The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-01-12
ADDRESS BY l.. L. POLK, OF
NORTH CAROLINA,
Delivered Before the Mter-Stotes Convention
of Farmers, Held IN DeGire's Opera
House, atlanta, Ga, August
16, II, IS, 1887. S
DEFECTS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM
OF THE COTTON STATES.

DEFECTS IN TIL AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM
OF THE COTTON STATES.
NJ. President, and gentlemen Of the
Conventional beg to express my very
high appreciation of the distinguished
honor done me through the kind
partiality of your committee, in assign
ing me a place as an active participant
in the deliberations of this Conven-
ton. And I would be untrue to my
self and to my colleagues on this floor
and false to the people whom we rep
resent, did I fail to assure you of their
earnest sympathy and cooperation in
all that you may do to promote the
great and important objects OF this
convention.
By the ordeal Of common suffering,
by the glories Of m triumph,
the cherished deeds and traditions Of
the past, the opportunities and re-
sources Of the present and the inviting
promise Of the future, North Carolina
halls her Southern sister States here
assembled, and pledges her most ear
uCSI tIllLCuNOI UIlNl lIiOSU 10y IL iI1O LIZ
ternal support, in any and all measures
for the advancement and development
Of the industrial and agricultural in
terests Of the South and of the whole
country.
Herpeople are profoundly impressed
with the belief that we should no longer
ignore the fact that in the great race
of material progress-agriculture-
and especially in the cotton States, is
in a languishing condition hence, in
a large mass convention of our farm.
ers, which met in the city of Raleigh,
on the Goth day of January last, reso-
buttons, suggesting and strongly com
mending a convention of the farmers
of the Southern States, were unani.
mously adopted. We rejoice at the
thrift and prosperity of all our great
industrial enterprises, the growth and
development of which, during the past
two decades, has no parallel in all
history.
At no period has this progressive
country witnessed such active and
substantial progress in its great rail.
road interests never has it enjoyed SC
healthy and flourishing condition OF
manufacturing enterprise, in all its
departments never has it witnessed
so rapid growth Of towns and cities,
or an easier accumulation of colossal
fortunes by individuals and corpora
tions. The whole country, from the
lakes to the gulf, and FROM ocean to
ocean, is charged and electrified with
the exhilerating pulsations of active,
animated industry, and yet agriculture,
the great bedrock on which rests all
other interests, the source and basis
of our material wealth, languishes.
Of all the busy millions of our pop
u~lation, engaged in the various occu.
pations, 7,67O,493, or 81 per cent. OF
the whole, are engaged in agriculture.
They represent $40, 000,0 0O, 900, in
lands, $1,000, 900, 600, in live stock,
$500, 600, 600, in implements and ma.
chinery, and 81 900, 900, 600, in the
annual products Of their labor. OF
the millions and millions of dollars in
public taxes which flow into our bur
-daned and overlooking treasury eighty
cents Of every dollar of it comes from
the hard earnings of the agriculturists
Of the country. The great propelling
power which drives our ships of com
merce to the ports of the world, is the
muscle Of the American farmer. 1t
has supplied over seventy per cent. of
u domestic exports, each year, since
1850, with the exception of the years
1864, and 1866. Without it, national
progress would be paralyzed, our
ships would rot at their docks; our
railroads would be enveloped in grass
and weeds and our towns and cities
would become the dismal abode of the
| genius Of ruin and ~desolation. Rep
resenting in part this gigantic power
in our national organism, may not this
convention appropriately ask to what
extent does the government foster
and encourage it ? What voice has
it in the council and cabinet of the
nation? " :
And how is it with the States rep
resented in this body? In a popula-
ton of 4,ls6,235, employed in the
various occupations, over ten years of
age in these ten States, 1907, 493 are
engaged in agriculture, or seventy-one
per cent. of the whole, and represent.
ing thirty-eight per cent. of the entire
AGRICULTURAL ponulation of tho TTnited