The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-13
GWEN THE C|TYS FREEDOM
Savannah Welcomes the Farm
GTS' Congress.
20 STATES REPRESENTED.
The Inaugural Speeches Of the
Session.

ROADS ana Jhe Reasons lOE bhS ~
pressed Value ~ Lands in the vari-
GUS Agricultural Sections of the
Country Discussed - Cooperation
Among Farmers and the Nations
Wealth the Topics of the Night ses-
sion-To-day to be Devoted to En-
tertainment.
ssThe thirteenth annual session of the
farmers national congress will now come
to order, and will be opened with prayer
by Rev. Charles II. Strong said Capt. d.
G. Purse yesterday morning at 10 o'clock,
and with blow of the gavel the congress
opened its thirteenth session in the
armory hall Of the Savannah Volunteer
Guards.
The delegates spent the morning up
to the time the session was opened in
gathering at the De Soto and discussing
the different features of the questions
that were liable to come up before them.
The lobbies of the hotel presented lively
scene, but the delegates were prompt, and
on time they went to the place of meeting.
The convention was assembled at 10
O'Clock, standard time, and will be run by
standard time throughout.
PRESIDENT SMITH ABSENT.
Rev. Mr.. Strong opened the session with
a most fervent prayer, after which Capt.
Purse addressed the convention briefly
and said that for a second time the con
gress had to regret the absence of its dis
tinguished president and it deyolved upon
the vice president to take the chair.
After asking the cooperation of the con-
vention in the work before 1t, he said he
was sorry that regrets were the order of
the morning, but he had 10 announce and
he did il with regret that Georgia's
distinguished governor would be unable
to attend.
He read a telegram from Gov. Northen,
stating that it was impossible for him to
attend because the legislature was to be
in session only two days longer.
Chairman Purse then introduced Mai
p. W. Meldrim, who had taken Gov.
Northen's place to welcome the delegates
to Georgia. the empire state of the south.
Mai Meldrim said:
Gentlemen Of the Farmers National Con.
Eress: The very much to be regretted
absence Of our distinguished governor, who
Is himself practical farmer, AFFORDS me the
unexpected honor OF welcoming you to Geor-
gia and TO Savannah.
We do not greet you as strangers but as
friends, and hold in grateful recollection the
kindly and generous words you addressed
10 the congress Of the United States, in be-
half Of this southern city. The words you
then spoke were listened to with respect and
were needed by those who heard them, for
the voice Of the intelligent agricultural class
when it speaks in friendship in soberness
and IN tauth is the voice OF god
The relation existing between the people
or seaport city ana the producers whose
products lind shipment through that port
should be OF the most friendly character. for
their interests are identical in truth and in
fact, the interest Of every section Of this
country and Of every class Of our people
should socially, economically and politically
be the same, and the man or party who seeks
TO array class against class or section against
section should receive the condemnation Of
every upright patriotic citizen.
IT is in this broad and catholic spirit that
we welcome you today and id you to tarry
with us, not only for tomorrow but to abide
with us Georgia oders to you and yours, in
her 0S. 600 square miles Of territory. a home
and 100000 people for your friends. She
will give a soil varied in its productions a
climate genial and so temperate that you may
labor beneath the skies throughout the year.
She offers you coal and iron. copper and gold
silver and lead; bids you build your home OF
the pine or the hard woods of the forest or OF
marble granite stone. She Will provide yOU
with slate for roofing. lime for your mortar
even mari for your fields. She will clothe yot
with her cotton cloth and wooden goods will
array you in fine linen and rich silk, she viii
give you diamonds, garnets and opals. Yot
can cultivate her mountain valleys and thel
Will NIL your barns with wheat. oats
barley and rye, or you can plant the rec
clay hills of Middle Georgia. and livln,
beneath your own vine and fruit tree, learI
that in the products OF the temperate zone
the state that bids YOU welcome, provides alst
a farmers ideal home. Or, If you would seel
to. live, where only life is worth the living
down where the Oreezes from the sea eve
blow. and the great live oaks stretch on
their mighty arms TO welcome you and IN
long waving moss woos you to rest, here il
the land OF the cypress ana pine where tn
flowers never fade and welcome neve
dies, we hope you win abide-here in Savan
nah, the Forest city Of the Empire state.
''In the absence of President Smith,
said Chairman Purse, Judge c.. b
Rounse, of Maine, has consented TO re
spond to the address OF welcome to Geor
gla.'
JUDGE RoUNsE's REPLY.
President Purse then introduced Judg
Rounse, who said he regretted that tn
congress could not hear the ringing word
of President Smith in reply to the beauti
full welcome extended by Major Meld
rim
I'm coming for the first time to your
beautiful city," he said Il feel that n
words Of mine can answer the cheerful wei
come we have received here. w
come here from every sec
tion, from the Pacific, from tn
central states and from New England
but in coming to your Empire state o
the South we rejoice in your balmy eli
mate, in your fields of industry and in tn
warm and cheerful welcome which VOL
have extended us"
He spoke of America and the old colo
mics as they We're first founded, aud hoy
they had spread-eXtended from the AT
lantic clear across the continent.
Everywhere" he said. "you find tina
high and noble idea of glorious AM
lofty civilization These ideas hav
spread from these centers founded b.
those from The old world, who fed from
tyranny and oppression, until they nov
extend throughout the entire country.
Il can say that | am glad to stand OF
the soil OF the old state of Georgia. | an
glad TO feel that we have bent our sword
into ploughshares and our spears int
pruning hooks l am glad to feel tina
this spirit is being cultivated everywhere
and hope that the time will come whe
these results shall be practicable. | hop
the time shall come when a few men ret
resentlng the great trunk lines cannot 81
IN New York and tax millions of peopl
all along the Atlantic coast
The principle Of the possibilities Of tn
development of agriculture should be tn
main object of our congress. The result
must come mainly from our experiments
stations nv pblpprrfrcr .