Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-05-14
AGRICULTURAL O0NGREsS.
Meeting at Atlanta, Ca, Yesterday
The Attendance from the South
Very Large.
Address Of President Jacksonville
Transportation and Other Ques-
tlons-Reports and Committees.

luis CITY AZ ten O'CLOCK LHlS morning.
A large number of delegates were pres
ent. The convention was called to Or
der by President Jackson, who delivered
the following address:
sit gives me great pleasure in the dis
charge OF my duty as the presiding OFF,
Ger of this honorable body, representing
the great agricultural interests of our
nation, 70 greet you on this annual re-
union Of the representative sections
north, south, east and west. This great
force Of national intelligence must ever
command respect and confidence for its
utterances and exercise of material in
fiuence on the measures of ns-
tiona and State legislation. We
as one organization are in our
infancy. We are closely watched. We
are suspected, and the suspicion is often
expressed that the agricultural associa-
tions, whether limited or not, will de-
generate into political partisan agencies.
/ trust our measures and our actions
will steadily and uniformly be such as to
convince the nation that our great end
and name is to build up and defend the
rights and interests of agriculture,
and give no aid or countenance
to political demagogues or par
tisans who may change to foist
themselves on any OF our organizations,
ior the sake of personal preference, yet it
will be our constant right and should be
our aim TO promote among the masses
of farmers a moral, intelligent under
standing Of political economy, in its re-
latiOn to agriculture, by papers and by
discussions upon finance, taxation, COM
merce, ETC., to the end that we select
representatives, State or national,
whether from our associations or outside
of them, as will be likely with ability, in
tegrity and diligence TO sustain and adj
vance the cause of agriculture.
The farmers have greater induce
ments to be patriotic and conserva-
tive than other vocations. That
business which sustains the government
the tree that bears the frudt--must be
neurished and protected. The feelings
and desires of the farmers remain un-
cared for, but a railroad monopoly, a
stock association, the petition and wants
of bondholder, or the confabulatiOrs of
an office-seeker are of more moment than
the price of wheat, corn, and tobacco,
even though that price involve loss to
the producer He then felicitates the
congress on the good results of its organ
iZatien the past two years, and urges the
necessity of cooperation and union,
which he illustrated by the Scotch pro-
verb, "Many mickles make muckle."
"Let the coral reef and the beehive be a
part of our symbolic language, which,
being properly interpreted, means in
dustry, perseverance,, self-reliance, and
especially union of forces. Let all in
ranks aspire to be high-private. Let
none be found more sOlicitOus for official
position than for the success Of our
cause. Let not the variety Of
organizations, or flags, or officers, or
locality be any obstacle to the advance
ment of the great common object which
we ali seek 70 promote. Let harmony pre-
vail throughout our extensive camps"
He urges the obliteration OF sectional
antipsthies and the cultivation of good
fellowship and bTotherly love. LET our
constant eDGeavor be to remove all him
ORANGES to the steady advance of our
local and national organizations, and
let the wise heads of our assemblies be
ever taxed for the contributions of valu-
able practical ideas, which will help to
enlarge the horizon OF agricultural in
telligenee, skill and prosperity. "He
then discusses the contemplated increase
of the organization from year to year,
annual meetings he suggests the neces-
sary amendments to the constitution to
meet the expected exigencies. He then
calls attention TO some Of the burthens
which agriculture has to bear, and says
that t'our government has, in times past,
dealt our public domain with a lavish
and profigate hand, to provide home
steads for immigrants from foreign
lands, as well as for natives, and very
large and liberal appropriations from the
public treasury have been set about to
aid and encourage railroad enterprises,
and yet these advancements TO public
works have been coupled with no re-
stTietions on railroad tariffs for the pro-
lection of the population indicated by
the government Of the country to settle
on or near the line of their works. In a
word, nothing has been done by gov
eminent policy to bring about cheap
transportation, and l very much doubt
whether railroads, if honestly and eco
nomically conducted, could afford suf
ficiently cheap transportation for as
bulky commodities as corn and grain.
Besides, there is not sufficient number
of railroads for the transportation Of the
products of the grain-producing region
of this country. 1t seems to me
that the improvement of water routes,
the opening Of new canals is anecessity.
We would approach with great care any
action looking to the disturbance of
vested rights by legislative enactment.
Railroad charters are in the nature of
contracts, and it would be unwise and
unsafe to establish the precedent of vio-
lating contracts, though | am aware that
an eminent journalist thinks the pas
senger and freight tariffs on railroads
should be regulated as tolls on turnpike
roads. The remedy lies ina examining
whether these corporations have viO-
lated their charters. If so, annul them
aud begin de aOUO. And permit me on
this occasion, gentlemen, to remark that
the most effective method to reduce the
Govt of transportation is to encourage
the building Of manufacturing estab-
lishments TO work up the raw material,
in falling back to the ranks and laying
aside the regalia of office, which pro-
pose doing at the close of our present
session. Let me assure nay fellow-la-
bOrers and brethren of the plow that
though my sphere Of operations may be
more circnmscribed, yet my zeal in the
cause we have at heart will be in no
wise abated. AS citizen deem it my
duty and my privilege, as it is my de-
sire, to contribute my mite to the eleva-
tion and enlightenment of the progress
and refinement to culture and influence
of that class which, like the granite that
underlies our mountain chains, sustains
the burdens of government while it
gives strength and durability to the
great principles that should mould,
contract and fashion the great
of human societies.
The attendance from the south is large
and fully represented. The delegates
from the northwest have not generally
arrived. The morning session was de-
voted to the address of welcome by Colo
mel Spencer, mayor Of Atlanta, and
General Colquitt, president Of the State
agricultural society, to which Mr..
Greene, of Maryland, and Rev. A.
Means, Of Georgia, responded on behalf
of the congress.
A preliminary report of the commit
tee on credentials was presented.
The secretRry's report was read, and on
motion was received; the separate sug-
gestion contained therein being referred
to a special committee.
The committee on transportation ap-
pointed last year by chairman Winborn
Lswton, Of South Carolina, presented
an elaborate report, which was read and
referred to special committee Of five.
The president named II. E. Peyton Of
Virginia, J. r. Hodge, of Washington,
District of Columbia, A. ii. Colquitt, OF
Georgia, =. w. West, of Illinois, and
William Maxwell, of Tennessee, as said
committee.
A communication from Messrs. Fam