The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-18
ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT ELIAS
CARR TO THE STATE
ALLIANCE,
At Morehead City, N. c., Aug. II, 1891.


Since last addressing you, as Presi
dent of the State Alliance, it has been
my great pleasure to watch the heal
thy growth of our Order and the rapid
development of the principles we have
inCulcated. On the goth of April, 1887,
ohe first Subordinate Alliance was or
ganiNed at AShpOle in Robson county.
just year later there were 72S Sub
Alliances. During the second year the
growth was such that April goth, 1889,
! there were 1, ,654 Sub Alliances. April
goth, 1890, there was q still further
gain, so the number was 2, ,062. On our
| last anniversary. the ground being
effectually covered by the thorough
| organization Of every county, 1t was
not a matter of surprise that the III
crease was less, showing total mum
Der of 2,221 subordinate organizations
With membership Of 100000.
To the reports of the Executive Com
mittee, Secretary, Treasurer, State
Lecturer Business Agent and Trustee
respectfully refer you, asking a care.
| full consideration at your hands.
! | suggest that the position Of the AS
SlStaut Lecturer be abolished, as there
| is not the necessity for this office since
the new plan Of leCturing has become
IN Use in our State.
The State Lecturer should be a
! brother Of the highest executive ability
who should have control Of the lecture
system in the State.
suggest also that the Office Of Treas
rer be abolished and that the office Of
| Secretary b0made Secretary ASurer.
\ year ago, after my election to this
| office, a proposition was made to in
crease the Presidents salary, which [
opposed then but said [ would recon-
mend it a year hence, which [ now do.
think that the salary should be Suffi-
Cient to enable the President to give his
constant services to the Order. L find
that there are quite number of apph-
cations for aid from members Of the
| Alliance and most Of them meritOri-
1u5, and | suggest that some plan be
devised to meet these applications.
The unprecedented dpOliticalupheaVal
Of last November was the nutural ont
come of tire doctrines taught by the
! Alliance, and despite the protests of our
enemies, we can take unto ourselves the
credit Of that more than glorious on
@Iaugnt Truly it was a great work,
"ud we'll may we feel honored since 1t
vas a most salutary lesson to the greed
| ~
.aont and the rawlings of political dema-
gOgues. But though the future seems
bright there Is much yet to be done
iced, when I vipW the9tlg1r3, which
even at the present time surround us,
| think | may be pGrdOned for saying
that the work seems scarcely yet be
gun, We are aSSallcd on every hand
by demagOGueS, chiefly those III Office,
whose sole object IS to porpetuate their
power and it matters little by what
means they effect their purpose. Some
times we see them maSQuerading as
friends of the farmer, but i'll reality
employed by sOullesS corporations to
SOW the seeds Of discomfort among us
And, sometimes they are the hireliRgS
|Of the great trunk lines which like
gigantic octopus are slowly but surely
absorbing and paralyzing what little
blood and energy is now left unto Us.
We have nothing with which to fight
this redOutablG combination save hon
est hearts, willing hands and that
spirit of independence which has ever
characterized the huSbandman from
the time of CinCinnatuS even unto our
own. | think, then, [ do not miss the
mark when [ say that, as a class, we
are patient and willing, much abused
and never mUrmerlng, yet when we are
aroused, as | now trust you all are, the
act bears moro than ordinary signiti-
canoe. But what meets this our last
resort, if our energies be not united, if
we be not unit III our actions! Shall
we profit by the experience Of the past?
The road to defeat, the road to victory
lies equally plain before you. The
choice is of vital impOrtance-SO
l, 1,N. o
matter Of cOnditiOn-relief must come
Our condition is such that delay would
be fatal amOngu us and the consequences
Of opinion is that relief must come
through the legitimate and peaceful
channels Of legislation. We have held
up to the ScOrn and contempt Of honest
men the existence of trusts, combines
and corporations, but Of what benefit
has this exposure been to us The
work of rObbing still goes on. Why
is this Why have we accomplished
so little? The answer is an open secret
it is because the vast majority Of the
producing class are as yet untaught,
uneducated, deaf to the appeals of
reason and experience callOuS to the
cry of those who preach the import
anCe of thorough organization. Is 1t
not strange that SO many OF our fellow
men utterly ignore the very first law,
the law of self preservation, and the
fact that complete and thorough or
ganizatiOn IS the only safe means
whereby we can be assured OF our
rights On every hand we hear boasts
of our great progress and our c!vIlIza-
tiOn, but since good government, the
government Of the people, for the peO-
pie and by the people, the secret OF
all happiness has not kept pace with
the other sciences. We see great rea-
sons for asserting that this boasted
civilization IS not shared in by the
working man who here, as the world