The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-02-16
VIRGINIA AND NORTH CARO-
LIMA FARMERS.

nouncement the border farmers of
Virginia and North Carolina met in
convention in the city of Danville on
Wednesday morning, Feb. lst, 1888.
The trains Tuesday night and We'd
nesday morning brought in represen-
tative farmers from North Carolina
and Virginia, and they came also in
large numbers, in wagons, buggies
and on foot, SO that by the hour set
for the opening of the meeting, the
Academy of Music was we'll filled
with sturdy farmers ready to take
part in the Convention.
The meeting was called to order by
Major w. T. Sutherlin, and a COM
mittee appointed on permanent organ
i%zation, submitted the names of the
following as suitable gentlemen for
officers of the Conventions: j. S. Gun
bingham, of Person county, N. c.,
President, and the following Vice
Presidents: Thos. S. Harrison, Cas-
we'll county, N. c.; w. A. Bass, Hall
fax county, Va; w. H. Norman,
Henry county, Va; Thales G.. Penn,
Patrick county, Va; J. W. Alverson,
Rockingham county, N. c.; R. L. An
derson, Pittsylvania county, Va; R.
V. Gaines, Charlotte county, Va; J.
D. Blair, Danville; for Secretary, Maj.
John B. Anderson, of Ringgold, with
the members of the press for assist
ants.
The report of the committee was
received and unanimously adopted.
Mr.. Cunningham, in accepting the
presidency, says the Danville Register,
delivered a spirited speech-in fact a
gem, which was listened to attentively
by the convention. The speaker
touched upon the tobacco interest, the
internal revenue and then at some
length dwelt upon the subject of i'm
migration, declaring that in the right
sort of immigration was the hope of
this section. President Cunningham
is a very young man, but a good
presiding officer end withal a pro-
gressive scientific farmer.
A committee of one member from
each county was appointed to prepare
resolutions for the consideration of
the Convention, after which a recess
| of one hour was taken.
Upon the re-assembling Of the body
at 3 p. M, the committee submitted a
series of ringing resolutions, which we
regret to say are too lengthy for pub
LEGATION in full in this issue of The
PROGRESSIVE FARMER. In their pre-
amble they say the farmers of Vir-
| ginia and North Carolina have on re:
peated occasions expressed their ear
nest desire to be relieved of the
oppressive Legislation of the country,
which has retarded their progress and
in some instances so paralyzed their
energies and depressed their spirits as
to leave them but little hope for the
future. 1t appears that representa-
tives and lawmakers have singled out
the farmers as the special objects of
oppressive Legislation, and have been
deaf to every appeal, for their relief.
They have perpetuated an excise, tax
upon the products of the farm which
is not needed for the support Of the
government, and which is the most
odious and distasteful mode of taxa
ton ever adopted by a civilized coun-
try, and they still continue this cruel,
irritating and tyrannical system, which
has been in operation over twenty
years, Notwithstanding the earnest and
repeated efforts to secure its repeal.
The preamble also refers to the
millions of acres of the public domain
| given to mammoth railroad corpora
tons, whose stockholders have become
millionaires through this means Of
government bounties, and they have
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