The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-11-19
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
PRESIDENTS PoLKs MAsTxRr,Y
address AT INDIANAPOLIS.
Review OF Alliance Progress,
and Strong Personalities Of
It's Demands.
indianapolis, Ind, Hos. ~, vi.

indianapolis Ind, Hov. ~, vi.
Editorial Correspondeneal
The following IL q yer batin report ol
Presidents Polks able ana tsllinx I'D.
dress before the Supreme Couneil Of .hs
N. f. A. 4 /. u. In session to-day. II
was received With enthusiastic applause:
To the Supreme Counsil es the Ma
tional Fsrnsrs' Alliance ard Industrial
Union:
Assembled here As the accredited re.
presentatives OF the farRsrs OF almost
every State and Territory IN the Union,
you can not be unnindful OF The weights
responsibility which sttachss to your
position.
Entrusted with The high duty OF leRis
latipg for a great organixAffoa whose
success or failure may depend ca you,
action, feel assured that yun will sd.
dress yourselves 10 the task with that
elaboration and patriotic purpose ce-
manded by the situation, and the stupen.
dous interests that have been committed
to yonr charge.
Upon no body OF men, perhaps, In our
history. since The meeting OF tbs Con-
tinental Congress has greater OF sra7er
responsibility devolved, than upon this
assembly. Theirs was the high and ex-
alted duty OF establishing o rep1 bltcau
form OF government; yours, the no loss
grand and patriotic duty OF preserving
1t. Their demands for equal rights be-
fore the law were no more tho Just pro-
test OF a liberty loving people against
the exactloEs and usurpatiops of nnoaar.
chial tyranny, than are yours which
were declared at ST. Louis and feitersted
at Ocala against those inequalities and
discriminations which threaten 10 under.
mine the liberties OF the people and TO
destroy the great agricultural INTERESTS
Of the country.
But you aro to ba congratulated that,
like our continental fsthc.a, whfl. con.
frouted with formidable forces srd dim.
culties, You have the invincibis power oi
right, of justice, OF equity and Of truth
TO inap!re and sustain you. Moreover,
you have a unanimity and solidity OF
sentiment among tbs great conservative
masses OF the country as mighty re-
serve power, and which, II directed
Alright. must ultimately and inevitably
achieve for our cause glorious SUCCESS.
Wonderful as has been CUR growth
and development as an OF. .a1ization liz
numbers, no phase of our progress ha,
been 90 marvellous and gratifying AZ II
the education Of the masses il the true
principles OF political eeoEomy. The
gray haired sire, whose sinsws and
muscles have been tougheued and hard
ened through a life of toll and labor ID
The production of wealth, has been
forced, by unjust and oppressive legisla
tion, to aidreas himself to the no les,
Important problem of securing Just ant
equitable distribution Of thst wealth
Diligent, honest and earnest research
Investigation as TO tb5 causes whicl
bsve brought the american farmer {,
verge of bankruptcy and ruin has fercst
upon him the alarming conviction tha
many OF the most sacred sud iMportan
functions of the government have hSel
usurpcd and appropriated for the bcrsi
OF the ia7ored few, 10 the dstrfment a.,
ruin OF tho neglected millions.
THE SITUATION.
The gravity of the situation. the Erea
uIrcst which is agitating tbs publ
mind and the magni.nde of the interest
involved, demand ths most candid an,
deliberate investigation au6 ccrsidera
tion. What are the alleged grievance
Of the American farmer! Ara fbey res
or merely theoretics?
Let the record answer.
During the decade from 1850 10 ISs(
farm values Increased 1ol ner sen'
From 1870 to 1880, farm values increas
ed only 0 Per cert. Bui rotgi:hstani
lag this alarming decline In ta;s great In
du.tfy, the aggregate wcs!th OF th
country, from 1870 to 1886, Increased 4
per cent and the Agricultural eopulatio
increased over 20 per cent. From Is5
to 1866 agriculture led manufacturing |
per cent in Increased valus of PRODUCT
From 1870 10 1880 nanufactnr;ng ie
agriculture 81 per cent, showing 3 di
ference of 81 psr cent fn favor Of mani
featuring.
The zen staple crors of ths countr,
wheat, corn, rye, barlsy buck wheat hs,
oats, potatoes, cotton and tobacco, Il
tic year 1884, brought less thsn p'
cent more than tbe samo crops fn 1856,
Our cereal crops Of 1897 from less ths
half :he acreage and half the amour
brought the farmers s79. .7li.000 NC
than tbs sane crops OF 1887. notwit
standing that duri1g this rsriod d
acreage and number CT farm hards b:
doubled, and sg7icEi,nfCi r.achinery a,
implements bad cen vastly improve
The farmer is ..senod to Ard that With
the last decade agricultural lands ge
orally hayc decreased froc - TO 40 ?
cent IA r..ae
Owning less than % per cent OF {
, | wealth Of tie country. h1e .a.ners .
over so per cent of the taxes l.vied a
: collected. Two-thirds cf tie wealth
the country Is lot assessed one farthi
Tor pnFpose. OF taxstioc, sud yet I
government has tie power to force eve
tax payer In the land 10 offer bis life
defense OF that Eatsxcd wealth. W
: sli bis facilitie: fcr crtfansportstion, VII
. are equal to tho demaais Of the prodl
tive poger Of the connsry, and bis acc
( ability to markets, be Is forced to I
i ais products at prices barely eoveri
the cost of production.
Despite the theory that oiysrsifiest
of crops and home markets Eonld G
; duce to his prosperity, be sees thousal
: of New England farms, within e.
{ reach of great aPgregstions OF consume
2 absoluieis abardoned 10 fhe brses {
e brush.
In the great agricultural State of X
D the nortgsged Indebtedness on fai
/ alone is sio4 Per capita; ia Kansas, I
4 per capita; in Illinois. cleo per cap
:. and from Maine to the Rocky mounts
= !, and from the lakes to the gulf, the
y ners are overburdened With debt
Oh ieTiTcs little comfort, ard IL h ret
at sering to his philanthropy ard pat
at ism 20 resi- hfs hcpc fer relief Ia bs
n prices for the produote of his isbof
id the preearious or occasional nhforss
~ Of his fel,oE: In cfhsr ans Isss fass
- lands.
He fails to undenisnd vAy us
states bosd, bought FOR lsss sh8n
eenfa On 3ha drifag hnNHt09 4 nR