The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 48, July 1944 - April, 1945 Page: 351
617 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Farmers' Alliance in Texas, 1875-1900
purchasing agency of the Grange at Galveston. The existence
of one hundred twenty Alliances in Parker, Wise, Hood, Jack,
Somervell, Palo Pinto, Tarrant, Red River, Bosque, Denton,
Houston, and Cooke counties in August indicates the mounting
discontent. The order was sufficiently discriminating, however,
in soliciting recruits that thirty-seven applicants were re-
jected and seven members expelled in that year. That the
State Alliance found it necessary to reiterate its non-partisan
position was a disappointment to many new members, who
had hoped for independent action in the approaching election."
This refusal to enter politics, with 1883 an off election-year,
limited attendance at the State Alliance that year to a few
minor officials and delegates from thirty lodges. The Alliance
gave the same reasons as the Grange for failure to awaken
the farmers' interest: the lack of literature and funds to
employ lecturers, the hostility of tradesmen, widespread sick-
ness, big crops, and an influx of politicians into both orders
in 1882, had killed many lodges.27 Garvin, who was elevated
to the presidency, put into the field as lecturer S. 0. Daws,
whose work- in north and middle Texas plus the political
interest of 1884 brought 184 delegates to the State Alliance
at Weatherford. Another attempt to inject politics was frus-
trated; most of the discussion pertained to the failure of the
"trade store" system (under which Patrons contracted to trade
exclusively with one merchant), to their county business agents,
to their joint stock companies, to manufacturers who refused
to sell directly to them, to opposition from cotton buyers, and
to refusals of townsmen to sell them ground for cotton yards.
They elected J. A. Culwell president and again urged county
Alliances to establish their own cotton yards.28 Following
a year of intense activity, over 600 Patrons from 660 lodges made
the "Decatur meeting" of 1885 the largest rustic assembly to
that date in Texas. After a heated discussion on the growing
disparity of prices, county Alliances were advised to set a
day to offer cotton for sale and to continue the trade committee
26Macune, Farmers' Alliance; Proceedings of Texas State Grange, 1888,
18, 28-33, 47-48; Garvin and Daws, History, 35-36; Dunning (ed.),
Farmers' Alliance, 30, 35-37; Wiest, Agricultural Organization, 449-450.
27Dunning (ed.), Farmers' Alliance, 36-37; Wiest, Agricultural Or-
ganization, 449; Proceedings of Texas State Grange, 1883, 11-12, 18, 28-33,
47-48.
28W. Scott Morgan, History of the Wheel and Alliance and the Impend-
ing Revolution, 363; Dunning (ed.), Farmers' Alliance, 36-38; Garvin and
Daws, History, 38-39, 135.351
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 48, July 1944 - April, 1945, periodical, 1945; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146055/m1/395/: accessed May 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.