The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-08-12
WHAT COL. POLK SAYS ABOUT
THE REPORTS OF HIS
GREENSBORO
SPEECH.
els There a Plot Among Vance's Friends
to Destroy Him 1"-- What Prof.
Massey Says of the

A synopsis of the great farmers
meeting, held at Greensboro last week,
was given by the Chronicle. 1t will
he remembered that during the meet,
ing speeches were made by Col. L. l..
Polk, President of the National Farm
ers' Alliance and Laborers' Union;
Mr.. N. A. Dunuing, editor of the Ma
t5onal Economist, which is the National
Alliance organ; Prof. W. F. Massey
and others.
The report of Col. Folks speech as
given by the Greensboro Patriot, has
excited considerable discussion and
speculation and was the subject of
much talk here yesterday.
Col. Polk is nov iu the city, and
Yesterday a Chronicle reporter called
on him, and pointed out some Of the
paragraphs of the Patriots report
which seemed to have created the
most interest. The reporter asked the
Colonel if these reports did justice to
the proceedings at Greensboro, and
also asked him if he would express
himself with reference to what had
appeared in the papers.
TIE folio wing paragraphs relating
to his speech were especially pointed
out:
FROM THE GREENSBORO PATRIOT.
"CoI. Polk spokc for two hours and
twenty.three minutes. He carefully
avoided using Senator Vance's name,
but he ASA led him nevertheless in
such a way that his hearers could not
fail to know at whom he was limiting.
"The Colonel was li.tened to with
great attention, and was f.. q1ently
Interrupted with applause. HIS sharp
attacks on Congress, his assault, by in
nuando and insinuation on Vance,
tickled his Republican hearers almost
to death. At times he was eloquent
and pathetic, and all through his
speech vas interesting and entertain,
ing.
A gentleman of quiet and conserve
tive judgment, said of the speech that
1T was demagogical to a high de
gree; an incendiary appeal to class
prejudice; and, try to hide it as be
might, a bid for the farmers vote to
succeed Senator Vance,
Col. Polk said:
My attention was called. to these
misrepresentation in the Patriot be-
fore | left Greensboro by several gen
tlemen who we're very Indignant.
Ben0ow Hall was crowded and every
respectable gentleman present knows
that the state ments of the Pat, tot re-
ferred to are absolutely false, and are
willful misrepresentation. [ did not
assail Senator Vance "by innuendo
and insinuatioD," nor in any other
way. l used the same arguments, sub
stantially, in regard to the Sub Treas
ury bill which | used before the Sen.
ate committee and have used on all
occasions since. [ notice that these
otter and untruthful articles are
quoted entire by at least n paper to
day, and it is a little strange that not
one word is taken from another paper
published lin Greensboro which is
edited by a Christian gentleman and
which all admit gave an unbiased re
por5 Of my speech. But these frantic
efforts on the part Of certain people to
show their devotion to and friendship
for Senator Vance are excusable in
view Of their past course towards that
gentleman. Il is ludicrous to those of
US who have always stood by him
when he needed friends, to be now
censured by those who then betrayed
him. And | desire to say now and
here, that if ever there wa a time in
all his grand life when the Senator
should pray to be delivered from his
(so-called) friends, that time is now.
Hundreds and thousands Of men
who have been true and loyal and de.
voted to the Senator, differ with him
but are they likely to be changed by
abuse, villification and wilful misrep-
resentation -? The Alliance stands
for truth and justice, and it is met by
such expressions as traitors 'incen-
diary demagogical, hayseed social.
ist,' 'agrarian humbug,' communist
etc.
"ls there a plot among his so,calIed
champions to destroy him ? Time
will tell who his real friends are
VIA PROF. MASSEY SAYS.
Prof. w. F. Massey, of the A. &
4