The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-11-21
4 NORTH CAR0LINIAN ABROAD.
COL L. L. POLK AT THE ATLANTA
EXPOSITION.
Full Text of His Address on Farm
ers' Day, October oath.

Full Text of His Address on Farm
ers' Day, October oath.
The GOLD LEAF takes pleasure in
laying before its readers this week the
full text of Col. Folks speech at the
Atlanta Exposition. The speaker was
introduced by Henry w. Grady, the
brilliant editor of the Constitution,
who spoke of Col. Polk as ga man
who left the Confederate ranks at the
close of the war, walked down furrows
of his farm by day and at night in his
shop made with his own hands his
farm implements as editor of the
Progressive Farmer and an honored
member of the noblest profession this
side Of the pulpit, and an orator whose
words are needed from Maryland to
Texas as an eloquent protest against
the farmers wrongs eloquently demand
ing that justice shall be rendered to
them" At the conclusion of Mr.. Gsa
dy's remarks, Col. Polk arose and said:
LadIes and gentlemen:
For this distinguished honor, con-
ferred through the kind partiality Of
the board of managers of this great
Exposition, l desire to express my
warm appreciation and my most CRATE
tul acknowledgements. An honor
doubly dear to my heart, since l come
as the representative of a State and a
people, whose regard for Georgia and
her people is as tender, as loyal, as
fraternal and as sincere as that ex-
pressed in the beautiful and touching
language of Ruth to Naomi.
Bound to you by the ordeal of COM
mon suffering, the glories of common
triumph, the tender ties of blood and
kinship and sharing in common the
cherished deeds and traditions of the
past, the opportunities and duties of
the present, the inviting promise and
responsibilities OF the future, North
Carolina halls her queenly sister-the
, Empire State of the South, with the
assurance and pledge of her profound
interest, her unwavering fidelity and
her sincere sympathy in all that per-
tains to the promotion and develop
ment Of your magnificent common
wealth.
Yesterday, from my car window, I
gazed through the hazy distance on
the picturesque beauty and billowed
grandeur of vast and magnificent
mountainous plateau. Across and
through it has been drawn an imagi-
nary State line. But the clouds, the
glad sunshine, the pearly waters, burst
ing from their rock bound homes, mid
its lofty heights, the invigorating at.
mosphere-all in their missions oi
/ mercy, disdain this prescribed limita
tion in distributing and dispensing
!. their blessings ; thus typifying in ply
: sical nature that harmonious fraternity
:, of spirit, that cordial congeniality OF
sentiment, that earnest sympathy and
: devotion, which oblterates names
distinctions, divisions and State lines
in all matters common to the people
OF our two States.
We rejoice in your prosperity. lr
the marvellous transformation wrough
e out by your enterprise, sturdy energy
e and indomitable perseverance, as il
$ lustrated in the growth of your vii
lagos, towns and cities, the expansion
: of your diversified industries and the
superb display of the products of you
soils and skilled labor in these spa
cious grounds and immense buildings
4, we find evidences of those high quail
. tiles of manhood, that shall, unde
d Divine favor, lead your State and th'
South to higher development ant
grander achievement than has perhap
ever blest people in all history
With your GENIAL climate, which
almost continental in its scope; wit
i; i; soils capable of producing nearly al
" the chief agricultural products of thi
r. vast country; your immense timbe
h. wealth, your splendid water power:
- your rich mineral resources, with
e. territory capable of sustaining por
- ulation of $4,000, o,ooo-equal to tn
entire population of the empire {
Brazil-with all the inherent element
for developing your State into a grea
agricultural and industrial empire
e where, in all the earth, has the God {
nature vouchsafed to man a heritag
so princely and grand, home S
charming and delightful
Among the many seductive consio
erations presented in the cordial an
courteous letter Of invitation, was ii
fact that this is the Alliance and Farm
ers' day of your exposition. This RET
lie, ognition of the great agricultural il
in in terest, is as just and considerate as it
r. graceful and appropriate, for in tt
South. it represents seventy-two pt
cent. of our population and thirt.
eight per cent. of the entire gricultu
al population of the United States.
represents $4,000, ,ooo, 900 in land:
!, ,S1,75o,oco,oo 900 in live stock; $500, ,oo'
900 in implements and machiner
and $4,000, 900, 900 in the annual pr
.. ducts of its labor. 1t supplies over J
per cent. of our domestic exports ar