The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-05-23
The Prospect Of the Farmer.
Address of President L. L. Polk to
Citizens Alliance No. 4. of
Washington, D. C.

Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
| desire to express my sincere ap
probation of the honor done me,
through the kind invitation Of
Branch No. 4, Citizens Alliance,
and the opportunity thus afforded
for presenting before Washington
audience some views on The great
industrial and economic question
now agitating the public mind
throughout the country.
We are here to discuss principles
not parties; measures. and not men.
Principles come of God, and are as
eternal as The throne of justice ITSELF
Men are of the dust of the earth,
aud are as transitory as the dewdrop
ON the morning flower.
History is ever repeating itself.
The march of human progress is
'strewn with the wrecks Of empires,
kingdoms, systems, thrones and
governments. Many of them went
down iu violence and blood. We
stand to-day in the midst of a great
peaceful and bloodless,
| pray God it may be-but the
mightiest, social, Industrial aud
economic revelation the world has
ever witnessed. 1t has not been
heaslded by the fare of hambeaux,
the beating oil drums, or the thunder
Of cannons. The millions who are
I eDlisting iu its ranks are marshaliag
under no ensign OF hate, of blood or
Of carnage, but they align them.
| selves under a banner on whose
snow white folds are emblazoned in
characters of heavenly light, the
words: Justice, equity and truth, "
aud from one end OF the land TO the
1other the battle cry of this mighty
3host is: Equal rights TO all aud
special favors TO EUne."
Ia the rapid development of our
advancing civilization that equipoise
between the great economic inter.
eats Of The couRtry-be between the
prominent elements of our civiliga.
lion which are absolutely essential
to national happisess and prosperity
aud to The life OF the ieplblic-is
seriously threatened with destruc-
ton. No one of these elemeats can
dominate another with safety. Even
the authority aud power Of civil
government can not do it. Rome
had this aader q republic for hun,
dreds Of years Commerce can not
do it. Carthage and Tyre had this
( Int. .lectual culture and develop
ment can not do it. Greece stood
lproudly pre-eminent in all this
| The elective franchise can not do it
All the republics which have flourish
ed and perished had this. Con
centraied wealth with all its powe,
can not do il. When the splendol
Of the Roman republic faded into
night, eighteen hundred Of her CHI
zens owned the then known world
When Egyptian civilization persisted
| from the earth, three per cent of hel
/ people owned 96 per cent Of her
wealth, and to day the once fruitfu
fields oil the orient are given over &c
he Wild wanderer oil the plain, and
| the sEiendors OF its civilization lie
,usied beneath The drifting sands ol
tie desert.
/ Will We, as people, profit by
| the lesson of the past z How stand
I've to-day? 10 the studentof in
Idustrial progress and economic
development. an anomalous condi
ton of affairs is presented. The
rapid expansion ofoar railway sys
item, stretching 10000 miles al
over our land and furnishing trans
porlation equal 10 tie demands oI
our productive power-the success
| full development of manufacturing
entel prise in all its varied depart.
ments-the magical growth of will
ages, towns and cities, the grand
rumbling of trains, the inspiring
E~cream Of whistles. the ringing cla:
ter of hammer and trowel. the musical
hum and swelling din of workshops
and factories. the mighty rushing
tramp Of our busy millions, the
tiLkiing ring Of hammer and anvil
l-all jJin to swell The grand clloru:
OF the worlds happy song Of indus
| t,;,l x.a~ras-. and xet aUrirnttnrp