The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-10
CAL EUHNIA STATE MEETING.
Another Correspondent Gives an Interest
ing Account of It--Some OF the
Work Done, Etc.
LOOMS, Placer Co., Cal,
Oct. Is 1891.

LOOMS, Placer Co, Cal,
Oct. %, 1891.
Mr.. EDITOR:-Our tSt weeks work
is difficult 10 crUwO into the space a
newspaper may devote to it. Wehave
met Pres dent Polk, listened to him,
asked him questions, scrutlniZed his
c~OuntPnance. weighed his words, and
in common California p%arlance have
sized him up generally and unani
mOuslN decided that the auS of the
tOiling millions in America is in good
hands; in other words, he has our full
confidence and will have our undivided
support. CallfOrnians are unique in
their criticisms An actor, artist,
speaker, singer OF other representative
of talent may win the applause of New
York. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia,
New Orleans. and fail III San Francisco
or elsewhere in California.
1t may be the cosmopolitan charac-
ter of Our people, recruited from every
part of the globe, or it may be the
tOlerably independent circumstances
of a great majority of our people, or
both combined, but in any case it is
considered quite a victory to capture
California, and surely President Polk
has lone so
Our annual State Alliance meeting
at Los Angeles lasted from Tuesday,
October 2Otn, till the following Satur-
day. The work of the past year was
carefully scrutinized and found salts
factory, and a programme for the
future mapped out. The meeting was
harmonious from beginning to end.
Delegates came in from about thirty
counties. some of them living about a
thousand miles apart. They were of
all shades of religion. of all shades of
former political utilization; some quite
rich. others borrowed money to reach
there. Some of the eX soldiers formerly
wore the blue and quite a smattering
had worn the gray. A few were citi-
zens of foreign birth, but the majority
were to the manor born. Many we're
old and feeble, a majority might be
called middlG-aged. and afew were Just
entered into mans estate. Some were
graduates of colleges and universities,
others graduated from the school of
experience, while all seemed to fully
understand he grave questions under
consideration and ere able to defend
their position, and quite a sprinkling
of those present would be difficult to
down in debate by the ablest men in
the land. Many of the delegates were
pdIlI0u DN UIclI LdIllIlI6S, anu
quite a gathering of Alliance people
attended besides the delegates.
There were few if any announce
m6ntS of our gathering III the great
dailies. and it seemed to take the pub
lie by storm. The Herald Democratic
said editOriaily that the mass of
farmers now gathered to attend the
Alliance might easily be taken for
merchaI is and professional men," and
the other papers made complimentary
references to us and aCded there could
be no question of wrongs that should
be set 'plhr: Int why not do it within
old party lines?
Many Of our officers were re elected,
including President NJ. Cannon and a
majority Of the Executive Committee.
while a few places were filled by new
men. The Constitution and By laws
were amended where experience
showed lie need Of it. The Ocala pltt-
form was adopted as a whole without a
dissenting voice.
An immense audience greeted PreSi
dent Polk AT his public address, and he
was repeatedly Interrupted with storms
of applause and cheers.
Perhaps the most notable event of
the week'was a reception given t.
President Polk by a large delegation
of Grand Army men, who read an
address Of welcome and fraternity, and
the reply of PRECEDENT Polk. Ii was
not alone notable as aniLcident of good
feeling for both the blue and gray, who
in considerable numbers were present.
but the touching and eloquent language
on both SIO,S brought tears to the eyes
of all present.. 1t was the most affect.
ing scene ever WITNESSED here, and those
who were fortunate enough to be pres
ent will remember the incident as long
as they live. Both blue and gray
allowed that the brave men who took
up arms and barred their breasts in war
Acknowledged the war was over and
were willing to accept the decision of
the fight and Once more be brothers in
a common country, while the fellows
who stald at home, sheltered by petit
coats or COIn, have been fighting the
war ever since 1t ceased.
While the Farmers Alliance was in
convention, the Citizens Alliance also
gathered III Los Angeles and held their
annual convention. They are banding
together the tOileTs In the cities " no
cannot conveniently become members
of the Farmers Alliance. They had a
large gathering and did their work
smoothly and we'll standing ~squarely
ON the Ocald platform.
Now the Californian is an independ
ent specimen of the genus homo and
chafes at restraint; so without waiting
for the Cincinnati CONVEX ton or any
one else, a cow Ell ton was called to-
gether of representatives of all the re-
form Organiza; ions III the State and
they proceeded to organize the Peoples
Party of the United States for Cali
fornia. Over six hundred delegates
were present. The chairman was a
hard-wOrking young farmer, the first
vice chairman a clergyman. and the