Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/139

 stubbornly contested fight against extortion, to final success, should be named C. F. Clarkson, M. L. Devin and W. L. Carpenter of Polk County, L. S. Coffin of Webster, G. H. Crosby of Poweshiek, J. D. Whitman of Dallas, James Wilson of Tama, Andrew Hastie of Warren, J. G. Brown of Marshall, John Scott of Story, J. W. Murphy of Jasper and Eugene Secor of Winnebago.

In the Grange movement, which had brought the legislative control of railroads, and the Farmers’ Protective Association, which had broken the monopoly on fencing wire, it was clearly demonstrated that it was within the power of the united efforts of the farmers of the State to bring about the overflow of oppressive extortions however powerful and shrewdly organized.

On the 12th of January, 1881, representatives from the various farm organizations of the State, such as Farmers’ Clubs, Granges and Alliances, assembled at Des Moines for the purpose of uniting the various societies in a general organization for the mutual coöperation. The State Alliance was established whose purpose was the discussion of farmers’ interests and the encouragement of organization of Farmers’ Clubs, Alliances and societies throughout the State. The following officers were chosen to serve one year: president, L. S. Coffin; vice-president, John Scott; secretary, C. F. Clarkson. An executive committee was chosen to prepare plans for local Alliances and to urge the farmers to coöperate in their various organizations.

On the 5th of May, 1881, at Omaha, Nebraska, occurred the death of ex-Governor Ansel Briggs, the first Governor of the State of Iowa. Under the old Constitution the term of the Governor was four years and Governor Briggs served from 1846 to 1850. Governor Gear issued a proclamation announcing his death in which he paid a deserved tribute to the services and memory of the first executive of Iowa after its admission into the Union.

Upon the inauguration of President Garfield on the