Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-05-22
National Agricultural COngress-Pres-
ident JacksOn's Address.

National Agricultural COngress-Pres-
ident JacksOn's Address.
On the occasion of the opening of the
recent session at Atlanta, Ga, of the Ma
tional Agricultural Congress, President
jackson delivered an address, from which
we extract as follows:
IL gives me great pleasure in the dis
charge of my duty as the presiding officer
OF this honorable body, representing the
great agricultural interests of our nation,
TO greet you in the annual reunion of the
representatives of sections North, South,
East and West. This great force of ma
tionality and intelligence must ever COM
mand respect and confidence for its utter
ances, and exercise a material Influence
on the measures of National and State
legislation. We, as an organization, are
in our infancy. We are closely watched
we are suspected, and the suspicion is
often expressed that these agricultural
associations, whether limited or national,
viii degenerate into political partisan
agencies,
al trust gentlemen, our measures, our
action, will steadily and uniformly be
such as to convince the nation that our
great end and aim is to build up and de-
fend the rights and interests of agricul-
ture, and to give no aid or countenance to
political demagogues or partisans who
may chance to fOist themselves upon any
of our organizations for the sake of per-
sonal preferment; yet it will be our con-
slant right as it should be our aim, to
promote among the masses of the farmers
a more Intelligent understanding of polit
ical economy in its relations TO agricul-
ture, by papers and discussions upon
finance, taxation, commerce, ETC., to the
end that we may select such representa-
tives, State and National, whether from
our associations or outside of them, as will
be likely, with ability, integrity and dill
gence, to sustain and advance the cause of
agriculture. The farmers have greater in.
ducements to be patriotic and conserva-
tive than other vocations That business
which sustains the Government must
sustain the tree that bears the
ffuit-must be nourished and pro-
tected. The feelings and desires
of our farmers remain uncared for, but a
railroad monopoly, stock association,
the petitions and wants of bondholder,
or the combinations of an office.seeker,
are of more moment than the price of
wheat, corn, or tobacco, even though that
price involves loss to the producer"
He then felicitates the Congress on the
good results of the organization of the
past two years; urges the necessity of CO.
operation and union, illustrated by the
Scotch proverb: MANY mickles make
muckle." Let, then, the coral reef and
the beehive be part of our symbolic
language, which, being properly inter-
preted, means industry, perseverance, self
reliance, and especially union of forces.
Let all in our ranks aspire to be high
privates;' let none be found more solic-
itous for Office and position than for the
success Of our cause. Let not the variety
of our own organizations, or flags, or
officers, or locality be any obstacle to the
advancement of the great and common
object which we all seek to promote. Let
harmony prevail throughout our extensive
camps"
He urges the obliteration of sectional
antipathies, the cultivation of good-fel-
lowship and brotherly love. "Let our
constant endeavor 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 contributions of valuable prac-
tical ideas which will help to enlarge the
horizon of agricultural intelligence and
prosperity"
He then discusses the contemplated in
crease of the organization from year to
year; and to secure full representation
at their annual meetings he suggests the
necessary amendments to the constitu-
tion to meet the expected exigencies. He
then calls attention to some of the bur-
dens which agriculture has to bear, and
says:
"Our Government has, in times past,
dealt out our public domain with a lavish
and profligate hand, to provide home
steads for emigrants from foreign lands,
as well as for the natives, and very large
and liberal appropriations. The public
treasury has been set apart to aid and en-
courage railroad enterprises, and yet
these advancements to public works have
been coupled with no restrictions on rail-
road tariffs for the protection of the pop
ulation who, induced by the Government
bounty, settle on or near the line of their
works. Ina word, nothing has been done
by the Government policy to bring about
cheap transportation, and l very much
doubt whether railroads, if honestly and
economically conducted, could afford suf-
ficiently cheap transportation for as bulky
commodities as corn and grain. Besides,
there is nota sufficient number of railroads
for the transportation of the products of
the grain-producing section of this coun-
try. 1t seems to me that the improve
ment Of the water routes, the opening of
new canals, is necessity, and we should
approach with great care any action look.
ing to the disturbance of vested rights by
legislative enactment. Railway charters
are in the nature of contracts, and il
would be unwise and unsafe to establish
the precedent of violating contracts,
though am aware that an eminent jour
nalist thinks that the passenger and
freight tariffs on railroads should be regu
lated as tolls on the turnpike roads The
remedy lies in examining whether these
corporations have violated their charters
If so, amend them and begin de nOUO; anc
permit me, in this connection, gentlemen
to remark that the most effective method
to reduce the cost Of transportation is tC
encourage the building of manufacturing
establishments to work up the raw ma
terial."