The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-08-19
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT CARR
BEFORE THE STATE ALL
x ANCE AT ASHEVILLE.

North Carolina State Farmers AHt-
Gnce:
Our fourth annual meeting is at
hand and the signs of the times lndl-
cate a still greater interest in the OBJ
jects and aims of our order and a
unity of feeling among the agricultural
and laboring classes, never before wit
messed in this country. 1t is q source
of congratulation and pressges naught
but good. At a bantling age at our
first, Rockingham, meeting, we num-
bered eight County and one hundred
and thirty two subordinate Alliances.
At our second meeting, in Raleigh,
we had ffty-two couatY and one thou
sand and eighteen subordinate ALI,
ances. At our third-Fayetteville-
eighty-nine County and one thousand
eight hundred and sixteen subordinate
Alliances, with an actual membership
of sixty.fve thousand. To day we
have a total of ninety five County and
two thousand one hundred and forty
seven subordinate Alliances, contain,
ing an approximate membership of
ninety thousand, with every county
in the State organized save Dare.
Notwithstanding this, applications for
new charters are constantly being re-
ceived and the work goes bravely on,
with an increasing demand for lectur-
ers and organizers. The report of the
executive committee, Secretary, Treas,
urer, State Lecturer and Business
Agent will better set forth the cOndi-
dition of the order. To them | re
spectfully refer you, asking a careful
consideration at your hands.
Perhaps the most important meet
ing ever held in this country has been
the assembling of the farmer AMI
labor organizations in St. Louis in
December last, the necessity for which
was foreshadowed by that eminent
statesmen and jurist, the late Judge
David Davis, when he said, as long
ago as 1866: "The rapid growth of the
corporate power and the malign infu,
ence which it exerts by combination
on the national and State legislatures
is a well grounded cause of alarm.
A struggle is pending in the near
future between the overgrown power,
with it's vast rami6cations all over the
Union and a hard grip on much Of
the political machinery on the IL
hand, and the people in an morgan
lied condition on the other for the
control of the government. 1t will
be watched by every patriot with in
tense anxiety" Never more prophetic
words fell from the lips of man. The
people though slow to admit it, had
at last been convinced, and three mil.
lions of people sent their representa-
tives there to form an alliance against
this monstrous iniquity. The unan,
Unity with which the demands set
forth by that body were adopted and
the universal endorsement by all the
States and Territories after mature
deiberation and discussion, should,
and | believe will, convince our legis
lators of our honesty Of purpose and
determination to accomplish ends.
This meeting, National in character
as In name, was a magnificent success
in obllteratlng the old lines of Sec
5ionalism-a matter devoutly to be
wished and of first Importance in
securing the necessary national legis.
lation.
While some of the demands set
forth have been granted, the nost
important, the relief of the financial
distress of the farmers, have been ig-
nored. The labors of the past are as
nothing if we expect to accomplish
this end. This government for the
last thirty years has been run in the
interest of a victorious war party.
The war feeling he's predominated in
every national election. The men
who did the fighting have no voice in
the government. Who are the men
in power to day ? Those that we're
enriched by the wal and it's conse.
quent legislation. The i1,gotten mil
lions of these legislators has been the
power behind the throne. The evi.
dence of this is found in the history
of the laws, the history of the bonds,
the history of the national banks and
the history of the characterization of
silver. But a stronger evidence yet
is the present condition of the work.
ing classes, who, as a rule the world
over, are patient and ~peaceable.
What means these labor organiza-
tons? This-that the people see by
combination alone can thew live.
Under a purer system of government
forty years ago these organizations
were unknown and there was no neces-
sity for them, but to day how differ
ent Every branch of trade has been
compelled to organize to save itself
from abusolute anhiliation, and is it to
oe wondered at when we come to
learn that the present Ubiquitous tariff
laws, the passage of which was pur.
| 0hRooH hu a au-Ahoro,~ -