The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-11
FARMERS In COUNCIL.
GATHERED I'M THE HOUSE OF
DELEGATES.

al OF Dir. Robert
Ueveriy-ResoiutiohsA dopted-Person-
mel Of the Body.
The annual session Of the Farmers AS
sembly Of Virginia met in the Hall OF the
House Of Delegates last night at O'Clock
The membership is composed Of represen-
tatiyes Of every District Assembly in the
state. members Of every grange and every
alliance. This j. in accordance with the
constitution Of the Farmers Assembly. Inc
wide scope allowed in representation maze
IL impossible for the Assembly ID
have list Of membership. Inc
members represent the bone ana
sinew Of Virginia. state whose pride mas
ever been that is msbandmen were f1uai
- ~ in the world in integrity courage.
ard intelligence. The personnel ~ the
meeting shows that this same pride can
NOW well be sustained. There was great
demand for seats. from which it may be in
6orred that there was full attendance, the
sfandlng snace and extra seats being oc-
cuuied. The farmers seemed IN eNcelient
humor. and laughed and cbatted -, III
generous. old fashion farmer style. Inc
BODY i'm appearance would compare favor
ably with that Of any other Of similar size
| i'm any state. Colonel Robert Beverly,
president Of the assembly. and Major W. l.
! -utherlin were striking figures, and were
erected by their many friends fand they
seemed 10 know every 0ne)w with hearty hanu
shakes. There were not a great many
members Of the General Assembly OF II
| .inia present; in fact, there are not great
many members Of Farmers Assembly men,
bers Of the Legislature. Mayor sutherlln
| said that il was the largest meeting OF the
| kind he had ever witnessed. This Is the
seventh annual session. and all OF them
| have been held i'm Richmond.
The assembly was called 10 order by Col
| Onel Beverly and opened with prayer by
| Rev. DR.. Athay. of FauQuier county. The
reading Of the presidents address was the
first thing done. 1t was rs follows:
Fellow Farmers, According 10 resolution
Of adjournment, you again assemble IN our
capital city with the nope OF doing some
thing TO promote the depressed calling that
YOU have so long carried on your broad anu
| burdened shoulders; supporting the great
| material interest e the state uncqualy, he
| cause you bear Aye times the taxation Of any
and all other interests in the state nave
not the least doubt that this inequality Of
taxation Imposed In the past by representa-
| tives selected al the cOurhOuscs VIII be col
fected not only IN Virginia but IN tile United
-tates.
II what are we sufferings OF overproduc-
/ tion? No. our product has not increased be-
| you'd our population II you consider our
| enormous exports. And yet we get nothing
| for our produce, while groceries and ali man
nfactured articles which we have 20 buy. eX-
cept clothing, are as high as ever. Likewise
! c0uri expenses, charges for litigation, clerks
! fees, Sherifi's fees, and lawyers fees are as
high as they were twenty years ago when
meat and grain brought twice what they do
now. Likewise the commission merchant
charges his D per cent on general pro-
| duce and cents per Dushel on
grain. while he buys his Hour at
/ IS "a barrel and his bee and bacon at cents,
rs against s. for Hour and Is cents for meat,
not ten years ago. And yet II seems tostrike
| our city friends with surprise that the farmer
/ Is bankrupt. The cities are living i'm ease and
/ luxury and the country In toll and poverty.
nd hence the people are congregatlng In
the cities as Is proven by theIr extraordinary
| growth in population. The newspapers al
WAYS located in the cities or al courthouse
/ 1wns cry prosperity and of course II IS
prosperity 70 The city people. getting their old
| fees and commissions and buying their sup
| plies at half price, but bankrutcy TO the farm
era.
