Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-05-17
The First Agricultural Convention
The Result Most Gratifying Sue
cess.
FIRST pAY-AFTERNooN SESSION.


sion attested the importance attached to this, the
the first assemblage of farmers in this section.
The meeting was called to order by Hon. o.
P Temple, President Of the East Tennessee
Agricultural Society, who delivered following
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
Gentlemen Of the Convention
To bid you hearty, cordial welcome Is
most pleasing duty.
The assembling at this place of no body Of
men, within my recollection, has been the
cause of more just qualification than should this
be. | have seen conventions Of all other call
ings and classes. For the first time in our his
tory have the farmers-the most numerous, the
most important Of all our casses-assembled in
convention as body to deliberate on their own
great interests. This fact IS astonishing. Let
us indulge the pleasing hope, let US reSOLrG, in
deed, that this meeting shall not be the last :;
but merely the beginning of long series of an
nual, or semi-annual meetings, full of interest
and instruction, continuing indefinitely through
the future. Let the Farmers Convention be
the Mecca to which you will, annually, with,
unfaltering determination make your pilgrim
age, and offer your devOtlons
1t is within the power Of this convention, by
high resolves and generous and enlightened aC-
ton, to mark the beginning Of a new era in ag-
riculture to lift the farming profession to "a
higher plane of usefulness and Unfit enCe; to COM
mand for itself more Of that respect and honor
which has heretofore been bestowed on other
professions and to arrest the tide of poverty
and ldleneSS which Is now the curse as well 8S
the disgrace of our section These things can
only be done by taking new DEPARTURE in
farming. There is the Liberal movement"
the great reform" that is to help the farmer.
As long as the farmer looks to Cincinnati or
political party or convention, instead Of
looking to improvement Of his own fields
and herds and hOcks, and to the edCca
ton of himself and his children, SO
han
short crops, scarcity of money, miserable scrub
stock, hard times, no schools, dlapltated houses,
badly dressed people, general decline in the
value Of lands houses and property, and an
almost universal reStleSsness, and desire to sell
out and get away.
No, instead of calling on Hercules for help,
or looking to government or party for relief,
the first great law, applicable to farmers above
all others, Is, Help yourselves. Elevate your
own calling Educate yourselves. Help one
another. Meet together, consult, combine, CO.
operate; stimulate and emulate one another.
Feel just pride in elevating and improving
your own class. Encourage schools and col
leges. Educate your SONS and daughters. Send
them away from home occasionally, Fix up
at home. Make home attractive, neat and hap
by. Fill it with books, papers and magazines;
and so you shall keep your sons from the liquor
shop, or the haunts of the wicked. Subscribe
at once and before you leave here, for at Leaf
one farm magazine or paper. Purchase books
on farming. Purchase Jersey COW for your
wife, for butter and cream, and a Short Horn
Cor yourself to raise beef. Get improved stock
of all kinds. Save your manure-all Of it-as
if it were gold. Go away from home-travel-
do take one trip up into Illinois or Ohio-and
when there, go out into the country, among the
farmers; observe their many cunning ways
and then come home and initiate all that is good
III them.
And let each one OF Us resolve here this day.
that we will move forward instead of standing
still that we will not separate until we have
subscribed for at least one farm journal; that
we will organize permanently as a Farmers
Convention; that we will at once purchase some
blooded stock; IN word, that we will awake
from our sleep, and do something to arrest the
waste, deterioration, depreciation and poverty
that threaten to overthrow us in East Tennessee
Once more bid you welcome.
TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION.
At the conclusion of Judge Temples address,
on motion of Mr.. Charlton, Col f. s. Heiskell
was elected temporary Chairman, and Messrs
Jno. Z. Helms and g. II. Bomar chosen Secrc-
taries.
Mr.. HeiskeIl on taking the Chair returned
thanks for the honor COnferred-he had come
as listener and not with any idea Of directing
the proceedings.
Nj Robert P. Rhea, of Sullivan county,
moved that the exercises be opened with prayer
and that special petition be made for refreshing
showers. The motion prevailed and Rev. ThoS.
w. Humes offered a fervent petition to the
heaven upon the deliberations of the conven-
ton.
Samuel Rodgers moved that a committee often
on permanent organization be appointed. The
chair thereupon appointed the following gentle
men on said committee Samuel A Rodgers,
c. Mckinney, Jacob Doyle, Z J Lenoir DR.
Jenoir. S d Williams, E Link Ayers Maupin-
Robert P Rhea w AWelcker. The committee
retired forconsultation and during their absence
the following business was transacted:
H., Of Lose lrap StDl
that list of the delegates from the various
counties be made out
Prof Hunter Nicholson suggested that the
chairmen of the various county delegations re-
port list, respectvelytO the Secretaries, Car
ried
LIST OF DELEGATES.
The following delegates were reported pres
SHLLiya5s comlty-R P Rhea, Sturgeon
and S B Anderson.
AIcNt,u1 couety-Joseph Mathews, Frank
Gettys, DR. A Slack, j y Turley, Horace Reed |
and @ Schell.
Granger county-E Tate.
Garter CoHnty-Chas Toncray and a |
Smith.
Ioudon eou.ty1,T Mason, S A Rogers, Jas
Johnson Jas Mathews, & 7 z Davis K p Pa |
ton, j NJ Heiskell, John Duff, w Hope, J l. |
Wilson, w Cole, W Lenoir, A D Rhea, |
VIM Cannon, DR. Duncan, w + Lenoir and " |
SsSicr codsty-John " Andes Nelson Fox,
James 2 Catlett 5 w Handles, w W Mont |
gomery and w w Handles.
Bradley Coulty-H d Davis, j essee T Cleve- |
land, ThOs L Bates and Lelburn Reeder.
HagnbLiu County-D Morris
Washington Cossnty-John Il Spurgen, Peter |
II Porting and Geo P Faw.
1tonroe County-H B Yearwood, l T Lenor, |
W 6 Fowler and d II Cleveland.
Polk COHEty-W L Raht
Anderson Couzty-E G Edwards Richard |
Kincaid. w w Wallace
Campbell CoHlty-J G Hollingsworth, David |
Hart and w S Scruggs.
Jefferson CO9Jsty-Colonel John B Minis
S " Caldwell, L NJ Dick DR. j NJ Burnett, S |