The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-08-28
STATE CONVENTION OF
FARMERS.
Circular Address of Gen. w.
H. Jackson, President of the
State Bureau Of Agriculture,
to the Farmers of Tennessee.

oNeAAC ADAA CdAAA Vi AL%AAANAA - I
to the Farmers of Tennessee.
The farmers of East Tennessee in
assembled, on the 2Sth of /
May last, have, through their appropri- /
ate committee, of which Col. &. w. /
Charlton is the worthy chairman, in |
vited the farmers of Middle and West |
Tennessee to meet them in general
convention at the State capitol, on the
18th of September neXt-the time has
since been changed to the 9Th of Sep
TENDER, in order to enable delegates 10
leave home on Monday, l5ih-and they
have also requested the Bureau of Ag-
ricuIture to assist i'm giving shape 10 so
important and well timed Il movement.
|, therefore, as President OF the Bureau,
representing the sentiments Ofthe other
commissioners, approaching the good
effects upon the prosperity OF the farm
erS, do most heartily unite in urging
upOn the farmers of the State TO send
their best representative and practical
men. at least one or two from every
civil district, then send "a large dele
cation a. possible from each and every
county, to represent you in this" pro
posed conyeniion-the idea being to
form estate Farmers Association"
As to the objects Of such an ASSOCIATION,
| take the liberty of quoting from the
excellent address OF Col. John G. Bur0h
before the Press Association of Tennes-
see, making such slight changes IN the
wording rs 70 make It suit the farmers
association:
"The objects of such an association
are tile preservation of thorough and
homogeneous OF ganiZatiOn of the farm
ers in tile state; fer better promotion
of those common and individual inter
ests which can only be subscrved By
systematic and intelligent corporation;
TO bring about a more kindly and fra
ternal feeling, which can only result
from actual acquaintance and the prop
er and persistent maintenance Of that
most important Of all interests, which
it is our mission 20 represent; to en-
deavCr to arouse that esprit du corps,
which, rs farmers proud of our most
honorable and ancient calling. we
must feel. Such ASSOCIATIONS exist
i'm other States, and there Is no good
reason why farmers OF Tennessee, equal
in ability and influence to those of any
other commonwealth, should not be as
ISOLATED together in a compact and no
! moSenCOUs body, whose status should
he the most elevated, and whose power
shall be Irresistible. As It ia, we are
wasting orr strength If, indeed. we
are aware OF it mt all. Like the reeds in
the fable, we are disunited, and conse-
! qupntly weak and imp0tcut; like them.
we might De, did u bond of sympathy,
| fraternity and organization unite Us.
/ OF invinci1le p0wer-a power which
! would compel respect and be of such
| dignity that n0 petty legislator would
| have the eiirontery, a has been the
! case within our remembrance, to sheer
| mt our demand for simple Justice, call
! ing it San unnecessary gratuity pro-
/ posed for the benefit OF them TURNER'S
"All human society, government,
! laws, religion and education rest on the
! principle Of practice and associated eff
! tort" The theory ola Grange, or farm
ers' association OF any kind, is as sound
/ as that OF a church or college, or any
/ other Organization in human society"
| Let us 90 back to first principles: CIV
! cry man, woman and child has the
! right to do every lawful and moral act
! that will promote the well being of
! such person. This Is personal liberty,
! for the equal and common pursuit of
! happiness. But what one farmer, his
! wife, sons and daughters may lawfully
do for their own benefit, two families
may do, or ten, ten thousand. or ten
million. The right of association +
aHy GOOD PURPOSE is alike unquestioned
| and unqueStiOnahle. 1t is simply the
| aggregation OF mans physical and intel
! lectual power, aided 10y whatever capt.
tai lac may possess" Thus says the
! Atlanta (Ga.J Plantation, and it ought
! to he received as good authority.
Our gOOd purpose in this movement is
to bring about concert of action and
unit of purpose among the farmers OF
! this State. having rs the end i'm view the
| general advancement OF agriculture, for
~ lii
source every human hcing draws his
! Sustrnance and support; and whatever
! contributes 10 the prosperity OF this vast
! AMI important interest, contributes Ill
! rectly to the good of the whole peO-
! Pile; and since the financial support o.
! the State rests upon the producing in
! terests of the State; and since upon
! lhcir ability to pay, and to continue to
! pay, rests not only the SOlvency of the
! state, but it, existence, It is certainly a
! good move which seeks to lift the dark
| cloud which ut present threatens the
! very existence of the farming popula-
| ton and all their interests.
THIS cloud can only be removed by
| deviSiug measures which will establish
more equitable relations, in the inter-
/ change of our labor for other labor,
| than now exists, either hv elevating on
| own prices, or by using such means and
| powers as we may possess in combined
action to make other prOftS, salaries and
,r0geS more nearly correspond with
ours, believing, as we do, that the
| prices Of farm products should even he
4 basis for the establishment of all 9TH
or prices, emoluments aud pay; and
that the present disparity in prices eX-
iSling between farm products and pro-
duets at all other labor mot excepting
the lowest gradc), is one great source OF
oppression TO the taymer;' also To es-
tabliSh the true and Just line between
producer and carrier, and fiN the fair
per centum OF commission rs between
the producer and the middlcman, and
TO take such steps as will secure TO the
state thoroughly competent and honest
men to fiji the various oliices-thuse
who will legislate fairly and i,PpGrHGJiy
aS between this important Issue OF ours
and all others, ant men who cannot be
bought mp in the interest Of these mon
~ter mOuOpOlicS, whose uSm pOtiOnS and
rNIctiOnS It, i our duty to throttle.
For every dollar extracted from the
Treasury of the State or Nation by the
influence mouOpOlics and rings. has
to be repaid by agricultural labor, since
che revenue has To be raised ultimately
from the products OF the soil.
Therefore, in view of these facts and
1
would again urge upon the farmers i'm
every district To he represented: also
every Grange OF the Order of Pat
rons OF liushandry, every farmers
club, or farmers organization. by what
ever name. To send delegates, ana let cv-
cry individual farmer who can. attend
20 the cn that perfect harmony and
concert OF action hc effected. let il be
4 spontaneous "uthurSt from the farm
ne population, in order TO effect the
much needed reforms. and to correct
the abuses which bear with such crush
ing weight upon the p3ck-horSe OF Soci-
cty-"thc .T0i mer.' ". II. JACKSON.
L. ST. would suggest that the COM
mittceS from the three divisions Of The
state meet i'm Nashville at The office of
The Tennessee Agricultural and Me-
chanical Association, on Saturday, the
18th ol September, to block ont the or
Ter ct work for the Convention; also
that the committees secure the services
ot three suitable gcnylemen from each