The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-15
PRESIDENT POLK AT ST. LOUIS.

CounciiJ
MR.. Observation-Disclosures here as
the representatives of the millions OF
wealth producers of this great country,
it is gratifying to receive your klndIy
and cordial words of welcome, ana on
behalf of this great Conference, L peg
to assure YOU of our warm apprecla,
ton of your proffered kindness anu
hospitality and of your brave words OF
good cheer and encouragement.
With your sixty one square miles OF
municipal jurisdiction, your w o nun
dred and fifteen miles of street railway,
your two hundred and fifty million OF
taxable property, your annual ouCPue
of three hundred millions OF dollars Oh
manufactured products, your nun
dreds of trains daily, which pour LlyO
your gates, two hundred ana ulCy LII
lions people annually, and lCcate0 neI4
on the bank of the~"8merlcan ME,
what shal be the measure of your future
possibilities and greatness Within
the radius of your influence and leglt1-
made trade. is embraced the richest
agricultural region on the face of the
earth, capable of sustaining three hun
dred million of people, and where shall
be reared In immortal grandeur the
magnificent seat of future political and
Industrial empire of this continent.
We share with you, sir, the just
pride and the cheering hope which Is
inspired by your suspicious surround
ings and assure you that we feel quite
at home within your h~Ospitable gates.
All the States, all sections, and all
the great industries of the country are
here represented. The men T here
who feed the world; the men are here
who clothe the world; the men are here
who house the world. They are here
from the farm, the factory, the work
shop and all the departments of indus
try throughout this broad land. 1t IS
that mighty host whose blended blows
of honest toll goes to swell the chorus
of the worlds happy song of industrial
progress. Why are we here? We are
here to voice the solemn protest of a
nations wealth-producers against inc
qualities and unjust conditions which
seriously threaten to paralyze and de-
stroy the industrial energies of the
country.
Owning less than % per cent, of the
wealth of the country and paying Over
80 per cent. of it's taxes, the outraged
and struggling victims of inIquitOus
and wicked class legislation, we are
here to redress these grievances and to
right these great wrongs.
In the Board of Exchange of New
York, money is quoted to-day at from
II to 4 per cent. In Liverpool it is
quoted at from II to q per cent. In
Houston Texas, VicksbUrg Miss, and
Shreveport. La, 1t is quoted to day at
II per cent; In Salem, Ala, Macon,
Ca, Raleigh, N. c., Columbia, 5. c.,
and Pine Bluff, Ark. it is quoted to,
day at from 10 to ID per cent. If a
broker on Wall street can borrow mon
ey at 2 to 4 per cent interest on wheat,
corn and cotton as collateral, why can
not the farmers of Michigan, Kansas
and Georgia do the same One year
ago to day, middling cotton sold in
New Orleans for nine cents per pound,
or $45 per bale. To-day it is quoted at
6 and 9 16 cents per pound, or $32 90
per bale-a decline Of over % per cent.
to the farmer. Has there been a cor
responding decline in the price of the
articles manufactured from this cotton?
Have the cotton factories of New Eng
land shared this great loss d? Have the
staple manufactured goods which the |
farmers are obliged to have, declined
In a correspond ng ratio. From a list
OF staple manufactured goods from the
the leading mills Of New England. l
find that the decline In these goods has
been only about q per cent. Has the
difference of this decline gone into the
pockets of the manufacturers or did
they pay it to the employees? If it be
OverprOducCiOn that drives the farmer |
to accept a price for his cotton abso
lutely below the cost of the product. |
why should itnOt affect the output and
price OF manufactured goods.
Permit me to quote further from our
official census returns which presents
a very significant phase of the situa-
ton. During the past ten years, from
1880 to 1890, the single State of New
York, with a population of $685. S71.
gained IN actual wealth Sc, 600. 900 more
than fifteen of the great producing
states of this country, to wit: Nebras,
ka, Kansas, Iowa. Illinois, Indiana. |
Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, |
North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, |
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
FLORIDA, with a population of 10, $685.
o27, and with a territory equal to six
Teen States the size of New York. The
small non producing State of Massa- |
chusetts with 1880 Z peope gained |
in sct lal wealth about SO. 900 600
more than the nine great producing
States of Louisiana, Nj sissippi, Ala,
bama, Georgia, North Carolinf, Indi.
ana, Illinois Iowa and Nebraska.
whose population was I3, 400, 1877, and
with an area as large as ffty-eight
States of tire size of Massachusetts. New
England. New York and Philadelphia
hold today $50, 600 shares of the bank
ing capital of the country. while only
$4,000 shares r held by all the remaiIE
ing States OF the Union. Must argu-
ment be added to these startling facts
20 convince us of our duty ? To me
they proclaim i'm thunder tones that
the tlmehas arrived for the great West,
the great South and the great North,
west, to link their hands and hearts
together and march to the ballot box