The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-12-17
STATE CHANGERS CON.
n vENE.
'PennsylvanIa Farmers Dis,
" cuss the Agricultural
=. - Situation. 80 ss4I

ssA IlARhlBUhG, EaiiJcC. ~ J.-l uc
Grangers are holding the larg-
lest convention here in the his
tory of their State organization.
Their annual meeting is being
held in the hall Of the House.
Worthy Master Rhone, who
has filled that position for nine
years, delivered his annual ad-
dress. He claims that all the
important legislation in the in
terost Of agriculture for fifteen
years been secured through the
non-partisan Influence of the
Grange, namely: The correc-
tion of the extension of patents
on sewing machines; curtailing
the powers of transportation
companies by making them sub
ject to the control of the govern
ment; restricting the sale Of
-olemargarine by national law
and preventing its manufacture
and sale in this State; the driv-
ing out of this country of alien
labor; the passage of the inter-
State law; the establishment Of
the Agricultural Department at
Washington; the increase of the
appropriation to public schools
from 81 900, 600 to 80, 900, 900, and
the procurement of many im-
portant change in the State re-
venue law.
Also the creation of the State
Revenue Commission, which
has just closed its report to the
State Legislature, and the es-
tablishment of cooperative
trade system through which
farmers can purchase direct
from manufacturers and impor-
tiers. ---.,e H
Mr.. Rhone adds that through
the Grange tariff currency ques
tions will be settled on a just
and regular basis, and continues;
t'That the agricultural class of
the country is sorely depressed,
largely the result of pernicious
legislation, l greatly regret, is,
only too true; IL is indeed a SOL
emn fact. That real estate has.
been on a steady and rapid de-.
cline in waue from the same
cause is equally obvious.
The depression is so great and
general that not l per cent. of
farms of the State are holding
their own and paying interest
on the investment" Speaking
of the alleged discrimination in
the tax laws against real estate,
Rhone says: "The injustice of
legislation which perpetrates
such glaring frauds upon the
agricultural class is too appar-
ent to require comment"
A WORD FOR THE M'KINLEY BILL.
Concluding, Rhone says: "The
Grange occupied a conservative
position upon the question dur
ing the exciting controversy
which grew out of the tariff dis
cussion. The representatives. of
the organization insisted that if
tariff for protection was to be
the future policy of the govern
ment, then the farmer had the
same right to protection on his
productions that the manufac-
lures and other industries were
to receive.
'If tariff for revenue only,
then the farmer would have TO
compete with foreign produc-
tions and the manufacturer with
foreign manufacturers. In a
word, the Grange, standing up
on the immutable principles Of
our order, insisted upon equally
the same protection for the far
mer as other classes were to re-
ceive. The result has been the
passage of the recent act by
Congress. What the exact eff
feet of the law will be upon the
business industries of the coun-
TRY cannot yet be fully deter
lmined.