The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-11-21
pays four -ffths Of the taxes of the
country. The entire human family is
deDendent on II for rainent and daily

pays fOur-hftnS OF the taxes OF the
country. The entire human family is
dependent on it for raiment and daily
food. The great propelling power
which freights and drives our ponder
Gus trains to and fro over our 15o, 900
miles OF railway, which sends our ships
of commerce to the ports of the world,
which keeps in motion the vast ma
chinery Of all our industries, is the
muscle of the strong and brawny arm
of the American farmer.
We rejoice at the wonderful and
marvellous progress in the arts and
sciences, in transportation facilities, in
mining and manufacturing, in the
growth of towns and cities, as devel-
oped within the past two decades, and
which was SO graphically described
last week, by your distinguished guest
and speaker, Governor Hill, of New
York.
The growth of the country under
aggressive American enterprise has ex-
cited the wonder and admiration Of
the world Steam and electricity,
those twin giants of power, have been
harnessed to the blazing chariot of
American progress, and have startled
and staggered the human mind by
their marvellous achievements. The
| nations of the earth now sit down in
family conference. Steel rails, elec-
tricity. the steamship, the steam power
press and the locomotive, have revolu-
tionized the industries and commerce
of the world.
! twenty-five years ago here stood
the wreck of country town. The
genius of ruin and desolation waved
his blackrsceptre in fendish triumph
over these hills and plains, while they
trembled and quivered under the giant
tramp Of the war-gods and the rever-
berations Of laundering cannon. To-
day we behold with pride your beau
tiful and flourishing city. The grand
rumbling of your trains, the inspiring
scream of whistles, the ringing clatter
of hammer and ptrowel, the musical
hum of looms aud spindles, the swell
ing din of workshops and factories, the
tramp of your busy thousands, the
tinkling ring of hammer and anvil, all
join to swell the grand chorus of the
worlds happy song of industrial pro,
gress. In all this, say, the farmers
and patriots of the land most heartily
rejoice.
But in this rapid development of ou1
civilization, forces have been evolved
socially, industrially, morally and po
litically, which are dangerous alike te
the liberty of the citizen and to the
life of the republic, and the contempla
ton of which, must arouse serious ap
prehension if not alarm with every re
fecting patriot in our land.
Mighty problems confront us ane
must be met in spirit of fairness, o
justice and of equity. We stand II
the crucial era Of our free institutions
of our republican form of government
and of our Christian civilization
Equal rights to all and special privi
leges to none" is one of the funda
mental principles of our governmen
and must be observed and maintained
!: if we would preserve a vigorous ant
healthful condition in our economi
systems and perpetuate and advanc
our civilization. In our astounding
development and almost bewilderinl
progress, let lis strive against the dom
ination of one element over another
/ A just and safe equipose between tn
great industries or material element
r of our civilization must be maintained
And on this day it may be appro
, pirate and profitable for the thousand
of representatives Of the great agricul
r tural interests here assembled, to tax
. brief but faithful survey Of the situa
ton. Retrogression in American ag
S riculture means national decline, ma
tional decay, and ultimate and inevi
S table ruin.
n The glory of our civilization cannc
/ survive the neglect of our agriculture
S the power and grandeur of our cour
r try cannot survive the degradation {
), the American farmer.
4 Railroads, villages, towns, cite:
: manufacturing enterprise in all its df
e partments, mercantile and speculative
f enterprise and corporations, houris
S and prosper as never before in our hi
T torv and vet there are hundreds
= thousands Of farmers-honest, econor
f ical, industrious farmers, who ha,
e titled good lands, have worked har
o and lived hard and are in worse cor
dition financially, to-day, than the
! were twenty-five years ago. In 1866
d the farmers of the United States nun
e bered one-half our population an
i owned one-half the wealth of the coul
: try. In 1880, though still about on
l. half our population, they owned onl
IS one fourth the wealth of the countr
e From 1850 to 1860 they had increase
T the value of their farms 1oI per cen
p From 1870 to 1880 the increase W;
= only 9 per cent. and yet our agricu
It tural population had increased over :
); per cent, while the aggregate veal
J. of the country increased ITO per Ger
7, In your own State of Georgia, viii
J. your population increased 60 per Ger
2 from 1860 to 1876, your lands d
d creased in value 80 per cent.