The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-10-28
THE WEST AND THE SOUTH.
Kansas and Georgia---The Great Meet
= ing at Topeka.
Cor. Of The PRoaREssIvE FARMER.

TOPEKA, Kan, Oct. 81, 1890.
One of the most notable and signif
cant events Of the last quarter of a
century was the recent visit of the
delegates from the State Alliance of
Georgia to the annual meeting of the
State Alliance of Kansas.
Viewed in the light of past events,
no nor impressive scene is recorded
in history than that of the morning of
October 18th, when the doors of Met
ropolitan Hall, in the city of Topeka,
swung wide open and President l. l.
Polk, Col. Livingston, Judge W. A.
Wilson and DR. j. W. Stone were
ushered in the presence Of the as
sembl9d hundreds of delegates Of the
Kansas State Alliance.
A committee of three old soldiers
had been appointed to go to the depot
to escort the visiting brothers to the
hall. But as name after name was
added to that committee, it became
apparent that every old boy in blue
coveted the privilege of being among
the advance guard to welcome our
guests. Eighty two Union soldiers
marked step and kept time in the tri
umphal march of that procession. AS
they entered the hall, cheer after
cheer arose, and hand clasping and
voices broken with emotion t stifed
that no barrier lay between these re
united loyal sons of our great repub
lie. An enthusiastic brother capped
the climax by leading off in singing
an Alliance song, expressive of fra
ternal sentiments, to the tune of
"Marching Through Georgia"
Oh! how changed the time since
those far off, terrible years. In this
glad, lew time Georgia comes march
ing through Kansas on a mission of
peace and good will and right royalty
is the progress hailed.
After the cheering had some
what quieted the visiting delegates re-
sponded to calls and each addressed
the convention in spontaneous and
happy fashion, presenting greetings
from those whom they represented.
The afternoon session was a veritable
love feast of "reminiscences of the old
sad days when the war. cloud shad.
owed the land. The utmost test of
fellowship came when Anderson.
vile was recalled. With bravery of
another and nobler kind than ever
vas on a battlefield, these men of the
North and men of the South spoke of
the bitter past, and the spirit they dis
played revealed the truth that not one
little, least, last spark of sectional
hate remains. No demagogue, North
or South, can rekindle fierce flames
in the hearts of these true patriots.
The speech of DR.. j. W. Stone met
with so hearty a response that as a re-
suit an appropriation of 500 was
voted to the Georgia G. A. R. post to
assist in the purchase of the Ander-
sOnville grounds.
On the day preceding the grand
rally there was need of all the sun.
shine that was in the faces and the
hearts of the people, for the skies
did not afford n ray. The rain
poured down and the roads were in a
condition to prevent many from at
tending. Nevertheless the procession
numbered several thousand farmers
| and laborers and their families. The
people assembled at the grand stand
on the fair grounds, and were ad.
dressed by President Polk and Col.
Livingston. 1t is useless to attempt
to fifty describe the enthusiasm and
appreciation of those who listened to
these gentlemen. The address of
President Polk was dignifed, forcible,
and at times elegant and sublime.
there was no discussion of partisan
politics. But the cause of the worlds
toilers had glorious pleading. Our
benefi cent organization has fitting
! leadership.