The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-08
THE GREAT INDUSTRIAL CON.
FERENCE.
Editorial Correspondence.

OAS"P u III ONO |
tn 1T is destined to become memorable
in history. 1t was not a c~onvocation
of partisan leaders to devise methods |
for the ascendence of party, to pro-
mote personal ends, to plan for the dis
tributiOn of patronage among partisan
favorites, to further the designs and de
mands of dictatorial money power but |
it was a mighty gathering of honest
wealth q~rQdR12ars, bread winners and
tax payers, from the farms, f~GtaEieal
and shops all over the land, earnestly
and honestly seeking a remedy for the
evils and oppressive and unjust bur
dens which have been heaped upon
them through corrupt class legislation,
and which so seriously threaten the
safety of the country and the liberties
of the people. No grander body of men
with a grander purpose ever assembled
in any age or country.
In some respects it was the most re-
markable body that ever convened in
our country. Every State in the
Union, except, perhaps, Rhode Island
and Delaware, were represented. Life
long Democrats, lifelong Republicans,
Greenbackers, Prohibitionists, single
tax men, equal suffragists, old soldiers
of the "blue" and the gray" repre-
senting thirteen different industrial
organizations, met together and with
wonderfI unanimity and fraternity,
aligned themselves solidly under one
banner and pledged their faithful ale
glance to one platform of principles.
The committe Re was composed of one
hundred and twenty delegates, repre-
senting every State. 1t unanimously
recommended the address and the plat
form. The conference, composed of
over one thousand delegates, unani-
mously adopted the address and the
platform, except two votes cast against
the address.
When before in the history of this or
any other country has such thorough
and harmonious concord Of action
characterized such a body? Can any
one doubt for a moment the ultimate
and overwhelming success of such a
force and power9
The friends of reform throughout
the Union will recognize the fact that
the great principles set forth r sub
stantially the same, as those of the st.
Louis meeting in 1889, and the Ocala
and Indianapolis meetings, and are
confined chiefly to the great questions
of Money, Land and Transportation?
A generous spirit of concession and
fraternity prevailed throughout. A
large portion of the delegates were In
favor of one open declaration by the
Conference for independent political
action, but in Difference to those who
held that the Conference should not
take such action as would appear to
bind the different organizations to any
particular political party, generously
yielded their views on this point. But
they Immediately availed themselves
of the opportunity afforded by the
mass convention to emphasize their
position as to independent political
action. Any other course would have
been rediculoUsly inconsistent, unman-
ly and cowardly. If that great body
of representative men had adopted the
address and the platform and had dis
persed without providing for some
definite and decisive method for en-
forcing it's principles, it would have In
Cured the contempt of all intelligent
men and would have been laughed to
scorn by the whole country.
All the Southern States were well
represented, and between their dele
gates and those from the North there
existed a generous and magnanimous
rivalry in the grand and manly work
of unifying and fraternalizing the two
sections.
Presuming that you will procure the
details from special correspondent
and other sources, they may be omitted
here
Since my arrival in this city l had
the pleasure of meeting Hon, s. E.
Alexander, and asked his opinion of
the action of the st. Louis meeting. He
said: 81 have seen only the accounts
that were given out by the Associated
Press, and I have been patiently await
ing the truth. Fortunately, l have
just seen President Butler and from
him have learned the truth of the mat
ter. am greatly gratified to learn of
the harmony that prevailed and espe-l
cially am I pleased with the platform
1t is one that 1 think all true Alliance
men can and will heartily support.
The three planks-money, land and