The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-11
GALA DAY
At Kings Mountain-The Speech and
How it Was Received.

IN sight Of which was fought q battle
which turned the fate of the RevOlu-
ton, was visited, on July 25th, by
more than three thousand people eager
to see the face and, if possible, to grasp
the hand of North Cardinals nOblest
son, Col. L. L. Polk. This name is a
household word in millions of homes in
every section of this Union. Jere
Simpson and Capt. Talbert were also
expected on this occasion but failed to
meet the appointment.
The committee on arrangements,
Messrs. II. 2. Allison, G.. d. B. Ware
and J. Z. Herndon, left nothing I'M
done that would add to the pleasures
of the occasion. The stand was erected
in a pleasant grove in front of DR.. J.
w. Tracy's residence. Excellent music
was furnished by the Blacksburg Cor
net Band. The following ladies: Mrs.
Rosie Jackson, the Misses Rhea, Miss
Estella Rateree and Miss \. Ware de
serve special praise for the artistic
manne in which the stand was decor
ated. At the back of she stand on a
white ground was this motto, made of
evergreens: Equal rights to all, spe-
cial privileges to none" and in front
overhead were these words forming an
arch, Simpson. Welcome. Talbert."
Under this arch was Col. L. L. Polk,
President Y. f. A. & I. L" Just
above this hung a group Of the ma
ti0nal Saicers.
At eIGven o'clock exercises opened
with prayer by Rev. Mr.. Carpenter,
after which Dr.. L. n. Durham, Lee
turer Of the Eighth District, intro
duced President Polk in n manner tnat
showed the Doctor to be an Alliance
man of the truest type.
ICannot reproduce the speech in full
but the inspiration impaired by his
mastery effort will ever live in the
minds Of the thousands who heard it.
In his Introductory remarks Col. Polk
said: Ladies, . fellow citizens and
brother Alliancemen. | am grateful
for the opportunity afforded me by
this occasion of standing in sight Of
the heroes whose blood there turned
the fate of the Revolution. | envy not
the MAJ who could stand in the pres
ence Of this large COncOurSe Of up
turned faces and see the anxiety that
marks them and not be moved.
I am here to-day to discuss princi-
pies and not men, measures and not
parties. Principles come of God and
are as eternal rs the throne of God:
men are as transient and ephemeral as
the dewdrop on the morning flower.
hDlCtllilIIIS Cit tatIS iIlojOI & S,'JI " mere
heroes died for principles. [ feel like |
tread halIowed ground. | would be
false TO YOU, false to myself, and false
to their memory If do not speak fear
Iessly on this occasion. He who pre-
tends To- mold public opinion and at
the same time evades the truth, IS not
worthy 10 be called a man. Brethren,
God Knows we have had taffy enough;
now let Us have the truth, the whole
truth.
when | travel across this country
from ocean TO ocean. q distance of
seventeen hundred miles, and see its
smiling valleys and magnificent noun
tains, when l see its great cities and
manufactures, when | see its railroads
and teleGraphs I say this IS Il great
and glorious country; but when | look
into these S%unburnt faces and remem
Der that all are dependent upon this
class without whom the business of
the world could not exist, l forget our
railroads and telegraphs, / forget our
cities and manufactures.
The speaker then turned to the
young men as the hope Of the country
and said. Young men. I appeal to
you in the Eame Of manhood, [ appeal
to you IL the name Of everything that
is high and noble to have convictions
of your own and to stand by them like
men. The Imperative need of our
country Is a higher standard Of moral
manhood IN high places. My father
never had any fOUrteen-yGar-Old young
men at his house, and he taught me
that the road to success in life never
leads out the back door of a grOgshOp.
I trust l am hOnOred by other faces
besides those of the farmer, because
there IS a great deal Of misunderstood
ing as to what called forth the Farm
ers' Alliance and because the same
evils that are likely to o~verturn this
country VIII bury them in the same
vortex. They don't know the situa-
tiOn-dOn't know IL aims. They read
only misrepresentation by partisan
papers. There are scOundreIs among
the merchants as well as the farmers,
while sOne Of the merchants are good
and true. I make no apology to that
merchant who has ground down the
labOring class and took advantage of
the poor.
The lawyers have abused me. vet
lam not their enemy. There are many
noble men in that profession. In all
history whenever civil liberty has
needed a friend and a defender, when
eve civil freedom has needed an ad-
vOcate, these have ever been found
among the legal profession. Their pro
fession has ever made them the leaders |
and moulders of pubic opinion, butt
can't express my contempt for these |
little lawyers who think they have all
the wisdom of the universe. The ALI
ance will teach them a lesson, for it is
reading and studying now as never
before. The farmers will hereafter do
their own thinking and not be led by
politicians like a sheep to
We have on our roll three million |