The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-01-06
MEMORIAL OF THE NATIONAL
FARMERS ALLIANCE AND
INDUSTRIAL UNION,

Adopted in Convention, Held at Ocala,
Florida, December 9th, 1890.
To the Senate and House of Representatives
Ofhe Congress Of the United States:
We the delegates to the National ALI
ance Supreme Council representing the
Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union,
of the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Cali
tornia, Colorado, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Ind
ana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mary
land, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi,
New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vir-
ginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and of
the Indian Territory, and of the Terri
tories of Oklahoma and New Mexico, as
sembled in National Convention at Ocala,
Florida, December 2, 1890 do most re-
s~pectfully memorabilia Congress in regard
to the matters herein contained.
l. We petition your honorable bodies
to enact into a law, as o o as possible,
Senate bill No. 1891, known as the Pad
dock Pure Food Bill, which was intro
duced into the Senate of the Uni,ed
States, by Senator Paddock of Nebraska,
at the instance Of the Far ners' Alliance
of that STATE, for the reasons that we be-
lieve that if said bill becomes a law it will
prevent the a~dulteration and mi branding
of food preparations and drugs, which are
now so largely and generally practiced to
The great injury of the agriculture. inter
ests of the country, the health of the peo-
pie and the II orals of the business public.
When your honorable bodies take into
consideration the alarming exteut to
which the adulteration and misbranding
of food products is practiced by unscru-
pulous and dishonest manufacturers and
dealers, it would seem that we, your n
stituents, are not asking too mu h when
we urge you to pass, without unnecessary
delay, such legislation as will afford the
mil ions of farmers of the United States,
adequate protection against the cupidity
and dishonesty of those who are engaged
in f~oisting on the public impure and IN
healthy food products and drugs.
The Paddock Pure Food Bill il general
and national IN its scope and effect, pro
tecting and fostering the farming interests
of every State and Territory in the Union.
1t does not invoke the power of the
government for the purpose OF taxing or
restricting any legitimate industry or
busint SIS enterprise and would therefore
operate equally and justly in every sec
tio1 o: the country, and would not, there
fore, injuriously affect any interest or in
dustry.
2 Eut while praying for the passage of
Paddock Pure Food Bill, as a measure of
Justice to all our Interests, we desire to
most earnestly and emphatically protest
a gainst House Bill No. 1868, known as
the Conger Lard Bill, for the reason that
it proposes to extend thu taxing power of
the government, and increase the list of
articles upon which taxes are levied. at a
time when the tendency is towards re-
duced taxation, and the demand is being
made for the re noval of taxes from ar
ticles of necessity and daily use among
the people.
The Conger Lard Bill proposes to place
taxes on the manufacture of compound
lard, and prohibitory restrictions on the
sale of the same.
Compound lard is composed of cotton
seed oil, beef fat and hog lard.
A. tax on compound lard is a tax on
cotton seed oil, raised by the &C. ton
planter OF the South A tax on compound
lard is a tax on beef fat, a product of the
cattle raisers of the West. The Conger
L rd Bill taxes cotton led oil and beet
fat in or Ter to enhance the price of hog
lard. It arrays the farmers of the North
against the cotton planter of the South
and the "a tie raiser of he West. It is
sectional legisl alton, aid therefore, the in
dustrial movement declares its open and
IN 3easing hostility to it
In the war which has been declared by
Us against ~sectiona'ism, the farmer and
his Preside is the citadel around which
the heaviest battles are to be fought. We
are not content in simply shaking hands
across the bloody jhasm. Our work Is to
fill up and eface the chssm. We are
many as the waves, but n as the sea-.
| SectOnGGSm mast not, shall not, 6Ve. Upon
our banner, written above and below the
plow, the sheaf and the cotton bale, is a
new device, born of a new era; it is
" Fraterait and Unity" In this spirit
the Coneer Lard Bill has met with the
opposition Of the farmer, both North and
South, the following being a partial list OF
Allan 2es and agricultural organizations
that ave prote ted against its passage:
The Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union, of the S ate of Illinois, at Spring
field. Illinois, October 20, 1890; the Farm
ers' Mutual Benefit Association, of the
State of Illinois, at Springfield, Illinois,
October 81, 1890; the Farmers Alliance
and Industrial Union of Louisiana, at
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, August Z, 1890;
the Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union, at Union Springs, Alabama, April
IL, 1890; the North Carolina Farmers
State Alliance, at Raleigh, North Caro-
lima, April l, 1890, the Bullock County
Alliance, at Union Springs, Alabama,
March IL, 1890; the Alabama State Agri-
tural Society, at Birmingham, Alabama.
March II, 1890; the j. 81. Dent Farmers
Alliance, at Rome, Georgia, March 20,
1890; the Agricultural Wheel, OF Jefferson
County, at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, March
Is, 1890; the White Oak Farmers ALI
snce. at Greenville, South Carolina, March
Is, 1890; the Msuldin's Alliance, at Green
Il Co..+h Hnrolina March IL 1900. tha