county where he has 

 since been successfully engaged in farming and raising 

 blooded stock. Mr. Buchanan is a self-made man who 

 has by his energy, common sense and good judgment risen 

 from the financial condition left him in by the reverses of 

 war to that of a prosperous farmer. He is a man of firm and 

 unwavering convictions and the courage to advocate what 

 he conscientiously believes to be right. In 1886 he was 

 elected from the plow handles to represent the county of 

 Rutherford in the General Assembly of Tennessee, where 

 he made character as an aggressive leader in upholding 

 and defending the interests of agriculture and all matters 

 affecting the public good. In 1888 he was again elected 

 to fill the same position, and rapidly went to the front as 

 an aggressive, able leader in debate, always watchful of 

 the interests of his constituency. He was a member of 

 both Wheel and Alliance, and in March, 1888, at the 

 organization of the State Alliance, he was elected its first 



