The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-17

often the OF anu
laZiness to live in luxurious ease, and
to obtain without effort the fruits of
other mems labor.
But I must cease these generalina
tiOns, and proceed to give you an q
count of my stewardship since last we
met, and lay before you some impOr-
tant matters that will affect this great
organization throughout the State.
When | assumed the responsible duties
of State President, | found the COnstl-
tuition very defective, many necessary
powers | was compelled to exercise not
having been granted to the Chief TX
ecutive officer of the State Alliance.
But feeling certain what was expected
of me, l seized all the necessary powers
to protect the Order throughout the
State, whether they YER granted by
special or general law OF not, trusting
that the brethren would approve Of
such q course for the good of the
Order. But knowing that this might
be a dangerous power when arbItrar-
lily used, [ desire to offer for your con-
sideratiOn many amendments to the
organic law. | therefore offer them IN
the order in which the section and
article appear in u printed copy OF
UQG CONSTITUTION.
have travelled over 5000 miles and
delivered several lectures during the
last year, and have given all my time
to the cause. | have been able to visit
only four different counties at their
County Alliance meetings, on account
of the meetings being all held at the
same time. | have offered an amend
ment to our Constitution to remedy
this. | visited PasO RObles on the 2Sth
of August, and presented our demands
for a sidetrack to our warehouse to the
Railroad Commissioners, who agreed
to recommend the track being put IN,
since which time the S. Z. Il. X. %.
has been trying to get our company TO
accept a track that would be almost
worthless to us, while 1t would incur
an extra expense of more than $500 by
purchasing right of way, and IN the
additional length of track required.
While they own the land up to and ad-
Joining our warehouse on the front,
they pretend to have leased l6 feet in
front of our warehouse to a rival cor
pOratiOn. This lease is not of record,
and | could not find out its true pur-
port. but it was evidently made for the
kilIktDSc OI hCEDIllS Oo l1OI1 lCCASL4ALAS
their railroad from the front of our
warehouse. | demanded of the rail
road company IN equal right to APP
prOach their trains anywhere in this
State. If they n lease their land to
~expl0iters VIII follow up this great
public highway, and make us pay
tribute to them at PasO Robes, they
can completely bar the farmers of this
great State from building their own
warehouses, and force us to put all Our
crops through rival houses, thus Great
ing, or | should say continuing, the
most grasping monopoly in this State.
This means war on the Alliance, and |
propose tO resist it with all the mean
in my power, and | think they a'e
ample. / don't propose to let them kill
off the Alliance in detail. But, it is
war, we will open all along the line as
far east as Louisiana, and as far north
as Sacramento. After considerable
correspondence with the officials of the
railroad, | think there is now a fair
understanding that w should have q
sidetrack. This promise has been
made by A. n TOwne, the general
business manager of the railroad, and
he has given orders that we now load
cars in front of our warehouse upon
the track already laid, thus repudiat-
ing the lease entered into for the pur-
pose Of keeping us from loading our
grain from the front of our warehouse.
Mr.. TOwne has given assurances that
we shall have equal rights with all
others in this State to reach his trains.
1 have used what power I possessed
in consolidating all the industrial or
CARNATIONS Of this State into one solid
mass, and concentrating them in this
city during this week for the purpose
of organizing the Peoples party,
through which we expect to enforce
our demands az the ballot box, thus
planting Jul banner in the front liue
of the battlefie d of 1892. If the grand
army of labOrers moves up to this line,
all will be we'll.
There is much more I would like to
lay before you at this meeting, but the
time already consumed admOniShes me
that | must come to a close. Whatever
credit may be given for the prosperity
Of this great Order during the period
Ofmy administration may be attributed
to the Jealous and faithful brethren
who have constantly assisted me with
their counsel, particularly the head Of
the Executive Committee, and the re-
form press throughout the State, and
with a heart overlooking with graft
tude, it becomes my pleasant duty to
return to you my sincere thanks for
the high honor you have conferred
upon me IN elevating me to the highest
place within the gift of this great body.
In the administration of it's manifold
cares and duties, it has been my con
slant endeavOr 30 execute the laws as [
understood them, keeping carefully
within the bounds Of the law but exc
cutting them firmly and impartially, in
the spirit of kindness. That errors may
have been committed is not doubted,
for It's but human to err; but each and
every action was prompted by pure