The comet., 1882-10-21
The Address Of coIHo Oksr.
From the Iona t.dich.) sentinel.


The orator of the occasion was Col
Charles e. Hooker, representative in
congress of the fifth Mississippi district
comprising the counties of Amite, Co
piah, CovingIon, Franklin, Greene
Hancock, Harrison, Kinds, Jackson
Jasper, Lawrence, Marion, Pearl Per
lry, Pike, Rankin and Simpson. Col
Hooker slough a South Carolinian
by birth. was bred to the law in New
Englandand has spent the greater oi
his lifessp.s she state 81 his adoption,
Fhavfng been elected district attor-
ney in 1850, 80 years ago. He was in
the confederate service with the rank
of cononel Of cavalry, and lost an arm
at Vicksburg. He is now serving his
fourth term in congress. He is a
graceful and fluent speaker, and his
remarks were in the best of taste,
thoughtful and sensible; his senti-
ments patriotic in the extreme. The
gallant colonel has made many warm
friends here among men of all par
ties.
The speaker was introduced by
Mayor Morse and addressed an inn
mense audience. from the judges
stand. He was listened to with mark
ed attention and was frequently inter
rupted with applause. He said:
FELLOW CITIZENS 81 deem myself
fortunate that I have been able to
come from my far-aWay home in the
South to meet the farmers of Michigan
I have come 80 many miles, not with
reluctance, to greet the men of MichI-
gan on the same terms as l would
those who dwell ia the South along
the banks of that great river, which
gathers the waters of yonr own impe-
rial northwest, to pour them into the
gulf of Mexico. Fellow-citizens 1t
gives me pleasure to address you by
that term. 1t shows that there is
common bond of unity amongst US :.
that we are firmly bound together as
one people North and South, East aud
West. like to address you as farm
ers. Although bred to the law, have
been farmer all my life, as my father
was before me. / have always be-
lieved that the true secret in agricuI-
ture as in other pursuits was TO have
some common ralIying cry by which
We may be known as we ought to be
known. There should be unity of
action amongst us. A leading states
man of England was once asked how
he would accomplish certain thing.
{" 1 will do it,n he replied, by three
magical words, viz: Combine, con-
federate, cooperate" The agrfculttl-
raj community should combine, not
for aggression, bat for protection, and
it possesses within itself the power to
protect itself through the legislatures.
We, in the South, depend upon the
products of the earth for support, and
in a broader sense than is the case
elsewhere. If the Grand Master of
the universe, should curse with steril-
ity the bosom of the earth, all its
teeming populations would suffer.
Since the primeval fiat went forth, that
by the sweat of his brow man should
earn his bread, mankind has been de-
pendent on the fruits of the soil. 1t
has been said, Commerce is King -
but it would be monarch without
subjects if agriculture did not SOW in
time, and reap in season the crops, to
bear which to and beyond the seaboard
the railroads and ships may have
something to do. The normal con-
dition of man was to live out of the
once had a party dining with him,
started discussion as to what was the
most delicious dish that could be pre-
pared. When it came the turn of a
farmer he replied, Bread,n /" for -
said he, "You may have all the deli
cacies of the chase or the sea, and
without bread you cannot make a
meal" When come to year great
State, like my own, a grain-producin
and lumber-prOducing State, / find
that you are dependent on the pro-
ducts of the earth-the products of
agriculture. Your timber and mineral
wealth would not alone suffice. Take
3 nugget of gold, or a diamond and
place it in the earth and it will lie idle
and unproductiye but drop a Kernel
of corn Ia the ground. 1t peTishes but
from the corruption incident to its
death springs that germ of life which |
defies the scientists 10 tell whence it |
came; then it sprouts, and after lit
tie we have the stalk, later still the
tassel, then the ear, then the full corn
in the ear. Then follows the sickle,
and it is gathered into the barn, and
from there itgoes to the crushing mill |
whence comes the "staff of iife,u
which goes to make blood, and sineW,
and muscle for the laborer, brain for
the statesman, and gives to beauty's |
eye its sparkle, and the glow of health
to beauty's cheek. This is for our
country an era of prosperity, and we
are not only q prosperous but q
polished people. In this common
culture and prosperity the farmers
share. Their homes feel the influence;
nor is there any reason why the wives
of farmers should not have homes as
tasteful aud elegant, and sit down TO |
any in the land.
The speaker read from statistics fur
nished by the census bureau, and by
Mr.. Loring, u. S. commissioner of |
agriculture to show the marvellous I
increase in the products of this coun- I
try. The increase in a single decade
from 1879 to 80, having been over 100 /
per cent, and in single year, 1879 T
1880, the exports of wheat, oats. cot +
ton, ETC., increased about so per cent.
In one year the export of cattle rose
from IL to IA millions. Mr.. Alexap-
der, of Kentucky, the celebrated +
stock grower told the speaker that he
had sold calves Is months old 81
breed importrd from England for S..
600 and Sc, 600 apiece, to be shipped (
back to Great Britain. The fecnnd
countries Of the old world once fnrn-
ished us everything, but the rule ii
now reversed, and we are nov send
ing many things to Europe, which
we formerly depended on that coun-
try To supply us with While the
menseIy increased, our manufa etur-
ing industries have also been eF0w-
ing. ] do not live in mannfacfur-
ing section, but I have bceonle egA-
yjnced that we cannot contintS t1
prosper by raising sing e article IS