The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-03-22
The Agricultural CONGRESS.

lied on scale 70 6HlOEatS tAS ht49aS et-- =
and its movers and supporters have en-
deavored to invest it with the power and
prestige Of the entire farming population.
How far they will succeed IN fixing upon
it the confidence and affection Of the farm
ing population, we cannot yet determine,
but Il seems to US that every farmer should
examine It's aims aud objects, and II found,
as claimed, that it eontemplates purely
eleyating influence upon the people, with
power Of defense against monopoly and
political ambition, be should give 1t his
cordial support. The TYNE has arrived Tor
action. Intelligence is no longer confined
10 the trades or to an aristocTacy, but
knowledge has extended the borders of her
mantle until it covers the multitudinous
:iaus of the civilized races. The trades
and professions successfully took rank over
agriculture, and for ages it has been the
bottom raj" supporting all the rest, but
by them snubbed and scorned as i'll bred,
,ervile and contemplate. For cen
turtles it was more honorable to
butcher men, to rob the widow and
orphan, to plumber unofendiHg strangers,
10 drench the earth with the blood of the
innocent, than peaceably to till the yield
ing soil. Kings aud potentates lavlshed
donors upon the valiant butchers of the
human race, but no gaudy trapping marked
the consequence OF the benevolent providers
OF the daily bread, and no architectural
spleHdor rose in pyramids OF fame to the
noble deeds of feeding the human host.
Even adventurous commerce long held aloof
from the courts of elegance and refinement,
irowned into obseurity, or prompted to a
new refinement upon its own opuIenee.
But commerce triumphed in the growth OF
| trade, and with full exchequer in turn
assumed the roll of tyrant. 1t found new
| world to pamper its pride and glory, and
tilled with the c0neeit OF its power seeks to
turn that new world into a temple OF fame
dedicated to the Molocl Of ayarice and vain
Glory Combined with the trades and pro.
| LESSONS, their glitter-baubies OF baseless
| fabric have blinded the eyes of the young,
aud by the euchautments of folly led cap
tive multiplied thousands to sSellthe ranks
of Indulgence and crime.
To counterfeit these baleful influences, to
turn back the tide of Incidence, corruption
and chicanery, which threatens in the fu-
ture to oyerwhelm the energy of honest
| labor, aud to distribute to merit, industry
and worth their rightful inheritance, Of
which they have so long been deprived by
| biOtSDGc ana GIetl. - tue pII1IG DHJECt vi
| the Farmers Congress. Can we engage to
aid in such work, or do We prefer to re-
main "the hewers of wood and drawers OF
water p Have we men with sense enough
10 90 to the Legislature, to Congress, or
shall we confess our ignorance and degrade,
ton by still yielding the lawmaking powers
to those who turn them against Mt? How
many representative farmers can be found
in any State Legislature Not one in TWEEN
! ty. How many in the great Nati0Bal Leg
islature at Washington? Not one in three
hundred. II not represented in these bodies
how can the farmers expect any more than
they have received at their hands? Every
class legislates chiefly for itself, and what
others get at its hands is the tub to the
whale" or the "bone to the dog" Which
of these go tothe farmer.
The above is taken from the March
number of the Southern Farmers
Monthly published at Savannah, Geor-
gia. 1t is one of the leading agricul-
tural journals Of the United States and
this article is worthy the serious consid-
Grafton of our farmers. Col. Thos. j.
Hudson, of this State, is the President
of the Farmers Congress of the United
States and the successful Inauguration
of this great movement is due to his
untiring efforts in the cause of agricul-
tural progress. The Congress is CON-
posed of representative farmers from
every Congressional district in the
Union. The next session will be held
at st. Louis at the time of the great
fair held in that city October, 1882.
1t is worth a trip across the continent
to every farmer to see the industries
represented at this exhibition.
The first object of the Farmers
Congress is to secure concert of action
among American farmers. The concert
of action means, better government
more just, honest, and equal laws. 1t
means that the few thousand protected
monopolists shall cease to Cypress the
laboring millions. 1t means that
he farmer shall sell his pro-
ducts when he pleases, where he
pleases and to whom he pleases, and
that it is intolerable tyranny under the
cry of protection to home industry to
transfer under the sanction of law the
profits of one class to the pockets of
another. The day is near at hand when
the masses of the toiling people viii re-
ioice in their deliverance from unjust
and oppressive legislation. The
shackles must be taken off of labor, and
lawmakers must be taught that legisla-
ton to enrich the few at the expense Of
the many, and to foster corporate power
is robbery under the forms Of law, and
is at war with the letter and spirit of
free government.
After an existence of nearly centu-
ry we have for the first time in our his
tory national organization of farmers.
Will not Mississippians of every shade
of political opinion give to this great
movement their hearty and active CO.
operation?