Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-15
ADDRESS OF COL. ROBERT BE,
VERIFY
BEEonE THE FARMEE's ASSEMBLY, Rlcu
MoND, Va, JAN. 10, 1889.

runners -1Soc"adfy Of P;ig'a az
1t is again my great pleasure TO
meet you i'll convention aud cou.er.
ence. with the hope of advancing the
Interest OF our great calling, the
greatest aud most honorable GU e. .rth:
the greatest, because by it ull Gov.
e,nm"nts, Nations and people live;
the most honor able, because we I'll
live Within the Divine Command "By
the sweat of your brow" But am
S"ieved to shy that, i'll my opinion,
our condition has not Mt all improved
since our last annual meeting, ON the
coutl"ry, it has become more despe..
ate for the want of enactments of
civil law, both State and Federal,
while the hand of an Advise Piovi
dence has been very gracious to us.
The fruits of the th have been
most abundant, even to ovelp,oduc-
ton, THINKS TO Supreme will; but
the price of these products, owing to
oppressive laws, both State and Fed
ernl, have utterly deprived us of
profit, so that The agricultural inter.
est throughout The United States is
in desperate condition. I venture
to say That no honest Thinking man
in any vocation in life can gain say
this statement. Nor can any ooe say
That if it continues it will not be the
death of tho Republic. Thea the
question for you TO consider my
friends, at this meeting Is. is the,
any remedy and il anv, what n
Would to God that 1 could suggest a
remedy, but can not. l can only
state to you whit in my op:u:on is
the disease, the rot, under which we
are su'fe! ing, aud leave it to you
with few suggestions on my part,
to find the remedy. Tie disease I'm
questionably is, that our Govern
ment. State, Federal al1 Municipal,
are controlled by the power OF
money and Independent manhood
has nothing to do with it. That nu
Oligarchy composed of IL few monied
kings, selected from the trusts, rail
roads, manufactu es or other monop
olies; will control aud DO The Gov
eminent of the United States and you
will be their serfs ald slaves. That
the power OF money concentrated i'll
the cities of This couaLry aid acting
i'll concert is controlling, Mt This time,
the election of all Legislative bodies,
and when they fail TO elect major.
lily Of any of those bodies, they enter
the lobby with their money and con-
troll Legislation This is unquestiona
bly, the fact. Then what are we to
do say appeal TO the virtue of The
people and combine TO elect such
men to your Legislative halls that
cut be controlled by blibes, and
llat are in the Interest of aaricul
tue Qhe sure foundation of this and
all other human governments) AMI
let us stick together to save this
great Government from anarchy and
ruin.
AT your last annual meeting you
pissed resolutions that you thought
essential 10 your interest and to The
good Of tue country, to wit To
largely increase the appropriation to
the Aai icnltulal Department of the
State. 10 The end that frauds in fer
tili2ers, by inspection and analysis,
might be prevented. Did you get
the desired Appropriation 7 think
not. Second. We asked an appro
pr iaiion for an experiment ST .iioh in
The State looking 10 the same end,
ihof ia ibo ,Jyonoor,a,t &c ,o,;.J
ture. D:l you get it No. Third.
As to Il revision of the revenue avs,
particulars ~ in regard to the tobacco
tax which related to Federal legisla.
ton lost, nothing done; but particu.
larly did you demand n revision of
the railroad laws of the Slate, bv
wi CHI the farmers might be some
what protected, to-wit "A State
commerce law TO supplement the
United States Inter State Commerce
law. Did you get it Although
most conservative bill in regard to it
passed the House of Delegates by an
Overwhelming majority; bill that
might have brought some relief to
your interest, it was soon smothered
i'll tho committee of the Senate by
lis chairman, and its friends never
had an opportunity TO test lis
strength before the Senate. What
would have been its fate is very
predetermined as an enormous III; iiaod
lobby was there for The purpose of
defeating it. 1t is in your power to
elect such Legislature, of both
branches, as will protect your inter-
est aud save the agriculture of the
State by the passage of conservative
laws, and ut the same time not OPP
press!ve to railroads or any other