What is the particular cause Of this condi-
| Ion Of things? First. and above all, Il is due
\ 10 the currency having been contracted at
the diciation Of the money kings-creaiuIes,
created by tine war. who have with their
money been controlling the financial policy
| of our government ever since. The currency
| j. locked up 10 the amount IF twelve hun
/ dfcd millions by the government and its
/ banks tlcavng but five hundred millions In
| circulation and released only and i'm such
| amounts only AZ the diciation Of Wall
street and the mOnopOlists 10 further their
aggrandizing sche.nCs--all my friends, TO
| your detrmcut. Is it strange that your broad
! backs should be broken The trusts and mo-
nODOlies are run by the money kings. pro-
/ l4l rtm I4
! there is not any capital left in the country,
except the land. and that heavily mort
gagged. The holdings II each Individual have
decreased nom SD per capita 10 s5.s3, and
| the most Of that in the pockets Of the city
people. Nine cut Of ten OF the country peO-
pie cannot show ten cents OF currency.
| What people can bear this? We are more
ahicct slaves 10 the money kings, trusts.
AMI monOnOlies than ever the African WAS
| TO his Southern master. Under the COnsti-
tuition the negro was the property Of his
master, and the owner would at least feed.
| clOthe and protect his own property ] ask
who Is protecting ngricuturist now? They
/ are al the mercy OF the shylOckS. IWenty-
] five thousand persons own Ouc-half Ofall the
money values Of the United states and
80 900 practically own u All, which makes
go 900 900 Of people slaves 10 the 100000. !
ask how long can the Republic be called free
under this state OF thingsy where then
| is the salvation Of the republic? II
there is any, IL is In the virtue OF the
| agricultural classes. and In thelr de-
pressed and stIaightencd condition, aDsO-
| lutely starving for money in the midst
I OF plenty OF produce, 10 VIII be hard, very
| hard 10 accomplish. Under the law Of uni
yersal suffrage, money, fear. Will control.
I Let rs try before N is forever too late. Let
us orEaniZc more thoroughly. and show that
, we will maintain our free government
against money mOnOpOies and trusts. Let
US swear that we, actually 81 per cent. OF the
entire population, and IS per cent of the
population Oi the south ana West, viii con-
troll, rs We now aud ever have supported
this government for The good OF the whole
people, md Will not be ensiaVcd by monopc-
lies.
The charters Of incorporation that our state
Legislatures have passed cd ibifgm are the
nursing mothers OF trusts and monOpOlies.
Let Us proclaim that the agricultural inter-
est Of Virginia J. the one OF greatest Import
ance and that we will control legislation 10
advance the material Interests OF the state,
and that II our servants III the Legislature
10 not obey we VIII put others In there VINO
viii (npplause). You can do IL by thorough
organization and resist tnce TO the
corrupting power 81 money. The
Congress OF the United states Is
now in sesson-your state Legs
Iature is In session. IL is their unwiSe fal-e
legislation that has brought YOU 10 this con-
ditlon. Formulate your measures OF reform.
not forgetting reform In the tremendous
expenses In the Judiciary department OF the
government and ask their passage. and. Il
moderate and reasonable. believe you VIII
get it, II they will not hear you, then make
your power felt at the polls lApplause.l
We have cause for cOngratulatloD, my
1roths r-farmers, on This occasion. our peO-
pie so long dis0rganized and unmanageaOle,
seem at last, with one consent, 10 be rush
ing tOarms for the common defense and sell
protection. The Farmers Alliance, Agricul-
fural Wheel Louisiana state Union. Farm
crS, and LabOrers Association OF illinois.
have all quite recently cOalesced under the
common banner OF the Farmers and Labor
cTs' Union Of America.
Mr.. j. Thompson Brown. OF Bedford, Of
fered the following, which was adopted:
Resolred. That the President appoint COM
mitfee Of three To draff suitable resolutions !
expressing the sorrow Occasioned by the
death OF that noble soldier, statesman, ana
patriot. jefferson Davis. and which weighs
down the hearts aud saddens the homes Of
all true Nirginians.
Resolred. That when this body adjourn II |
he To meet again tomorrow ~ session limit !
cd TO / 1 O'Clock, i'm order 10 afford an oppor-
tuuity of showing a slight token OF our love
and respect for The illustrious dead by at
tending the memorial services tob s held In
his honor.
On motion the report Of the president of
the Assembly and that Of the chairman OF
the executive committee were referred 10
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