The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-12-09
MESSAGES OF l.. L. POLK, PRES.
= DENT
OF the National Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union, Ocala, Fla De-
cember 2nd, 1890.

hEmE NOOIOAA - @AA
Concentrating YOU; and thr ugh you, the
great organization you represent, on the nope
full and encouraging auspices under Whlch
YOU have this day assembled, beg 80 suDmlt,
for your earnest cOns1 teratlon such thooSets
and sugpestions affecting the present and tu-
ture of our or at order, as may cOnduce TO the
successful prosecution of It's noble and patrl-
otto purposes
of this great revolution for reform, involving
issues mOmentous and stupendOus IN thelr
character, as aft citing the present aud tutdre
welfare of the people; the public mind Is nat
uralIy directed to this meeting with ANXIOUS
interest, if not soiicltude, and you cannot pc
unmindful of the importance anu respohslDI-
ity that attaches to your action ss representa-
tives. coming, as you 90, from oUdUCS Gu
IOcalities remote from each other, and diner
ing widely from each other In their material
and physOI ygical characteristics ana mafke1
by those OciaI and political dill -rences, Whlch
must neces sarily arise nnder our 1orm OF gov
eminent, it Is your gracious P lVlIe8e' as IL
shall be YOUR browning honor, to prove TO the
world by YOUR harmonious action and thor
Oughly f~raternal cO-Operatl n, That your SUI
preme purpose Is to meet the 9eman95 ot pa
triOtic duty in he spirit OF equity ana JusVlce.
The great and universal depression under
which the agricultural interests OF these Unit
ed States are suffering, Is, In view OF our sur
roundnIgs and conditions, an anomaly 10 the
student of industrial progress. NO country
or people in all history have been so favored
and blest with opportunity and favorable con-
ditiOns for the successful and pIOntaDle pros
ecutiOn Of agri ultural Industries. WIN SOILS,
climate and seasons admirably adapted TO the
successful growth falI the great staple crops,
demanded by commemorative a people just
ly noted for their industry, trugailty, ana pro-
gressiye enterprise, and characterized by an
9ooressiveness in material development which
has no parallel in histOry-Wlth trSnspOrta-
ton facilities, inland and upon the seas, equal
to the productive power OF the c~Ountry-Wlth
a development III railroad and manufacturing
o-4orTOri1n and in the OFOWth OF VILLAGES.
towns and citIes-marvelOus IN It's expansion
with the rapid accumulation OF colossal TOR
tunes in the hands Of the few why, instead
of the haDpy song of peace, cOntentment and
plenty. which should bless the homes of he
farmer and IabOrer of the country, SHOULD we
hear the constant and universal wall, OF hard
times?' To solve This significant and vital
question in the light OF equity, Justice and
truth, is the underlying principle, the EOly
mission and inspiration of this, the greatest
industrial revolution of the ages.
To restore and maintain that equlpoise be-
tween the great industrial interests of the
country which is absolutely essential to a
bealthfuI progress and to the development of
our civilization, is a task which should enlist
the minds and energies of ali patriotic people
"A task as ~stIpendOus, as its accomplishment
shall be g and and glorious.
The pathway of human governments Is
streWn with mOurntul wrecks of republics,
whose ruin was wrought by and through the
subOrdinatiOn and degradation o fs0me one or
tiOn.
It has been truly said. that agriculture is
the basis of all veal h, and ImpUrtBnt and in
despenSabie as 1t is IN this relation, yet Its
higher character and function as the basis of
all life, of all progress, and + all higher CIV
i~lizatiOn, can be measured only by human ca
pabilt y and aspiration OF reach the highest
perfection OF society and government. stand
ing as il does, 10y faC the most important Of
our great industrial Interests, and RELAXED as
it is, IN such important connection, with every
individual and every conceivable interest in
our country, its prosperity, means The better
ment of all-its decline means the decline OF
all.
Refrigeration in American agriculture
means national decay and utter and inevita-
BILE ruin. Powerful and promising as is this
young giant republic, yet, 1t power and glory
cannot survive the degradation OF the Ameri-
can farmer
Never perhaps in the history of the world,
has industrial and economic thought been
more intensely engaged, than for the past two
years, i'll this country, IN the investigation OF
the causes which have conspired to place ag-
Ticultur1 go lar IN the rear IN the race OF ma
teTial progress.
This investigation, earnest, sincere and
searching, his ed to the general, if not uni
VersaI conviction, that it is due in large meas
ure and in most part, to partial, discriminate
ing and grossly unjust national legislation.
We're it due to false or imperfect systems of
farm economy. we would be graclOuSly allow
ed and literally advised to apply the remedy
by improved systems of our own devising,
but thanks to the founders of cur government
for the power and privilege of going beyond
the domain of the farm to correct the evils that
atfiict US
This great organization, whose Jurisdiction
now extends to thirty-tive 1851 States of this
union, and whose membership and co-WOrk-
ers, number millions OF Amer IAN freemen-
united by a common interest-cOntrOnted
by common dangers-impelled by a common
unprecedented TO a common country
standing for a common destiny and guided
by the dictates of an exalted patriotism will
in the exercise of cOnservative p litical action.
strive to secure equal rights for all and spe-
cial privileges to nOne," and secure indeed
ga government OF the people, for the people
and by the people,"
No patriot can view, but with feelings Of
gravest apprehension and alarm, the growing
tendency, under the fostering care of our DO
liticO economic systems to the Capitalization
of money power and the upbuiIding of mo-
nopOIies. CENTRALIZED capital, allied to ire
spOnsibIe corporate power stands to- ay as a
formidable menace to individual rights and
popular government. This power is felt In
our halls of legislation, state and national
in our popular cOnveptiOns-at the bnIIOt box
and in our temples of justice, and 1t AFRO
gan+ly lays it's unhOly hand on that greatest
and most powerful lever of modern thought
and action, the public press of the country.
Emboldened by the rapid growth of it's
power, 1t has levied tribute on the great
political parties Of the country which must
be paid in SerVile party subserViency to its
greedy demands High places in politics
and in government nave been intrustad to
its chosen servants, and subOrnedl leaders,
who scorn the will and the interests of
the people; sc th~t rejecting patriotic men
are confronted with the question-whether
this is really a popular government found
ed ION the consent of The governed1' and
whose "pOWers are vested IN and derived
from the people" or whether it is a party
government, whose powers are vested in
and derived from arrogant and u%nfaithful
party leaders.
We are rapidly drifting from the moor
ings of fathers and stand to-day in the
crucial era of our free institutions, of our
free form of government, and of our Chris
tian civilization. To rescue these inestima-
bic blessings and interests from the i'm
pending perel, should be the s~elf-imposed
duty of all patriots throughout the land.
PROGRESS OF ORGANIZATIONS.
Since our last annual meeting IN the CITY
Of st. Louis, the States or Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan North nokO%o ToJje1-Cs 81